The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-04-04
[ THE request of the
Commission on Training
Camp Activities of the
War Department, the

HS7S40RU Camp Activities of the
GgA@gB War Department, the
American Library Association has
engaged to provide reading matter
and library service for all our SOL
diers and sailors. The work is be-
ing carried on by the war service
committee of the American Library
Association under the chairman
ship of j. l. Wyer. .Jr. The Lii
brarian of Congress, DR.. Herbert
Putnam, is serving as general di-
rector, without compensation. The
headquarters of this library war
service are in the Library of Con-
gress, and since the Inauguration
of active work there have been as
sociated with the general director,
as camp libraries manager, Mat
thew S. Dudgeon, secretary of the
Wisconsin Free Library Commits
sion; as executive secretary, George
B. Utley, secretary of the Ameri-
can Library Association; as dis
bursting officer, William L. Brown
of the copyright division of the
Library of Congress; and in other
capacities Joseph L. Wheeler, IL
brarian of the Youngstown, Ohio,
Public Library. and Carl H. Milan,
librarian of the Public Library of
Birmingham, Ala.
As result of an eight weeks
campaign for funds, over 81, 700, :
900 has been raised for buildings,
books, periodicals and professional
service. This sum includes a grant
by the Carnegie Corporation for a
separate library building at each
of the sixteen cantonments, and
also for buildings at such of the
National Guard camps as have a
prospect of permanence to justify
them.
The buildings at the sixteen can
tonments, which are finished, are
Identical and conform to the gen.
eral type of cantonment architec-
ture. They are simple structures
designed to secure a maximum of
accommodation at the minimum ex-
pense. Each is single large hall
40 by 120 feet, with open shelving
for 10000 volumes and seats for
25O readers. The cost of each,
furnished and equipped for SER
vice, is limited to $4,000. The
plans, under consideration for sew
eral months and approved by the
war service committee and the
Carnegie Corporation, were drawn
by Edward L. Tilton, an architect
of experience in library buildings,
in consultation with the office of
cantonment construction. Mr.. Til
ton contributed his services and
the contractors do their work at
cost plus a small percentage.
Buildings at fifteen of the National
Guard camps, somewhat smaller,
are also completed. An anony-
nous donor has given $40. 900 for
the library building, already fin
ished and occupied. at the Great
Lakes Naval Training School near
Chicago. Buildings have also been
provided at Fort Oglethorpe, Chat
tanooga, and Fort johnson, Jack
sonville, Fla, special camps as
large, permanent and important as
many Of the National Army camps.
Each of these buildings is to be
library headquarters for an entire
camp. Besides their direct ser.
vice they will be centers for re-
ceiving and distributing books
through the Y. M. G. A., the Red
Cross, the Knights of Columbus,
the camp hospitals and other
agencies. Every one of these
agencies will be used and will need
to be, for a cantonment covers a
large area and a single visit to each
of the library stations in it involves
a trip of from 10 to II miles. AT
several camps collections of fifty OF