The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-01
FLORIDA NEEDS
more LIBRARIES
LESS THAN A FIFTH OF THE POP
ULATION. II A S.. A C c e S s. TO
BOOKS, ACCORDING TO STATS
TICS.

/ Washington, April Only ia per
cent. of the population of Florida has
access to free public libraries leaving
more than 100000 persons not provided
with free library service, according to
the estimate of the United States
Bureau of Education, made public to-
day.
/ American Library Association Of
ficials declare that this lack, as re-
tvealed by statistics of public library
development recently compiled by p.
P. Claxton, commissioner of education,
will give residents of Florida. con-
| ception of the benefit to be derived
from the Books For Everybody" move
ment launched by the association. To
devote to the task of making public
| library service a vital influence in
every American community, the A. L..
A. is gathering a Books For Every
body" fund of s2,00O,O00. Joseph F..
Marion, librarian of the Jacksonville
Free Public Library, is state director
| for Florida.
| The report for Florida shows only
| Is libraries that are classed as free
public libraries, containing 90,S37 VOL
umes and serving population of 49,
173 persons, leaving 621,446 persons
without access to libraries. In the
judgement of the Bureau of Education,
the smallest library that can usually
be depended on to render. an adequate
service is one of 5000 volumes. Only
three libraries in the state, measured
by this standard, can be termed uni
versities of the people" They serve
99,60S persons, with 653,O11 persons
practically deprived of the help of an
institution which, more than any other,
promotes adult self -education. In As
counties there is no library with as
many as 5000 volumes. Three counties
have library of this size, which might
serve as a nucleus for a county library
system.
The county library is advocated by
the American Library Association as
the best method of reaching the rural
districts. This form of library SER
vice recently was endorsed by Com
missioner Claxton.
In making known the results of the
Bureau of Educators survey, Amerl-
can Library Association officials point
out that the library development OF
the last several years may be too re-
cent to be taken fully into account ana
that revised population statistics would
show a much larger public served by
existing libraries, as the compilation |
is based on the 1910 census. 1t is in
dicated, however, that the growth OF
population in the wide areas without
public library service probably would
tend to keep the percentages, as an
nounced by the Bureau of Education,
very nearly constant. In view of the
rapid industrial development which is
bringing into the state an increasing
number of new Americans of foreign
birth who must depend upon public
libraries to give them their education
in the English language and in Amer
lean institutions and ideals the gen.
eral need for library facilities through
out the state is declared to present
serious situation. This condition,
coupled with the widespread social and
industrial unrest throughout the ma
ton, constitutes one reason for the
American Library Associations vlSor-
Gus Books For Everybody" movement,
which points to time when books
will be freely available to every man,
woman and child in America.