The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-06-09
GREAT LIBRARY
WAS MAINTAIN
At CAMP LEE
CONSISTED OF $4,000 VOLUMES,
MANY OF WHICH WERE CONTRIB
uTED BY WHEELING PEOPLE.
Demand Dealing With War and Military
Science Ceased With Signing
of Ar1nisttce.

The camp library maintained al Camp
Leo by the American Library AsSoCia-
ton has been, almost from the earliest
arrival of the mon Of the S0th Division
under tho direction and supervision OF a
West Virginia man. Or. Henry ;. Green.
Of Charleston. W. Va. The central
library is located near camp hCadquar-
Iers and contains collection of 25.0UO
books. 1t Is provided with living quar-
tcrs for the library force and IS fully
equipped for the administration OF a
circulating public library serving city
of 10 00U or 900 inhabitants. DiStrI-
hutCd over tho area of the camp. too,
arc branch libraries and book stations
obtaining. in all. another $4,000 VOL
umcs making II possible for every sol
der Ia have ready access to books and
magazines IN all his leisure hours. The
old quarters Of the l5t5h r. \. were
rather far away fran the main library
building. but the men could always get
books from one or another of the
branches maintained IN the Y. NJ. {. a.
kurS and *. Of Z. buildings serving the
several regiments. Many OF the artil-
lcrym"n also. III spite "t the long nike,
AWARDED themselves Of tn" advantages Of
tn" nam library and frequently dropped
IN at tn" reading room L. look over the
West Virginia papers q! which Consld-
cradle number trc always on file. nr.
Green took charge Of this library w"rN
at Camp Leo in November. 1917, and for
twenty months. with tho exception Of
tho time required for two hurried trips
to Franco. has given his entire time and
attention To III" administration of tn"
Camp library and It's branches. With
the mastering . NJ "f the S0th, howcrrrc
HI has announced his purpose 10 return
10 his home IN Charleston.
In tho beginning O! the camp library
work West Virginia contributed Ibcr-
ally 10 tho Camp l.c" collection of books.
Miss Roberts. librarian Of IN" Wheeling
public library. sent Il large Shipment Of
well selected material. and similar ship
mcntS came from other Nest Virginia
cities Thcsc contributions were sup
prcment by purchase Of now books by
tho American Library Associations War
Service out of funds provided by the
American pc"Hl" for that service. The
circulation +, cords of the library shrw
that. even IN the days Of intensive
training" tho men OF tho S0th DIVISION
found tlmc and showed tho inclination
to read books and periodicals in very
COnS!dcra hi" numbers.
These same "rrOrds also show hat
-.ght up In the Tine when the arm.stICc
VA, signed last November. hooks deal.
ing with all phases Of III" war and miI-
tHry SCI"nCc were in urgent demand, bat
with the firing OF the last shot th"- calls
Cor war books Of every kind Cea sod Al
most altogether. and tho mon turned I"
reading along international and r"cr"'-
lonal lines. History. travel. poetry.
drama. fiction. and particularly books on
tho useful arts and business employ
mcnIS jumped into immediate favor WITH
tho soldier renders IN camp. The men
who had been thumhinG over manuals
e drill and military tactics called fnr
works on banking. bookkeeping. sales
manshIp. farm management. railroad lE.
advertising, machIn" shop work. auto
mobile operation and repair. vocational
subjects Of a wide range. and. of cnurS"
many of the readers wanted tho h"S'
books Of their favOrIt" writers o. nc
ilon. The uhonmIty with which lhH
men Of tho .:;.'Ional army arc tuning
. ihcIr thought sack from war 10 he ways
e peace was strkIngiy forcshal" we'd
in the tl.:u,d,i,n records Of the amp
library
In March of this year DR.. Green OBJ
;aiurd leave CT absence from III" l;hf@l
IN Mt lamp Lee and went To FrtnC'
in chr inlrrc.t Of tho book service { I
y a
, transports rCpairiatIng tn" overseas
army. He mad. two round trips on tho
t. : Transport Matsoni1. landing at
E.w port News only a few days n all
! vanc" Of the Zeppelin. The y. l.. A. row
las all transports equipped with travel
Ing Libraries. and our soldiers fc.urn'ns
IL tn" good old {. 5. A. have no lack OF
good r"adlag matter whrrcwIth 10 be-
! Luilr tho tcdIum OF their lorG ocean
voyage. Every troop ship carries good
collection Of books and Cua'tt'y 'f
maEa:In" literature. and tn" service IS
fire." to all soldiers aud sailors. Mt 4
few of tho boys on the Zeppelin read
, their book 4 day" all tho way across
the Atlantic and many OF them Aa"" Il
hearty word Of appreciation :"r inc
work on sCa ard land done by tn" camp
library service Of the American Library