New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-07-28
LIBRARIES FOR THE
ARMY CANT0NMENTS
Fund Of $500,0O0 to Be Raised
to Provide Reading

The librarians of the country have |
placed themselves in line with other
bodies of professional men who are |
putting their expert knowledge and |
experience at the disposal of their |
country. committee ON war service |
for libraries was appointed by the
American Library association at its
recent annual meeting at Louisville.
KY. This committee is about to
launch campaign to raise half a mill
lion dollars for the service in which it
is interested. One Of its imm ediate
aims is to provide we'll equipped and
properly administered public library
buildings for each one of the 16 can
tonments Of the national army, soon to
be formed. 1t has been recognized by
| the commission on camp activities, a,
! government body, as the principal
| agency through which books are to be
| distributed to the soldiers. Other dis
tributing agencies located in the build
ings of the Y NJ. c. A., the Knights of
! Columbus, the Red Cross, and possibly
| others, will be related to the main
! building of the camp somewhat as de-
| post stations in schools and industrial
houses are related to the central
| public library Of city. 1t is expected
that these main libraries will be in
| charge of thoroughly trained, COM
petent librarians. The assistants will
be gathered from the most convenient
sources; some will doubtless be en-
listed men with library experience,
who will be assigned to the work
others will be volunteers from the Ii
brary field, of whose services the COM
mittee already has a gratifying num-
Der of offers; and others will be
salaried helpers.
! The library buildings will be Of
, wood but a single story in height,
containing one large open-shelf room
surrounded by books, together with
smaller reference and study rooms,
, work rooms for the staff and possibly
living quarters.
. The assumption of this work by the
, | national association of trained pro-
| fessional librarians insures that 1t will
be done thoroughly and systematical
. ly, and not in a haphaZard, dlsOrgan-
lied way by smaller bodies of enthusi-
astic but ill-instructed amateurs.
The business Of furnishing books tc
camps, although the first object of the
l committee, is Of course not the only
kind Of war service that it will Or
ganize among librarians and libraries
1t has already appointed sub-com
mittee on the dissemination Of know
ledge regarding the food situation
'' consisting Of experts in the u. S
agricultural department and in various
state universities; and also sub
committee to arrange for a nation
| wide Library War Service Week, to b.
u held probably about the first of Octo
Der. with the intention Of impressin
on the public the willingness an
= ability Of libraries to serve in any pos
| ,i1 IN, ha 1aycr
y A vigorous campaign to raise fund
d and to ask for donations Of books vii
= be launched as soon as the plans O
d the committee admit Local librarie
$ will be given the principal part in tn
n Collection and culling of books. and
k is expected that many of the railroad
will officer to transport books free
n the public libraries at the canton
ments.