LIBRARY NEEDS IN DUTCHESS COUNTY h MAISRY MAC CRACKEN
1933
- I93S
1
THE NORRIE FELLOWSHIP REPORT 1933
-
1.935
LIBRARY NEEDS IN DUTCHESS COUNTY by
MAISRY MAC CRACKEN u
A. B. Vassar College, 1931 A. M. Vassar College, 1935 Margaret L. Norrie Fellow, 1933-1935
Published by
THE WOMEN'S CITY AND COUNTY CLUB AND VASSAR COLLEGE POUGHKEEPSIE, 1937
NEW YORK
2"
JSC*
Copyright
1937
Maisry MacCracken
EXCHANGE
73^
PREFACE The Women's City and County Club of Poughkeepsie, New York, has created a fellowship, a gift to Vassar College
for use in the field of social studies in Dutchess County. It is given in memory of Mrs. Margaret Norrie, former president of the Club, in token of her great interest in Dutchess County. The Norrie Fellowship was voted by the Club's committee for 1933-34 and 1934-35, for the purpose of studying actual and possible library service in Dutchess County. The study was also submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, which the writer obtained from Vassar College in the field of sociology in 1935. Dr. Joseph K. Folsom, professor of sociology at Vassar College, directed the gathering of the material and the writing of this report. In the summer of 1933, the six New Jersey counties were visited which are comparable to Dutchess County, and which give good library service to residents of the rural area through county libraries.
The kindness of the librarians in answering the
numerous questions and in arranging special trips to see the county library at work was invaluable in giving a fair basis of comparison in visiting libraries in Dutchess County. The librarians of public and association libraries,
school
librarians, and the four rural school supervisors rendered great service in answering questions, in showing the libraries, and
finally offering suggestions about the reports written about each library. The complete set of reports is on file in the Vassar library with the unpublished masters' theses. The writer ex of the county. The Library Extension Division of the New York State Education Department gave full cooperation, in opening their tends her thanks to the librarians
records to the writer, and in general assistance with the field trips and the report.
986874
TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter
I.
History of Public Library Service in Rural Areas
i
The development of libraries from storehouses to service stations. The inaccessibility of the libraries to the farmers. The development of libraries which serve rural areas. county libraries.
Chapter
II.
New Jersey
Regional libraries.
Library Service in New York State County and district libraries in New York State. The New York State Library and the
i5
Library Extension Division. The relation of the state of New York to its public libraries.
Chapter Chapter
III. IV.
-----
Conditions in Dutchess County which Affect Library Service
21
Library Service in Dutchess County
The survey of the school and public libraries. Adriance Memorial Library, Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie keepsie
High
public
School library. school
elementary
25
Pough libraries.
Millbrook Free Library. Millbrook Memo rial School library. Rural elementary schools, town of Washington.
Pine Plains Free
Li
brary. Seymour Smith Academy library, Pine Plains.
Stanford Union School library.
Red
Hook Public Library. Red Hook High School Rural elementary schools, towns of library. Rhinebeck
and Red
Hook.
Library. Pawling High elementary schools,
Pawling Public Rural
School library.
town of Pawling.
Sum
mary of the survey of library service.
Chapter V.
Library Service Given Agencies Rental
libraries.
Private
libraries.
ii
by
and
Other 68 institutional
Chapter VI.
Conclusions and Recommendations
72
The need for the extension of library service to the rural areas. The outstanding needs of the existing libraries. solution. tion of
a
library.
A
county library
as
the
The organization and administra county library. The cost of a county
A
Dutchess County Library.
Chapter
VII. Bibliography
Chapter
VIII.
-
93
Appendix. Statistics. Statistics
of public and
association
libraries,
1933 Statistics of village and city schools.
97 1933-
102
34 Statistics
of rural elementary
schools.
1933-
108
34 Maps.
The unserved population and the intensive library service
The total circulation
-
areas
of
-
-
per capita of books in public and school
-
libraries
-
Il8
in Dutchess County
121
-
-
-
Transportation
routes
Public library
borrowers
Rental
in Poughkeepsie
library borrowers in Poughkeepsie
Key map showing the
123 1
23
1
24
census districts and
main streets in Poughkeepsie
in
1 1^
and the circulation
-
-
CHAPTER I History of Public Library Service in Rural Areas The development of libraries from storehouses The function of the earliest libraries As late
as the last century libraries were
houses of books.
to Sepyife stations. • •
••««*
•* • •
*. •."
was to.preserve-136oks.\
little more than store
The writer's grandfather remembered
a
libra
rian whose happiest moments were those times when he had gathered together all the books that had been borrowed, and had returned them to their shelves. There has been a decided change from this attitude to the pride which librarians take in the in creasing yearly circulation of the books in their libraries.
As more people began to come to libraries in order to use the books, the librarians attempted to make the books more ac cessible by classifying them by subject and arranging them by order on the shelves. Some libraries formed the policy of ad
mitting anyone to the library on the payment of a subscription fee. Even so the use of libraries was limited to those people with scholarly habits of mind, who went to the library and dug out with comparatively little assistance the books that they wanted.1
In
the latter half of the nineteenth century, a wholly new conception of the purpose of a library was born. People had come to the conclusion that in order to create and to maintain democracy in the United States, local and state governments must levy taxes with which to support public education. Thomas
Henry Huxley, the scientist,
once said that
training children to
read and then not providing them with anything to read was rather senseless
procedure.2
It
has also been said:
"To
a
have
compulsory education without the free public library is to write an insurance policy and leave off the signature that makes it pro tect ;
it is to build a house without a roof; it is to raise the crop
1 Bostwick, 2 Bostwick,
A. E. Tie American Public Library. New York, 1929. p. I. A. E., editor. The Library and Society. New York, 1920.
p. 188.
and neglect the harvest;
it is unthinkable."
3
Such people as
Grover Cleveland, while president of the United States, Ed ward Everett, and James Russell Lowell, joined in expressing the belief which, we now take for granted, that it is the duty of tlie community, fo maintain a library, interests pf real democracy.4
'''''' If the community
:
as
is to support the
well
as a
school, in the
library, certainly it will
do so only in return for the library's serving the entire commun ity, and not just the few who seek the library out. The motto
of the American Library Association at present is "the best reading for the largest number at the least cost." The modern library places its emphasis not only on its books, but also on the community in which it is situated, and in that community tries book for every reader. It now tries to create a demand for books. As a result of this atti to find
a
reader for every book, and
a
tude, libraries now engage in such activities as allowing the pub lic free access to the shelves, conducting an advisory service for readers, maintaining attractive rooms for children's books, co operating with the schools, and establishing branch libraries and package, or traveling, libraries in order to reach people who live at some distance
from the main library.5
The inaccessibility of the library to the farmers
In
this movement to make knowledge
accessible to every
one, the rural people were largely forgotten. According to a recent count made by the statistical assistant of the American
Library Association, forty-five million people in the United still without library service. Of these eighty-eight per cent live in the open country, or in villages of less than twenty-five hundred population. Approximately forty million States are
3 General Federation of Women's Clubs. body,
pamphlet.
Committee on Library Extension. Books for Every
* Bostwick, The Library and Society, p. 87-99, 129-130, 140-143. 5 Bostwick. The American Public Library, p. 1-2.
rural people who live outside library service areas form seventyfour per cent of the total rural population.9 This is partly due to a fact which is shown in surveys of the areas served by social and economic agencies made under the of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell University. It was found in each of the surveys that areas which direction
churches, schools, and other social and educational agencies can effectively serve will remain small as compared to those of the more specialized economic services.
In
other words, while the
farmer who is able, will go to the city to buy groceries, he will not go even to the nearest village to borrow books.7 In a study made of one hundred and forty villages, Edward de S. Brunner found that less than ten per cent of the people living in the open country were reached by village libraries, and that this was due to membership fees charged to those living outside the village, lack of leisure on the part of the farmer, and lack of funds for adequate extension of its facilities on the part of the library.8 Theodore Roosevelt, who appointed the first Country Life Commission, thought that the strength or weakness of the nation depended on the prosperity or poverty of the farmers' lives, and that one of the main reasons for the unpopularity of farm life was not poor crops, but the failure of country life to give people any social or intellectual
opportunities,
or in other words, to
J.
Galpin in his book on
provide a good interesting life.9 C.
Rural Life points out that there
is an occupational isolation on
the farm which means a meagerness of diversified human con tact not found elsewhere. He goes on to say that the universal 6 Contrasts in Library Service. American Library Association. Bulletin, York State. Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca. Bulletins,
29:249. May, 1935. 493, August, 1929; 524, June, 1931s 529, October, 1931) J55, April, 1933s 559, May, 1933s 582, February, '934) S83, February, 1934; J84 February, 1934. These are all studies of the social, eco nomic, and community areas in New York State. 8 Brunner, E. de S., Village Communities. New York, 1927. p. 62 (Institute of social and religious research. American village studies. E. de S. Brunner, director). Studies of 140 agricultural villages in all parts of the United States, selected as the most typical of those studied by the Interchurch World Movement. • U. S. Country Life Commission. Report. Washington, 1909, p. 4-6.
7 New
3
substitute for this variety of association with people and the human mind is found in the indirect medium of literature.10
When the New York State Federation of Home Bureaus asked 1,064 representative rural women if they should like to have more books available to read, 624, or 59% replied that they should. It was noticeable that the average of those who did not want more books, had very few to begin with — some only two, five, eleven, — and by the rest of their answers showed no book interest.11
While farmers have
so
little access to books, public
libraries in villages and cities have more and more become an integral part of urban life.
The Lynds in their study of life in
Middletown, report that book reading in that city means over whelmingly, if school-books and Bibles are excluded, the read ing of public library books, and that buying of current books is almost entirely confined to a limited number of the business
Brunner finds that probably the most important educa tional force other than the school in the villages he surveyed
class.12
was the public library.13
In
other words, while libraries
are
performing invaluable services in large villages and cities, the farmer who wants books, and who needs books if he is to have a
life of diversified interests, has little library service, and since
he does not come to the library, the library must come to him.
The development of libraries which serve the rural areas
This demand for books in rural communities has not gone entirely unheeded. During the nineteenth century, laws were in Indiana and in Wyoming permitting libraries to serve entire counties, but as no money was provided for transporta
passed
tion or supervision, little was done to increase rural book service. 10 Long,
H. C. County Library Service. Chicago, 1925, p. 11. E. M. Countrywide Library Service. Chicago, 1934. Lynd, R. S. Middletown, New York, 1929. p. 230. 13 Brunner, Village Communities• p. 61.
11 Fair, 12
4
p. 51.
Township libraries, on the order of those in New England, were adopted by law in Indiana and Michigan, but these only par tially served the rural areas, and were slow to develop.14
In
Melvil Dewey, one of the outstanding figures in library history, the New York State 1892, under the leadership of
legislature created a system of traveling libraries, packages of twenty-five to one hundred books, selected either to provide reading for the various tastes of a community, or to deal with a These traveling libraries are still greatly increasing the reading facilities for rural people in the state of particular subject.
New York, and have
been copied by many other states.
Unfor
tunately they cannot provide enough books to go around, nor can they always provide the particular books desired.
In
1898 there started almost simultaneously
in Maryland
in Ohio and
for bringing books more closely to the homes of rural people. In the Van Wert county seat, in the rural section of Ohio, lived a public spirited citizen who made a a movement
fortune from industry within the county. He became interested in the attempt of some ladies to start a library in the town, but equally interested in rural people, he made a provision in his will for the establishment of a library that would serve the whole county equally. In 1898, Ohio passed a law
because he was
permitting the county to support such a library, and in 1901 the library was dedicated. Arrangements were made for books to be brought from the central library and left at stores, or postfrom which points they might be distributed to the people near-by. Now there are one hundred and fifty such stations in the county. In 1899, the Cincinnati, Ohio, city offices, or homes,
library extended its privileges to the residents of the county, and branch libraries were established and maintained by the trustees. In 1 901, in Washington county, Maryland, the governing body appropriated funds for the support of 14
Long, p. 15.
a
county library.
For full title of books referred to in footnotes, see Bibliography,
5
A
few
p. 93.
years later, a book truck, whose sides let down to disclose shelves
of books, was purchased to facilitate the distribution
of books
around the county.15
Mr. James L. Gillis,
the California state librarian, was
largely responsible for the development of a system of county libraries for the state as a whole. In 1908, the county super visors entered into a contract with the Sacramento public library
for service to the county. Now there are county libraries in forty-six of fifty-eight of the counties, directly responsible in each case to the board of supervisors, and paying the librarian's salary from the general salary fund, in order to make them real county institutions.
New Jersey county libraries
The
of New Jersey has had library problems very similar to those in New York State. For this reason, the writer made field visits to six counties in New Jersey, and to one county of similar conditions in Delaware, where these problems have been met by the county library. In most of the counties the population is either grouped in cities or thinly distributed over the rural regions. There is found a combination of farms and of summer homes and camps, of industry and agriculture, and of state
native and foreign stock. The cities and villages had often very good libraries. The smaller communities, however, were not able to afford trained librarians or many books. But each com munity had a very great sense of pride in its library, and the thought of giving up the control or identity of that library to a
larger system was not welcomed. fairly well supplied with books.
High schools were sometimes
All
the schools were required to spend money on books, but, especially in the rural regions, they needed supervision in the arrangement and building up of their collections.
18
Long, p. 15-24.
6
The rural communities were served by a system of travel ing libraries, copied after those in New York State. But these package libraries offered a small selection, and often contained books which did not exactly suit the particular needs which they were meant to fill. Under this system rural people had none of
the advantage which city people have in a trained librarian who can help them find the books they want, or select books interest ing to each person, and who can pass on to them a love of read ing. The county leaders in the state realized the needs in their rural regions, and observed how successfully California and counties in other states were meeting the situation by county libraries. They applied to the state for aid by which to accom plish three things: first, the unification of the present libraries; second, the organization of the present bookstock so that it might be made available to everyone in the county and kept in constant use; and thirdly, the supplying and supervision of books in the
rural schools. The result of their appeal was the establishment, in eleven of the twenty-one counties in the state, of county libraries supported in each case by the state, the county, and the doing its part by giving its share toward the cost, and by having its share in the labor and the service, and each having the greatest amount of independence commensurate with efficient service.16
community,
In
each
of the six counties in New Jersey visited by the writer, she found the county librarian with her staff in offices in a county-owned building in the main town or city. Here the each
librarian keeps the books not at present being distributed through the county by the local libraries and book stations. Here also is done all the purchasing and preparing books for use. The expensive or rare books are kept here to be called on as needed by anyone in the county. The main work of the library goes on not here, but on the book truck and in the branches. 16 Askew,
S.
