The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-05-03
THIRST FOR
KNOWLEDGEIS
ON INCREASE
Work of State Library Ref
crcncc Department Is Con-
tinually Increasing

All kinds and classes of North Da-
ko'a citizens are interested in books
and filled with a thirst fos knowl-
edge on all sorts Of subjects, accord
ing to Miss Margaret Wclch, head OF
the state library reference part
mcnt
Although there is no immci!at.
danger Of the average citizen getting
"bookish' the way in which this in
tcrcst has grown may be measured
by the number of requests for book ;
and information. Miss Wc!ch said.
In March. 1924. So pieces Of mater
ial were sent out in answer 20 343
requests. March of 1928 saw lei2
pieces sent GU; III answer to 51l re-
quests and March. 1926, brought G59
requests and 2,i53 pieces circulated.
Five Classes
"The people served By the reference
department Of the state library may
be divided into five classes, Mss
WEIGH said. These are:
a. Teachers who borrow profes-
sional books and material to supple
ment their texts. the selections re-
quircd by the course of study, read
ing circle books to supplement school
Libraries and plays. readings and rec
itations for special programs.
-. High school students who bor-
row material to aid them in the prep
aration of themes. orations and de
bates; the books required for Home
Reading which are not supplied by
their school libraries: and groups Of
plays from which to choose one suit
able for the Junior class production
or for similar occasions.
"3. The private citizen whose
school days are over but whose in
.erest in the significant doings of
the time is keener than ever. To him
or her we lend the late book Of biog-
raphy, travel, poetry and essays or
the best Of the late fiction.
-. The club women whom we
serve either by providing them with
club library covering the subject Of
their years study, or by sending
them each month a package contain
ing material to cover their papers for
the month; or, lastly, in case they do
not care for regular services, by
helping from time to time the indi-
vidual members in the preparation of
their papers. At this season of the
year we get numerous requests for
club program suggestions which we
fill from our large program collcc-
ton.
"5 The heads of departments and
employees in the capitol building
who bring their reference questions
to US and who borrow books for
pleasure reading.
No Time For Contest Work
ave have received during the past
winter many requests for answers to
questions asked in contests conducted
by various newspapers and maya
zines. We have rcgretfully returned
these requests both because we feel
that the agencies conducting these
contests intended that the individual
answering the questions should do
the research work required in arriv-
ing at the answer and because, if we
were to take time to furnish the an
swers to contest questions, our 9TH
or activities would have TO suffer.
While our service to the state has
triplcd our staff has not increased
ut all and our resources very little.
Thus our time and resources arc al
ready used to the utmost and we
cannot take time for contest work
without depriving teachers. pupils,
club women, private citizens, or CAPT.
tol employees Of the service which
they have rightly come to expect Of
u.s."