The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1920-11-26

may be expected to come up for con
sideration at the regular session Of
the legislature and Senator Harold W
Rice writes that the legislature may
be in a position to carry it through
He has furnished Maui News with a
letter from Edna l. Allyn, librarian Of
the Library of Hawaii which outlines
a tentative method by means of which
might be carried through a plan to
give Maui folk an adequate supply Of
good reading matter. Much of the
plan relates to supplying reading foi
the schools but the project will care
FOR reading matter for adults as well
What is County Library?
The plan as outlined to Senators
Rice and Baldwin follows:
THE system of county libraries un-
doubtedly has it's finest examplifica-
ton in the State of California. The
success of the system is indicated by
the fact that in the IL years since
1908, the date of it's inception, the
plan has been adapted in A out of
So counties.
THE County Free Library plan pro
vides for a central library at the coun-
ty seat which serves as a reservoir
upon which citizens and school dis
tricts may draw for material, Behind
each county library stands the re-
sources of the California State Library
which lends books without cost to the
county.
"A county Librarian is appointed to
take charge of the work. Such per
son must have had training and ex-
perience in library work and must
hold county librarians certificate
issued by the S Ate board of eXamin-
ers.
Business headquarters are estab-
lished at the county seat, assistants
are appointed, and branches are open
ed in all parts of the county so as
to make the books as accessible as
possible to everybody The librarian
visits all parts of the county, gets ac-
quainted with the people, ascertains
the book needs of the general public,
the schools, the clubs, etc, and makes
up collections of books to be placed at
each branch with especial reference to
the needs and desires of that particu-
lar locality. The collections are
changed as often as seems desirable
or single items are furnished either
from the county free library head
quarters, or from the State Library on
request All shipments are free to the
borrowers.
1T will be seen that the plan as
outlined is not essentially different
from that in use in our Island Depart
ment. The advantage of the county
system is that the county librarian
deals with smaller units and has the
advantage of closer contact with her
people. She is able to visit them of
tener, and can study their problems at
first hand.
Pooling Funds
One Of the provisions of the County
Library Law is that any district
school board of trustees may transfer
the library fund of the district to the
county free library fund 1t may also
transfer books and others property of
the school library to the county free
library. 1t makes provision for SINH
lar action for the high school. This
methods of operation would be slightly
different in the Islands, because the
schools here come directly under the
of the Department of Pub
lie instruction. 1t would be the pro-
vince of the county library to supply
books to the schools for the use of the
children. Cooperation of the Depart
ment of Public Instruction with the
county library would make available
for use in all the schools, a large cen
tral collection of books, maps, globes,
of pictures, musical re-
cords and other desirable equipment.
BY this pooling of funds. and re-
sources there is secured, economy in
expenditure, larger facilities, better
service, as well as equal service.
ITO illustrate-the county librarian
buys in large quantities which means
lower prices. She buys only the books
that are needed decreasing the number
of duplicates. With the fund available
she is able to build up a large collec-
tion of valuable reference books avail
able to every school which the indivi-
dual school in no case can afford To
be a county librarian means that she
is book expert, hence better selec-
tion of material, better editions, bet.
ter prices. She does not buy expen-
siye sets which are unsuitable for use
in schol work, and consequently stand
idle on the shelves.
THE books are equipped for circula-
tion at headquarters, securing speed
and uniformity, and are looked after
and kept repaired at the same place
Collections of books sent to the
various schools are returned to the
county free library Office when the
school no longer needs them and fresh
ones are sent. Those returned are
available for other schools. In this
way live material is kept in constant
When school libraries are
operated Independently the books be-
come dead stock upon the shelves.
"The new school just established, or
The school that is isolated has the
same library service as the one that is
close at hand or has been long estab-
iShed.