American Library Association Books afc Work \ v BOOKS AT WORK AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BOOKS AT WORK __ IN THE WAR DURING THE ARMISTICE AND AFTER The libraries of our country have long been organ- ized for their general improvement. This organ- ization, called the American Library Association and often spoken of as the "A. L. A.," was asked, as soon as we entered the war, to provide books and journals for Army and Navy. Here is the story, in words and pictures, of the work tliat was done in response to that request. Fortunately, the organization is able to continue its work; and, at the suggestion of federal authorities, and in co-operation with them, it is bringing it to pass that books and journals for recreation and for serious study shall be within reach of every per- son in federal service. The Association recog- nizes its responsibility to encourage and promote the development of library service for every man, woman ami child in America. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. 1919 RR MANY YEARS THE NAVY HAS HAD MODEST AP- 'ROPRIATIONS FOR BOOKS. IT WISHES NOW SO TO ORGANIZE ITS LIBRARY WORK THAT ENTERTAINING BOOKS AND MAGAZINES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL MEN IN THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS; THAT A MAN CAN GET ON SHORT NOTICE ANY BOOK HE WANTS FOR SERIOUS STUDY; AND THAT MEN WILL BE ENCOUR- AGED TO READ AND STUDY BOOKS ON NAVIGATION, SEAMANSHIP, GUNNERY, AND CIVILIAN VOCATIONS AND TRADES, AS WELL AS BOOKS ON CITIZENSHIP, HISTORY, TRAVEL AND GENERAL LITERATURE. THE NAVY ASKS THE HELP OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION FOR THIS SERVICE, AND THAT HELP IS GIVEN. 2029470 'HE value of this reading matter to the troops and sailors is beyond estimation. It is a fine, healthy sign of the times to see me number of men around decks en- tirely absorbed in the boolcs in their hands. VICE-ADMIRAL ALBERT CLEAVES, u. s. N. HIS is "The House That Jack Built," erected by the men; equipped with furniture and books by the Navy and the American Library Association. Li- brarian furnished by the Association. The United States Navy has supplied a few books and magazines to the large vessels and stations for many years. Trained library workers have made this service universal and have built up live collections of the latest and best books. Now the bluejackets are always studying for advancement. THE sailor gets a generous lot of stories in these stand- ard cases. They may be exchanged with any other vessel or at any American Library Association dis- patch office, thus giving fresh supplies of books at frequent intervals. Each case holds about seventy volumes. Small vessels get one case; large vessels, many cases. QUESTION: "Do real men want real books? To supply the demand among soldiers, many of the war librarians had to work from 5.45 A. M. to 1 1.30 P. M., and even then could not begin to furnish books fast enough. The report from a certain camp shows an average attendance of a thousand a day, and on one day there were fifty-three men sitting on the floor at one time. A record of another branch states that of all the men there in training, one out of every four reads and returns a book a week." From Per- sonal Efficiency in Business, by Edward Earle Purinton. BRANCH libraries are maintained in the recreation buildings, which are provided by welfare organiza- tions and by the Army and Navy. This is the library in the Y. W. C. A. Hostess House at Rich Field, Texas. 'HE Army built a library for the A. E. F. University at Beaune to seat five hun- dred men, then doubled its capacity, and finally provided for fifteen hundred men. And every night it was crowded. The American Library Association provided the books, a li- brarian, and three other trained workers. The Army detailed sixty officers and men to assist for part or full time. A great educational pro- gram was carried out for the war-time Army in France. A new educational program is now being inaugurated for the peace-time army in America. A need of provision for the leisure of the soldiers on the Mexican border, led to the appointment of the Commission on Training Camp Activities. Small groups of guards stationed at lonely outposts miles from town are now regularly supplied with traveling libraries containing re- cent books and magazines. MORE ADEQUATE LIBRARY SER- VICE FOR THE ARMY IN PEACE TIMES IS BEING CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE FEATURES OF THE NEW ED- UCATIONAL AND RECREATIONAL PRO- GRAM OF THE WAR DEPARTMENT. THE ASSOCIATION IS CO-OPERATING WITH THE DEPARTMENT IN ORGANIZ- ING SUCH SERVICE ON A PERMANENT BASIS. BOOKS AND MAGAZINES MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR RECREATIONAL READING AND GENERAL EDUCATION, AND A FIRST CLASS LIBRARY SERVICE MUST BE ORGANIZED AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE MILITARY AND VOCATION- AL TRAINING THAT