The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-01-21
E DIT o II I A l. -.
MISS CAREY'S REPORT TO THE STATE
BOARD OF CONTROL

In our IaSC weeks ISSUE VI Guo VIC
printed an extract from the report of Miss Miriam
E. Carey, supervisor of institutional libraries, to
the State Board of Control for the biennial period
ending July 81 1914, wherein read that Miss
Carey heartily endorsed and approved the movies
which, some months ago, were introduced in the
different institutions throughout the state.
There can be no question about the movies be-
ing one form of amusement, here in this institu-
ton, having the hearty appreciation of all, both
officers and inmates. We do not know of any
other form of amusement that would have the
educational effect on all the inmates the movies
seem to have. And we have no hesitancy in agree
ing with Miss Carey when she says: Moving
pictures in shut-in places have brought more hap
piness than any other invention
Miss Carey in her report says that the inmates
of the state institutions do three times as much
reading as those of the outside world The follow
ING statistics will give you something interesting to
think about
The people to whom books mean the most are
not the happy, prosperous people. They are the
poor the lonely, and the unfortunate Many OF
these are living in the state institutions and are
taking out books and magazines from the fourteen
different libraries which may be found there.
These folks read 314, 61S books and periodicals
from August /, 1912, to July 81, 1914. That
means an annual circulation of ISL, 3O8
How much did they read in MankaJo, St. Cloud
and Virginia in the year 1912? These three IL
brares together circulated 120,899. Why is it
that more reading is done within the walls" than
outside! One reason is that part of every day is
spent by almost everybody shut in from the more
active duties of life What is the easiest way to
pass the time when one is shut in? Why, in
reading, of course. We all do it and so do the in
mates of the state institutions, only they DO three
times as much of it as we do.
Books have real value which is not affected
by any outward circumstance. They are just as
good in one as another That makes them indis-
pensabe in institutions where the intrinsic value
of thing must be considered.
There are a few other things in the world be-
sides books which are unchanged in value by out
ward conditions. One of these is music. How
about music in institutions! Be sure it has not
been overlooked. In the several hospitals you will
find pianos in many of the wards, and the MAORI
ty of the institutions have bands, orchestras and
choirs. Have you ever heard the Predetermined
children sing! Or the prison band play? Or the
girls choir at Sank Centre chant? All this helps
out wonderfully, but best of all, perhaps of late
years we have monographs and victroas to pene
trate to the very remotest corner of the biggest
building-not too big to be carried around, and
not too delicate to be handled.
For four five years moving pictures have
been in occasional use on holidays and at other
special times in several of the state inttitutons,
but within two years eight of these have decided
to add the movies to their permanent equipment.
The pictures are shown at intervals ranging from
two or three times a week. as at the Rochester
State Hospital for the Insane, to several times a
year at the School for the Deaf in Faribault. The
St. Peter Hospital for the Insane has a plan for
sixteen or twenty shows during eight or nine
months of the year. The Boys Training School at
Red Wing them every ten days, and the State
Reformatory at St. Cloud twice month, and
twice week at Saltwater.
The pleasures the moving pictures afford the
whole population of an institution cannot be over
estimated. Officers, employees and inmates are
highly entertained, refreshed and given something
different to think about. The following are some
of the comments Or this phase of the subject:
1t is the best amusement that we have ever
attempted in our institution, and brings out from
SO to 80 per cent of our patients. We think the
results are beneficial AS compared with dances,
we find the moving pictures reach much greater
number of patients. DR.. Kilbourne, Superinten-
dent Rochester State Hospital for the Insane.
These entertainments are more popular than