The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-26
Thousands of Books Available
for Soldiers Use.
IN A QUIET, COzy BUILDING
Services of Practical Librarians
Are Donated.
'BurlesOn One-Cent Magazines
Received With Pleasure.

L oS IihuScu IL lIllS 1871
like civilization remarked Camp
Funston soldier he turned to leave
the Camp library after an hour or two
spent in browsing around among the
bookshelves. There was a world of
meaning in the soldiers expression for
he is but one of the thousands of men
of thoughtful turn of mind who are
coming to regard the service of the
American Library association as one
of the most valuable adjuncts of the
recreational features of the camp.
The Central Camp library, main
tanned by the American Library asso-
citation, is situated at the east end of
the amusement zone. The men take
pleasure in coming here, Willis ii.
Kerr, librarian for the camp, remarked
the other day, because it is the only
quiet building in the eantonment
available for reading. 1t has been evil
dent from the first that there would
be a great demand upon our service
and we find that this service is grow
ing more and more popular AT the
present time we have on hand at the
Central library and in its twenty-one
branches in the Y. M. c. A, Y w Z.
A and knights of Columbus buildings
10000 volumes. In month or SIX
weeks the total will reach $4,000
"A large portion of our books come
to us from individual patrons. Mr..
Kerr continued, and these for the
greater part are sent from. receiving
stations such as the Kansas City pub
lie library, for instance, where they
are carefully inspected. AT these re-
ceiving stations the trash is eliminated
so that we receive nothing here but
that which is considered the best OF
course we receive d great many Vol
umes direct but from the Kansas City
library alone we have thirty cases or
books In addition to the books We
receive daily an enormous quantity OF
magazines. In addition to these We
have a paid list covering fifty OF tine
better class of fictional and technical
periodicals."
Trench and Camp takes pleasure in
recommending the Central library and
its auxiliaries to Camp Funston sol
diers There is no more desirable
place in the cantonment In Which 10
spend time that hangs heavy than IN
the Central building. This library rs
very comfortable indeed. 1t is costly
heated and the chairs themselves are
really the most restful ones that the
writer has found here since his enlist
ment The library staff is composed
of men who are very accommodating
and seem anxious to do everything
that they can for soldiers who crave
good reading matter.
Mr.. Kerr, camp librarian. is loaned
to this work for part of each week
nv the Kansas State Normal school
librarian. H. V. Clayton, assistant
camp librarian. is loaned for part
of his time by the Kansas state library
of Topeka, where he is the law libra
rian. Floyd Mcneil, of Emporia. is thee
permanent paid assistant Mr. Kari
and Mr.. Clayton receive only their
travelling expenses and subsistence and
their services are donated outright
thru the generosity of the institutions
by which they are employed Two
perience in the St Louis Public library
have been detailed as assistants.
The funds for the building of-the
camp libraries turnout the United
States were supplied by the Carnegie
Foundation. 100000 having been ten
dered the American Library associa-
ton for this purpose. The sum OF
$500 was subscribed by the Ameri
can people, in September of 1917. for
literature and incidental expenses
The reading and reference rooms Of
the Central library are open from
a. m. to $50 p. m daily. including
Sunday. The building is also admin
istrative headquarters and provides
living rooms for the permanent staff.
of course the Central library has
received hundreds of duplicates of the
more popular works This is an ad-
are being sent to the branch libra
ries in the Y NJ c. A. and other
recreational buildings of the camp.
These branches as a consequence Of
the patronage of the Central library
are steadily growing. many of them
having many as 1900 volumes on
hand. ANY soldier or officer of the
service is entitled to take out books
solely upon his signature and address
This is a cosmopolitan army and
the tastes in reading matter are bound
to vary greatly. But it is exceedingly
to note that there is a big
demand for poetry. Kipling. Riley and
Service being among the favorites.
Technical works interest hundreds Of
these national army soldiers. men who
profitable trades in civilian
life and who do not wish to use their
enlistment as an excuse for abandon
ing further study along the line of
civilian pursuits. Mr.. Kerr is au-
thority for the statement that the
less devotion to fiction. than, that of
the same men in civilian life.
Thousands of "Burieson one-cent
magazines contributed
by the public and distributed by post
masters upon the payment of one
cent postage, are being sent to the
hospitals. infirmaries and detention
camps by the library stan of Camp
funston Men who have spent weary
lays III at these places say that life
would be almost unbearabI were IL
lot for the solace found within the
covers of these periodicals.
More than half million books
nave been sent by the American LII
orary association to American SOL
Tiers and sailors in training camps.
according to press bulletin issued
~ the association. Thfrfy-four IL
orary buildings have been. or are
oelng erected in the n1aip camps.
Plans have been made for the stIn-
plying of books to the men on board
transports and for the shipment of
books to France