Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1893 — A New Scheme for Fairs. [ARTICLE]

A New Scheme for Fairs.

Among the new devices for making money at church fairs and other charitable entertainments is one which its originators term “The Living Library.” A certain number of books are chosen beforehand, and each one is represented by some young woman who is dressed appropriately to indicate either the title of the book or some leading character therein. Each impersonator must also be thoroughly acquainted with the volume she represents, and her actions and behavior must be in accord with the character chosen. A catalogue is prepared, and furnished on application, and whenever a book is called for, a curtain is drawn aside, and the living copy stands revealed. The regulations usually governing “The Living Library” are that: First, all books must be secured from the librarian; second, the fee for each book shall be ten cents for ten minutes’ use, payable in advance; third, books cannot be called for twice in succession; fourth, persons having called for and obtained the books must relinquish them upon notice from the librarian that the time paid for has reached its limit, or, failing to do so, shall pay at the rate of two cents a minute for overtime; and finally, that nc book can be retained for a longer period than twenty minutes. The rules do not provide for it, but it is understood, of course, that during the busy hours of the fair no book 6hall be taken off on a promenade through the en-tertainment-room, and the books themselves are forbidden by the uriwritten laws to drink lemonade and eat ice-cream be tween the hours of eight and ten at night Altogether this living library seems destined to prove a great success. Black bordered stationery is no longer the correct thing for mourning. A thick, dead white paper, with the address engraved in rather heavy script, and the envelope closed with black scaling wax, is what the fashionable woman now uses