New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-03
Asks s1,OOO,OO0
For String Of
Camp Libraries
Ransacking Carrots Won't
Supply Fresh Works
Soldiers Need
ESPECIAL Correspon6,ncel

WASHINGTON. Sept. 2.-"It is not
books, but money, that is needed for
the war service committee of the Amer
lean Library Association" said Or,
Frank Pierce Hill, the man who has
made the Brooklyn Public Library one
Of the most notable for service in the
United States. Mr.. Hill has come to
Washington to confer with Theodore
n. Vail and other members OF the Ii
brary War Council. recently appointed
by the Secretary of War to conduct a
campaign to establish Libraries for the
soldiers and sailors.
There seems to have arisen an en-
tire msapprehension in the mind OF the
public." said DR.. Hill, "as TO the pur-
pose of the Library War Council. All
over the country, it might seem, people
have ransacked their attics and their
cellars for all the books discarded years
ego. and these they have donated under
the belief that they were fulfilling a
natriotic duty and helping to make
Libraries for the troops.
None knows better than the Ameri-
can Library Association that something
much more vital than books is needed
to constitute a library. Skilled library
service Of the very finest sort has VOL
unteered for the work through the war
Service Committee, and what we need
now are the funds for the erection OF
library buildings at the thirty-tWo
camps and cantonments, each one TO be
in charge Of trained librarian;
trained, mean, in the scientific selec-
ton. distribution and care Of books.
One Of the first things TO be done Is 10
purchase some $4,000 fresh, well
chosen books TO form a nucleus around
which the hundreds of thousands OF do
mated books may be grouped
eve must learn from our allies IN
securing books for her troops az home
and abroad Great Britain had some
thing Of the same experience we are
having. Contributions Of books long
hidden from the light of day were sent
pouring in on the central committee.
Needless to say, the greater part OF
then, were utterly useless. What Great
Britain did was carefully to separate
the wheat from the chaff, and great
hcaps of material useless as library
matter were sold-bringing good prices,
owing to the scarcity Of paper material
IN war time-and real books were
bought with the money so obtained. |
have not the slightest doubt that we
could with ease secure the donation OF
one million or two million books, but
when we had them We should be, for all
practical purposes, just as far from the
making Of Libraries for troops as we are
now.
"No." continued Or. Kill, "what we
need is the money, and this II has been
deemed wisest and most patriotic to
secure by voluntary subscription. or
the need for establishing these Libraries
there can be no doubt at all. AS Harold
Rraddock. director of the work under
the War Service Committee says, the
libraries so far established are proving
Of incalculable value as an antidote Tor
drinking. gambling and dissipation,
practically 10 per cent OF the men pre-
ferring a book to a pack of cards,
bottle of rum or a set Of dice. Our
campaign is for 81 100000 not 100000
books. and the question is not What
ere you going to do with 50 much
money! but will 100000 be
enough? p"