The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-11-27
The First Subscriptions Have Been
Handed In to Librarians and
viii Be Used In Fitting up
Reading Room.
URGING ALL TO HELP
Money Can be Left at the Library
For This Purpose-some Of
the Books Which
Are Sent.

AS announced In last nights issue
OF The Gate City, those who desire to
give to the fund for books for the sol
diers at the environments and camps,
may leave their gifts at the public IL
brary. Gifts announced at the library
yesterday were:
| Miss Lena Haskin .........$ 500
Mamie P. Fulton ............ 1000
! Total $1,000
Already the buildings are being en-
closed to be used as libraries, and the
one at Camp Dodge is practically fin
fshed. 1t was paid for by the efforts
or the Iowa Library association. It
will be remembered that call was
made SOME time ago for books and
this has not been a feasible plan for
/ reasons given in this statement made
by Miss Julia A. Robson, secretary
of the Iowa Library association:
Imagine soldiers at Camp Dodge
reading IAN Old Fashioned Girl" by
Louise Alcott; Meadow Brook" by
Mary J. Holmes, or half dozen kim
bred novels.
Evidently hundreds of novel readers
of the Camp Dodge district have done
iso for hundreds Of books of this class
are being received in Des MONIES for
distribution among the soldiers. Miss
Julia A. Robinson, secretary of the
| state library war commission, has a
corps of clerks busily engaged in sort
Ing books and magazines which are
being sent in Lighter fiction, worn
out books, strictly religious books,
and magazines older than three
months are being discarded
From the quantities Of books being
received by the commission" said
Miss Robinson, zone can readily pick
| out the best sellers of the last ten
years."
Many Best sellers.
| The Ralph Conner books are far in
the lead OF those books being receive
led
! In the race for the other nine places
ARE such books as the following:
| The Trail OF the Lonesome Pine"
| by Fox; "Eben Holden" by Bachel-
| Ter; '"The Spoilers" by Rex Beach;
Richard Carvel," by Churchell win
| ming Of Barbara Worth" by Wright,
and books by MacGrath, Gene STRAIT
| ton Porter, Mary Rhinehart and Jack
London.
Just what fascination soldier
would find in stories written by such
authors as Edna Lyall and Louise AL
colt is not altogether known to the
| state commission, but the women's
books are being received In large num-
bers.
Polly Ann of the Glad Book was
one of the contestants for place
among the best sellers. est Elmo"
was strong contestant, but the novel
by Evans usually went into the dis
card, because of its being worn out
rather than being too much of "wo-
men"
Mary ]. Holmes is represented with
EAST Lynn" Darkness and Day
light and meadow Brook"
1--WE have nothing against books
dealing with the scripture" said Miss
Robinson, shut 1t is seriously doubt
ed whether the soldiers will care, for
the number Of religious treatises being
received or will be acceptable for men
training for war"
Bibles Plentiful.
Many Bibles have been received.
In all cases in which the books are
not too badly worn they are sent to
the cantonment.
Among those books dealing with
Bible subjects are such books as the
following: Scripture Guide" "The
New Creation 1.-THE Atonement Be
tween God and Man. and Thoughts
on Daniel and the Revelation"
There Is one copy of the Methodist
Hymnal The book IS well worn and
bears the markings of an eastern IL
brary.
At Camp Dodge the library war
commission is erecting a building
which will house 10000 books. The
building will be completed within al
week The commission hopes to open
the library shortly after the compile
ton.
Already the commission has sent
5000 books to the cantonment which
were placed in several Of the Y NJ c.
A. buildings and in the Knights Of
Columbus home. Following the cree
ton of the main library building books
will be allowed to remain in the sew
eral buildings, the main building to
be used as a receiving and distribut-
ing point
Miss Robinson said that the COM
mission was anxious to secure books
dealing with technical and military
subjects. She named books dealing
with history, biography and travel
which are desired by the soldiers. The
commission has also had call for
books on elementary French.
Although there has been demand
for books on poetry at several of the
other cantonments, there has been al
most no call for such books at Camp
Dodge.
1t is the intention of the commission
to buy books dealing with military
subjects out of the fund being raised
The books are needed not only for
recreation purposes, but as naeans
of education along the lines, needed
by military men. In this war as new
err before, the educated man and the
college boy is needed
q NJ H. - H.,