The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-05-27
MINISTER TELLS OF
HOOD RIVER LIBRARY

Rev. George n. Edwards, pastor Of
the Congregational church at Oregon
City, who recently was here attending
the meeting of the Portland Association
Of Congregation churches, was very
much impressed by the local library.
In praise of the institution Mr.. Ed
wards recently wrote the following let
ter to the Oregon City Courier:
While visiting in HoodlRiver recently
/ was much interested in learning
some of the details of the Hood River
county library. A very handsome build
ing has been erected in the city of
Hood River costing, with furnishing,
Sl7, 500 donated by Mr.. Carnegie. The
city vacated two thirds of street for
a block, and the Woman's club raised
enough by subscription to purchase for
$1,000. a strip of land running from
street to street, so that the library has
a width of 60 feet and park in the rear
of it. The Carnegie money was given
on condition that it should be made a
county library.
The city and county each raise $4,000
a year for salaries, running expenses
and books. A verv competent librarian
was engaged, Miss NOrthey, at the
time of the election of the budding and
she was thus able to supervise the
building plans. The Woman's club took
an active part also, with the result
that a most artistic and serviceable
building was secured. Under the large
library room and office is an assembly
hall, seating 225, small kitchen, a
rest room with outlook on the park, a
county school room, work room and
toilet accommodations. The assembly
room is used for concerts, clubs, plays,
lectures, etc., being free for all civic
and educational purposes.
The results of the three years of the
present administration as a county Ii
brary have been remarkable. The
number of books OH hand is 1000 and in
addition 1000 school library books are
exchanged among the schools as needed
in different places. Sixteen schools in
the county are loaned books in travel
ing libraries, and supplied also with
pictures, data of any kind asked for,
and government publications.
The school library books are kept in
repair free of charge. At first the
schools were slow to cooperate but now
the teachers say they can hardly see
how they could do their work without
the library. In addition to the school
work nine distributing centers are
maintained for as many different COM
munities. Three of the places have
small buildings or rooms provided To-
cally. In other places the books are
kept in stores or in the schools. There
is steady and increasing demand for
the books especially at places de-
prived of book privileges.
One striking fact is the change that
has taken place in the character of the
books read. When Miss NOrthey came
to Hood River 95 per cent of the books
taken out were fiction. By skillfully
letting the public know of the other
books available and interesting individ-
uals and societies in the books they
can really use and need, the percentage
of fiction circulation has dropped to 49
per cent, really phenOmenalIy small
percentage. When any society any
where in the valley is about to take up
some study, whether horticulture, his
tory, missions, art, agriculture, or
what moi, they can learn what books
are available and have them sent out
by parcel post at once or secured from
the state library at Salem at no cost
to the users, expect for returning.
Heads of clubs are often surprised to
receive notices from the librarian of
the books they need before they have
applied Since this policy was adopted
books and pamphlets on swine raising,
berry culture, apple culture and vari-
GUS other industries are in constant de-
mand. The people of the county have
discovered that the library is their own
and that it is tue peoples university.
This demonstration of the usefulness
and success of county library is of in
terest to us because we are in a posi-
tion to do the same thing. The propos-
ition to make the Oregon City library a
county library was voted down by a
light vote a while ago. doubtless be-
cause the plan was so little understood.
There are now four county libraries
in Oregon and each of them is de-
cided success, and works along the
same lines. There are more towns and
a much larger population in Clakamas
county needing library privileges and
in no way could they be so cheaply Sc
cured as by making the Oregon City
library county library.