The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1920-02-25
a. L. "A. HECLAEMS MANY VOLUMES
FROM WAR CAMPS AND PLANS TO
GIVE GENERAL PUBLIC BENEFIT

approximately 1884 CT the books
which were provided through the
generosity Of residents of Oklahoma
for the army navy and marine corps
during the war are being returned
to this state by the American Libra
ry Association, after having seen
service literally in all parts of the
world.
The books, among them many
technical volumes recently we're
shipped from New York by the Amer
icln Library Association to Mrs, f.
r. Dale of the state library commits
sion at Oklahoma City. Mrs Dale
will have charge Of circulating the
books throughout the state. They
are expected to relieve temporarily
the need for wider public library
service, which, since the war has
become acute, especially in Oklaho-
una. Statistics recently compiled by
the United States commissioner Of
education show that there are pub
lie libraries for only fraction of
the population Of the state.
In view CT this need, the American
Library Association expects ito re-
ceive substantial support from the
residents of Oklahoma in its under
taking of nation wide effort to ex-
tend public library facilities The
association is gathering "a fund of
two million dollars with which to
carry out this aim, as well as many
other features of program which
will make the public library a vital
force in building up an intelligent,
productive citizenship throughout the
entire United States In the work
Of collecting funds, Miss Elizabeth
II. West secretary Of the Texas
state library commission at Austin,
is serving as regional director for
Oklahoma, TeXls, New Mexico and
Arizona.
An institute for the regional di-l
rectors for the entire country now
is being held in New York City for
the purpose of perfecting plans for
collecting the two million dollar
fund, and pushing the much needed !
work with all possible vigor.
In the use 10 be given the books
recently returned to the states, the
request has been made t1at the war
service purpose of the books be re-
membered and that especial effort !
be made to meet the needs of ex-
service men with them. Since de-
mobilization, the American Library
Association has found it necessary
to maintain huge mail service for
lending books to former service men
who are now in home communities
which do not have public libraries
The books recently sent to this
state will probably be used as tray
cling libraries.
Several million of books were
worn out by heavy usage in the
camps hospitals and training sta
tions, but the American Library AS
sociation was able to salvage more
than one million volumes from it's
war work in America and overseas
OF these, large quantities are being
retained by the army and navy for
permanent library work, and many
are being used by the A. L. A. for
continued library service to the mer-
chant marine, coast guard, light
houses and hospitals of the public
health service. In spportioning a
mong the states the several hun
dred Thousand books remaining. the
American Library Association based
its figures upon the number of men
who entered the service from each
state, and also upon the relative
leed of books as indicated by the
number of books in Libraries of each G
state in proportion to its popula-
inn