Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-05-28
DOCKS BRING AID
TO SOLDIER SICK
American Library Association
Serves Ten Thousand Men
in Nations Hospitals.
EFFORTS BRING RESULTS.
Works on Vocational Training Circu.
lated Among Men Who Must Take
Up New CaIlnes Because of
Their Injuries.

Hospital library service maintained
by the American Library Association
during the war was credited with great
value in aiding in the recovery of many
sick and disabled men.
There are still in our hospitals more
than 10000 former service men. Of
these nearly 5000 are in Public Health
Service hospitals, the remainder in
civilian hospitals. Books, magazines
and newspapers are sent to these men
from the American Library Associa-
ton. In the larger hospitals, contain
ing over 800 patients, special Librarians
are placed. To the smaller hospitals,
through the cooperation of many pub
lie libraries, library visitors are sent
to visit the wards once or twice week
and learn the book needs of the pa
tents.
special effort is made to supply to
ex-service men in hospitals the books
in demand as a result of the training
given by the Federal Board for Voca-
tional Education.
More Books for Blind.
The A. L. A., in cooperation with
other agencies already interested in
work for the blind, is printing books
in the new Braille type. Because of
the newness of the revised Braille
adopted for teaching to the American
war blind, literature printed in it is
| limited to fewer than 200 hooks,
| Though the total number of blinded
soldiers is small, their need of hooks
is great, and the ''magic of print" can
do much to restore hope and useful
ness to them.
Not only for former service men who
are sick or disabled is the association
working. The value of books proved
so great TO men in camps that efforts
are still being made to connect dis
! charged soldiers and sailors with libra
/ ries wherever they may be. Hundreds
of letters have reached A. L. A. head
Il quarters from former service men tell
ing of the lack Of library facilities In
particular localities to which thQas
men have returned.
Direct Service Provided.
II many cases there is a state libra
ry commission or a nearby library tt
which a man can be referred for thu
= books he needs, but if there is no suci
! organization through which ne can b,
served, books for almost any seriou
purpose may be borrowed directl,
from the A. L. A. War Service, "a Weg
Thirty-ninth street. New York city
: The only expense In connection witt
these leans is prepayment Of Teturl
= postage 90 books borrowed
q The A. L. A, has published lists o
books to help ex-service men who ar
studying to advance themselves il
their work. Five Hundred Bushes
Books" "One Thousand Technica
Books and reading courses on prae
teal subjects are now in preparation.
Other Work Being Dane.
Other branches of wark which tn
A. L. A. War Service is carrying on in
clude service to the Merchant Marin,
l. Coast Guard and lighthouses, servic
II to industrial communities which ar
l. resultant from the war, service to Uni
e ed States forces overseas This wor
s is carried on with money received fror
o the United War Work funds, the us
: OF which is limited by the condition
u of the gift to these specific purposes.
The service of the Merchant Marin
= department provides free library serN
= ice TO seamen on American merchar
I, ships in the form of screws Libraries.
,s bookcase boxes, each containing abot
/ so books. These libraries are e,
changeable at principal ports BOOK
Is and magazines are sent also to men i
k. coast guard stations, in lighthouses an
Oh lightships.