The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-23

Dante's "Divlna Comedia". days" at the hospital, and them many local teachers ar book trucks from room to room throughout the hospital so that patients may select reading matter for the next few days.
 500 Volumes
 The hospital library has been in operation since the first of Decem- Der and already more than 500 vol umes are in circulation. The books have been purchased with funds donated by the Hospital Alumnae association and Ladies Aid society in addition to several private gifts. Variety is the keynote of the col- lection, and authors range from Damon Runyon and Irwin Cobb to Werfel, Villa Gather, and even a dash of Chesterton for the more ambitious patients. ...
 Selection of the books is vitally important. and rests in the hands of Rev. Lawrence E. Skelly. chaplain ! oi St. MaIy'S. who organized the library. Publishers advertisements cannot be relied upon too much , the chaplain explaired, since menS books, all right in themselves, might have a depressing effect on pa tient. Father Skelly recalled one instance where patient had boo: sent to him as a gift, and believed he had every diseas he saw men, toned in the novel. The fellow was actually suffering from broken leg
 Father Skelly, former professor at St. Charles college, Baltimore, Md. first became interested in the library idea while curate in Dan- bury. He inaugurated Catholic Book Shelf at the Danbury Public library which proved elninently suc- cessful, and has been eager to carry the idea in htoops iOfqin-hrtlatwa the idea into hospital work since his appointment as chaplain.
 Library Idea
 ! Hospitals throughout the country have developed the library idea, at the suggestion of outstanding phy- sicians and surgeons who are al- ! most unanimous in their belief, that good reading keeps the patients mind away from his physical ills ard hastens copvalescence. Doctors contend that we'll conducted li- brary has a great therapeutic value for the patient, ard enhances the prestige of the hospital.
 "Unless we can do something to help the patient in mind as well as ill body" Father Skelly pointed out, i've have not done out utmost ill aiding his recovery, Reading affords pleasure and amusement during the long hours of confinement, and 1t 1 is surprising how enthusiastically the patients have responded in a short time. Their enthusiasm has {! been detinife spur for us to go far | beyond our original plans in the expansion program"
 The goal of the St. Mary's library is to be an organization comparable to that of the Massachusetts Gen. eral hospital in Boston, where more I than 5000 volumes are in circula- ton and large rooms are set apart as reading areas for nurses and pa , tientS. However, Father Skelly 1 pointed out. the Boston hospital operates its library on full-time scale, with paid librarians working from 8:30 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon, and such expansion is impossible at the present time for St. Mary's.
 The enthusiasm which the chap plain noted. has also been observed by nurses working in the hospital. Blanche Germano president of the 1 student nurses council, remarked that patients who had not shown any noticeable improvement over a period of weeks, seemed to become brighter once they were given Q chance to read. Rena Tamburini noted that women patients, in par ticular, appreciate the personal touch and thoughtful consideration which the volunteers have been showing on their trips. through the wards. Bettye Cunningham and Mary Esther Mottai were impressed by the eageTness with which pa- tents await 'library day" and by the seriousness with which they 60 about picking out their books.
 Doctors Impressed
 Doctors on the stan of the hos. plial have been fayorably impressed by the results shown thus far, and have confidence ln what they term "blbll0therapy." the scientific treat m0nt Of disease by the use of hteFn' tuFr. While they readily c0nceds that they have yet t9 see n pnel' monia patient read Joseph Conrad