The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-07-15
Hundred Thousand Already Here or
On Way overseas-Murder Yarns
to MiIton-American Library
Association Plan Now In
Successful Operation
(Stars and Stripes, Official Paper OF
A. E. F. in France)

OF the 100000 boows which the
folks back home contributed to the
American Library Association for the
leisure hours of the A. E. F., more
than 100000 are either here or on
their way across.
They range all the way from the
most hair-raising murder mystery to
the latest and best textbook on ava
ton. And if any one in charge OF
distributing point where you want TO
draw one of them tries to ensure its
safe return by making you put up
cash deposit as hostage, tell him
he's outof luck The A. l.. A. is de-
termined that it's books shall circu'
lates on the honor system.
1T has been the custom in many
places to require the man taking out
a book to make a deposit of two or
three francs to guarantee it's return"
the association explains in it's bulle-
tin of instructions to all librarians.
1.-THE American Library Association
is firmly opposed to this practiced
1t feels that no such barrier should
be rected between the men and the
books. If such barrier is neces-
sary it is because the administration
is at fault. The honor system will
unquestionably succeed with the right
sort of helpful supervision and where
proper care is taken to make the
men understand just what is expect,
ed oft hem
Loaned on Honor System
BY way of making the men under
stand, poster expounds the system
at every bookshelf with this sen
tence as climax:
"These books are loaned on t hi
honor system. If you fail, it fails
America is far away, tonnage scarc'
and books precious. Play square
with the other fellow; he has playe'
square with you
About one-half of the A. E. F. are
already has its first sprinkling Q
light and heavy reading matter. Thi
distribution will proceed rapidly, an
in the meantime a new project is III
der way. Unless there is ONE unfo
seen slip-up, the middle Of Jul
should see an elaborate reference ]
brary opened in Paris for the use {
all of us.
The A. L. A. has had million
spend and most of this has been d
voted to the purchase of the bel
technical books that could be aske
for by the ambitious soldier who
eager to know more about his bus
ness.
The Paris library will have 10,0(
volumes. Any officer or man, WI
desires a certain book and does nj
find it on the shelves at the hut ne,
which he is stated may send in Il
title through the secretary in chars
there and the book will be sent hi
free of charge from Paris
To Place Books Everywhere
There are to be books everywher
You ccould scarcely exaggerate Il
demand. Before the supply was
large as it is today, a single copy
o. Henry's "The Four Million" whit
one boy had brought over in his ba
rack bag, was split up into as mai
volumes as there were tales betwe'
the covers, and these were pass
along the line and read and rere;
till the print was fairly ribbed off Il
pages.
The demand is for books Of eve
kind. Probably the greatest call
for detective stories and tales Of t
Rockies. Next is the yearning
poetry, with Robert w. Service al
Rudyard Kiyling as the douhbo.
favorites.
The dashing adventures of "T
Three Musketeers" and other Dunn
heroes are much relished, for you C
hardly journey five kilometers
France without running into some
hinder of them. Histories of Franz
and particularly the guide boo
which tell you something Of Il
chateau or that cathedral, are ella
ored for till the A. L. A. is at
wits end to supply them.
Some Want Big Stuff
Now and again the guardians of t
books are moved to suspect that
boy in a rest camp has decided t
time has come for him to read BIO
he had been meaning to read all
life AS when one of them ask
with a perfectly straight face.
Boswells life of Johnston"
OF course, the campaign VIII
yielded 100000 volumes empt
a dusty and neglected shelf be
hama n.,H 20 .nn,,nnn mann ~, In,