IS NOW PROMISED TO EVERY SOLDIER. THE trained hospital librarian knows a good book when she sees one. She knows men, too, and administers books with as much professional skill as the physician does his medicine. One of the leading psychiatrists of the country tells us it is almost impossible to over-estimate the therapeutic value of read- ing, and that we must consider it in this light as well as in its relation to occupational and recreational work. By means of books mis- fortune is turned into a blessing. HAPPY CO-OPERATION: The Associa- tion maintains libraries in Red Cross Houses, and in the huts of the Young Men's Christian Association, Young Women's Christian Association, Knights of Columbus, Jewish Welfare Board, Salvation Army, and War Camp Community Service throughout the country. SEEING is believing. Bringing the books to the man awakens new interest. Op- portunity for selection is appreciated. In over two hundred hospitals these trucks make regular trips to men not able to go to hospital libraries. * s= |r= I EACHING our war blind to read. Raised type is read with the fingers. Revis Braille grade one and a half is the ty type is read with the fingers. Revised I* Braille grade one and a half is the type adopted by the leading countries of the world. There are now few books in this type, but some of the best literature is being made available. *-Br-JiLi i i. r ^* Tii^nr Public Health Service has requested the American Library Association to place 11 libraries in all its hospitals. The American Library Association expects to comply with this request, furnishing books and magazines and also a librarian to take charge of the work until the Public Health Service takes it over. In the Public Health Service Hospitals are many dis- charged soldiers, sailors and marines. THE United States Public Health Service maintains hos- pitals for discharged soldiers, sailors and marines, men from the merchant marine and others. The many who were accustomed to library service in army and navy hospitals are now expecting a similar service from public health hospi- tals. The Association has co-operated with medical officers in charge of these hospitals and provided reading matter for men who have seen service in the world war. The Association ex pects to continue this co-operation with the Public Health Ser- vice until the Government itself can assume full responsibility for maintaining all needed libraries. J HESE are the life savers who guard our coasts. They are intrepid men and unselfish. Sometimes their task is a most strenuous one but they also have much leisure and it is planned that their iso- lated stations shall be well supplied with worth-while reading matter. THE UNITED STATES MAINTAINS TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE COAST GUARD STATIONS, WITH A TOTAL PERSONNEL OF ABOUT TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED MEN. DUR- ING WAR THESE ARE UNDER THE NAVY, AND THEY HAVE RECEIVED BOOKS THROUGH LIBRARY WAR SERVICE. WHEN PEACE COMES THEY REVERT TO THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. IT IS HOPED THAT THE ASSOCIATION CAN CONTINUE ITS CONTRIBUTIONS OF LITERATURE |TO TO THESE STATIONS, MANY OF WHICH ARE ISOLATED ON THE COAST WHERE BOOKS AND MAGAZINES ARE QUITE UN- OBTAINABLE. HE life on a lightship or in a lighthouse is very lonely. It isn't the things that hap- pen that make life difficult: it is the things that don't happen. The keeper is often confined for weeks at a stretch when the weather is bad and the tender cannot approach with relief. BOXES of books changed frequently bring the comforts and opportunities of civili- zation to the men who make the sea a safe high- way in fog and storm. LIGHTHOUSES AND LIGHTSHIPS THERE are in the United States seven hun- dred and thirty-eight light stations with resident keepers and one hundred and eighteen vessels. Ahout three hundred and fifty of the stations are inaccessible to cities or towns, and fifty or sixty of the vessels are anchored out from shore. The commissioner of lighthouses asks this Association to provide sets of about thirty books for these stations and vessels. He says: The service is now provided with library boxes for this purpose, and in a few of the districts there has been revision of the books within the last few years. In the majority of districts, however, owing to the lack of funds, which were required for more urgent work, the books have not been revised, and in most such cases the present libraries are of very little use, as they are books published thirty years or more ago. in small type, and not well se- lected to be of present-day interest to the keepers." It is probable that the Government will continue the service when it is once properly started. KNOWLEDGE WINS Libraries for Discharged Soldiers 'HEN the armistice was signed there were 4,250,000 men in service. Most of them have now returned to civilian life. To help them by study