B.
New Jersey County Libraries.
1927.
7
Library
Journal, $2:341-344.
Each April I,
county library has from seventy to 159 branches which contain from 50 to several thousand volumes. According to a monthly schedule the librarian loads the book truck with books specially recommended by people in the communities she is going to visit, books for school children, for study or pleasure, novels, biog raphies, books of travel, books on how to make and do things, books of history and the social sciences. She may include slides, and victrola records for the school, or even
a
puppet show to
amuse the children.
Early in the morning she branches. The first stop today is
is off to visit
the appointed
library in a large town. The library contains several thousand books. But the supplementary books borrowed from the county library mean a decided increase in the use of the library. The Red Bank library, comparable in a
size and in the population it serves to the library in the city of Beacon, makes the statement that one-fourth of its whole cir culation is due to its borrowing from the Monmouth County
Library any books which it
does not own and which have been
requested by any borrower. The library is owned by the com munity in which it is situated. The local librarian is paid and most of the books are purchased through the town funds. But the small county tax enables the library to get extra copies of
popular books from the county library, expensive books, books with a narrow appeal. Any resident of the community may bor row any of the county library's 80,000 books, and receive library service similar to that in a large city system. Furthermore re for books that the county library does not have may be borrowed through the county library from any other library in the state, and from some of the large special libraries in and
quests
near New
York City.
The next stop
in the country. The garageman keeps a bookcase full of about one hundred books, which he lends to the farmers and their families who stop for gasoline.
is at a garage out
He gives his library services free. Every month the 8
county librarian takes away the books that have been read, while the garageman and those of his patrons who are present select from the book truck any new books they want, and get from in side the truck the books specially requested by the library patrons
during the interval between visits. They have already received by mail any books they needed right away. The country is dot ted with similar book stations. One country kitchen circulates sixty to seventy books a month. In fact these small deposits of books are so popular that a motorcycle county library book truck one day to ask
if
policeman stopped a he and his wife could
of a deposit of books in their kitchen. They and their neighbors were eager for books. Wherever someone is willing to be responsible for the books and keep them where others are take charge
free to go to borrow them, book stations may be established. The county librarian stops next in a small village, which
library which used to be open a half-hour a week before the county library started. Now however the supply of books to which it has access has increased fifty times, and the interest of the farmers and others in the rural community, has become has a
such that its hours
of opening are greatly lengthened.
The two
librarians report they are kept so busy they cannot exchange a word while the library is open. Here again, the local library is entirely independent of the county library, except for its privi
of borrowing as many books as the county library can afford lend it. The rent and the salaries are paid locally. But the
lege to
county tax entitles each village to any book in the whole county
library system. In Hunterdon County, the minister of a country church whose congregation was no longer able to pay him a salary, learned how to use his printing press and so to earn his liveli hood as a printer, through books on printing secured from the small local branch of the Hunterdon County Library, and was able to continue his pastoral duties without charge.
The final stop today
is
in a small rural school. 9
All
the
schools in districts not already served by good public libraries automatically become a part of the county library system, and are entitled to borrow books.
While the leaders in one New
Jersey county were arousing interest in the establishment of a county library, they persuaded the state and county officials to test the reading ability of the seventh and eighth grade children in two townships, one of which had good library service, and the other very inadequate service. Each child was asked to select a book from a collection of books read by seventh and eighth grade children in the city schools, and to report on it orally or in written form. In the township where there was good library service, the children did just as well as similar children in cities, and only three per cent did not report the books well.
In
the other townships, where the library facilities were poor,
not one child reported passably well on the seventh and eighth grade books, and about half passed when sixth grade books were substituted, but they had to be given fourth and fifth grade books before all the children could give reports showing com prehension of the ideas expressed in the books. These children were just as bright as the ones in the well-served township, but they had had no training or practice. Rural school children over the state were found to be often two years behind in their read ing, and rural students in high schools not able to keep up be
of their inability to get books." Now these rural schools receive reference collections from the county libraries consisting of at least ten books per grade. cause
These collections are not standard, and are apt to contain books on poetry, books of geographical travels, studies in art, books of birds and flowers, books on making or doing things, and encyclopedias. One schoolhouse had flower boxes as a result of some books on gardening. The county libraries also often sup
ply pictures, victrola records, or supplementary books on special 17 Askew, 123.
S. B. County Libraries and Rural Schools March, 1930.
10
in New Jersey.
School Life, 15:121-
Indians, pilgrims, Africa, etc. One county library gave forty Punch and Judy shows in a winter.
topics, such
as
They also lend
each school a collection
of books for recrea
tional reading averaging about one book a child. Once a month the librarian in the book truck calls at the school, and the chil dren with the aid of the teacher and the librarian select new books to replace the ones they have read. Teachers also select at this time books for professional or recreational reading, or
for
a class project.
The result
in many schools, history
is that
and reading averages of the children have advanced two grades, and many high schools not approved before by the State Board
of Education are now on the approved list. In one high school two hundred of the five hundred and seventeen pupils received state certificates for reading twenty-five books each in a year as of the county library's services.
a result
The multiplicity of stations is necessary for reaching people who most need the books. The ideal is a station in every com munity, even if it consists of only two or three houses. The con stant exchange of books makes it possible to do an enormous amount of work with a limited bookstock. Idle or used books are taken to communities where they can be used. The fact of the county librarian keeping in touch with every station has done more to popularize the county library than anything else,
it gives people intimate contact with her, it enables her to know first hand the needs and the conditions, and to instill the love of books. The idea is growing throughout New Jersey of because
the commercial and cultural value of good libraries, attractively housed, and efficiently administered.18
At in Hot
the meeting of the American Springs, Arkansas, in
Library Association held
April 1923, the Council voted:
"That the American Library Association
has viewed
with inter
est the
growth of the county library system, and wishes to ex-
18 Askew,
New Jersey County Libraries.
Library Journal, 52:341-344.
II
April
1, 1927.
belief that the county is the logical unit of library service for most parts of the United States, and that the county library system is the solution of the library problems for country 10 In November 1923, the National Grange, Patrons districts." of Husbandry, introduced the resolution approving county press its
the solution to the problem of the high cost of library service in separate institutions, keeping the farmers from receiv
libraries
as
ing adequate service, while libraries in the cities became an in creasingly important part of the social life. Both professional librarians and farmers are behind the attempts now being made to give
rural areas adequate library service.20
Regional libraries
At the present time, there are experiments being made in libraries that serve not counties, but regions which are generally larger than counties, and which are defined by good roads, nat ural geography of the country, and density of population rather than by arbitrary government.
In
county boundaries and antiquated forms of the Fraser Valley basin, south of Vancouver
in British Columbia, is the largest and the most interesting ex periment in regional libraries which has been carried out to a successful conclusion.
Here
a
library organized like
big city a total of distributes nineteen thousand books library through the medium of eight small deposit stations containing one hun a
dred to two hundred books each, through three sub-stations and six branch stations, each of which has a librarian in charge and a permanent collection of one thousand books, and through a large book truck, to a farming population which occupies a valley about one hundred miles long by sixteen miles wide. In the
United States similar experiments have been started or are being 19 American
Library Association. Proceedings of the Hot Springs Conference, 1923. Coun cil. American Library Association. Bulletin. 17:153. July, 1923. 20 Long, p. 7.
12
planned in order that the people in rural areas may be served as efficiently as the people in large cities.21 In Montreal, in June 1934, the Planning Committee of the American
Library Association stated it thought "the main
tenance of democratic institutions
depends largely on the en
lightenment of the people and on the vitality of their cultural and social ideals. The growth in the quantity and complexity of knowledge points to the need for a lengthening of the period of education. If the best traditions of our culture are to be
...
maintained and our hopes for the future achieved, there must be universal
education at the lower levels, more widespread
education at the higher levels.
There must also be —what is
now largely lacking in many areas and only meagerly provided in most — opportunities for continuing self-education at all levels, rapid diffusion of uncensored facts and ideas to all citi zens, and a cultivation of appreciation
of social and cultural values which will prevent the domination of life by material motives. . . ." At the same time the Council of the American
Library Association made the following statement: ".
.
.
The
library is an agency for education, culture, scholarship, and recreation. Its maintenance is primarily the function of the state and local government. But the inequalities of taxable resources among the several states, the importance of the library's objec tives to the whole nation, and the need for national and regional especially among libraries for scholarship and re search, lead to the conclusion that the federal, state, and local
coordination
governments support.
".
.
.
might well share the responsibility ."
for library
Each state should have a system of public libraries available for all its population. A comparatively small number .
.
—say
five hundred —large public library systems might provide better service for all the people in the United States than is now 21 Paul, 393.
H. L. Regional Coordination. July, 1934.
American Libraray
13
Association.
Bulletin,
28:389-
available except in
few cities and counties. Each system might serve a large county or several counties or a large metropolitan area. The emphasis should be on the natural area of interest, a
irrespective of city, county, or possible even state lines.
Each community would have a branch of the large library system or a community federated with other community libraries in a
large system.
.
.
22
In the monograph
on
Rural Social Trends, prepared, under
the direction of the President's
Research Committee on Social
for that committee's report, there is the state ment that library service for rural people is being developed very slowly ; that the use of the existing libraries is increasing; Trends,
as a basis
of the community for the library is being increasingly recognized; and that further extension of service on any adequate basis awaits the development of library systems that the responsibility
and
supported by larger units than just the local community, probably aided by the state.23 22
Looking
Toward
National
Planning.
American Library
Association.
Bulletin,
456. August, 1934. 23 Brunner, E. de S. and J. S. Kolb. Rural Social Trends. New York, 1933. ther Btudies of the 140 villages reported on in his Village Communities.
14
28:453-
p. 207.
Fur
CHAPTER
II
Library Service in New York State County and district libraries in New York State
Within New York State there are three county libraries.
In Tompkins County,
library headquarters are located in the public library building of Ithaca, the county seat, and a book truck brings books to the rural communities, exchang the county
ing the books which have been read for new ones. When the library was started, the state loaned it 5,000 books and the Ithaca City Library 1,298. In a short time there were 7,000 books in circulation from 130 schools, and from between forty and fifty homes and stores.24 The board of supervisors have contracted
with the Steele Memorial Library at Elmira for library service to Chemung county. County library stations were set up in village halls, schools, stores, and homes.25 In Monroe County, there is a book truck which serves the rural areas. Notices from headquarters
announce the exact time of arrival of the book
truck. Those living within a radius of
mile and a half meet the car at the designated stopping place, and spend the twenty min utes or four hours of the book truck's stop in selecting enough a
reading material to keep them busy till the next visit. Each of these libraries is supported by a county-wide tax.20 In Bethlehem Central School District, near Albany, New York, there is a public library which has been organized to serve the school district.
It
was formerly a village library with a
yearly subscription fee of one dollar for each borrower. The school district now pays three thousand dollars in support of the library. The one librarian is trained, and has a book truck with which she reaches every two weeks homes, centers, and 24 The story of a County Library. 25 Number 2,
Number
I,
Tompkins County.
Chemung County. 26 Number 3, Monroe County.
IS
schools not near the library building in the village of Delmar.
Two days
a
week she operates the booktruck, the other days
cir
culating books from the village library. The library has about three thousand books, and borrows another one thousand from
Its circulation among the four thousand inhabitants of the school district is about forty thousand volumes per year. A trained school librarian serves the central school itself. She is in no way connected with the public library serving the the state.
Each morning she spends in the high school library, and in the afternoon, leaving it in charge of an assistant, conducts library hours in the elementary schools. There are seven grade district.
schools in the district.
In
one is a library of 1,826 books, and
from here the school librarian makes up collections of books which she lends to the classrooms in the schools. She comes to with fresh books once a month. With these ser vices of the school librarian to the children of the district, and the each classroom
services of the public librarian to adults and children, this rural
library service that approximates the service which is expected in cities.27 area receives
The New York State Library and the Library Extension Division Aiding these forms of library service to rural areas are the New York State Library and the Library Extension Division, both part of the state educational system, the University of the State of New York. The New York State Library is first a ref library to serve the government officials in Albany, but it also lends books throughout the state. It will lend not more than twenty-five books at a time to schools and libraries for a period of four weeks. It does not lend fiction, but, rather, sub erence
stantial books which the library or school cannot obtain else27
Visit paid
to Central School District Number 6 by the writer.
16
where.
In this
way the small library can
fill requests for
unusual
or expensive books.28 The Library Extension Division is the agency which sends out the state traveling libraries.
It will
send to communities free
twenty-five books, not more than half of which are fiction, se lected by the borrower or by the Division, as the borrower wishes. These are lent on the application of five residents of the community for six months, with the privilege of renewal.
Public schools may receive free twenty-five books which are intended for general reading by the children or adults of the community rather than to supply supplementary reading for school work. Reference libraries in history, English, science, drawing, and shop work will be made up on request. Reference libraries may contain fifty books for grade schools and one hun dred for high schools. Newly established schools may exceed this
limit till their own libraries are built up. These books are
lent for the school year. Small public libraries may twenty-five books free. Clubs and organizations may dollars borrow twenty-five books. Ten books will be rural families not having easy access to libraries for three
borrow for two lent to months
on payment of a dollar. Traveling libraries made up of chil dren's books or foreign language books may also be obtained.29 Besides sending out traveling libraries, the sion Division aids and supervises the libraries
Library Exten in New York
executive for the State in carrying out laws and rulings and benefits pertaining to libraries. For convenience it State and acts
as
divided into three classes the libraries which reach the larg est public: public school libraries which are maintained primarily for the children ; public libraries which are established for free has
public purposes by the official action of a district ; and associa tion libraries which are established by a group of private indi28 New
29
York State Library. Lending rules. Albany, 1933. University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. State traveling libraries, what they are and how to obtain them. Handbook 8, pt. t.
