Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-02-02
ST!r''9NG PLEA MADE I
F,R PUBLIC LIBRARY
Martinsburg Should Have One
Is Contributors Belief.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

zion of q state Library Commission
are. to secure good Legislation. {
sufficient appropriation for beginning {
library and the appointment of com
missions.
Massachusetts was the first TO es
tablish such commission. although
Rhode Island claims priority. Ii
1875 the state OF Massachusetts au
thorizsd the commission to expent
$4,000 for books in every town In
which free library could be estab
lished. The appropriations for this
purpose are now many times that
amount, and today, Massachusetts
has the distinction of being the only
state in the Union which has pub
lie library in every town.
In 1891 New Hampshire followed
the example; in 1892 New York en-.
tered the list. and was the first to
establish travelling libraries. The
Wisconsin commission was organic
cd in 1895 and became the pioneer
and model for work In the west.
The Maryland Public Library Com,
mission was established in 1902. IT
has secured, perhaps the best Legis-
lation and is doing large work, hav.
ing sent out last year over one hun
1red travelling libraries from the
Tnock Pratt Library at Baltimore
The Washington County Public II.
brary Is under this commission. ans
has the most ideal arrangement OF
ural library extension that exists ir
'rerica today.
It would be impossible to tell o.
thn work of every one of these corn
missions, though each has some IN
dividual method, or feature that is In
teresting. II embarrasses me greatlr
- say that West Virginia has M
State Library Commission, and bu.
few public nb~ar'es.
While tho reading public OF the 7
hrarv centers was we'll supplied wit
books, 1t became apparent some
wears ago that some means must be
devised to make books available ir
rural districts. It was evident thu
the country boy and girl to compete
With the city boy and girl as far M
poss' bic. Books seemed TO be IN
vreatest need. Without them the
country Churches were not thrivinr
There could be no study clubs. debat
ing societies, reading circles. Gran
res and Farmers Institutes needed
books In their work. While men am
women in the cities were helped b..
the libraries to become leaders In ey.
cry profession and line Of business
the plan in the country had TO strup.
lie along with the few books tber
~e~e able to buy The reading habit
was dying out. and fewer and fewe
books we've bought; homes were witt
out them; there was nothing to re,
l'eve the monotony OF the winter ev.
enings, or to aid parents In glvinr
their children high ideals and in
building up character. Schools were
poor, and the teachers. taxed with
not teaching the use of books, and
developing q taste for good lltera-
ture, answered that they could not
teach the use of that which they did
not have.
To solve this problem, the first
means devised was "the travelling IL
brary." In 1893 New York passed q
law creating a system of travelling IL
braries. These systems were first OPP
Grated upon what Is now called the
FIXED Group Plan: that Is, the
books were divided into small groups
of fifty and placed in little book cas-
es and sent out to communities
throughout the state. When the COM
munity had finished one group, an
other was sent. These groups were
"fixed;n after the groups were made
up with the idea Of having something
in each one for every age and taste,
they were never changed 1t soon be
came apparent that in a group OF fif-
ty books something for every one
could not be included. Several OF the
State Commissions abandoned the
fixed group plan and adopted what
was called the "Open Shelf Plan" OF
selecting books to meet the needs OF
the individual community. 1t would
seem that the libraries so chosen
would be satisfactory to every one
But. evidently. there had not beer
found a reliable guide to what PEG
pie want to read. There Is curious
human twist that causes a lumber
man to long for books on geologyn
duck farmer for books on the rela
lation Of science to religion. and thu
janitor Of an apartment house t.
crave books on poultry raising. II
consequence OF this the "Travelin,