Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-05-26
LIBRARIES WANT FEDERAL AID
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Yet another demand Is to be made
upon the Federal Government. What
ever the fate of legislation for special
compensation to veterans for past
services, whatever may be done with
the 81 $50 600, 900 relief and public
works funds, whatever other ways
of spending money may be thought
up, the public libraries Of the United
States are determined to get their
share. Uncle Sam is to be asked
to appropriate anywhere from $50
000, 900 to 500 900 900 for direct as
Sistance to the thousands of public
libraries OF the Nation, TO the end
that the educational facilities of the
people shall not be stinted.
The use of public libraries has in
creased enormously during the years
of depression. With ten or twelve mil
lion men and women out of work
an unwelcome leisure has been i'm
posed. One result of this has been
a fourfold increase in the use of
public reading facilities, and this
sudden augmentation of the load has
taxed the library facilities to the
utmost.
1t now is known that half Of the
population of the small and medium
sized cities are using public libraries.
In the larger cities the proportion Is
not as great, but 1t has increased
during the hard times. In New York
City, for example, one-quarter Of the
population makes use of public
libraries, and in the last four years
the demands on New York libraries
increased hugely. In 1882, a year
of deep depression, 80 900 900 volumes
were lent for home use in addition
to the hundreds Of thousands Of books
called for for use in the library read
ing rooms.
No activity can be increased so
greatly and so quickly without great
added expense. Larger stats are
needed to serve the patrons Of the
libraries, and with so much handling
it is necessary more frequently to
renew the books and magazines.
When books are handled so much they
not only become mutilated but there
is a danger of their becoming in
fected with germs. Yet in the de-
preston period, the peak period Of
use, the appropriations of the New
York Public Library, understood to
be the most used library in the world,
have declined by II per cent.
The increased library load incident
to the depression could not have been
foreseen. But there is another mod
ern development which, in combina-
ton with the increased leisure of the
millions, has resulted in a greater
demand for books. Idle people read
newspapers more than ever before
and listen to the radio. Mention of
new book in a newspaper-and
newspapers are reviewing books more
than ever before-or reference to a
book, new or old, by some popular
radio speaker brings down on the
public libraries of the entire Nation
an avalanche of requests.
Public Support Of Bill Expected.
The American Library Association
is the moving force behind the effort
to obtain Federal aid for the libraries
The plan is to allot half Of any ap-
preparation made to the States for
their administration among their own
Libraries, while the other half would
be used for emergency aid to the
more hard pressed libraries wherever
located. Conferences already have
been held with Federal officials, in
Guiding the Librarian of Congress and
the Commissioner of Education who,