Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-09-27
C|RCULA LAT|NC GOOD
BOOKS IN DELAWARE
Librarian Of State Commission
Reports on the Work of the
Past Year.
Special Correspondence OF Every Evening

Rpeciai Correspondence OF Every Evening
Dover. Sept. 26-Miss Ida Dulbrcth,
librarian of the State Library Commission,
has made report 10 the commission,
from which the following is taken:
Our travelling libraries lO1 IN mum
ber-were circulated ll6 times during the
wear 1917 and 1875 books were sent out
from our office. These numbers do not
include the Libraries in use part of the
wear with the book wagons. When Miss
HOPKINS of Scaford. who has charge ot
seven book wagon routes IN Sussex coun-
ty. discontinued her trips during the
winter months. She supplied ten day
schools with libraries. which were used
until her work was resumed IN the spring
Sussex county for the past year leads IN
the number of libraries used in day schools
while the number in New Castle and Kent
was evenly divided.
Several magazines have been subscribed
for and sent regularly to the six life say
ing stations on our coast. ~. Nicholas
and other magazines have been sent to
schools. and the Red Cross Magazine Is
circulated each month among the book
wagon patrons Our book wagons have
also distributed great many United
States government bulletins and pamph-
lets and our supply of agricultural books
has been widely circulated
The work thus far In l9lS has had set
back. with possibly the exception OF the
book wagons, on account of rcmodelng
the Court House In March last We were
Obliged To move our office from that build
ing into rather crampCd quarters across
the street, but a number of travelling
libraries have been sent out and the book
wagons have continued their work with
out y break At the present time there arc
three book wagon routes IN New aStlr
county, IL IN Kent and seven IN SUSSEX.
These routes cover about - miles each
and arc visited once month, VIII
b k which had been left the month ne
fore are exchanged for Others. The state
appropriation Of 500 year 70 the De
1aware State Fedora tlon Of Women s
Clubs for travelling Ii brarIcs has been
promptly and gratefully received each
year
IN interesting and an important work
has been that Of collecting books
for our soldiers and sailors and between
5000 and 1900 volumes were collected
in Delaware for the drive IN March last
From the office of the State Library ON
mission IN Dover books were sent accord
ing 10 instructions from tho American
Library Association 10 the Naval Base At
ttsNR%, III tIit' AltitifiN af'iNts iF.Nf' fhs'N
to the port of cmharkatlnn. HobokCn,
\ I
The State Library Commission would
gladly have received and forwarded all
books donated in the State for this pur
pose. but owing to inadequate storage
SPACE we were unable to undertake more
than what has just been mentioned. An
earnest request has come from head
quarters at " Washington stating that al
though the American people have gwen
over 1000, 900 books the good work is to
be continued for the duration Of the war.
''as books soon wear out in camp and on
deck and this |, sn opportunity TO help
make better soldiers out Of the men and
to make better men out Of the soldiers by
giving good books" In making the appeal
for books. II Is said The following tn-
satisfied demands should be kept In mind i
for new fiction, for books in modern
foreign languages, especially French; fot
textbooks in good condItion-rhetonc
grammar, mathematics, scrence, European
aid American history One librarian
; iggests that every person ask everyone
ese, Have YOU gwen any books for
camp libraries
In the autumn Of 1917, the State Lii
brary Commission took an active part IN
helping collect for the Library War
Fund and the amount raised bv Delaware
towards this fund was Sl3,17 IS As IT
may be interesting to know Just how this
fund of S1.700.O00 was expended the
following is quoted from the April num-
Der of the War Library bulletin:
What has been done So camp Ii
brarv buildings erected. III Librarians
now in the field, 464 camps. stations and
vessels served, 100 403 selected books
sent overseas 100000 books purchased
largely technical $4,000 gift books
sent to camps and stations. 5000. 900
magazines distributed Systematically.