17
viduals and which may or may not be freely open to the public.
The relation of the state of New York to its public libraries
The State of New York incorporates with absolute charter libraries showing proper provision for service and maintenance and having sufficient property to insure permanence. It gives to each free library, public or association, meeting the Regents' requirements, an annual grant not exceeding one hundred dol lars for the purchase of approved books, on condition that an equal amount is applied from local sources for the same object.
It
in the selection of books by passing judgment on lists sent in for approval by individual libraries, by lists and sugges tions in the quarterly bulletin New York Libraries, by the pub lication of bibliographies on various subjects of interest, and by assists
advice given during personal visits.
It
gives assistance and advice in planning library buildings and furnishes materials on the subject to library trustees. It provides free of cost the services of an expert in library law in interpreting and applying the law of the State to local conditions.
It
arranges for visits to libraries by trained and experienced librarians for the purpose of giving advice and counsel in all matters of library economy.
To free libraries newly established,
or to those needing reorganization, it provides free of cost the services of an expert library organizer for a period not exceeding two weeks.
It
quarterly bulletin for the purpose of dis seminating library news and promoting sound ideas in library economy. It publishes statistics of New York libraries, thereby enabling comparison of libraries and the formulation of proper publishes
standards.
It
a
operates a debate service to aid public discussion
Through the Visual Instruction Division, libraries, schools, institutions, or organizations may borrow lantern slides, and may have them exhibited without cost. With the New York Library Association, the Library Extension Division assists in and debate.
18
conducting every spring day or week institutes at which the local librarians may meet with each other and with librarians of wider experience to discuss common problems, and elements of good
library practice.
The State makes certain requirements of libraries, and it is the Library Extension Division which sees that they are ful filled.30 The
Regents require that free and public libraries abide by the fol definition: a library free to the public is defined as one where all lowing the people of the community, regardless of race, sex, religious belief, insti or professional connections, shall have not only nominally but the same privileges and freedom, and where no social, religious, actually or other associations shall act either directly or indirectly as a bar to the freest use of those privileges. An incorporated library, or one owned and tutional
body, if approved after official inspection a proper standard. Only libraries receive from the state registered may money regularly, or may be other granted important privileges. To be registered, the Commissioner of Education has set certain controlled
by an incorporated
may be registered by the Regents as maintaining
minimum standards which the library must attain. Its selection of books, as a whole, must have the approval of the Commissioner for their literary merit and educational value and as representing in due proportion differ ent classes of literature adapted to the community. Adequate provision must be made for the frequent additions of new books and for other cur
rent expenses. The library, in charge of a competent attendant, must be open at a fixed time for at least a certain number of hours weekly depend ing on the size of the community. An accurate record of all receipts and expenditures is to be kept, and a statement submitted as a part of the annual report of the library as required by Regents Rules. There must be kept an record in which are recorded date of accession, author, title, source and cost of each book added. There must also be one or more suit able catalogs31 for readers. Books must be arranged on the shelves by accession
some
well-considered
place books
in order in
and system that will group subjects by themselves each subject. The loan system in use must provide
that every book lent be charged to its borrower, with the date of borrowing and of return; and that the circulation of each day be recorded, with a separate statement of volumes of fiction lent and of books lent from a pay duplicate collection. Each public and free library (in a place of over two University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. Important laws, rules and regulations relating to public libraries and free libra ries in New York State. Handbook 8, part L. A catalog is the alphabetical card index arranged by author, title, or subject, or by all three, to the books in the library. The shelf list is a card file arranged in the order in which the books appear on the shelves.
19
may employ only librarians and professional assistants classes required for its various positions. Unpaid volunteer librarians and clerks are not affected by this requirement. Libra rians regularly employed before 193 1 received certificates valid for the thousand population)
holding certificates of the
position last held.32 School librarians receive permanent certificates for the completion of a four-year course in an approved institution, and for the completion of a year's work in library science, either as part of or supplementary to the course. The requirements for a limited certificate include a four-year training course leading to a bachelor's degree including a minor of not less than sixteen hours in library science. The limited certificate will be valid for five years during that time, the holder completing is
if,
four-year
the requirements for the permanent certificate. into force in 1933. 33
These regulations came
is
Every library which receives state aid or enjoys any exemption from taxation or other privilege not usually accorded to business corporations required to make an annual report in the prescribed form. In general these requirements are true also for school libraries. At
selected
books be approved
a
the State before they are purchased
by
of
by
a
it
It
a
special fund to be spent for books, present, the State does not give schools as does to the public and free libraries. gives state aid in lump on the equalization basis, and requires that schools employ trained librarians who give certain number of hours per day to library work, and that lists the
school.34
of
of
of
of
p.
S,
University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. Public Libraries. Handbook part the University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Regulations commissioner education governing the issuance to school librarians in certificates New York State. Albany, 1930. University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. Purchase school library books. School librarian's certificates. Albany.
20
CHAPTER
III
Conditions in Dutchess County which Library Service
Affect
Dutchess County was first settled by the Dutch, the British, the Huguenots, the Walloons, and the Germans of the Palati
Until 1730 the Dutch influence predominated, and is still noticeable today in the Hudson River valley. The Huguenots never had much effect on the social life of the county. The Ger nate.
mans and Walloons settled in the northwestern Rhinebeck.
They never rose above the artisan
part, around class, but they
brought with them a tradition of industry. From 1730 the English influence began to outweigh the Dutch. People from the English colonies moved into the county.35 About 1750 the Quakers from New England settled in the Harlem valley.
They were industrious, intelligent, and greatly encouraged edu cation. In 1828 they split on religious doctrine, and from that time they had less influence.
The early settlers intermarried
and blended their cultural traits.
In
general they farmed be
the county was fertile, and became
fairly prosperous. Gentlemen farmers who had come from New York established large estates along the Hudson River north of Poughkeepsie, and in the center of the county around Millbrook. In 1 830, the cause
first
Irish arrived to build the railroads, and then to go into
From about 1890, groups of Italians came to work on the big estates in the central part of the county. Others have come to work in the industries in Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, and Beacon, and
politics, to become clerks, policemen, and lawyers.
work in the lime kiln in Dover. People from the Danubian region of Europe, especially Poles and Czechoslovaks, have
to
bought farms in the northwestern
part of the county.
Negroes
work in industries along the Hudson valley, and in Dover township. In general the Hudson valley have come to the county to
15 Hasbrouck, Frank,
York, 1909.
editor.
History
of Dutchess County, New York.
p. 552-53.
II
Poughkeepsie, New
in the county. In the Harlem valley the number of foreigners is growing, but except for the Italians in Millbrook, almost everyone in the central part of the county is of native American stock.38 In New York State 25.4 per cent of the population are whites of foreign birth. In has the largest foreign population
Dutchess county, the foreign-born whites make up only 14.5 per cent of the total population. Three per cent of the county's population are negroes, as compared to 3.3 per cent in the state as a whole. In the state 3.7 per cent of the people ten years old and over are illiterate, and in the county only 2.6 per cent. While proportionately fewer children in the county than in the
of eighteen attend school, more go on study ing after the age of eighteen." Most of our population is settled either in the Hudson River valley or in the Harlem valley. The towns of Fishkill, Wappinger, Poughkeepsie, and Hyde Park in the Hudson val ley, and Dover in the Harlem valley, have the largest rural state under the age
population.
The rate of
increase
of the population was greater
in 1920-30 than 1910-20.38 Dutchess County is a more self-conscious unit than most counties because of physical factors. On the southern border, the Fishkill mountains cut it off from Putnam county. One or two small communities on the southeastern border have easier access
to Putnam county than to communities in Dutchess, and
Pawling has a newspaper in common with Patterson in Putnam. High hills mark both the east and west sides of the Harlem 36
Study of the foreign elements in Dutchess County made by the writer at Vassar College, in History 36$, in 1934. 87 U. S. Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth census of the United States, 1930. Washington, Part 32, Reports by states: Montana- Wyoming, 1932. 1931-1933. Vol. 1, Population. The percentage of children of various age groups attending school Table 13, p. 280. are as follows: New York State Dutchess County Age
97.7 93.9 S9.4
7-13
14-if 16-17 18-20 88
U.
S. Bureau
1931.
of the Census.
Vol. I, Population,
96.0 91.3 55.7 22.8
204
Fifteenth census of the United States, p. 754, Table 4.
22
1930.
Washington,
valley. In the southern and central part, the higher hills are on the east, and make contact with Connecticut relatively difficult. In the extreme north of the county, the higher hills are on the west, giving Millerton easier access to communities in Connecti cut and in Columbia county than to those in Dutchess.39 The county with which we have the most natural intercourse is Co
lumbia, but even here because of the size and importance of only those living on the northern edge have much contact with that county. The Taghkanic State Park divides Columbia County in half, and people living in Millerton and its environs often go to Cppake, while those in Red Poughkeepsie,
Hook frequently go to Hudson.
The Hudson River on the
west, with its ferry and bridge tolls keeps us from much contact with the counties on the western bank.40
There are few people in the county not on a rural delivery route.41 While in the United States as a whole the ratio of tele phones to population is 1
to 5 and
1
to
I
to 7, in Dutchess County it is between
6.42
The county
is covered by ten weekly local papers, which
cover the villages and the surrounding country.
Their circula
tions vary from 500 to 3,000 copies, averaging 1,300. Beacon has two newspapers. In Poughkeepsie, the morning paper has circulation of about 5,000 and the evening paper 12,000. The Sunday paper, which is distributed throughout the county, cir
a
culates 15,000
copies.43
There are few heavy industries in the city of Poughkeepsie. 39
U. S. Department of the Interior. State of Geological survey. Topographical map. New York. Rhinebeck. Poughkeepsie. Millbrook. Clove. 40 See Map I, p. 121 which shows the lines of communication in the county. 41 U. S. Post Office Department. Map of Dutchess County showing the rural delivery ser vice. Washington, n. d. 42 Vol. 6, Population of the United States, 122,775,046 (U. S. Bureau of the Census. in the United States, 16,800,000 (American p. 6.) divided by the number of telephones Telephone and Telegraph Company. Annual report for 1934. p. l) Population of Dutchess Vol. 3, part 2, p. 314, table County, 105,462, (U. S. Bureau of the Census. (Poughkeepsie 14,177, 21.) divided by the number of telephones in the county, 19,014. Red Hook 1,575, Beacon 2,099, Pine Plains 197, as given by the Poughkeepsie tele Millerton 281, Hopewell 326, by count in the telephone book.) For phone company. Dutchess County the telephone count is an estimate. 43 See next page. 23
High-class skilled labor is employed in the manufacturing plants.*4 Most of the industry is carried on in Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, Beacon, and in the district along the river between those cities. There are
a
few small manufacturing plants
in the Harlem valley. Building on the State School and on the State Hospital near Dover is attracting labor. Elsewhere in the
In the county, agriculture is the chief employment. valley there is some poultry, and some fruit farming. eral dairying is the employment
In
of most of the farmers.
and plants manufacturing
plants,
Hudson
farm
products,
gen
Milk
are found
throughout the county. The milk and its products are shipped into New York." For the most part the county is prosperous. While in the whole, the ratio of passenger cars to persons is I to 6.5, in the county it is 1 to 4.5." In the state, thirty-six per cent of the families own their homes ; in the county forty-eight per cent. state as a
In
both the state and the county there is one radio to every 1.7
families.47 *3Ayer,
N. W.
1934.
and
Sons.
Directory
of newspapers
and periodicals, 1934*
Philadelphia,
p. 586-665.
Amenia Beacon
Harlem Valley Times Newburgh-Beacon News Beacon
Light
Circulation weekly 2,979 da'ly ? weekly 1,275
" Round Table 550 " News 3.407 ÂŤ Telegram 750 " Chronicle Pawling 955 " News 1,200 Pawling-Patterson " Pine Plains Register-Herald 1,075 Red Hook Advertiser f " Rhinebeck Gazette 1,179 11 ? Wappingers Falls Chronicle Chamber of Commerce. Poughkeepsie. Industrial survey of the city of Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie, 1930. Dairymen's League Cooperative Association, Incorporated. Story of the year 1931New York, 1932. 1932. New York State. Tax Commission. Annual report, 1933. Albany, New York, 1934, New York State has 1,926,013 passenger cars registered, and Dutchess p. 115, table 25. County 23,554. U. S. Bureau of the Census, op. cit., Vol. 1, part 6, Families, p. 930, table 19, 3,153,124 families in New York State, of which 1,155,036 own their homes, and 25,200 families in Dutchess County of which 12,194 own their homes, families p. 934, table 20, 1,825,723 in the State and 14,596 in the county have radios. Millbrook Millerton
*4
CHAPTER IV Library Service in Dutchess County Survey of schools and libraries Nineteen small independent libraries form the chief source
of books available to the residents of Dutchess County. All of them are supervised to some extent by the Library Extension Division, fourteen of them are eligible for state aid, and all may borrow books from the Library Extension Division or the State
Library. They are, however, completely independent of other.
Half of
them are supported mainly by
age, town, or city.
a
each
tax on the
vill
The others are maintained largely by private
Except in the cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon, the tax brings in a small return. The largest village libraries, those in Millbrook, Wappingers Falls, and Rhinebeck, rely for adequate funds.
support on their private funds.
Nearly every community of any size has its library. Eleven of the libraries are located on the Hudson River in the midst of the large population, and five
along the Harlem valley. Only three are in the center of the county. Though seven of the libraries are free to all borrowers, and though only two require
a
it,
and ten free to those from the village, town, or city supporting membership fee, none of them
Most of the libraries have
small income and serve
a
located.
a
serve many people outside of the community in which they are small population.
The schools in Dutchess County are all equipped with libraries primarily for the use of the children. The cities of Poughkeepsie
and Beacon, and the district of Arlington have
both high schools and grade schools.
