A nucleus could be a collection of twenty films; four dealing with classics; four with the surrounding things of everyday life, forming general knowledge; four dealing with foreign countries, their social life, games, customs, etc.; four dealing with entomology, zoology, etc.; four depicting the commercial life, showing shipbuilding yards, steel works, cotton and woollen factories, pottery manufacture, etc. These films would broaden the views and strengthen the imagination of children.
The nucleus thus being formed, the films could be circulated throughout the surrounding counties, boroughs and towns; being exhibited at the local library once a week. In conjunction with these films, “reading lists” could be prepared of books for home-reading, and widely distributed. A change of film could be made once a week, which means that before the stock of films had completed one round, five months would elapse, giving ample time in which to procure future additions.
By bringing the cinema within his scope of activities, the librarian adds materially to the usefulness of the library to the community at large, proving the sterling worth of such an institution to the town. How this financial venture is to be met and supported will be the inevitable question, the answer to which is by co-operation; each town or borough taking a share of the burden and contributing financially towards their maintenance. An endeavour must be made to get the local Education Authority interested, and the battle is partly won. Submit to them a practical scheme, on a sound business footing, attractive and definite, and they will, after careful consideration, give unstintingly their financial support.
The whole of the country could be divided into areas, such as North-Eastern, North-Western, South-Eastern, South-Western, etc., where towns, etc., like Stretford, Manchester, Stockport, Bolton, Wigan, Liverpool, Southport and Chester could all produce a repertoire of film subjects. Each Authority could be responsible for the production of films relative to their own manufacture, which could be mapped out as follows:—
(1) Denton and Stockport, for hat manufacture, showing the whole of the process felt goes through, from the raw material to the finished “Sandringham.”
(2) Bradford could give a tour of the woollen mills.
(3) Nottingham the lace trade.
(4) Hanley the pottery trade.
(5) Oldham and Leigh the cotton trade.
(6) Atherton, etc., coal mining.