The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1936-05-07

Attend2-Day
Convention
Several Splendid Talks Made
Up Part of Excellent
Program
OVER FORTY ATTEND
Nearly Sixty Per Cent of
State Without Library
Service

Progress can move no faster
than the intelligence of the mass
population" said Miss Gratia
Countryman in setting the theme
for the 18th annual Lake Region
Library convention held in Sank
Centre last Friday and Saturday.
Stormy weather did not dampen
the zest with which nearly forty
librarians attacked their mutual
problems, nor the earnestness with
which they are endeavoring to
bring county library service to a
head and make available this edu-
cational feature to every person in
Minnesota.
Friday evenings open meeting
while attended with city folk was
devoid of rural representatives
largely because of the condition of
the roads. Rural school board
members and teachers who were
expected found it impossible to at
tend. Miss Mynette Lindeloff, act
ing as Madame chairman, intro
duced DR.. J. A. Dubois, who for
fifty-six years has served on the
library board and now heads that
group. The Doctor in extending his
welcome to the librarians gave
them a most emphatic Main
Street welcome" He stated that
more and more the library has be-
come an integral part of the edu-
cational system. He opened up to
them the other side of Main
Street.-The side that built the IL
brary from a scattered collection
OF a few volumes that could be
moved in a dry goods box. to the
institution it is today. Miss Claire
Winzenburg, Crookston, responded
as president of the organization.
Explaining the circumstances and
the adverse conditions that con-
front the rural school today was
the theme of Garland Taylor's talk
as County Superintendent of the
Schools. Feeling the need for
something to bolster his rural
schools Mr.. Taylor explained that
he welcomed heartily the invita-
ton of Sank Centre for the insti-
tuition of a rural library service. He
went on that this is a changing
world, but the little red school
house" is little different than when
Dad was a boy. Fastening to ex-
plain that fact was not an indict-
ment of the rural school, he said 1t
showed more fully it's need.
Miss Clara Baldwin, as Director
of Libraries, Minnesota Depart.
ment of Education, displayed
charts that showed that nearly 80
percent Of Minnesota was without
library service, and that nearly as
many rural persons were without
that facility as there were city per-
sons who enjoyed that privilege.
Miss Gratia Countryman, Librarian
o. Minneapolis Libraries, was the
final speaker on the program. She
said in part that while other val
ues change and life seems balanced
over some volcanic abyss, the val
ues Of human nature and its needs
know little change. It is with those
needs that librarians deal. PRO
gress moves no faster than the in
telligence of the mass population
said Miss Countryman, in speaking
of the disparity between scientific
and social and governmental ag-
encies. She explained the help that
libraries have been in the recent
program Of adult education. With
nearly million persons in Mime
sofa without the facility Of library
service she sums the intense need
in a simple plea received from
a southern sector of the state. The
message read "Send some of your
discarded books. We're nearly for
ty miles from a library" She closed
with the hope that Minnesota may
become an exemplary state in the
library field.
Friday afternoon the group was
addressed by Miss Perrie Jones,
Supervisor Of Institution Libraries,
who gave vivid detail Of the place
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