Of
twelve villages, there
having both elementary and secondary departments.
these twelve schools, seven had less than 300 25
pupils
in
are schools
In
at
tendance in 1933-34." The largest served 519 children. The book collection in these schools are small. A committee of the
National Education Association
on library
organization
and
equipment reported that "An accredited high school with an en rolment of 100 or fewer pupils should have a library of not fewer than 1,000 carefully selected books, and schools with an
of 200 should have at least 2,000 volumes. This means practically ten volumes for every pupil in the high school. . . . In four-year high schools or senior high schools with an enrolment
enrolment of between 200 and 500,
...
for
a
working library 49
from 2,000 to 3,000 carefully selected volumes are necessary." Only two of the twelve schools approximate these standards,
nor will they reach them soon, for eight schools added less than 100 volumes during 1933-34. The village schools usually have a small
library room, and
a
teacher-librarian
who can give from
library duties. The books for the ele mentary grades are kept in the classroom rather than in the library, and are rarely supervised by the librarian. one to three hours to her
Besides the schools in Beacon, Poughkeepsie city and the town of Poughkeepsie, there are five village schools in the Hud son valley. Four more are in the Harlem valley, and three in the central part of the county. Children in the rural areas of the county in 1933-34 attended 147 public schools. Each has mentary schools have no librarians.
The rural ele a
collection
of
books, few of which are new, for the school has little money.
Either
know of the state traveling libraries, or because of dissatisfaction with the books received, because the teacher does not
few of the schools borrow them. 48 Figures
Many rural teachers, untrained
in this chapter concerning schools are given for the school year 1933-34. At for the year. Full statis figures refer to the average daily school attendance tics may be found in the statistics for village and city libraries, pages 102-107. 49 Standard library organization and for secondary schools. University of the equipment State of New York Bulletin. No. 713. July 1, 1920. p. 27 and p. 30. Though the attendance and secondary figures of the village schools include both elementary pupils, and the library figures include only books in the high school library, still the schools do not attain the standards given here. tendance
26
in library methods, conduct few library activities, although
a
small number give their children good library service. After making a study of the statistics of the school and public libraries furnished by the Library Extension Division in Albany, the writer visited these libraries to determine more adequately the extent of library service in Dutchess County. For three months in the fall of 1934 she toured the county, visiting in all 79 schools and libraries. She talked with the librarians of the nineteen village and city libraries in order to determine from the point of view of the borrower the availabil
of the books: Was the library room attractive,
ity
and easy to user
find it?
If a person
Or if
accessible,
wanted a special book, would he be
in mind, would he find exhibits or book lists that would suggest books? She tried to apt to
he had no book
find out what effort the library made to acquaint people with its resources by such means as newspaper articles, exhibits, spe cial loans for study clubs, and reference service. She asked about the library service given to the children, and about the cooperation between the library and the school.
In
and secondary schools of Poughkeepsie and Beacon, and in the secondary schools of the villages, the the elementary
writer asked the librarian, or the teacher in charge of the library, questions about the accessibility of the books for the pupils: whether the book collection was kept in a room by itself or in a classroom, whether or not there was always a teacher in charge and the room was always open. She tried to ascertain how much
children to use the library, either by as signments requiring the use of library books, or by book talks and exhibits, or by informal encouragement to read on the part it was suggested to the
of the teachers.
Each of the four district school superintendents was asked by the writer to select a few rural elementary schools to visit which would give her a representative picture of all of them. In this
way she visited thirty schools in all parts of the county. She 27
in each one to see whether the books were ones that would attract readers by their contents and
examined the book collection
their physical appearance. She asked the teachers how much the books were used in connection with lessons, or for pleasure reading, and how much books were borrowed or neighboring libraries used to supplement the collection. In every case the writer found the librarians, teachers, principals, and superintendents in Dutchess County most gen erous in their interest and in the time they gave. They not only answered her questions, but afterwards read over her report in order to suggest corrections or additions. Without their co operation this study of the library service in the county could never have been made.
There was not time to investigate the actual reading habits of people who are accustomed to library service, and of people who have never had it. In his survey of Reading matter in Nebraska farm homes, based on findings in 1,338 farm homes and 188 town homes, and published in 1922, J. O. Rankin found the reading in the country and small town to be much
When the New York State Federation of Home Bureaus sent a questionnaire about the need for books to names on its mailing list in 1925, answers received from 1,064 representative
alike.50
rural women living in twenty-seven counties, indicated that the library was the main source for borrowing books and that the school came second.51 The Lynds, in Middletown, indicated that the public library was the main source of books.52 Few other studies have been made comparing the use of the library with the use of other sources of books. A study of the reading habits in two communities,
one with library service and one
without, would be very valuable. In order to present clearly the kind of library service ren dered by schools and libraries in the county, the writer has de50
Long, p. 12. 51 Fair, p. 51. 52 Lynd, p. 230. 28
scribed that given in five communities. She selected communities which varied in size from the largest city to a small unincor porated village, and which received good, inadequate, and aver age service from both the libraries and the schools.53
Adriance Memorial Library, Poughkeepsie
The residents of the city of Poughkeepsie receive library service which meets more of their demands than residents of any other community in the county. Because the residents of Poughkeepsie are much more numerous than those of other communities they can afford a much larger public library, and one which conducts more activities.
The Adriance Memorial Library is supported by a city tax. There are about one hundred persons living outside the city who borrow from the library. Residents of the town of Poughkeep sie must pay one dollar a year for the privilege, and residents of the county must pay two dollars. Though most of the borrowers who live outside the city come from places in the town, a few come over fifteen miles from Sharon, Tivoli, Beacon, and New
Paltz. There are ten full-time members of the staff, works twelve hours clerical
assistant.
a
week at the branch library, and
Of
the full-time
a a
girl who part-time
members two are library
school graduates, two have had eighteen weeks or more in library school, and six have had six or eight weeks of training.54
The library building
is located more than three
long blocks
from the center of the city, and is set back from the street on a small height. On entering, the borrower finds himself in a cen tral room containing the loan desk and the catalog. Opening off this central room are smaller rooms containing the fiction, business and technical books, reference books, biography, maga zines, and newspapers. These rooms are open to the public. 53
Complete reports of the visits to the public and school libraries will be found in MacCracken, M., master's thesis, Library Service in Dutchess County, in the Vassar College Library. 54 For the state for the training of librarians, see p. 20. requirements
29
Behind the loan desk are the stacks. Though they are not open to the public, anyone interested in finding books on a certain subject is invited to use the stacks. Groups of books, particularly those dealing with history and travel, are displayed in the book in the central room.
cases
These displays are changed fre
quently. In the stacks are the workrooms, a genealogical room, a room containing books on education, and a room containing books and pamphlets on the history of Poughkeepsie and of Dutchess County.
Readers who are going away for the summer
may take more than the usual number of books for the period of their vacation, subject to certain restrictions.
The library contains about 80,757
books.55
The librarian
from 3,500 to 4,000 yearly, 3,681 volumes in 1933, by continually checking book reviews and lists of books approved by the Library Extension Division in Albany.58 She finds that selects
the borrowers make few suggestions. committee always
sees
The chairman of the book
the lists before they are sent out, but she
title from them. Since the appropriations have been cut, the library has bought fewer books of fiction, and there has been a corresponding drop in the amount of fiction
has never removed a
The librarian tries to maintain a balance in the non-fiction bought. The library has a collection of local history, and re
read.
cently a number of foreign books have been bought for the Poles, Hungarians, and Italians. The library receives 145 newspapers and magazines, some of which are gifts. When books are given to the library, it is always understood that the librarian may do
The librarian orders two long lists of books a month, and purchases others as the need arises. Worn books are always rebound. The library borrows from the State Library about one hundred books a year to fill special requests. The assistants at the loan desk are frequently called on to with them
65
All
as she sees
fit.
concerning public and association libraries are for the year 1933. of public and association libraries may be found on pages 97-101. 58 See Regents' regulations for libraries, p. 19-20. figures
tistics
30
Full
sta
use ready reference books in answering questions. One of the librarians, as part of her work, answers those questions requiring questions are taken over the phone, but books are never reserved over the phone unless the person making the request is engaged in serious study. At the an extended search.
Reference
loan desk are reading lists for distribution. Four times a year the library gets out a bulletin, two numbers of which are devoted to books for adults, one to books for children, and one to the annual
The annual report used to
report.
be published
as a
pamphlet, and it always appears in the newspapers. The bul letins are for general distribution, and for exchanging with libraries whose bulletins contain suggestive book lists. The library used to display technical books at the Central Hudson Gas and Electric Company. Recently it has not bought enough to make this activity worth while.
During the winter, the American Association of University Women held a few meetings in the Children's Room. The Tuesday Club get out their program through the library. They used to have
a
reserve shelf of books in the library until mem
bers suggested they would rather take the books out themselves
might work on them at home. The library buys books and puts on reserve books for the parent education groups and for the Parent-Teacher Association. It makes lists for other
so they
clubs.
It has
never lent books to institutions.
In
1
933 the
library
had a circulation of 222,644 books.57 Outside of the library bulletin, most of the publicity is done by the reporter who occasionally comes in to get the news of the library's activities. Once in a while the library features some of
it did recently in sending a list of books on hobbies to the hobby exhibit at one of the local stores. Through a separate entrance from outside boys and girls
its resources,
67
as
In giving circulation
figures, librarians count as one circulation each lending for home volume, pamphlet, or unbound periodical, or the renewal of a volume under library rules. No increase is made because volumes are read by more than one during the period of the loan. use of a bound
31 1
into the children's room in the high basement of the library. The fireplace, pictures, flowers, and small tables and come
chairs, give the room an informal atmosphere. Lining the walls are low, open shelves full of books for recreational reading and
On certain shelves is a large collection of picture books for the pre-school child. In one corner are the for school work.
parents' and teachers' shelves which contain books on story telling, on reading, and on Bible stories, plays, art, music, folk dances, and special days.
Children may start to borrow for themselves when they reach the third grade, as soon as they have obtained the parents' or teachers' signature on their registration card. Parents may borrow for younger children. Pupils in freshman high school
or in the continuation school are given intermediate cards which allow them limited use of the adult books as well as the chil dren's books.
In
the second year of high school they are given
regular adult cards. From Hallowe'en to Easter every Saturday morning there is a story hour conducted by the members of the library staff. On Friday a similar hour is conducted at the branch. On an average morning twenty-five children under the seventh grade attend. The librarians find so many clubs in the school that they have started no clubs in the library in the winter. During the summer they have a Vacation Reading Club in which the chil dren sign up to read books which they select from lists presented in attractive ways. The librarians have frequent opportunities to
follow the reading of the children and give them help and direc tion. They have tried loaning books to Lincoln Center, a settle ment in the Second Ward, four blocks distant, but they found children were borrowing from the public library, this activity was a duplication of work. The librarians have made a collection of dolls from differ that
as
the same
ent countries authentically dressed. They are starting now collection of models of the means man has used for transporta 3*
a
tion. During Children's Book Week the library buys a special list of books which it puts on display for the week, and at the end of the week there is
book talk.
a
The children's librarians
every Sunday for two years past have written for the Sunday paper articles on the resources of the children's room. The chil dren's librarian has spoken to every Parent-Teacher Association
in the city and
to several outside the town.
There is cooperation between the library and the schools. The librarians send deposit collections of fifty books for six months to the three schools in the outlying parts of the town.
They to
see
in touch with the school librarians who come in often what books will supplement the school library for lessons
are
to be assigned the next week.
Teachers in rural schools, who
live in the city, may borrow twelve books for two weeks for their schools. The library also gives the books it is discarding to schools in the country. Some teachers bring their classes to the library occasionally. When they do, they often have their chil dren take out cards during the visit. The children's librarian believes that eventually the schools
will have to buy the cor
relative material that they need and let the city supply most of the recreational reading. Although they do not send books to the parochial schools, they do send them lists and notices. These schools use the
library
a
great deal, for their libraries are not
The
in the public schools.
strong as those Poughkeepsie Day School makes fre as
quent use of the library.
The children's room
has made out lists
of books recom
mended for each grade, which are distributed to the children, and sometimes by request to the teachers. The head librarian
of the high school suggesting they continue their education by using the city library after graduation. There is no record, however, of the number of students who borrow regularly after leaving school. has twice sent greetings to the senior class
In
the stacks is
a
room
full of books on education. Though 33
many teachers use these books, they are not used enough to war rant keeping the collection up to date in all respects. The Adriance Memorial Library has one branch library located in a rented store at 693 Main Street to serve the neigh borhood. The room has been attractively furnished with low shelves, displays of books, and pictures. All the purchasing and cataloging of the 3,257 books which it contains were done at the main library. week.
The
It
is open three afternoons
and one evening a branch librarian, who also works at the main library,
leaves her assistant in charge of the branch except during the busiest hours. The library is used chiefly by women who want fiction.
The branch librarian borrows non-fiction from the main
library, and then changes the collection every two or three months. She brings from the main library any book requested by a reader. School children make an extensive use of the library, the
high school boys and girls borrowing books for their supple mentary reading. The younger children may not use the library in the evening when the children's room at the main library is closed.
During the winter, the Saturday morning story hours
conducted in the central library were presented in the branch on
Friday.
The public library
needs to do more to
bring the books to
the people of Poughkeepsie, and to show the public the resources of the library. As the librarian suggested in her annual report for 1934, the library needs to establish branches in the parts of the city which are distant from the library.
It
needs more
pub
licity particularly about the non-fiction in the library, more dis plays in places outside the library. There can be even closer cooperation between the schools and the library in trying to give the children of the city adequate library facilities. There needs to be closer contact between the high school and the library, in
order that the high school students may keep their reading habits after graduation. 34
Poughkeefsie High School Library As the large public library performs more kinds of services
for
each citizen than a small one can do, so the school libraries
can offer the children
a
more diversified
book collection, more
interesting activities than are available in a small school library.
