The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-26
Million Dollars Being Raised to Equip
Each National Army Camp
With Building and
Books.
IOWA DOING HER SHARE
Many Cities Are Conducting Cam
paigns for Funds and keokuk
Has Been Asked to
Assist.

Iowa is going to do it's share
toward equipping the national army
environments with libraries. Several
cities of this state are now IN the
midst Of campaigns to raise money
for the million dollar cantonment
library fund, and 1t is probable that
in the near future Keokuk residents
will be asked to lend their aid to
this project.
Mayor Ed. s. Lotion has been
asked by the American Library asso-
citation to appoint committee to
arrange for the campaign here. The
mayor has also received literature
telling of the project.
According to one pamphlet there
are thirty-two cantonment library
buildings to be erected. Skilled
librarians must be employed and at
once 100000 fresh, clean books must
be purchased by the larger canton
ments, and these and the other read
ing matter must be properly Kept
up and maintained and transported.
! It will be necessary to have sufficient
funds on hand so that the reading
matter In greatest demand among
tie soldiers, text books and the like,
may be duplicated and replaced and
each ilbarry maintained In high
state of efficiency.
Must Erect Buildings.
One Of the heaviest items OF eX-
pense at the beginning OF this work
| is the erection of the library build
ings at the various environments
throughout the country. Plans for
these have already been made. Each
building will be 40x120 feet in size,
one story high, and will have accom-
modations for ten thousand books,
newspapers and magazines, and liv-
ing quarters for the staff. Each of
these libraries will be in charge OF
a trained librarian. In each camp II
/ is planned to have library head
| quarters with books and periodicals
for reading room use, together with
| a complete system of distributing
agencies, affording to the soldiers
first class city public library service.
Without this character OF service any
library would be useless thing.
The question may be asked, "Why
doesn't the government supply these
libraries ?" According to the panlph.
let, the reason the government Is not
taking charge Of this work Is because
1t is engaged in a war in which its
entire energy is needed for the
actual conflict And so Secretary of
War Newton D. Baker appointed the
library war council, with Frank A.
Vanderlip as chairman, to take
charge of the work.
The publication calls attention to
the libraries furnished for the Eng
lish soldiers by Great Britain and
their extensive use. 1t Is also shown
that the soldiers want books, The
following reason is given why the
Y. M. c. A. and the Knights Of Co.
lumbus cannot handle this work:
Many Branch Libraries.
The work of the Y NJ. c. A. in
caring for the comfort as well as the
spiritual welfare Of the soldiers is
being magnificently done. But in the
making of an efficient library sys-
TEN, skilled librarians are neces-
sity. 1t was for this reason that the
United States government requested
the American Library association to
undertake the work. The Y. M. G.
A.. Knights of Columbus and other
organizations are enthusiastically CO.
operating. Every Y. NJ. G. A. hut and
Knights of Columbus building will
| be a branch library, as will the camp
drug stores, banks, and other bust
ness and recreational places on the
main streets of the environments. In
| communities where the number Of
soldiers and sailors is not sufficient
| to warrant q complete library sys-
| tenn, there will be operated a branch
library system from central distribu-
ton points.
Many persons have been sending
books to the soldiers. but this is not
enough, because, while the solicita-
| ton of books and magazines has
been prosecuted with vigor, it must
be frankly admitted that this method
has not brought the amount nor al
WAYS the quality of books required.
II must be clearly understood that a
library is something more than a col
lection of books. The library sys-
tenn for our soldiers will consist not
ONLY of books, but of buildings and
equipment and every other factor of
modern library service-all under
the direction of the organization so
manifestly the best fitted for this
work, that 1t was commanded to
undertake 1t by the United States
government.
One Dollar VIII Furnish Book.
A survey of the entire field has
determined that S1.00 will furnish a
book, keep it in circulation, replace
It when it is worn out, and all the
time pay a share of the expense of