Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-12-17
PUBLICITY FOR LIBRARIES
CONTINUED from page y

are probably familiar with the auto
! biography of the Rev. A. M. Rihbany,
the prominent Unitarian minister of
Boston, who rose to the ministry from
a struggling Syrian immigrant. His
iife-story first appeared in the Allan
tic Monthly and then lii book form
under the title, ga far Journey" Now
it so happened that for several years
Mr.. Rihbany was resident of Wau-
seon; that he married a Fulton coun-
ty girl, and had his first pastorate in
neighboring village. When, there
fore, his autobiography appeared it
seemed to the advantage of the IL |
brary to remind the people of the
community through the local news
papers that Wauseon was receiving
publicity in a current magazine |
through the life-story of a distin-
guished former resident, and, futher
more, that this magazine came to the |
public library. And to make the
newspaper account as interesting as
possible to local residents, some in
cldents were added to connect Mr..
Rihbany's story particularly with his
residence in Wauseon. The results
were even more satisfactory than in
the previous attempts at newspaper
publicity, for inquiries were receiv-
ed from some older residents who sell
dom, if ever, visited the library. Quite
as satisfactory, too, were the results
from publishing list of some of the
books possessed by the library bear
ing especially on the history of
northwestern Ohio and of Wauseon
and Fulton county.
The large library, with its superior
resources, is able to do much publici-
ty work Independent of the public
press. 1t can publish its annual re-
ports and bulletins, helpful alike to
the people of the community and to
the smaller libraries that are so
| favored as to be on the exchange list
of the larger library. To the small
library such publicity would be pro-
hibitive unless the cooperation of
the local newspapers were available
Fortunately for Wauseon Library, the
local newspapers have given publicity
to the most important features of it's
annual reports ever since its open
ing. And this past year two of the
newspapers each devoted nearly a
page to the report. The newspapers,
moreover, willingly co-operated with
the library in the spring when call
was made for old magazines to fill
out the reference files.
II The mailing of blank application
| cards to residents who do not use the
| library is not new method
| of library publicity, and doubtless
many of you have tried the expert
| ment. About a year ago the trus-
tees of the Wauseon Library were
anxious to use this method of publici-
ty, and approximately one hundred
cards were mailed to people who were
not using the library. Only three
cards, however, were signed and re-
turned. But at the beginning of the
school year application cards were
given to the teachers to be distribut-
ed among their pupils. Immediately
there was a response not only chill.
dren, but even parents coming to the
library, including some people who
had permitted the use of their cards
to lapse. With the cooperation o1
the superintendent of schools, further
impetus was given to the increase
in registration and circulation by in
viting the teachers from the lower
grades as well as the high school tt
visit the library with their pupils
| Practically all of the teachers re
sponded to the invitation, each O.
the classes spending an hour or NOR,
in the library. Though it was not t,
be expected that in so short a tim
the pupils would learn much of Ii
brary methods, many of them did fo
the first time really become ac
quainted with the library. For i
was discovered that to many of tn
- younger children the reference room
. in particular, had appeared as sacre
. quarters, forbidden to all but olde
people. Thereafter, for the rest Q
the school year, the children fro1
the lower grades used this room a
well as those from the high schoo
And the teachers, even from the fit
and sixth grades, began to make |
brary assignments.
An opportunity that l believe
open to library workers in smalle
communities, even more than thos
in cities, is publicity through persol
al contact with the people one NEE
in everyday life. One does not hay
to be bore or too obtrusive to Il
people know of the Possibilities of tt
library, and in a village or small cit
where the range of acquaintance
large, such influence may bring vel
| Q0DnlCo results. AL WduS0On DO
the trustees and the librarian ha,
in this way endeavored to increa
the usefulness of the library, the go,
results being manifest frequently
new library users.
l have now told you the princip
features of the publicity work of
library in a village of three tho
sand inhabitasts. Thugh this pub
a,4 10
so far as each step has been large
| EXPERIMENTAL, it has already seel
ingly had its effect. For, at the e
of 1914, largely, it is to be presum
because of publicity, there was an
crease over the previous year in
number of card holders of 36 r
cent; an increase in the circulate
of Is per cent; and an increase
the number of people using the res
ing and reference rooms of ga |
cent.
take it that two of the M
cherished wishes of the majority
library workers, especially those
the smaller libraries, is to have u
versal township and county ext
sion and greater recognition by
general public of the worth of
library and the library protest.
But strive as we may in our vari
communities, we usually get as
reward from the public only prejuc
ed ignorance and selfish indiffereT
And is there any wonder that tn
should be this ignorance and indif