The Poughkeepsie
High School
high school with forty-eight teachers and 1,137 students in attendance in the three upper grades. The school employs a full-time librarian who has a school librarian's permanent certificate, and a fullis a senior
time assistant librarian who has almost completed the require ments for a permanent certificate.58 The high school library serves the post-graduates, the freshmen who are housed in the main building of the high school, and the freshmen and teachers
in the North Clinton Street building, as well as the senior high school itself. The two hundred freshmen and six teachers in the building on Washington Street have their own library which is supervised by the English teacher with the advice of the high school librarian.
The library
centrally located on the second floor of the building. On the walls above the shelves are displays and paintings of all sorts. On the tables and window sills are displays of books and other material usually pertaining is a large, sunny room
to a particular subject or occasion. There are 5,362 volumes in the library, which the librarian
from approved book lists. Twice a year she puts up notices asking the teachers to send in the titles of books they
has selected
want purchased.
The English
teachers often ask the students to
suggest magazines or books they would like in the library. The librarian sends in her main orders twice a year, and buys a few books in between with the money received as fines for overdue books. The library subscribes to forty periodicals. Last year a total of 372 books were sent away for rebinding. 58
For
state requirements
for the training of librarians, see p. 20.
35
it,
the good reference collection. To supplement librarian borrows books and debate material from the State Li
There is
a
She has borrowed books from the Vassar College Library
brary.
York Public Library, and she has received bibliographies from the Library of Congress. She sends the Adriance Memorial Library notification of any demands that the pupils will make on for debates and essay contests, and it
and from the New
it
of the high school reading lists. She furnishes public library registration cards for new borrowers, and encour ages pupils to go to the library for books they cannot get at the gives
copies
high school.
She has lent books, pictures, clippings, and pam
phlets to the teachers and to the libraries in the Poughkeepsie elementary schools.
Any student may come to the library during school hours
is
1933-34, there was
more than twice
as
a
In
a
if
permit from the classroom teacher, or from the librarian, or the study hall supervisor. Before and after school and for ten minutes at noon students may come in freely. he has received
circulation of 30,634 volumes.
much non-fiction read
as
fiction.
There
Students
English literature, and science books, the latter especially for the general science course and for the
use most the history books,
general biology course which assigns no text books. a
As part of the English course, students are required to learn something about the use of the library: both how to find book on the shelves, and how to find specific material through the use of the common reference books.
They come to the least three or four times year. During a
library for instruction at class periods, teachers of English, history, and science often send all or part of the class to the library to do an assignment, or to see as
a
reward for good work. The public-speak ing class comes to read plays. Students may come from English certain books, or
for library practices during their last three years. The boys and girls in the debating, dramatic, booklovers, and garden clubs use the books for their club work. Science, English, his 36
classes
tory, and drawing teachers take the books to their classrooms frequently. Each year pupils volunteer to assist in the library, and the best eight or nine are selected. They are trained by the librarian. As one assists in the library each period, and before and after school, two others serve as runners to deliver notices.
The library makes
its own book lists when the new books
come in. General lists are made for all the teachers, and special ones for each department.
These lists are posted on bulletin boards where the students may see them. The library distributed to the children this year pamphlets on the choice of a hobby. Students purchase the yearly reading lists published by the Na tional Council of Teachers of English through their English
The English teachers keep records of the reading done by the pupils. The librarian has much opportunity personally to classes.
help students with their problems in the selection of books. The two hundred freshmen in the Washington Street build ing use a collection of 179 books in their English classroom, which is supervised by an English teacher and by nine pupil librarians. The high school librarian helps to select the books for this collection, and each year gives the students part of their library instruction. She also lets them borrow books from the high school library, though they do not do it frequently. The books on education are kept in the regular high school library. The teachers use the library as do the pupils, and read the education books often. The librarian talks to individual teachers about the books in their field whenever she can. Rarely the public have used the library. Alumni use it particularly dur ing Christmas vacation. The Parent-Teacher Association have asked the librarian to talk to them about the library activities. Sometimes there is a Book Week program in the assembly hall. This year the librarian put on a hobby exhibit in the library. There is always news of library activities published in the school paper, and occasionally in the Poughkeepsie papers. Because the
high school library is serving more than 1,600 37
it should have a collection of about eight thousand books.59 It needs more shelf space, and particularly more storage space, for the present closets are not adequate. In order to bring library service up to standard, the library should students altogether,
workroom, and a library classroom to be used for library instruction and as a conference room for the class and club groups have
a
now using the library proper. Poughkeepsie
-public elementary
school libraries
Poughkeepsie may take especial pride in her elementary school libraries, which have some reputation in the state, because they are housed in attractive rooms, they are administered by trained librarians, and they are not only accessible to the chil dren, but their books and the best ways of using them are made
familiar to each child. There are nine elementary schools in Poughkeepsie, all of which take children through the eighth grade. They each had in 1933-34 from 320 to 807 children, averaging about 500, and from nine to twenty-three teachers, averaging about sixteen. Each school has a library room which is open all day, except in one case, and which is supervised by a librarian for either half or all of the day. One school has a librarian only three half librarian is untrained, and all the libra rians must have a school librarian's limited certificate by 1936, days a week.
and
Only
one
permanent certificate by 1941. All of the libraries are attractive.
a
Many are decorated with
plants, with pictures, and with murals done by the students. Except in two cases they are the size of the average classroom.
One school uses two small narrow rooms, one for the general books and the librarian's desk, and the other for the reference books and the reading room, though it will hold only six stu dents at a time. The largest school has a room in the basement 59 Standard library
organization
and equipment
38
for secondary
schools,
p. 33.
which will seat forty older students, and which also has little chairs and tables for forty pupils from the lower grades. Open ing off this library are two conference rooms, one of which will seat fifteen
pupils, and the other nine. The school libraries contain from 896 to 2,965 volumes, with most of them averaging from 1,200 to 1,400. They are adding from 112 to 408 books each year, the smallest libraries adding the least number of books in general, though the smallest libraries are not in the smallest schools. In each case the libra rian chooses the books, after consulting the teachers about their needs, and after checking the approved lists. Their selections must go to the principal of the school and to the Board of Edu cation before the books are bought, but additions to or criticisms of their choice are rarely made. Every month all the librarians meet to discuss books and library practices. The libraries subscribe to from one to fifteen periodicals, with seven as the average number taken. Most of the collections show the books were selected to meet the school needs in having picture books for the youngest children,
large number of his tory, travel, biography, science, and other non-fiction books which are popularly written, and story books for all ages and tastes. Nearly all of the schools have collections of pamphlets and pictures which may be used in connection with the school work. Some of them borrow this material from the public a
library. One school has a collection of 800 slides, and another borrows slides from the State Education Department in Albany. The three schools which are farthest from the public library receive from that library deposit collections of fifty books a term. The librarians from almost all the other schools go to the public library to borrow collections of five to ten books every week or two. The children's librarians in the public library will
fill any special request, and will answer reference questions over the telephone. They send to any of the schools that ask for them bibliographies of suggested reading for each grade, and bibliog 39
library to show them how to use as
it,
raphies on special subjects. They will help in planning book orders. Some of the school librarians take classes to the public and to get them to register
borrowers. is
in
which the librarian available only Except in one school, part of each day, pupils may come to the library at any time with the permission of their teachers. Some of the librarians during the time each day when they are in the school office will leave a
few minutes to help pupils do some reference work in the library. Pupils come to the library to get facts bearing on some for
a
question, or to get books about Indians, famous men, periods in history, countries, etc. Some
class discussion, to answer
times they come separately, and sometimes in groups. In many of the schools, the debate, dramatic, stamp, radio, science, or other clubs come to the library frequently for material. dren borrow books for their recreational reading
as
Chil
well.
a
a
Each librarian meets the fourth through the eighth grades week for half an hour in the library. Generally the lower once shorter time. The librarian in the school grades come for
a
a
is
with the small library goes to the classroom to conduct library scheduled in the library for hour, and besides this, each child half an hour week at which time he may read or do reference work. In the largest school, the older children have library period of forty-five minutes. Part of the library period in each
books
as
a
in
is
devoted to teaching children how to use and treat books, how to find books library, and how to use such reference
case
dictionaries and encyclopedias.
During the rest of the
time, the children may work on an assignment involving the use of the reference books, or they may read.
The school libraries in 1933-34 had circulations varying
5
from 1,760 to 18,392 volumes, with 9,382 volumes as the aver age, and circulations per capita of teachers and pupils varying from to 24 volumes, with 17 volumes as the average. The librarian of the largest school reported that the 807 pupils had 40
made 5,532 visits to the library for reference work, 5,447 visits before and after school, and had borrowed 2,563 magazines
well
as
In one of the schools,
the principal does not allow the children to take the books home, in order to encourage the as
books.
use of the public library.
The librarians frequently make
of pupils who volunteer to help in the library. In one case, two pupils are chosen from each class to charge and to shelve the books during their library period. In another case, the librarian appoints a student to charge books after school in order that she may be free to help those who need assistance in making their selections. use
There is cooperation in many ways between the teachers and the librarians. The librarians consult the teachers about their needs before buying books. Many of the teachers fill out every week reference sheets on which they state what subjects they will be teaching during the next week. The librarian is then able to get that material together, to borrow from the public library what she does not have, and either to give it to the teacher to be used in her room, or to make it available in the
library. Many librarians have made out bibliographies on vari ous subjects which they show the teachers in order to let them know what materials there are to work with in the library. They show the individual teachers books in their fields, and new books
in which they would be interested. Many teachers, in turn, tell the children about certain library books, and require much ref erence reading from library books. Most of the librarians keep in touch with the curriculum by attending the teachers' meet ings.
In every school in either the library or the
office, there is
collection of professional books. By the use of the list of these professional books at the Morse school, it can be ascertained a
what books the elementary schools have, and in which school
Librarians borrow these books from each other, and they also borrow books on education from the Adriance Memorial Library.
each book may be found.
41
Most of the librarians bring books and the library facilities to the attention of teachers and children by personally showing them interesting books. They also use book talks, story-telling, exhibits, bulletin board displays both in the library and outside, book reviews and book reports written by the students, and news of the library activities in the school paper. During Book Week, many of them help the children put on a play; some arrange special exhibits, borrowing books from local bookshops. Many
a
by
it,
of the Parent-Teacher Associations have shown an interest in and the library by asking the librarian to speak to them about little money for magazines. contributing The Poughkeepsie elementary schools in general need more books.
While their collections do not include
worn and out of date books
most libraries,
as
as
many
and while the
libraries are being built up, not all contain the number of books considered standard for schools of their size.80 The schools where there
by
lating their interest
by
is
the largest circulation per capita are the schools where the librarians use the most initiative in following up the children's reading and the teachers' use of the library; in stimu
a
individually displays, exhibits, and in and the library; in using the resources showing them subjects of other libraries. The school which uses two small rooms for a
a
a
library should have one large room. The school with librarian only three days week should have librarian at least part of every day. The more time each librarian has to devote to library work, the more the library facilities in that school will be used.
The library in Millbrook
is
Millbrook Free Library naturally different from one
is a
a
in Poughkeepsie, factory town and county center of more than small incorporated village 40,000 inhabitants. Millbrook 60
University of the State of New York Library for the Library in the elementary school.
42
Extension Division,
Suggested
standards
of
1,200 inhabitants, located in the center of the county in a
farming region. Much of the land in and around the village is owned by wealthy families who frequently have a city home in
New York. These families have contributed a considerable sum of money toward the running of the library. About forty years ago, some of the owners of the estates imported Italians as gar deners and stone masons. For this reason the village has an Italian population unusually large for a small agricultural vil lage. There seems to be a cooperative spirit in the village, for a community
house was formed from the
Y. M. C. A. in
order
that both Protestants and Catholics might belong, and two Protestant denominations united to form one congregation. In 1934, the Italians gave a "benefit," the proceeds of which they turned over to the free library."
The Millbrook Free Library
of the most highly en dowed libraries in the county, and in 1933 had a total income of $4,180.43 which came almost entirely from private sources. Most of the borrowers are residents of the village of Millbrook. is one
In
1933 about thirty people and three schools from outside the town of Washington borrowed from the library, the people paying one dollar, and the schools five dollars a year for the
privilege. In the same year about two hundred people living outside Millbrook but in the town of Washington used the library. They paid no membership fee. The librarian was trained at Pratt Institute.
The library building
is a handsome one, located on the
main street about one block from the business town, and one block from the school.
center of the
The interior
is one
large
and attractive room, with low bookstacks at right angles to the wall marking off a children's corner, a reference corner, a brows
ing corner, and an exhibit corner. The many windows, the fire place with window seats on either side, the posters and book dis61 MacCracken,
M.
and
others.
Unpublished material on foreign population in Dutchess
County.
43
plays all give the library a friendly atmosphere. The full shelves indicate that further growth will be a problem. The librarian selects books from approved lists, and often asks the borrowers to read the books and give her their opinions.
Altogether the library contains about 9,531 volumes. Fiction of a superior character, and duplicates of popular books, are put into
a
rental collection.
The reference collection
is more
complete than usual in libraries of this size. It includes a verti cal file of pamphlet and picture material. The library receives about fifty magazines, many of which are gifts. The librarian borrows from the State Library textbooks and other books for which there are requests.
In order
to help people choose the books they want, the librarian pastes in the inside cover of almost all the books an notations, blurbs from the jackets, or parts of reviews. The list of new books is always posted in the library. The circulation of
larger than in most libraries of this size. The librarian is called on to do some reference work. She receives about five questions a month calling for extended search. She non-fiction
is
answers many questions, especially for the school children. Oc casionally she makes out reading lists for individuals. She co operates with the Grange. A book club, made up mostly of teachers, has asked her to be their librarian. She does not serve other clubs, except through individuals. Children may join the library as soon as the second grade teacher says they can read.
High School children have
access
to all the books.
The third
grade teacher, who has had training in this, sometimes tells stories in the library. popular.
The Children's Book Week exhibit
is
This year it included eight tables displaying various
groups of children's books. As the library has more reference books than the school
library, the children come to the library to do their school work. The librarian is able to give them considerable personal atten tion. She is called on to help them do their reference work. She 44
posts lists of required and supplementary
reading for school.
