The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-16
BOOKsFOR THE: boys
MILITARY TRAINING CAMPS AND
LIBRARIES.

young men are entering the military
service of the government, one of the
difficult problems presenting itself is
that of recreation and especially that
phase of it which appeals to librarians
the collection, organization and dis
tribution of reading matter
In each of the great training camps
fifty thousand or more young men
will be encamped for many months.
They will be working hard many hours
q day, but with all that, each will have
much time unoccupied by the daily
rounds of duties Many of these men
will come from good homes and good
,echools where they have had constant
access to newspapers, magazines and
books. Many who have not grown up
under such circumstances will glad
| ly become readers because time will
hang heavy upon them and opportuni-
ty por good reading is offered.
| am sure every librarian who pos.
sesses any of the spirit of the profess
sion is now thinking what can be done
that will help to make camp life more
bearable for these men, and aid in di'
recting their minds to nobler subjects
than are usually presented for their
! thinking where large groups of young
men live undirected
| Doubtless the Y. M. c. A. win be
the chief agent directing all sports, en-
Itertainments and reading facilities
This organization can best do this
work because it is well organized anG
because it already has a recognized
standing with the government. The
Y. NJ C.. A. will do its best, but it is
not equipped to do efficient library
work and a great opportunity will bt
presented for persons who are reall!
trained in library work to volunteer
! their services or to secure paid EN-
ployment through the Y. M. C. A. ant
thus to render valuable professional
service to our soldiers.
The government is now recognized
as it never before has done the value
of expert service in all phases of it!
activities; fine mechanics and skillfu
] engineers will not be sent into service
that can be as well done by the un
trained, and the librarians of tn,
country may render special higl
class service in the great trainin,
camps, in planning the library worl
much more efficiently that it has beer
done before. .
}, The theme, however, that ] wish t.
emphasize here and now is that thi
is not charity work" We NUTS not Of
fer this service because we feel sorr
for the poor fellows" but because
is our professional duty TO render thi
service-it is our bit-and because
is their due as members of our edit
Gated democracy.
We should render much aid, espet
, tally those of us who live near tn
great camps and our largest serVic
will be to direct the collection of reaC
, ing matter. What we are likely to de-
A., however, and | have already heard
proposed, is to donate" discarde
| books from our public libraries to
= used in the camps. This is one form c
, charity" that | want to oppose wit
whatever power | have. There are bu
r two reputable uses for discarded book
one is for fuel, and the other is 70
= waste paper, except in the case of
few very large Libraries where discar
may be oversupply of good and littl
used books.
Let us kindly and generously n
, member that there are, not. defectiv
nor dependents who desire to be fe
with the crumbs which fall from tn
rich mans table"-the dirty, filth
crumbs at that-but they are ratne
our sons and brothers who are givin
their time and service and riskin
their lives as our defenders. They d
not deserve the left overs" but neN
fresh, clean books fitted TO their taste
: occupation and environment, ais
fresh, up-to-date magazines, not tn
castaways of the years past.
1t has been said that men in sue
situations will read anything, this
perhaps true. In Alaska men Wake
ten miles to borrow magazine. Blu
our young men who are devoting thei
lives in defense of the county shout
not be driven to such eXtremities.
will be said, why give new books t
men when they cannot and will no
be cared for. Books will cost none
and those books will not be returnet
to civil life" But what of that? Man.
of our young men will not come bacl
either. Let us not be niggardly witt
our books and money. There will b.
plenty of both books and money whei
this crisis is past.
] think it will be wise for librarians
pin offering their service and their sug
gestions to hold the standards higl
and demand the best library materia
1 and ORGANIZATIONS, both especially fit