Rural libraries. Page: 24
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24 FARMERS' BULLETIN 1559
borrowed a book on animal diseases when his sheep became sick
saved his sheep, while other flocks perished. When the potato crop
failed and diversification became necessary the library was ready
with truck-garden, fruit, dairy, and poultry books which were
greatly appreciated. Not only trade books but the classics and modern
fiction are in demand by farm people. Western stories are especially
popular. Opposition to the establishment of a county library
was voiced by some farmers on the theory that books would never
reach the farmers, but these farmers are now among the most
frequent users of the library.
Tinton Falls Librry Station.-There are about 40 families in the
farm community of Tinton Falls, 14 miles from Freehold, but there
is no post office. A library of 200 volumes is maintained in a farm
home with the housekeeper as custodian. Books are changed bimonthly
by the book automobile. The library is open two days a
week, but borrowers come at all times. About 40 books are circulated
every month; each loan is for 28 days, and the loan can then
be renewed, but several people read each book taken out. Registered
borrowers in 1926 numbered 84. The county library sent 435 books
in 1926 in 6 shipments, and 9 were mailed at special request. The
school also received 60 books.
COOKE COUNTY LIBRARY, GAINESVILLE, TEX.
A Cooke County farm woman who was managing her own farm
is credited with responsibility for the Texas law which permits
counties to establish libraries. A number of successful county libraries
are now functioning under this law. She became librarian of
the Gainesville Ptiblic Library and outlined the plans for the library
building given the city by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
She went to California at her own expense to study the countylibrary
system in successful operation and was responsible for the
fact that Cooke County established a county library. After it was
established she was responsible for merging the Gainesville Public
Library with it. She never forgot her farm origin, and her actions
were based on rural needs as she had experienced them. As she
stated: "My country breeding and love for books received a severe
shock when I found there was no legal way in which rural people
could organize and support a public library for themselves."
Soon after becoming county librarian she established, on request,
25 community branch libraries and 54 school station libraries, which
were the first public libraries in the county outside the county seat.
The first branch was established in the isolated community where
she was born, 20 miles from Gainesville. During one year 2.500
books were circulated to 199 readers in this community which had
never cast more than 90 votes in an election.
The county free library was established by the commissioner's
court on the signed petition of 1,361 voters outside of Gainesvillea
majority of such voters. As the county established a separate
library instead of contracting for county service from the Gainesville
Public Library, the latter institution was merged with the county
library by the city council, becoming the central office of the county
library and a branch of that institution. A simple contract was
signed to protect the rights of both parties.
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Nason, W. C. (Wayne Crocker), b. 1874. Rural libraries., book, April 1928; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc5941/m1/26/: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.