She posts her own lists of interesting books.
The children
come
in class groups only when a teacher wants to show them how to use the library. The principal of the school feels that teaching the use of a library is part of the function of the school library, with the result that these groups come rarely. The school libra rian sometimes consults with the librarian in order to avoid duplication in purchasing books. In 1934 the library had to discontinue the practice of lending groups of twenty-five books to the schools outside the town for a small sum, for the library does not have enough books.
A
teacher who pays one dollar a
year may borrow a reasonable number of books, but not as many as twenty-five. Schools within the town which want books are served freely.
The library's circulation for
1933
was 21,803
books.
The town paper freely publishes news of library activities. The annual reports are published every year. Almost every week there is an article about the library or a list of new books,
or of books on a particular subject and often it is on the front page. One year the librarian conducted a question box, and
This practice increased the made of the reference books. The library has often had
answered all the questions received. use
circulars and booklists to distribute
till
recently when funds
have become smaller.
The library dren of the town,
If the
is
in
a
position to give better service to the chil
if the juvenile
book collection is made larger.
library would spend more money on children's books, it could perform the town a real service by first demonstrating in the schools the value of using more books in connection with school work, by providing a simple way of taking the books to the schools and to the children, and by working hand in hand
with the teachers to stimulate children's reading. 45
Millbrook Memorial School library The Millbrook Memorial School and
secondary department.
a
In
and 412 pupils. The librarian's temporary certificate. teachers
The book collection
has both an elementary
is kept
1933-34 it had twenty-one teacher-librarian has a school
in a room on the second floor
of the building which is also used as a classroom and a home room. As there is no bulletin board, the librarian puts books she wants the children to see on a desk or table.
The library contains
829 volumes.
The librarian makes
out
list of books to be purchased after checking the approved book lists and after finding out what books the teachers want, and gives it to the principal for approval. The library subscribes to two newspapers, and seventeen magazines. Each teacher handed a
list of the magazines which would help her in her subject, and the librarian suggested some to round out the collection. The principal drew up the final list. The magazines are given in
a
field they cover for overnight inspection so that she may find articles for the class to read. The magazine list covers industrial art, art, science, French, history, English, home economics, and events of general interest. Students may to the teacher whose
bring their own magazines to add to the collection. The libra rian has made a one-drawer vertical file of pictures and pam phlets which are used particularly in connection with the senior essays. She binds the plays read in selecting the senior play in order to enlarge the play collection. Every year she borrows state traveling libraries which contain altogether one hundred books. In 1934 she borrowed twenty-five additional books for history, State
and in 1933 she borrowed
debate
material
from the
Library.
The Millbrook Free Library gives the school those dupli little used books which are suitable for a high school library, and lends collections of books to be used in the school to cates and
46
its reference
It
encourages the children to use facilities, and allows the teachers the use of its
supplement the school library.
bound volumes of St. Nicholas. Children in the grades learn how to use a library by the instruction they receive in the Millbrook Free Library. The public and school librarians often talk over their problems of book selection and of directing the chil Children's Book Week is always celebrated in conjunction with the public library. The librarian teaches English for five periods, and is in the library for two hours and forty minutes each day. The students dren's reading.
are free to use the library when she is present, and come in for recreational reading, and reference work in history, commercial subjects, science, and English. The history teacher requires stu dents to read one thousand pages of material outside the class
work to supplement the course. The English teacher has re cently collected sixty books of fiction from the school and pub lic libraries to keep in her classroom for the benefit of her thirty freshman
English students.
She helps them select the books
they want, and under the new syllabus she is allowed to attract the non-readers with popular adventure and mystery stories. In 1933-34, the library had a circulation of 2,071 volumes. Five
bring their classes to the library to be taught the use of the reference books by working out a definite problem in each subject under the direction of the teacher of that subject and the librarian. The teachers also give
times
a
year the English
book talks in their classes. assist the
teachers
Three students have volunteered to
librarian, who hopes to organize
library club. The seventh and eighth grades use the school library. The a
first six grades have classroom libraries, and they also use the
The school librarian
little time to give to administering the classroom collections, and most of the book fund is spent on the high school library. The teachers' professional books are kept in the school col
public library extensively.
lection.
The librarian buys books for the
has
teachers
and person
ally talks to the teachers about them. She finds that the school is small enough so that she can get books into circulation by talk ing about them with individuals rather than by making out booklists or using exhibits. The new club writes up the school activities for the two local papers, and the librarian encourages them to include news of new books, or book displays, or other activities in the library.
The librarian should have more time to give to adminis tering both the school library and the classroom collections in the lower grades. The school book collection should be placed in a room used exclusively as a library, and open all day under the supervision of students or teachers when the librarian is not there; or it should be put in a study hall or assembly hall where the pupils may have access to the books throughout the day.
The school library
has an inadequate supply
of books. Two
thousand to three thousand carefully selected books are con sidered a standard library for a high school of this size.62
Rural elementary schools, town of Washington Neither of the two rural elementary schools visited by the writer in the town of Washington has many books or many library activities. School district 9 in the town of Washington has a oneteacher school with an attendance of 10 pupils.63 The book col lection which contains 247 volumes, is kept in a bookcase with wooden doors. Though the school bought in 1933-34 only one book, the teacher hopes to buy some books for the lower grades. Children use the books rarely except as reference books. They took home forty books to read last year. Some of the children borrow books from the Millbrook library. 62 Standard library organization, p. 30. 63 In the case of rural elementary schools, ance figures refer to average found on pages 108-113.
figures
daily attendance.
are given for the year 1933-34. Full statistics for rural schools
Attend
will
be
The one-teacher school in district
10 has
seventy-nine books are kept on
volumes for an attendance of 1 8 pupils. The open shelves and the older children have read almost all of them. Twice a week after school the teacher takes all who want to go to the Millbrook library for half-an-hour. They each select two books which
they may keep for two weeks.
The
teacher started to do this in September, and already their read ing and their respect for books has improved. They may not
borrow collateral reading for there is too great a demand on the Millbrook library for it. Pine Plains Free Library Pine Plains, an unincorporated village located in the north eastern part of the county, differs in many respects from Mill brook.
It
The whole township
only 1,200 Most of them are of American stock, and most of
is not so large.
inhabitants.
has
A
large dairy farm nearby has brought more people into the village. There are no estates in the town as there
them are farmers. are around
Millbrook, and
no
similar contributions have been
made to the public library.
The Pine Plains Free Library
supplying the town with books for nearly one hundred years. The proprietor of the drug store has kept it for forty years in a room opening off his drug store which is about
a
has been
block from the center of the village.
It
is supported by a levy of fifty cents on every registered voter in the town. In 1932, when a large vote was recorded, owing to excitement about the election, the
library received nearly two
hundred dollars. There are about five thousand books in the collection, ac cording to the proprietor's estimate. Most of them are fiction and most of them are old. A few books are rebound each year. The library is always open. The proprietor tries not to let peo ple from outside the town use the library. He estimates about 49
day come to borrow books, but more come in winter than in summer. School children come in fairly often and eight people
a
both the school and individual non-resident pupils may borrow books freely.
No attempt
is made
to give the library any
publicity.
The library
does not attempt to meet the state standards,
and so does not receive financial aid from the state.
To give adequate service to the town of Pine Plains, the library should try to measure up to the standards set by the State Education Department. In particular three steps are indi cated: keeping records of the books in the library, and of the circulation; building up the non-fiction and children's collec tions; and giving the library publicity, supplying adults with the books they want, and cooperating with the school to build up circulation. Seymour Smith Academy library, Pine Plains
The town of Pine Plains
is unique
in the county because
school districts in and around the town have cooperated to form a central school out of the many rural schools. It was opened
in 1933-34.
The Seymour Smith Academy contains both
mentary and secondary departments.
ele
In
1933-34 there were twenty-two teachers and 519 pupils in attendance. The librarian has a school librarian's temporary certificate, and as she also
English, she is in the library only three periods a day. The library is a small attractive room adjoining the study hall on the third floor. There are 780 volumes in the library. The librarian selects teaches
the books by checking approved lists, and by asking the teachers for suggestions. She gives her selections to the principal for his
In
1934-35 she was trying to build up the home eco nomics and agriculture collections. She is classifying some pic tures and pamphlet material. She borrowed from Albany a approval.
50
state traveling library of one hundred books of fiction, travel, and biography. at noon hours.
The pupils use the Pine Plains library especially The librarian has borrowed books to supplement
the English collection from the public library and kept them all year. The public and school librarians plan their book orders together.
Five student assistants are in charge of the library five periods a day when the librarian is not present, and pupils may come into the library at any time during the school day, before and after school, and at noon. They receive library instruction
in English class. High school history and English, and seventh and eighth grade history and science require outside reading. High school children use the library for assignments almost en
tirely, though they read the magazines for pleasure. The grade children use it for recreational reading. While she is in the library, the librarian gives students personal assistance in select ing and finding books. A girl scout troop uses the library for meetings after school hours. culation of 6,01 5 books.
In
1933-34 the library had
The seventh and eighth grade pupils
use the school
a
cir
library.
The lower grades have collections in their own rooms, and library tables at which the children may read the books when they are through with their work. Some of the grades have a weekly library hour when pupils may take books out and read.
They may also
library the last period of each day, at which time the librarian is able to help them find the small collection of juvenile books. There are
use the school
a
few books for the teachers which were pulled
out of the general collection because they were too mature in their appeal.
The librarian always
of books on display in the library, and uses the bulletin boards for posting booklists and jackets of new books. The local paper includes news of library has groups
activities in its school notes.
In
1934 the librarian gave a book
talk to the Parent-Teacher Association, and the student assist ants put on a pageant entitled "Alice in Bookland." The librarian should have more time to give to library ser vice. The use of the books in the school library and classroom collections would be greatly increased if the librarian were in charge of both, and if she had time enough to gather material on the various subjects taught in the school, not only to bring to each teacher's attention the books in his field, but also to stimu
The book collection school of this size should have a library
late the interest of each child in reading.
should be built up, for a of from two thousand to three thousand volumes.64 Stanford Union School library
In
contrast to this school, the neighboring small union school at Stanford has been able to afford very little library service.
The Stanford Union School
pupils through the tenth grade, and then sends them to the Pine Plains Central School. In 1933-34 there were six teachers, and 130 pupils in attend ance. The school has no library, and no librarian, but book col lections in each room are administered by the teachers. Alto takes
gether the school has 587 books.
The first and
second grades have
fifty-one books, but none
of them are picture books. Children may take them home when they learn to read.
The third and fourth grades have fifty-four books which the children may read in school when their work is done, and which they may take home
if
they are doing satisfactory school
work. are
The fifth and sixth grades have eighty-five books which read in school and at home by about half the class. The
64 Standard library
organization,
p. 30.
teacher tries to stimulate their interest in books by reading aloud to the class.
In
the seventh and eighth grades are more than a hundred books which students read when their work is done, and which they may take home.
The high school
has 158 books,
of which sixty-six are for
The school used
the English course, and several magazines.
to
borrow from the Millbrook library until 1934 when the Millbrook library stopped lending books to schools outside the town. Every year, however, it borrows a state traveling library. Books are shelved wherever there is room for them in the English
The English teacher requires that students read a month, and will give an "A" to anyone who reads and
classroom. book a
reports briefly on four books a month or twenty books a year. He gives library instruction informally to his classes.
A
community library for adults and children was started
in the school building in 1934-35, and
is being
well patronized
by the students.
The books should be brought together into one library room. They should be administered by a trained librarian, who would stimulate the children's reading by booktalks, book dis plays, library hours, and by personally directing the reading of each child, and who would make available for each teacher the books and other materials dealing with the subjects taught by her. The school should spend more money on books, for a standard collection in a school of this size should contain one thousand books.85
Red Hook Public Library Red Hook is an incorporated village of 996 persons, located in a region of small fruit farms in the northwestern cor ner of the county. Though many wealthy families own estates on the Hudson, none of the estates stretch 65 Standard library organization,
p. 25.
53
as
far back from the
Red Hook. The village is a small agricultural village, and not very rich. Many Polish, Czech, Croat, and Italian families have taken farms in the neighborhood and are prosper ing by dint of hard work. The Red Hook Public Library is supported by a small vil river
as
lage tax of $250. Most of the borrowers live in the village. Unless they are students at the village high school, outsiders must pay
A
a fee
of one dollar
a
year, or fifty cents for six months.
few people come to the library from
Milan, Rock City,
and
Elizaville and in 1933, fifteen people came from Upper Red Hook. Like all the librarians in the small libraries of the county, the one in Red Hook has had no professional training, but at tends the library institutes held for two days each year some where in the county, and conducted by
a
representative of the
Library Extension Division. The library occupies two rooms on the second floor of a building on the corner of the two main streets of Red Hook. On entering, the borrower finds himself in a room which is filled to overflowing with books. The building fund is too small for the construction of
new library, and the trustees may not use it for ordinary improvements. The librarian has put around the a
room signs requesting silence and careful handling of books, and has arranged a display of books. The library contains 3,923 books.
The librarian makes her
purchases several times a year, selecting the titles from standard book lists, and from the preferences of borrowers. She sub scribes to no magazines, and mends books herself.
She
will buy, or borrow from the
Library, any nonfiction books which a borrower requests, and which the library does not already have. She has bought several books for people representing the Upper Red Hook Historical Club and Upper State
Red Hook Parent-Teacher Association. She does little refer ence work as she is limited by lack of reference books. The cir culation in 1933-34 was 4, 446 books. 54
In
1933 and 1934 more than
one-third of the new books
were for children ; but the librarian believes the school library has more money and is better equipped to give the
The children
vice.
use the public
children ser
library more in summer when
the school is closed.
The list of new books is published in the local paper. The library needs more money for books in order to give new building or redecoration of the present rooms is necessary if the library is to be made more
better service.
Either
a
As the school has not the funds nor the equipment to give adequate service, the school and library should cooperate closely in order to supply the children with enough books. attractive.
