The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-16
Reply to Question, "What Kind of Literature Is
 Now in Demand?"
LIBRARY HERE SETS
 PACE IN ACTIVITIES
No Longer Mere Collection of Books, But a Public Utility in Fullest Sense
 of the Word
By w. J. ROLES


 What character of literature is most tered the war;" asked an Age-Herald re- porter of Miss Emily Van Dorn Miller. reference librarian for war service at the Birmingham public library.
 Pointing so long row of shelves filled with war books she replied that it was almost impossible to keep any of those on hand; that the demand for this kind of cent months, and that as new books on the great war came out they are eager.y grabbed. up by the library's patrons.
 "A public library used to be considered place for the exchange of novels by la- dies who did not know how to use their time, and so looked for way to spend it." said Miss Miller. Tt has of recent years become public utility, and it can and should be the vital center of it's whole community for the winning of the war It is community center. It has a personality of it's own, the com posite of the towns personality.
 NOT MERE BOOK COLLECTION
 "A library is no longer merely col lection of books, nor is librarian longer keeper of books. He is user of books, a missionary of ideas, a teacher or ideas. A library is public utility in just the same way that the city water works is public utility. When you want water do you wonder where you will get it? No. you turn the faucet on. When you want information, ideas, in- shiration, you have them on tap in your midst. The library is that fount of util- lty. The business of the schools is only to begin ones education. The library must continue it. This reminds me of the 14-year-old who had gone through the eighth grade. Asked if she would take | book to read, she retorted, What do I want with books? l have finished the eighth grade.
 ''The city electrician, the city engineer, the road maker, the miner, the mechanic in the garage, the teller in the bank, the English teacher in the high school, the woman who wants to raise chickens, the office stenographer, the cabinet maker, the moving picture operator-everyone of these has a claim on the public li- brary. The librarian has to adopt the words of the Red Queen to Alice, You have to run just as fast as you can to
 
 EXCLUSIVELY FOR WAR
 ''The Birmingham public library was the first library in the United States to open department devoted exclusively to the war, department not only for the benefit of the young men at the front, but for those staying at home as well. It has on hand at all times information as to all war activities-the Red Cross, the Young Mems Christian association; locates your boys and your friends in tells how to kill insects. to raise preserve fruits; how to cook and prepare foods for the table. Through the efforts of the public H. braries of the United States hundreds of of books and periodicals have been sent to the soldiers in France, and to the cantonments and camps in this | Every troop train that passes through Birmingham is met at the local station by representatives of the public library, Rcd Cross workers and other war agencies, with books and periodicals col ected through the public library for the soldiers. Over 23,00o books have been at the Birmingham library alone. Of these. 1000 have been shipped abroad"
 TROOP TRAINS SUPPLIED
 It may be stated here that Birming- 1 ham is the only city in the country where |
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