Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-07-19

called upon to raise $3.50 in this COM
munity to help build Libraries at the
soldiers training camps and also to
call for donations Of books and mag
azines. Under the enthusiastic lead
ership of President O. G. Standish of
the board of library trustees and
with the help of several volunteers,
including high school pupils, the $3.50
was quickly raised. The ladies of the
Delta Library association. as well as
people from the county outside Wau-
seon, contributed to this fund. More
over, the response to the call for do
nations of books and magazines was
generous. And within the first few
weeks a half-dozen shipments OF
books and magazines were sent to
Camp Sherman, the books alone in
these initial shipments numbering
nearly rs.
The Children's Story Hours
For a time, early in the fall, it was
thought that the regular Saturday
story-hours for children would have
to be abandoned. For the two up
stairs rooms we're being used by the
local branch of the Red Gross. But
as many of the smaller children were
calling for story hours, the librarian
decided to attempt holding them oc-
casionally on Saturday mornings IN
the regular children's reading room.
No attempt was made to organize
committee to take charge of this
work, but several public school teach
ars generously promised to tell sUor-
les when called upon. And the re-
suits seemed to justify the attempt.
For while the attendance was not SO
large as in former years, the chill
dren who did attend seemed inter
ested and gave excellent attention.
There were "a story-hours for small
er children during 1917, with total
attendance of 705 children, or an av-
erage of 20 children per story-hour.
In the forepart of the year, six
story-hours had been held for the old
er children. The total attendance
was IA children, or an average per
story-hour of "a children.
The Art Exhibits
The loan exhibits of pictures, be-
gun in the fall of 1916 through mem
bership in the Art club of the Ohio
Library association, were continued
through 1917, but at the end OF the
year were discontinued. For while
the reproductions of famous paintings
were good and seemed to interest {
number of people, yet the interes
among library patrons generally wa:
not so great as had been expected
nor such as to warrant the express
charges necessary to obtain the pic
lures.
Plans Present and Future
In October the library was favore'
by visit from Miss Mary E. Dow
ney, director of the Chautauqua Sum
mer Library school and formerly stat
, library organizer for Ohio. Will
here Miss Downey met with some Q
: the members of the board of trus
tees and made several valuable sug
gestions for the improvement of tn
library and its service, which, it wa
$ agreed, should be carried out as 500
/ as practicable. One of these suggei
: tions pertained to the arrangement {
r the book stacks along the walls; al
n other to the inclosing of unboun
s magazines in cardboard boxes; sti
: another to ascertain desirable add
: tions of books to our reference d.
: partment. Miss Downey came
t Wauseon from the state libra1
/ meeting at Toledo, which was ais
g attended by your librarian.
Q To look to the future we-see q
e ever increasing sphere of usefulne'
: for the Wauseon library. Eve
5. though the circulation of books
l. present may be somewhat less ths
= usual, the war service to help Il
1T soldiers training camp libraries hi
IS more than compensated, at the san
= time placing the library in conta
ID with people who have never befo
2, used it. Thus, when peace aga
s, comes and the people begin to r
S. sumo their normal activities, t
J. place of the library in the commu
al ity should be more secure than it h
C. ever been, placing a goal of servi
4 before trustees and librarian viii
IS they may well strive to attain.
r. Respectfully submitted,
ar HOWARD B. SOHN,
is Librarian.