Red Hook High School library
The Red Hook High School
has both elementary and sec
ondary departments. In 1933-34, it had thirteen teachers and 261 pupils in average daily attendance. It employs a teacherlibrarian who has a school librarian's permanent certificate, and gives an hour and a half a day to library work. The library is on the second floor of the building in a small classroom. There are 1,754 books in the library. The librarian selects them by asking the teachers in September for the books they need in their classes, and by checking approved lists. The verti cal file contains pamphlets and pictures filed by subject. The to use
librarian borrows a state traveling library every year, and on her teacher's card at the Albany Public Library she may borrow twenty more books.
Students at the school, whether they are residents of the town or not, may borrow books free at the public
library.
The librarian
teaches
English for five periods
a
day, and
in the library for two. She is assisted by fourteen students who have volunteered to help her, and who have formed a is
Library Club. They meet monthly, and 55
at those times receive
They take charge of the library
instruction from the librarian.
before and after school, at noon, and the last period in the day. They are responsible for the book displays, and for an assembly once a month.
They also give
a tea
to the Parent-Teacher
Association.
During the periods when the library is used no students may use the books.
as a
classroom,
They may come in freely dur
ing the library period, the last period in the day. In 1933-34 the total circulation was 1,932 volumes. Though they read mostly for pleasure, they also do required reading for English, Re history, Latin, general science, and physical geography. quired reading lists are posted on the bulletin board. Students receive library instruction in their English classes from the teacher and the librarian.
The librarian
has no time
for person
ally helping students with their reading, except through the Book Club and her English classes.
All ries.
the grades below the high school have classroom libra The librarian selects the books. At present about two-
fifths of the book fund is spent building up these collections. Each teacher is responsible for the reading in her room. In library table. The teachers ask for collateral reading, and permit the children to read when they have finished their work. In the seventh and eighth grade every room where possible there is
a
for example, there are two medium-sized bookcases. Though the room is crowded, place has been made for a library room,
table on which history books, texts, and fiction are attractively arranged. Seventh and eighth grade children may also use the high school library. The library contains no books on education for the teach
The Library Club carries on any publicity that is needed. The school library should be kept in a larger room which is not used as a classroom, and which can be kept open all day by members of the Library Club. The librarian should have more ers.
time in which to stimulate the interest of teachers and pupils in 56
the library by helping them to find the books that are particu larly interesting to them, and the material that can be used in connection with the various subjects. There should be a trained person to supervise the classroom libraries, and to see that the
children in the elementary department get adequate service, so that they come to high school with a real interest in books and with a knowledge of how to use them.
Rural elementary schools in the towns of Rhinebeck and Red Hook
In
the rural areas around Red
Hook there are great con
trasts in the amount of library service received by the school
children. Teachers in one-room rural schools in the town of Rhinebeck who feel rushed in trying to cover the curriculum and who have little knowledge of library methods, spend only a small amount of time encouraging the children's reading. In two-room school in Upper Red Hook, one teacher because of her enthusiasm for books has been able to build up a real library service for her pupils. a
The Upper Red Hook school in district 6 of the town of Red Hook is a fairly large two-teacher school with an attend ance of fifty-four pupils. The school added forty-four books to collection in 1933-34, making a total collection of 326 vol umes. The teacher of the fifth through the eighth grades is very much interested in the use of books in the school. She its
keeps the book collection in two bookcases with open shelves and sometimes puts out small collections of books on the table
in the front of the room. Last year the teacher purchased books with a European background, and this year books with an Amer ican background in order to build up the collection. She does not borrow the traveling libraries because in the twenty-five books sent there are so few of the books asked for. She has, however, borrowed slides from Albany. 57
Last year in order to
make the collection more attractive she borrowed
books from
the children's families.
The teacher counts
part of the creative work of the chil dren the books they read. They may read whenever they finish a lesson. Almost all of them take books home over weekends. as
One girl read over forty books last year. In the teacher's opinion she is the only one whose reading was up to that of city children. She finds the others are reading more as the new books come in.
The teacher
is able to borrow
professionally
from Bard
College, which lends to a limited few outside the college. There is a public library in Red Hook two or three miles distant, which charges a dollar membership fee to all who live outside the vil lage except those children who are attending the Red Hook of the interest of this teacher in books, the Parent-Teacher Association is thinking of using the storage closet of the school for a community library. The local Grange
High School.
Because
and the local historical club both borrow traveling libraries from the state. The book facilities in the community are limited, and there is much interest stimulated by the upper grade teacher in anything that will bring the community more books.
The district
3
school has two teachers and an attendance
pupils. In the school is an unheated room containing 1 ,060 books which used to serve as a library to the community. Even in the last few years it was used by the children in the summer
of
2
1
time, but it is used only by the school now. According to the teachers it is not a reading community. The library room is congested with school materials, making it hard to find the books that are really good. A few books are kept in the classrooms, but these are mostly readers.
The school buys additional readers
rather than general and supplementary books.
It
bought ten in
1933-34. The children borrow books fairly regularly, accord ing to the teachers. The other districts in Rhinebeck visited had small one-teacher schools.
District
1
has a school
with an attendance of 58
9
pupils.
The
book collection which contains 320 volumes is kept in several locked bookcases. The teacher does not use the state traveling
libraries or the Rhinebeck public library books for she feels she has better books in the school. Last year about eight to ten children took home about sixty books. The school in district 4 has an attendance of 10 pupils. The school library is kept in several locked bookcases, and con tains 496 volumes. The teacher borrows some books for the children from the Rhinebeck library and gets books for her own reading from there. The teacher did not know she could borrow books from the state.
The school in district
6 has 13
pupils in attendance. The
school library is kept in two locked cases which are almost never opened and it contains 1 92 volumes. The school has bought no books
since
the
teacher
or
the
school
superintendent
can
remember.
In pupils ;
1933-34 the district 7 school had an attendance of 11 and in 1934-35 of twenty or more. As a result the
teacher feels overworked,
and limited in the number of things
she can teach outside of subjects required in the syllabus. The 251 books are kept in a locked bookcase. They are used infre
quently. Neither the teacher nor the children go to the Rhine beck library. District 8 has a school with an attendance of 10 pupils. The collection of books containing 320 volumes is kept in several bookcases
with doors, but not locked.
The teacher conducts
a
library period every day, and asks for reports on reading weekly. The children seldom take the books home. The teacher was interested to know of the possibility of borrow twenty-minute
ing books from the state. She does not use the Rhinebeck library, but gets professional material from New Paltz. The school in district 9 is small, having attendance of only
children. The 236 books are kept in unlocked cases. The children may use them between lessons or take them home. 3
59
The teacher supplements the collection by borrowing some from the Rhinebeck library. She does not talk much about the books to the children.
She believes that the school readers offer good
literature.
In
district
10, the school has an attendance
The teacher borrows books from Rhinebeck
of
pupils. for her own per 9
sonal reading. She keeps the bookcases unlocked and allows the children to read between lessons, but she thinks the children have read the books in the collection that are at
all interesting.
She reads aloud to the children for twenty minutes daily. She was interested in borrowing slides from the state to supplement her own collection, and in borrowing state traveling libraries.
The district
school has an attendance of
1 1
1
2
pupils.
The
recent graduate of New Paltz where she took a brief library course. She keeps the 242 books in the collection neatly teacher is
a
arranged on shelves with attractive cloth curtains. She pur chased six books in 1933-34. She was interested to learn she could borrow books from the state for the school. the children to read
a
book
a
month.
She requires Both she and the children
borrow from the Rhinebeck library. Pawling Public Library Pawling, a village of 1 ,204 inhabitants, in the southeastern corner of the county, has a tradition stressing importance of education, given it by the Quakers who settled here. Since their split on religious doctrine, the center of trade has moved from the top of Quaker
Hill
down to the village on the railroad in the valley. At present, New Yorkers purchasing country homes here, and retired teachers, farmers and business men, moving into the neighborhood, have given it a reputation for interest in here,
as
A
summer theatre has been organized has one in Millbrook. There is not here the wealth of
educational
pursuits.
Millbrook, nor do the village people look to the city people much for financial aid. Pawling has little industry except for 60
as a
milk factory and a laundry. It is primarily an agricultural vil lage. It has a small, but growing Italian population, who tend now not to farm as they used to, but to work on the railroad.
The Pawling Public Library is supported by a small town tax of $155. Most of the borrowers are villagers. A few come to the library from Patterson, and one or two from Towners or
Poughquag. As there is no one person employed as librarian, a women's committee is in charge, each member in turn super vising the library. The committee usually go to Poughkeepsie for the library institute. The head of the committee is for con venience designated the librarian.
The library
in
is located
a
small, simply furnished room on
the second floor of the firehouse.
It
is across the street and the
railroad tracks from the main stores of the village. It contains 3,133 volumes. The librarian selects the books from approved lists, from the expression of preference of the borrowers, and sometimes with the aid of the president of the board of trustees. She buys chiefly novels and books of biography, history, and travel. She subscribes to no magazines, but she has a number of pamphlets on local history. times
a
Books are purchased three or four
year, and none are rebound.
the State
Library to fill
a
The librarian borrows from
special request, and once or twice she
has asked for books from Poughkeepsie or New York. The library has almost no call for reference work because it cannot
afford to build up a reference collection. The Shakespeare Club, the only literary club in town, use the Poughkeepsie library and the traveling libraries from Albany. They use the local library as individuals for recreational reading.
The librarian
limit for children's joining the library. She buys recreational books for all boys and girls who can read, but she cannot afford books from which they can do has set no age
their school work. The children use the library particularly when the schools are closed. In 1933, the library had a circula tion of 5,771 books.
Because
of the lack of books in the library, the librarian
makes no effort to attract more readers.
She feels she cannot
afford to increase the demand for books.
Though this library is in one of the larger villages of the county, and though it is supported by the town, it is one of the it,
and poorest financially. It has no private funds to support to give adequate the library the town tax very small. is
is
If
it
must have adequate backing. The library should in crease the number of children's books, and should try to supple service,
ment the school collection.
As both the school and the public
library have inadequate means, only close cooperation between them will give the children adequate reading resources. By more active borrowing from the state, the collection of books can be supplemented sufficiently to attract more readers.
Pawling High School library
The Pawling High School
has both elementary
and sec
librarian's limited certificate, and gives about three hours to library work.
The library
a
a
it
had sixteen teachers and ondary departments. In 1933-34, school 406 pupils in attendance. The teacher-librarian has day
a
is
small room adjoining the study hall on the second floor of the building. It contains about 1,400 books. The librarian selects from approved lists titles of books to be purchased for the library, and sends them to the teachers for in
The history teacher herself selects the books for the history collection. The librarian takes seven and corrections.
teen magazines, and
is
additions
beginning
to gather picture and pam
phlet material.
in
Students must get permit slips from the teacher charge of study hall in order to come into the library. The number using the library each period depends on the teacher.
They may The
freely borrow and return books before and after school. 62
librarian teaches English five periods a day, and is in the library the three remaining periods. Three post graduate students assist her, and a teacher is in the library for two of the periods while she is teaching. English students meet in the library for seven recitation periods a year to receive library instruction. Students
in English i and
book every other week, and those in English 3 and 4 must read eight or nine books a year. The librarian has all the freshmen and sophomores in her 2
are required to read
a
English classes, and is able personally to follow their reading. Every week she asks for oral or written book discussions. The biology teacher assigns some books to be read in the library. Lists of books for business English are posted in the library. In general, the English, biology, and history books are used more than the other non-fiction. About half the reading done is recreational.
The children in the elementary department
use the books
in their classroom libraries, which are organized and adminis tered by the school librarian though she has little time in which to do this. Seventh and eighth grade children may use the school library. About one-third of the book fund is used in pur chasing books for the grades, and at present they have in about three hundred books. Occasionally paper.
all
there are book reviews in the high school
During Book Week, the English teachers conduct book
contests, and talks.
The school should have
larger library room near the study hall so that students might use the library more freely. It should contain about two thousand books.68 If the children a
in the elementary department are to receive adequate library service, they should have access to more books under the super vision of a trained librarian who
will have time to introduce
them to books, to teach them the use of books and libraries, and 66 Standard library
organization, p. 30.
63
to help the teachers find the library material they need in teach
ing various subjects.
Rural elementary school in the town of Pawling The district Quaker
Hill
21 pupils.
3
school, located in a rich district on top of
in 1933-34 of A good collection, numbering 262 books, is kept in has one teacher and an attendance
storeroom opening off the main schoolroom. In the school room itself are two library tables, on which are laid the latest a
of four children's magazines. Near one table is a low hanging bookcase with picture books and easy readers. The teacher selects the books from the state book lists. She bought four books in 1933-34. Because the collection is more adequate than that of most rural schools, the teacher does not borrow books from the state. Both she and the children use the Quaker issues
Hill
library. The children may take books out whenever they want. They report on their recreational reading in their English class, and for history and geography they are assigned collateral read ing.
They take books home frequently. Summary of survey of library service
In
general, the most noticeable features of the libraries in Dutchess County is the fact that they serve small communities."
Two of the public and association libraries are located in cities, one is in a village with a population of 3,336, and four in vil lages of between 1 ,200 and 1 ,600. The twelve remaining districts have less than one thousand population.88 each
For this reason, the actual number of people using
library is small. Outside of the two city libraries, four have
more than 400 borrowers and thirteen less than 400. 67 See Map p. 115. 68 All statistics given in this chapter
are taken
from the tables, pp. 97-113.
64
Those
who use the library use it frequently. Only two libraries of the sixteen, whose figures are available on this point, report a cir culation per registered borrower which is below the state stand ard.69
Many of the libraries are open only
a
few hours each
Seven are open for less than ten hours a week, and seven are open for more than twenty. In the book collections them
week.
selves, the deficiency is in variety of books and new books rather than in numbers. Only seven libraries have less than the num ber of books considered by the state the minimum collection for adequate library service. Considering the size of the communi ties served the libraries receive a fair income. But when the in come is divided into new books, salary, rent, and repairs it does not bring in large returns. Twelve of the libraries added less than 200 books in 1933-34, and eleven report that they buy books only three or four times a year. While four libraries pay out $ 1 ,000 or more in salaries, nine pay under $200 a year. The
libraries in the villages of Staatsburg and Hyde Park are not free libraries, but charge all users a nominal fee of one or two dollars a year. The Blodgett Memorial Library in Fishkill was built and given to the village which will contribute a large share of its support. The Starr Institute library in Rhinebeck, and the
Morton Memorial library in Rhinecliff are part of
larger institutes which were given to the village and endowed. In the case of the Morton Memorial, the library is part of a community center. On the other hand, the Dover Plains library was built up by "benefits" and by small gifts from the farmers and residents of the village. The bandstand was made over into a library by free labor.
