The producers news., 1919-05-02
CHOUTEAU COUNTY LIBRARY
By j. W. Lenning, Supt. of Fort Ben
ton City Schools and Chouteau
County High School

am not connected with the Coun-
ty Library ID any way except as
patron but because of my position as
superintendent of the Fort Benton
City Schools and the Chouteau Coun-
ty High School, l have followed with
interest the work Of the library and
the manner IN which it is conducted.
1t was the first County Library to
be established under the Free Coun-
~ Library law, and it has been in
operation two years. A room was
rented as a home for the library and
q librarian was appointed to begin
building up a library. The county
Is able to maintain an efficient libra
ry where no town or single commu-
nifty could.
In 1916, Joseph Oirshberg donated
a building site for library build
ing in memory of his deceased wife
and the commercial club of Fort
Benton donated two adjoining lots
so as to provide ample grounds for
the library In 1916, the Carnegie
Foundation donated $4,000 for a
building after the usual required con-
ditions had been complied with by
the County Commissioners. The new
building will be completed about June
/, 1918.
At the present time there are
twelve branches, five stations and
seven. school branches in different
parts of the County. A branch Ii
brary is located in a country post
office and school branch
IS located in a school house. Each
branch or station has a custodian
who looks after the books. The
books are changed at each branch or
station at least once in three mont tbs.
In this way great many books are
Sert to each community during the
year. In addition to these branches
and stations, the County Library
sends books to individuals any place
in the county On request, carriage
charges being paid by the County
Library. In this way the people
who are not near a branch library il
any part of the county may make
use of the Library by simply writing
a letter to the Library at the county
seat.
In sending books to the schoo
branches, the librarian sends book
that the children can understand
supplementary readers and children'
books-but if adults wish to maxi
use of the school library, books viii
be sent for them also.
Schools may turn in their librar,
fund to the County Library if the,
wish, or, if they desire to use thei
own library money the County Ii
brarian will buy the books for ther
and get the usual trade discounty al
lowed libraries thereby saving none
for the district The County LibIaIi
an works in conjunction with tn
County Superintendent of Schools i
this school library work and has pre-
pared an excellently graded list Q
books for grades from the first to tn
eighth which is furnished free t.
Our own nation is one of the grea
schools on requests.
The town schools also get hel
from the County Library. In on
schools here at Fort BeAt y we no.
buy a few library book. We sen
our class to the County Library fu
reference books and the student
may draw out books on their oW
cards for home reading. The follow
ing letter was written to the Count
Librarian by the City Superintant
ent of Big Sandy, which is about fol
ty miles from the county seat: "Or
American History class is writin
theses on the following subjects
Tariff, Slavery, Monroe Doctrin'
Money, Territorial Expansion, an
Educational Legislation. Please ser
me what material you have availab
on the above subjects" The bool
were sent Immediately, all carriae
charges prepaid. In this way tt
Library reaches and helps both tt
town schools and the country school
At the present time two thousar
five hundred individuals have take
out cards and are making use Of Il
library. 1t does not cost a residel
of Choteau County any fee what's
ever to take out a card and ava
himself Of the library privileges.
| am very well satisfied with tt
work our County Library has do1
during the short time it has been
operation.