Evening star., 1943-03-28
:BHt7' Sharpened Appetite
Of B1itons for Books
Bv Gretchen Smith.

Bombs rained on London during
the "blitz" destroyed fine library
facilities but failed to curtail activi-
ties of the British library services,
according to Miss Gwendolyn Kidd,
attractive Scotland-born English
girl now in Washington with the
British Information Service
The British ''bookworm" still
wanted to read, huddled in a cor
ner of tube shelters" or, perhaps,
in the shelter of his own back
yard, Miss Kidd declared If he
wanted to read. the library services
determined to see that the desired
literature was provided, she said.
I'VE opened libraries in the shell
ters," she said, with a particularly
large one in Londons East End sec
tion."
New Plan Set Up.
With normal programs disrupted
and the usual card-lending system
disorganized, the British library
service cleverly worked out a plan
to provide books in shelters while
assuring safe return of the books
at the same time.
Each bunk had a ticket" Miss
Kidd explained, "and occupants
could borrow books on the bunk
ticket instead of an the usual library
card"
Libraries also have been set up
in English factories, the librarian
said, and throughout the British
Isles reading has increased since
the war.
With nightly blackouts and cur
tailment of entertainments. reading
has greatly increased" Miss Kidd
explained. During the blitz it was
light reading 'escapist' literature,
that was popular. Now, however.
the British public seems interested
in literature about its Allies. The
people are interested particularly in
information on the history and
geography of the States" she added.
Many Libraries Razed.
Many fine libraries. both public
and private, have been destroyed
by bombs and by fire, she said. but
fortunately a great many books have
been salvaged.
"Of course, it has imposed an
enormous amount of work on the
small staff of librarians left" she
commented, ''as many of our people
have gone into war work. But the
books have been rescued from de-
stroyed libraries, dried out, cleaned
and put into circulation again."
British libraries have expanded
their normal services so that now,
in addition to lending books and
serving as reading rooms, they have
become more or less the center of
community life, according to Miss
Kidd.
People meet at the libraries in
great numbers" she explained, ito
read the daily papers and exchange
news. Our newspapers have been
curtailed so there aren't enough to
60 around, so people come to the
libraries to read them"
She told how a soldier billeted
near a library in Dover had even
applied to the library for sheet music
and a piano.
"The library got them for him,
too," she added.
English children. like their Amer
ican cousins, have formed new lit
erary tastes since the war, the IL
brarian asserted
Hero Stories" Popular.
They don't care much for fairy
tales and fantastic stories any more"
she said. They want stories about
heroes and historic times"
One of the most far-reaching serv-
ices of the British Library Associ-
alton is provided by it's mobile Ii
braries, Miss Kidd declared.
1.-The mobile libraries can move
as many as five librarians at once"
she explained, land they give needed
service to readers in remote places"
Asked if British authors were con-
tributing many new hoods now, the
librarian said numerous accounts Of