The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-17
Need Of State Is More Books.
More Persons Readin q
Them, Miss Lillian Cook,
State Librarian, Tells Group
Would Provide Reading
Matter at Small Expense

Dickinson, Sept. 17.--tP-Amend-
ment of present laws to permit the
organization Of county Libraries TO
be supported by county taxes was
recommended by Lillian Cook, Bis
marck, state librarian, as the best
method of solving. the North Dakota
library problem in an address to the
state library association here today
Pointing out that mo state north
Of the Mason and Dixon line spends
so little for books or reads SO lit
>tle" as North Dakota, Miss Cook
said one Of the most apparent needs
Of the state is more books and more
persons reading them. The job Of
correcting this situation rests upon
everyone interested in promoting the
cause of education and particularly
said. ~.
me small taxing unit cannot raise
sufficient sum to provide for adc-
quate library service and yet there
is no locality which needs it more,
being without other recrcational and
cultural resources" Miss Cook said
County Library Called Best
She pointed to the county library
rs the best method of providing hooks
Tor an extra community ~ a small
cNnensc. "Thc town and The com
munity whose people have access TO
and are intelligently and sympa-
thetically directed to the best thought
as expressed in books will be hap
pier, wealthier and. better town and
commuftity.' the speake: SAID. "Yha
power Of books in the lives Of men
is not to be questioned. North Da-
kota has the men. Let u.s. work to-
gether to see that she has tie books"
All that is necessary to make the
county library Il vital thing in every
North Dakota community, Miss Cook
said, is a pcrmissivc amendment to
permit the organization of county
Libraries and Il movement to rouse
the public to a realization of their
value. The only legal change neces-
sary, she said, is one which would
permit extension Of present laws
governing town and city Libraries TO
apply to counties. 1t would not COM
nit any county to library service but
would permit any county to have it
if it SO wished.
In making the county library plan
effective, the speaker said, existing
libraries could join the county sys-
TEN or remain independent as they
wished and county library boards
could inaugurate Independent service
on contract with an organized library
for service.
Could BE at County Scat
As a general thing, Miss Cook said.
county Libraries would be located at
the county seat with permanent col
lections in all towns in the county
large enough to maintain reading
rooms. These permanent collections
would be supplemented and kept up
to date by circulating collections.
Towns not large enough to maintain
reading rooms would have deposit
stations to which collections Of 100
or 200 books would be sent in the
form of country travelling libraries.
The books would be kept in the dis
trict while popular and returned to
headquarters when new collection
was wanted In the rural districts,
country schools and farm homes,
books would be lent to individuals for
short periods Of time and special
books would be sent to any place at
any time needed.
The county library is not new
and untried thing, the speaker said,
but form of library service so eff
Gent and economical that majority
of the states have passed laws facili-
'ating IT'S estabii;.,ms nj. In North
Dakota. however, the benefits to be
derived from such a system must be
brought home to the citizens before
they can be expected to endorse the
'inn. only such realization will
induce citizens to levy the small tax
necessary to organize and maintain
a county library. Miss Cook said.
Commenting on the general situa-
tion in the state, Miss Cook said Il
survey by the American Library AS
ISOLATION has developed statistics
which show where North Dakota is
weak. Although the state has com
paratively little illiteracv as COM
pared with the rest of the nation it
has only .23 Of book per person in
public Libraries as compared with
an average Of .G3 for the nation and
Il high mark of 2.22 for the state
with the most books per person. 1t
pays only ~ cents per person in
library taxes as compared with an