The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-19

American Library association got that
for him, too
So don't be afraid that you are
choosing for any special little circle.
The only thinks that won't pass in
spection are indecent books, "sissie y
books, books about housekeeping and
needlework. Sunday school books more
than half century old, infant S pic
ture books, the books that are no long
er books, but waste paper.
Something of the range OF soldier
taste is shown in the following in
cidents related in the 'soldiers Ii |
brary week circular published by the |
American Library association
eve are having repeated calls, for
technical hapdbooks and textbooks,
writes a Librarian from Camp Meade. |
1--WE want all kinds of engineering
! handbooks, mechanics handbooks,
books on sanitary engineering, and
books on all branches of the service.
They cannot be too technical to suit
the men, You will be interested to
know how quickly the newly purchased
books are snapped up. OF the six
copies of Thompson s Electricity,
four are now out and We're out with
in a week after they were ready
War Books in Demand
Books describing the war are
naturally in great demand. So, too,
are books on vocational training, and
technical treatises on military science,
telegraphy, gasoline engines, signal
ing, transportation and other subjects
which are eagerly studied by the am
bilious officers.
There is, as might be expected, a
loud call for detective stories and tales
of adventure. The men want books of
that sort which they have read before.
They find relaxation in going back
over the books of Conan DOYLE, Steven
son and Weyman. Time being at
premium, some don t care to risk new
things that they are not sure of, but
Iprefer to 90 back to the old authors
with whom they are familiar.
Another camp librarian writes that
French manuals, military manuals not
published by the government, aviation,
physical training, sanitation, bookkeep-
ing, simple textbooks of English, his
, tories and books about the stars are
much needed, while from another camp
comes the request for French magazines
is manifested III books of travel and
description about France The men
, want to know about the customs of the
country they expect to visit, the kind
2 of money used and the mode of life
! The first requisition slips for books
! filed out at Camp Sherman were for
/ books on the valuation of public utili-
ties, two Dutch books wanted BY a
Hollander, books on the conservation
of national resources and a Rumanian-
! English dictionary. The librarian was
able 70 supply all but the last, and
: this has now been ordered by head
quarters.
Il A stableman in the field hospital
( train visited the library at Camp
+ Devens, with some fellow muleteers
! and discovered n set of Brady :,
u &" Photographs of the Civil War Thi.
became the subject of animated dis
! Ecussion, The men had seen sets a
tnme and Were eager to show one an
{ other pictures which had previously in
u terested them.
:, From other sources comes the wor,
. that maps are studied and handle,
:. until they are in shreds. A group of
. dozen men is frequently seen arount
: one map. The men not only want map
of their home district, but of tn
= place where they are and the place
~ where they have reason to believe the
Z are going, including the maps OF tn
Z scene of conflict Good aliases an
4 wall maps have been supplied to a
H. ~ ~
Z maps of the various states in which tn
< different camps are located, and tn
Topographic survey maps of the immt
Z date vicinity are very helpful an
4 popular with the men.
I First Readers Not Barred.
Among the "squatters' in Florid
are man. families in which not onl
are the children unable to read, bi
the parents do not wish to have the
\ learn. Periodicals that have bee
sent to these families have been 7
turned to the senders. The paren
argued that if their children RET
these magazines and looked at the q
Turing Illustrations, they would becon
( Along came the draft and took t
young men out of their satisfied, b
wretched state, and gave them the
first glimpse of the outside world.
such the libraries and the education
& opportunities are a priceless boon.
Some OF the Georgia Crackers
when asked on being registered VIII
their names were, would say Sonny
or Bobby In reply to further pro
ding as TO family names they plead
ignorance of q knowledge of anythi
but the family nickname. In the ca
tonments there are many illitert
whites, blacks, Indians and half -bree
who are taught how to read and wri
Big strapping fellows as they are, tn
must be treated as school q
dren in matters of intelligence.
But Be Little Careful
That the gift horse must be inspe