Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-07
Men in Service
Making Good Use
Of Service L;brar,

oilers and sailors in training at home
or In service overseas are learning the
game Of war ION their own hook
This is the use they are making OF the
library war. service. conducted by the
American Library Association, for the
previous idea-and 1t was that OF some
library workers--that the library serv-
Ice would be mostly for recreational
purposes is being disproved by the
heavy demand for books on military
and naval science end related SUBJ
jects. ~
lin nine months after a ms humble
the library war SCI ce has
become the most universal library In
in the world. In brief. ite accomplish
ments includes: Thirty six camp libra
ry buildings erected: forty-one large
camp libraries established; ninety-on
hospital and Red Cross houses supplied
with books: 212 libraries In service;
237 small military camps and posts
equipped with book collections: 249
naval and marine stations and vessels
supplied with libraries; 1923 branches
and stations placed in Y. NJ. g; A.. and
knights Of Columbus huts. barracks
and mess halls; 3s5,310 books shipped
overseas; 411,505 books bought. most OF
them technical; 100000 gift books in
service.
Wherever there are American fight
ers there Is to be found the libraryNand
in the big military camps are numerous
branches and company statjsffs Even
American prisoners Of war in Germany
are not neglected by the, library service
fof arrangements have been completed
in Switzerland for serving them thru
that country. The army with its com
bat troops, its training areas and
schools, lines OF communication. in
GLIDING conetruction men. guards
stevedotes and others, and the, head
quarterA and detached units. is reached
by the library war servide. The service
extends to tho navy with Its vesssls
| ship bases, mine bases. and aviation
stations, as also to both the army and
navy at recreation centers, in hospitals
and in captivity.
White .the interest now is marked in
serious study OF war. the war Libraries
are.not confined TO t. hnical books or
that subject. Instead these compose
the smaller part of the Libraries ane
(are largely the ones that have beer
bought blythe library: association. Medi-
cal and veterinary books at hospitals
are supplied by the surgeon general
Other books are provided from gifts
gathered by public libraries thruou'
the; country. Books to aid vocational
training and lcientific studies usual.
are purchased. Recreational readine
fiction. war books. history. biography
and travel are supplied from tho gif'
collections. Scrapbooks are useful fol
bed patients and for illiterates. A de-
mand ALSO has been supplied for books
to classes lii French and to classes OF
men with an Imperfect knowledge Of
English Magazines In endless number
are added monthly.
More than LOCO, 900 books were coy
lected during the gift campaign con-
Quoted recently by public libraries in
every city In the, country. The exact
number reported to headquarters here
was 3,S9S,054, but this does not include
thousands distributed by the city libra
ries to nearby military. naval and ma
rine camps and stations which nc
record was sent to headquarters. A
summary Of, the distribution of gift
books follows: To forty-one large mill
tary camps and naval stations, 1871
304; to 237 small military camps, which
include forty-seven. aviation schools
and repair depots. 244.7S4; to 116 small
naval stations. 135.4s0; to seventeen
marine stations. 2l,1S3; to 116 vessels
32,po9:I to ninety one hospitals, 2s,5a3;
to six dispatch offices for overseas
shipment 3s5.310; total 2.165.5s3.
The service of the library associa-
ton is welcomed by both military and
naval leaders. Vice Admiral Sims says
the book service is Of great value in
increasing the contentment Of our
forces and General Pershing adds "the
scheme is commendable and the service
is welcome.' Inv the army abroad.
these words from the commander are
,nrtnted in the books