to obtain and hold good positions and to fit them for better ones, as well as to make them better citizens, it is proper for the American Library Asso- ciation to co-operate in giving them library service. This service may well take the form of a direct-by-mail lend- ing of books, co-operation in establishing State and municipal libraries, and co-operation in establishing industrial libraries. Many men have acquired reading habits at camp libraries and have been aroused by library propaganda to the practical value of reading arid study, and requests have been coming to library headquarters for many months for assistance and advice in the establishment of libraries for these men. These requests cannot be ignored, for it is these discharged soldiers, sailors and marines manyof them disabled,andallhand- icapped because of absence from their businesses who have the greatest claims upon every organization and every citizen. THIS county library truck takes books to the rural homes of Washington County, Maryland. The American Library Association is encouraging the development of county library systems as the best means of serving dwellers in the open country. This is one way of continuing library service to the discharged soldier. It will also help to keep boys and girls on the farm. ACCORDING to the United States Commissioner of Education more than half the men, women and children of the United States live in the smaller towns and cities out of the reach of the city libraries. Proba- bly seventy per cent of the entire pop- ulation of the country has no access to any adequate collection of books or to a public reading room. Many returned soldiers, having learned the value of library service while in the Army or Navy, are now asking the American Library Association to lend them the books they need and to assist in the establishment of local libraries. 3 HE discharged soldiers and sailors are using the pub- lic libraries in the cities. Similar advantages must be made available to men on the farm, in the small towns in the mining and lumber camps, in the new indus- trial communities, and everywhere. Free public libraries exist to make men intelligently moral, intelligently produc- tive and intelligently active in the affairs of community and nation. They must become as universal as free public schools. They are great continuation schools where there are no restrictions of any kind but the energy and ambi- tion of the student. 3HK oil boom brought thousands of men into Ranger, most of them discharged soldiers or sailors, who wanted books for study and recreation. The Ameri- can Library Association was asked to help. Ranger is typical of many industrial communities that spring up suddenly in response to unusual situations. Recreational activities conducted for private gain and often unwholesome in their influence, are established immediately to provide for the leisure of the men. Well selected books render a most valuable service under such circumstances and some agency must be ready to supply them until the new com- munity is able to provide them for itself. AMERICAN LIBRARY CLARENCE S. HUNS1NGER 37 NORTH MAIN FLAT ROCK, OHIO ASSOCIATION August 5,1919. The American Library Association, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago, 111. Dear Friends: While in the Army, I made good use of the Camp Libraries and do appreciate ever so much the service your Association men gave me. After the armistice was signed I visited the Library practically every day until discharged and was able to study and complete plans for my life-work. I have nothing but praise for your grand work. The War Camp Community Service friends inform me that if there is not a public library in a fellow's home town, that we should write to you friends. There is no Library here and would like to inquire if it would be possible for me to pro- cure special books that I want from time to time. I would not care for a general selection but is there a way in which I can secure a copy of a special book at any time? I would be glad to pay for such a service and will appreciate any information you are able to give me. A STREAM of such letters as this shows that sometimes the men who most need books have the greatest difficulty in getting them. These include many discharged soldiers who feel that the association should continue to give them library service until their own com- munities are able to provide it. OU have done a great work, but your work is not done. You have not completed your task until you have done all these things we beg of you. The war has made us all better men and better women. The country is awakened to a new citizenship. A primary duty of that citizenship is to care for its men in uniform in time of peace as well as in time of war." Commander C. B. Mayo, of the Morale Division of the United States Navy before American Library Association Conference., Asbury Park, N. /., June 25, 1919.