Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1927-01-26
COUNTY LIBRARY
SUPPLIES BOOKS
TO THOUSANDS
Much Detail Involved in
Issuing and Checking
Many Volumes on List

! during the year 1926, the Imperial
County free library is one of the
! institutions of this county which ac-
/ curatelv reflects the growth of the
] desire for culture, which is 4 mark
! of all true growth. As man con
/ qucrs nature. and begins TO improve
his environment. he calls for books
! as his friends.
The Imperial County free library
established February ). 1912. and
/ now covering the valley with its
! circulation, in this way. reflects the
! true growth of the community.
During the past year. from its
; headquarters in the court house,
! work of a volume which would prove
surprise to many residents of III"
county. is being carried on under
the capable direction of Miss Eva
lyn Boman. county librarian.
Taking tho records of 1926 and
comparing them with The previous
wear. the steady growth in all lines
over that If 1925 is of particular
interest During 1925 total of
6.ll3 books were added to the Ii
brary: last wear 900 new volumes
were made available.
Increase in circulation from the
previous wear was over 1000 vol
umes.
When the average layman thinks
"librarv''. he has mental picture
Of selecting his books from the shell
YES. passing it to the librarian for
checking. and CARRYING it to his
home TO peruse at his leisure. Not
so the routine at the county library.
Last wear q total OF 1868 pack
ages were mailed out from the coun-
" library. The librarian and her
small staff of assistants must sort
out books in answer to the various
needs expressed from different dis
tricts, and in addition select books
which they think will be Of general
interest and supply the different
communities. As the total supply is
limited. the books must return at
intervals to the main library, there
10 be redistributed.
When the layman thinks library ,
his thought does not usually include
victrola records. pictures and other
educational exhibits. But during
1926 tremendous circulation of
these items formed . part Of the ac-
Invites of the county library. The
grand total Of records. exhibits.
pictures, books and pamphlets sent
ont from the office .otaled over go
600. To be exact. the number was
5l,604. as compared with 1928 IN
1925.
One of the most valuable features
of the county library's work IS FUR
nishing service direct from the state
library. Technical books, books of
unusual types. and rare volumes
which it would not be financially
wise for county TO purchase. may
be obtained from the state library
for readers through the medium o.
the county library. During 1876,
636 volumes were borrowed from
the state library, as compared with
440 the wear before.
Borrowers Increase -.
The wear 1925 saw l,ls9 new bar
rowers added to the county library :
list Of patrons Again 1926 showei
the increase which was consistent in
all branches Of the library's work
and found 1856 new patrons signing
up for service during the twelve
month period.
A new branch in the Mulberry
district was another evidence OF the
growth during 1926. This new
branch already boasts circulation
Of 200 a month. showing the need
which was filled in this community
by the county hbrary's extension
into that territory.
Under the direction Of Miss 30.
man and with the cooperation OF
the county library, the Brawlev Ii.
brarv was las. wear enlarged ana 4
full time trained librarian appoint.
ed.
No resume O; the work Of the I'M
pcrical County free library, however
brief. woult. DC complete without
some mention Of the larger organiza'
ton 10 which il belongs and note
Of the activities of the county Il
brarv service Of California.
At the Scsqui- Centennial exhibition
ir Philadelphia, which was viewed
by many thousands of visitors from
June TO December, an Imperial Val
lev Press reporter who visited the
exhibits was interested 10 find a
splendid entry made by the califor
MIA state library in the educational
section.
A huge map of the state, easily
the size Of a couple Of large high
way billboards, gave in electric
lights the location of California 3
county libraries. The exhibit WAS
the outstanding one of that section
FL Centre "was on the map with
its colored light gailv winking.
Model For Other States
The county library service Of
this state, which IS model for
those Of other states of the union,
has 10 it's credit the delivery Of
books under the most varied type OF
conditions imaginable.
By dog team over the snow OF the
High Sierras. by "flying ducks y
across rushing rivers, by airplane.
by train, by truck and horseback,
and by boat, books Were delivered
by hundreds of thousands.
At naval bases. in mining camps,
in old people, homes, in vacation
camps. sanitariums, hospitals,
schools. jails and prisons, the more
isolated readers received county
library service.
To show the scope Of the work Of