The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-12-16

The interest in these broadcasts is evidenced by the distribution by the University of Chicago Press of
 nearly 60,000 copies of a radio lec- ture outline and notebook to ac- company the broadcasts. Reading
 Guide No. 1, prepared for the
 series of broadcasts extending up
 to December 18th, on the econom-
 ic depression, includes sixty-four items under ten different headings. This and subsequent Reading
 Guides, listing books of more
 substantial sort, can be secured
 from the University of Chicago
 Press.
 This broadcast reaches the
 whole country and suggests 8 die rect contact with the library. I Groups could be formed to listen
 a basis for discussion and for wid-
 CT reading.
 lists OH Unemployment Another brief list on unemploy- ment relief is to be found in the October Bulletin of the Russell
 Sage Foundation Library (130 East 22d street, New York city)
 sold for 10 cents 8 copy. This
 contains a good many periodical references and reports on relief measures in various cities and
 states.
 One of the most timely and use- full bibliographies of an extended sort Is published in the November
 bulletin of the Wisconsin Library commission, "A selected list on Unemployment" A-large portion
 of this is material printed within the last two years. and the list is
 especially helpful, because the pamphlets and reports on unem- ployment published by the vari- ous states are herein listed, mak- ing it easy for libraries in nearly
 all the states to find out what is
 available for them, thus obviating the difficulty small libraries have in knowing what there is and where to get it.
 The steadying influence of good books was widely noted during the
 war; it is at work now. Many li- | from their daily experience with men and women who acknowledge that library books have brought them out of the depths and helped to fill them with new confidence and resolution.
 The use of books for widely re- | creational purposes-as a source Of
 inspiration-presents opportunities of major importance. Man doth
 not live by bread only"--less now perhaps than in more normal times. Now comes the call for imagination and ingenuity in the | use of good books of any date
 and on any subject. Now may be the time to develop the latent
 interest that nearly all grown peo- | pie have always meant to follow. Special Heed to Special Service The library itself doubtless has
 financial problems at the moment. Some cities have had decreases in appropriations; in few cities sal-
 ary reductions have been made as
 a part of general municipal econ-
 omies. Happily, the whole notion that libraries are a luxury has given way to the understanding that in times like these they are a
 vital necessity in aiding in the
 mental relief of unemployment.
 Every library will scrutinize anew it's methods and its purposes to
 see that (a) every unnecessary ac- | tivity is postponed, and the time
  that each unnecessary record and
 piece of routine in the library's
 usual procedure will bes implified | in the hope of saving unnecessary
 salary expense; Co that the book
 buying is more carefully scrutin-
 ized to be sure that the books pur- chased will render the greatest use to the community in its present fn- terests.
 This may be the time for a searching test of libraries and
 their ways of doing their work.
 They will go on with what must
 be done-though need may suggest
 new and shorter ways of doing things. Special heed of special
 service, however, seems the imme-
 diate and urgent duty. All librar..
 les will be particularly aware or the problem outside their own xuo lie