The Colorado statesman., 1917-03-17
70 BOOST LIBRARIES
JncIe Sam Declares Publicity Is
Essential.
Results Obtained by Advertising
in Some Cities.


Uncle Sam believes that public IL
oraries, like any other institution
serving the people, should be adver-
Used. DIR. j. d. Wolcott, librarian of
The bureau of education of the depart
nent of the interior, declares that pub
icity is an essential part of library
work.
"In order to Bring the reader and
the book together" declares Doctor
Wolcott, sit is necessary to make
known to the community the re-
sources of the library and the services
which it is prepared to render as u
public institution. The American Ii
brary association has given official at
tention to the subject of library pub
licity since 1906, when a committee on
library publicity appointed by the as
sociation outlined program for ac-
ton. The committee has been re-
newed from time to time since that
year and has continued to study the
problem. To the committee on pub
llcity for 1916 the executive board of
the American Library association re-
ferred all previous American Library
association reports on the subject of
publicity, and also instructed the COM
mittee to study out and report COM
prehensive publicity plan for the
American Library association, the
state library associations and commits
sions and local libraries.
"a number of libraries have been
conspicuous for effective publicity
work during the past year. The Ii
brary committee of the Toledo (O)
Commerce club designated the period
of seven days beginning March 1, 1916,
as library publicity week, during
which the uses of the public library
should be brought in every practicable
way to the general notice of the citi-
zens. The undertaking was officially
recognized by proclamation of the
mayor of Toledo. During the week
articles and advertisements about the
library appeared each day in the local
newspapers. Appropriate cards and
other library material We're displayed
in show windows in various parts of
the city and the street cars carried
posters relating to the library. Simi-
lar posters were placed in many of the
large factories. Other methods of ad-
vertising employed were the distribu-
ton of folders and the inclosure of
slips regarding the library in 10000
library talks at the schools, the pupils
We're taken on visits to the public Ii
brary and its resources explained to
them. A result of the campaign has
been a marked increase in the number
of registered borrowers and of books
lent from the public library.
"a similar campaign for the estab-
lishment of q business department in
the public library was carried on in
st. Paul in June, 1915, by the Town
Criers, an association of local adver-
tising men. On June II, which was
recognized by proclamation of the
mayor as Town Criers' Library day, a
special library edition of the st. Paul
Daily News was issued and circulated.
In July a business mems library, CEN
trally located in a store, was opened to
the public by the city library, and
means have since been taken by the
IOWn STlerS anu OlueE sOTSuulZdllollS
of business men to bring the services
of this library to the attention of those
interested.
"Other cities in which noteworthy
publicity work has recently been ac-
complished by the public libraries are
Seattle, Wash; st. Joseph, Mo-, and
Utica, N. Y.
"In Wisconsin during the past year
public library books were frequently
advertised through window displays.
This method of publicity was first
tried by the larger libraries of the
state and is now being adopted by
those of the smaller communities. For
the most part, merchants windows on
the main streets are borrowed for this
purpose, since few libraries have suit
able windows in their own buildings.
1t is reported that these window dis
plays bring good results when made by
libraries"