The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-23
BOOK BACK TO VERMONT.
Approximately 1900 Of the Volumes
Provided for Service Men.

E1ON4NSG VI SNANiSS ANSAAF
Approximately 1900 Of the books
which were provided through the gen
erositv of residents OF Vermont Tor the
army. navy and marine corps during
the war are being returned to this state
by the American Library association,
after having seen service literally III
all parts of the world.
The books, among them many tech
meal volumes, recently were shipped
from New York by the American Ii
brary association to Miss Ruth Brown,
secretary OF the free library commits
sion at Montpelier. Miss Brown Will
have charge of circulating the books
throughout the state. They are eX-
pected to relieve temporarily the need
for wider public library service, which,
since the war, has been pronounced, IN
Vermont as well a. in other states Re
sources OF the public libraries every
where are not equal to the greatly in
creased demand.
In view of this need. the American
Library association expects TO receive
substantial support from the residents
of Vermont in its undertaking Of a ma
ton wide effort to extend public Ii
brary facilities. The association Is
gathering fund of two million dol
lars with which to carry out this aim,
AS well as many other features OF a
program which will make the public Ii
brary a vital force in building up an
intelligent, productive citizenship
throughout the entire United States.
In the work of collecting funds, Charles
f. d. Belden, librarian of the Boston
public library, is serving as regional
director for Vermont, New Hampshire.
Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut and
Massachusetts,.
An institute of the regional directors
from the entire country now is being
held in New York 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 to be given the books re-
Gently returned to the states, the re-
quest has been made that the war
service purpose of the books be remem-
bered and that especial effort be made
W meet llt HtthN VI NA-TtA wv AtN
with them. Since rehabilitation, the
American Library association has found
it necessary to maintain a huge mail
service for lending books to former
service men who are now in home com
munities which do not have public Ii
braries. The books recently sent to
this state will probably be used as
travelling libraries,
Several millions of books were worn
out by heavy usage in the CAMPS, hos
pitfalls and training stations, but the
American Library association was able
to salvage more than one million vol
umes from its 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. /. A. for
continued library service TO the mer-
chant marine. coast guard, lighthouses
and hospitals Of the public health serv-
ice. In apportioning among the states
the several hundred thousand books re-
manning, the American Library assoeia
tion based its figures upon the number
of men who entered the service from
each state. and also upon the relative
need Of books as indicated by the mum.
Der of books in libraries Of each state
in proportion to its population.
The war library work taught thou
sands Of men to make intelligent use
of books In the past six months. H.
I braries in every state have renorted
that they are overwhelmed bv che de-
mand. especially for useful books on
technical or vocational subjects.