The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1918-01-12
Soldiers at Camp Lewis Do Much
Reading--Books on All Subjects
Staff Correspondenf

staff Correspondent
CAMP LEWIS. Tacoma. Jan. IA
What do soldiers rcad7
According 10 Camp Librarian I'd.
ward Ruby. at this cantonment, like
oliver Twist ate. they read anything
and everything. and then cry for
more. The men and women who
donated their dollars and their
books TO the American Library as-
ISOLATION can rest quite assured that
they have contributed much 90 the
comfort OF the soldiers here.
There are $1,000 volumes In the
camp library. ana there are ten
branch libraries. each with from 900
10 900 books. and still there Ia not
sufficient reading matter 10 satisfy
Uncle Sans bookworm fighters
Th"S. want novels Of nil kinds.
technical works on every subject
from astronomy 10 agriculture. and
from zoology to hypnotism. There
10 a particular demand for works. on
medicine and hygiene and engineer.
Ing. and for manuals teaching the
duties OF a soldier.
Read Trade Journals
Periodicals dealing with fine arts
subjects and trade journals OF all
kinds are In great demand. while
there IL considerable call for musical
works and poetry OF NIL varieties.
Tho favorits authors OF fiction ap-
pear to be Jane Gray. o. Henry.
Mark Twain. Rex Beach. Ralph
Io'Connor and Harold Bell Wright
For some reason or other" said
Librarian Ruby yesterday. soldiers
want clean books. the dag cared
ones do not enjoy tho circulation
that the others do. The mortality
rate on our books In high. largely
because u il difficult 10 keep them
clean In the barracks. We have lost
no books thus far because of sani.
ltary regulations concerning auaran-
tine. because fortunately the disease
for which organizations here have
been isolated are carried by lady
like germs which cannot live on the
books"
The library has begun special
service work. and az the first step
has installed branch In the 5isth
I ftftENtlffF tNfHHa fNfEf NtAfiF
almost 1000 volumes. for the most
par, troatiscs on engineering and
fine arts subjects. a soldier Of the
regiment has been detailed as libra
rian and an extensive advertising
campaign has been carried on by
him 10 acquaint tho men of the
regiment with the existence and
value OF the book room
Another such special library will
be established in the base hospital
for the use Of the doctors and
nurses and medical corps students.
For the use of the patients in the
base hospital. travelling libraries Of
80 books each have been placed in
every ward once week these
book boxes are moved from one
ward 10 another. 20 that there Is n
change Of books every seven days.
Box In Each Regiment
Also there are book boxes In each
regiment. and these move once a
month from company to company. a
man being detailed TO see that the
books are taken care OF and re.
turned 10 the boxes in time.
II In quite safe TO say that as n
means OF keeping soldiers happy and
contentcd. and with assisting those
who didn't have n chance" in civil
life. ne well as those who are anxious
To continue civilian studies while In
the army. the American Library as.
ISOLATION is doing work not dupli.
Gated by any other organization.
The Camp Lewis library was the
first 20 be opened. and If by far the
largest In any OF the 30 National
army cantonments.
Librarian Ruby declares that he
can find readers for any book, paper
or magazine that any person or or.
ganization cares 10 contribute. He
draws the line only Mt secular publ.