Several libraries are grouped into county circuits—a unique feature of the Illinois plan—of four or more to a circuit. Two years has been found to be the average life of a travelling library, and a circuit of four libraries remaining in each community for six months will thus supply four communities with travelling libraries for two years.
With regard to the composition of the travelling library, the committee recommends that each library consist of about 50 volumes; that of these one-half shall be juveniles; that fiction shall be carefully selected, preference being given to standard works, those which have stood the test of time; that everything of a theological bias shall be excluded; that biographies, travels and nature studies and stories are particularly desirable, with other suggestions for particular communities or of a general character. We lay particular stress upon the proportion of juveniles being at least one-half, for the reason not only that children and young people are generally the most numerous class of readers, but also because many adults, unaccustomed to much reading, find juvenile literature more readily comprehensible. Considering the fact that our libraries are almost wholly the result of voluntary donation, it is remarkable and, indeed, extremely gratifying that the libraries sent out are of such a high degree of literary excellence. The outcome of the heterogeneous tastes of club members, they seem admirably adapted to the equally heterogeneous tastes of the communities to which they are sent. Improvement, however, is always possible, and for the coming year we have model lists of books drawn up as guides, if not patterns, for future libraries.
In states where a public travelling library system does not yet exist, the women's clubs seem excellently qualified for inaugurating and maintaining such a system until the time comes, as it surely will, when every state has its library commission and its travelling library fund.
[TRUSTEES' SECTION.]
A meeting of the Trustees' Section of the A. L. A. was held on July 6 in parlor C of the Fountain House, with Dr. Leipziger in the chair and Thos. L. Montgomery acting as secretary. There were 75 persons present. Dr. Leipziger made an opening address, outlining the work that might be discussed by the section.
Mr. Soule urged the election of trustees for a term of years only, and in the opinion of those present three years seemed the proper limit.
The question of whether members of the board of education should be admitted to library boards excited considerable discussion, in which Mr. Cooke, of Iowa, Mr. Porter, of Cincinnati, Mr. Crunden and the secretary took part. It was generally conceded that members of the board of education should not be trustees of libraries ex officio, but that there was no objection to electing them as individuals.
Mr. Eastman then read his very interesting paper on
LIBRARY BUILDINGS.