Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 212, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1917 — LIBRARY FOR WAR CAMPS [ARTICLE]

LIBRARY FOR WAR CAMPS

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO GET BOOKS FOR SOLDIERS ON NEXT WEEK. One of the interesting features devised by the American Library Association for the country-wide campaign next week in the interest of the soldiers’ library, fund, has the heart interest touch—the book plate plan. It gives the contributor to the fund a chance to have his name inscribed in the volumes that will go to the cantonments, the hospitals, the trenches.

In the sweeping canvass of the Hoosier state, beginning Sept. 24, one dollar or more will be the amount usually solicited. In acknowledment of the contribution of one dollar, the giver is entitled to have his name placed in one book. A ten dollar donation gives the subscriber a chance at ten books. The plan has been given so much approval over the state that the Library War Council has ordered 30,000 book plates for next week’s campaign. Louis J. Bailey, Indiana directer of the Library War Fund, after a tour of the state said: “I am convinced that Indiana is going to, raise ler quota of $125,000. The $20,000 campaign in Indianapolis was given new life this week >y the entrance of the local Advertisers’ Club into the big financial drive. The Club will get under the oad with all its powerful and effecave machinery. Many of the prominent authors of the country and the most of the large book publishers lave pledged their support The writers will knock off their royalties

and the publishers will donate their profits to make the books cheaper when the government is ready to buy them. The books are to be picked by trained; specialists appointed by the American Library Association. One prominent Indiana librarian, putting the question of raising the fund squarely before a district organization meeting this week, said: “It is monotony—not bullets, that the soldier boys dread. Never fear, when the time comes they will do their part in maintaining the traditions dear to every loyal American heart. But during the months of training and enforced inactivity there will be tedious, homesick boys, days that books and magazines can help to make cheerful. Our nation has a big job on its hands. It is only a small part, perhaps, but a genuine part of that job is to keep up the cheerfulness of camp life. That is what the dollars for the Library War Council will be used for.” “It will do you and your library more good for you to get $lO in your town than for some one else to get $10,000,000 in New York City,” is the way another library expert put it. “The Library follows the flag,” is one of the appropriate slogans adopted by the Indiana Library War Council for its campaign next week for $125,000, in aid of the country-wide drive for books for soldiers. In Indianapolis the advertisers’ club has its shoulder to the wheel and will sponsor the campaign for $20,000. The club has enlisted 130 businessmen to donate $lO each toward an advertising campaign. Women’s clubs and labor organizations are taking an interest in the campaign all over Indiana. Evansville is pledged to raise $5,000 and Ft. Wayne will give $4,500. Terre Haute and Gary have both promised $3,000. For the information of those not familiar with the plan, the director has issued this statement: “Next week will be known as ’’Library War Week,” and will be specially devoted to raising a fund oi $1,000,000 for the construction, equipment and maintenance of soldiers’ libraries in every cantonmenl and camp in the land. Library facilities also are to be provided from this fund for Uncle Sam’s sailon afloat and ashore, for the wounded and the sick, and even for men or the firing line. “Probably a dollar has never beer as elastic as it will prove in this library war fund. Not only will eacl dollar do its full share toward th< construction of the library and th< branch library buildings, the instal lation of tables and chairs in th* reading rooms, and the provision o: expert librarians, but it also will supply a book, keep that book in cir culation until worn out, and then heli to furnish a new one to replace th* old one. Every dollar in the func will prove itself 100 per cent efficient “Thin condition is made possibh by the fact that every dollar of tin fund is to be devoted entirely to ac tual construction of the buildings, U their equipment, and to circulatioi of the reading matter. Not a cen will be used for any other purpose than for supplying libraries an< reading rooms for the soldiers am sailors, at home and abroad, and so: the sick and wounded. The plan o every county, city, or communit; subscribing a total equal to 5 pe cent of its population to make up In diana’s quota of $125,000 is receiv ing approval all over the state.”