The responsibility for this work lies (1) with the governing bodies, the Boards of Control and other boards to whom is committed the care and welfare of the defectives and dependents of the state and the superintendents of the various institutions who are directly responsible for this care, and (2) with the librarians entrusted with library extension and the carrying of books to those who would otherwise be bookless, the state library commissions.
That the superintendents partially appreciate the value of the book is evidenced by library beginnings in many institutions and their readiness to co-operate in movements toward the improvement and increased usefulness of the libraries. But they are busy men with many departments on heart and mind and the boards are charged with many interests.
It is not surprising, therefore, that it is the librarians who have recognized the importance of these libraries and the fact that if they are to become a real force in the institutions the work must be given to some one whose business it shall be, who is trained for it, and who has the time to give it proper attention.
As few institutions are yet in a position to individually employ a trained librarian, the solution of the problem has seemed to be a joint or supervising librarian for all the institutions of a state or of a kind in a state.
Iowa through the influence of Miss Tyler and Mr. Brigham was the first to undertake this work and is still the only state in which institutional library work is done by a librarian working under the Board of Control and giving all her time to the institutions. The other states having institutional supervision are Indiana, Minnesota, where an officer from the commission gives part and Nebraska the whole of her time to the institutional libraries, and Oregon, Michigan and Vermont where the work seems to be done directly by the secretary.
If the Board of Control and the institutional heads are not affected by party changes the advantage, it seems to me, lies with the librarian employed by them, who goes into the institutions with authority from the board to do what needs to be done and not as a guest, who is sometimes unwelcome. The book selection can thus be better guarded and I believe books purchased with institution funds will be better cared for by both officers and inmates than those received by donation. Appropriations are also likely to be larger if made directly to each institution than if made in a lump sum to the commission.
The initiative, however, will undoubtedly lie with the library commission and the importance of institutional library work is such that should the boards fail to use their opportunity it may become the part of the library commission to at least inaugurate the work, which having begun they will probably be allowed to continue.
Before closing may I emphasize very briefly three important points in connection with institutional library work. I wish I might elaborate both these and the other points which I have touched so hurriedly, but time forbids.
1. If the libraries are to become a real factor for good in institutional work, the book selection must be differentiated to meet the needs of the different classes of readers, and great care used to exclude the harmful and include helpful books only. 2. To make these libraries most useful there should be suitable rooms, not only for the proper shelving of the books, but for use as reading rooms where the atmosphere of book lined walls may yield its helpful influence and prepare the way for public library use by the boys and girls at least when the opportunity shall come to them. 3. Though there may be a supervising librarian in the field, there should be a competent institutional librarian who shall not only do the routine work, but have sufficient knowledge of books and readers to be able to fit them together and sufficient time to do the work properly.
Thus shall these libraries, not only bring brightness and cheer to lives otherwise dull and colorless, for