The people who
use the
libraries read primarily popular
Among the fifteen libraries whose figures are available, only two reported that the non-fiction circulation was greater than that considered standard by the state, and six reported nonfiction.
69
The Library Extension Division has worked out standards of library it can estimate the quality of service given by any library.
65
service
by which
fiction circulations of less than ten per cent of the total circulation.
Two of the fifteen libraries reported
a
circulation of children's
books greater than the state standard for their libraries, and six reported children's circulation of less than 20% of the total circulation.
The Arlington Free Library
has
built up a large
39.8% of the total. The thirty-three large elementary and secondary schools in the county are similar in size. Only nine have over 500 children's circulation:
pupils.
Their libraries have in general few books. They have
of the free libraries and have not received so many gifts of books. Sixteen out of twentyeight who keep such records do not spend the fifty cents per pupil, considered the minimum amount that will provide enough been started more recently than many
new books to keep the collection fresh and interesting.70 Ar rangements are such in most schools that the librarians may buy books only once or twice a year, and are unable to take advan tage of bargains or to tempt the non-readers with new books in the middle of the term.
It
generally held that the school should spend $40 yearly on periodicals. However, eighteen of the thirty-three schools subscribe to less than eight periodicals. Thirteen out of the thirty-three schools have librarians for three is
or less hours daily, and ten have no librarians.
Twelve of the
schools have no separate library room, but use classrooms or the
In
pupils may not go into the library in free time because of the lack of space. In other cases the pupil is scheduled in the library at certain times for classes, study hall, or library period. Out of the eighteen school libraries which keep statistics of circulation, eight have a circulation per capita of teachers and pupils of under ten books. Out of the study hall.
some cases
nine school libraries in Poughkeepsie having such records, only two have a circulation of under ten books per capita.71
Although the rural schools often have more books per pupil 70 Standard library organization, 71 See Map, p. 118.
p. 23.
66
than do city schools, actually they often contain many worn or out of date books, and they offer a smaller selection. They add
infrequently. Ninety-six out of 147 rural schools bought no books in 1933-34. Today one of the major problems facing country life is isolation from the thought and emotions of others. Books bor books to their collection
rowed from a library are an economical and effective bridge between men of diverse ideas. For this reason the country should have rather more than less books than the city. In a rich county such as Dutchess, the wide discrepancy shown in the library service between city and country will be seen to demand a reconstruction of the library facilities, to make possible a larger book supply and a wider distribution of books.
67
CHAPTER V Library Service Given
by
Other
Agencies
Rental libraries
In
discussing the public and school libraries in the county, the question naturally arises whether people are not in the habit
of securing books from other places. There are many stores where for a few cents a day one may rent books. Do people In order use these rental libraries instead of public libraries? to answer this question, the writer with the assistance of Irma Boericke and Ethel Stacy, two students in the department of Economics and Sociology at Vassar College, made a study of Poughkeepsie to determine from what parts of the city the peo ple came who borrowed books from the rental libraries in the two leading department stores, Luckey, Piatt & Co., and The Wallace Co., and from what the adults came who used the Adriance
Memorial
libraries in the
city.72
Library and its branch, the two public Because other rental libraries kept so few
records, they could not be used for the study. As rental libraries have very few children's books, it was not thought necessary to
study the addresses of the children using the public library. It was found at once that the public library has many more bor rowers than the rental libraries. While the two department stores had together 1,300 borrowers, the public
library had, in
cluding children, 13,000. The rental library book collections in the department stores together had about one thousand books. The Adriance library had eighty thousand. The rental libraries had books of
a
popular nature, little non-fiction, few books pub
lished more than two years ago, and practically
no children's
books.
After determining the rate per thousand population of the 72 Rental & Public Library
Maps, p. 123.
68
borrowers from rental or public libraries for each census district, the following facts came to light. Both the public and rental libraries were used by more people living in a district where there was a high percentage of native born whites than in a dis
trict containing many negroes and foreigners.73 It was also true in both cases that people of a higher economic status tended to read more than those on a lower level. The rental libraries were used mostly by people from the most prosperous sections of the city, and little by people from the poor districts. While the same fact was true of the public library, the concentration was not nearly so marked. The people from the wealthy dis tricts used the library less, and the people with moderate and low incomes used it more. It was also noticed that a larger pro
portion of rental library borrowers than public library borrowers lived outside the city limits. In fact very few outside the city use the city library.74
Public and institutional libraries
It
has been shown that people use the rental libraries much
public library, and that they can use them only for books with popular appeal. Are there other book collections
less than the
such as those belonging to various organizations which may take
the place of
a
The Boy Scouts have book collec dignified by the name of "library," according to
public library?
tions, not to be 73 These facts were
determined by studying in conjunction with the maps showing the rate of the borrowers from rental or public libraries for each census district, maps showing socio-economic areas in Poughkeepsie and areas inhabited by negroes and people of different nationalities. 74 See maps five and six in the appendix, which show the rate of rental and public library borrowers per thousand population. In finding these rates, the 726 active borrowers of the rental library in Luckey, Piatt & Company, and the $78 active borrowers of the one in the Wallace Company were charted according to the census district in which they lived. For the second map, a sample of the 7,160 borrowers in the Adriance Memorial Library was taken, and was considered to be representative of all. Every twelfth adult borrower of the main and branch libraries was selected, and these were charted according to the census district in which they lived. After compiling these rates, the rate per thousand population was found for each district for first rental library borrowers and then public library borrowers. per thousand population
69
the Scout executive.
These collections vary in size, containing
never more than a few hundred
books, and are made up
of
books donated chiefly from various attics in the community. Clinton Corners has a collection which includes books discarded
from the Adriance library, and which serves to some extent as a library for the community. A past chairman of the Sunday School Association stated that not over ten per cent of the Sun of providing peo ple with books, "they had passed out of the picture." The Y. M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. reported a few hundred books day Schools had libraries, and that
as a means
in no way could take the place of the Poughkeepsie library. Lincoln Center, a settlement house, has two hundred books, but the children use the city library for the most part. each, which
The Jewish Center
hundred books, and is planning to increase the number. However, the Jews in the city make more use of the collection of Jewish books in the city library. has five
Hospitals, homes for the aged or for orphans, and similar institutions report that they have often small collections of books for the use of the inmates, which are supplemented in some cases by public library books.
In
questioning
the Catholic schools
about the size of their book collections, the amount of their use by people outside the school, it was found that in general they had collections of a few hundred books which could be used
only by those connected with the school. One large school, the Novitiate of St. Andrew-on-Hudson, reported a library of fifty thousand volumes, and stated that it makes its books available to anyone through the Adriance Memorial Library.
The private
schools in the county, replying to the same questions, reported libraries of several thousand books, but only one reported that people outside the school might use them.
In
this case, the
school, a small one near Poughquag, borrows a traveling library from Albany, but as the school is located far from the village, few people use it.
The libraries
at
Bard College and Vassar
College loan books to a few county people, such 70
as
ministers and
teachers, who have special interests and who cannot easily get the books they want elsewhere.
As the Lynds pointed out in Middletown, reading in gen eral, outside of Bibles and school books, means reading the pub lic library books.75 The purchase of books by individuals is not great and does not fill the need.76 Where public libraries have inadequate resources, or where they do not serve people, there is no evidence that other sources are adequately supplying the
people with books. 75 76
Lynd, p. 230. Fair, p. 51.
71
CHAPTER VI Conclusions and Recommendations The need for the extension of library service to the rural areas
After studying
first the development
of public library
facilities in urban districts, and then the comparatively recent attempts to extend library service to rural areas, one is immedi ately impressed with the fact that, while various ways of extend ing the service have been proved effective, the actual establish ment of the libraries necessary to accomplish this has been slow. The inequalities in library service for country people as compared to that for city people still need to be eradicated.
Dutchess
County is no exception to the nation-wide condition. The rural residents of Dutchess County want books as much as do people elsewhere.
At the present time
at least three
small rural com
munities are making considerable effort in order to establish small and pitifully inadequate libraries to provide more books.
Reading seems to be a taste acquired by contact with books. Cer tainly the statistics of the good libraries which serve rural areas show that contact with books has been developing a desire to read on the part of many country people, who previously read little.
The
fact that nearby
villages, the Boy Scout troop, the Sun day School, or the public school have libraries from which books may be borrowed is not enough to induce the farmer to read. Organizations and institutions have in general only small collec tions for the use of their members.
Many people feel
a certain
diffidence about using the school library which is open to the public, and this attitude results in their asking the children to
bring books home, rather than going to the library themselves. Both borrowing books from rental libraries and purchasing books are expensive for the rural people. The traveling libraries office is too small, too remote from the people requesting them to 7*
supply all the books asked for and to send them at once. These sources of books do not fill the need.
The present village libraries are not serving the rural pop ulation. Most of the libraries charge yearly fees of one or two dollars to those living outside the area supporting the library. With the exception of the Poughkeepsie city library, none main a
it,
tain branches or stations. Because so few people living any dis the state requires tance from a library use library to count 77
stations.
Subtracting
the population
served,
as
defined
by
is
it
the population served
it
only the city or village in which has branches or deposit located, or the communities in which as
the
a
state, from the total population of the county we find that pop ulation of 68,936 or 65% of the county, receive library service,
and 36,526 or 35% of the county do not.
In
response to the question: "How many registered bor rowers live outside the village?" the Millbrook library reported
by
by
230, and three schools, the Wappingers library 150, and the others reported that comparatively few from outside the village used the library. The nineteen libraries in the county are used at the most fifteen hundred non-residents of the communities in which the libraries are located, or, in other words, less than five per cent of the total unserved population.78 Some may say that either doing away with membership fees, or enlarging the area taxed to support each library to in
will enable the library to serve the rural areas. An examination of the table in footnote No. 78 will show that, clude the town,
It
a
served" refers to the area whose inhabitants may minimum of effort. The actual number of people they please with borrowers and make use of the library served who are registered makes different figure. A library serves an area when possible for everyone equally to use the library with ease. The people who actually take advantage of the offered be explained the "population
and who use the library
is a
will
always
be only
offered.
78 See next page for table.
73
a
it
if
service
is
service
it
must
use the library in the population
a
77
village who may use the village library more than those who must pay fee, still they a
freely do use
it
while non-residents of
part
of the population to whom the
(See Chart
Total Borrowers (see Chart 1)
Population Served
Sources :
I,
p. 97-101)
Amenia Amenia Dover Dover Plains
FiihkUl Fishkill
$1.00 outside town
JOO
340
".933
3.99°
$1.00 outside town $2.00 outside town
S«
Hyde Park Hyde Park Staatsburg
Fees
(Questionnaire)
186
90O
Beacon
Membership
307
9JO
82
600
30
1,296
926
919
83S
1,204
315
.48
148
$1.00 outside village $1.00 for everyone $2.00 for everyone
Washington
Millbrook Northeast
Millerton Pawling Pawling Quaker Hill Pine Plains Pine Plains Pleasant Valley Pleasant Valley Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie
Arlington Red Hook Red Hook
Tivoli Rhinebeck Rhinebeck Rhinecliff Wappinger Wappingers Falls
Total population Total
200 ?
1,209
440 40,288
178 13,188
77S
343
996
193
7>3
270
1,569
630
608
174
3.336
9S6
served- — 68,936
population not served
$1.00 outside town Free $1.00 outside
town
Free Free $1.00 deposit for summer people $ 1.00 town $2.00 outside
Free $1.00 outside
village
Free $2.00 outside town Free Free
or 65% of the population of the county. or 35% of the population of the
— 36,526
county.
Total number of library borrowers in the county — 23,293 Estimated number of library borrowers in rural areas — 1,500, or less than 5% of the unserved population. Subtracting 1,500 from 23,293 we get 21,793 the number of borrowers in served areas, or 32% of the served population.
74
Non-residents served by the library (Questionnaire)
Population Not Served (The population of the town minus the popula tion of communities with libraries)
"Summer Residents" in the town of Amenia
1,069
"A
3,275
few from adjoining town" villages
51 from neighboring 31 outside village
2,337 few
1,888
few 230 people
A
and
3 schools
from the town and from Copake. from the town and about 5 from Putnam County. "Only the neighborhood" few
1,200
Some
1,039
"Only town residents" Some residents
of town of Pleasant Valley and
an occasional
summer
resident.
1,080
from Connecticut, Dutchess County, and Ulster County. "High school students" Mostly high school students and people from Upper Red Hook. very few 100
few
11,060 1,695
791
few 150 from neighboring
villages.
I>6I9
In estimating the number of library borrowers in rural areas, the writer used the figures given in answer to the questionnaire concerning the population served by the library outside the village and in the town, and the population served in the town. Where no exact figure was given, the writer estimated the number on the basis of the total number of reg istered borrowers and of the number of non-residents using other libraries.
75
find it hard to get to the library and only few in proportion to the total population become registered borrowers. Residents of a town who are supporting by tax the village library should cer
tainly enjoy the same ease of access to the library that the vil lagers do. Yet if we find the percentage of the total population of the town using the library, we will see that it is far below the standard percentage set by the state for a population of that size.
This statement of the lack of reading facilities in the rural parts of the county, may seem to lay the fault at the doors of the
village libraries. That is not the writer's intention, and is far from the truth. The flaw is not in the local libraries, in the librarians, nor in the boards of trustees. On the contrary, they are giving remarkably good service.
The librarians are working
devotedly for very little compensation, and in two cases library committees perform the duties of librarian without pay. They
supply many people in the villages with a good selection of the recent fiction and non-fiction. They have some fine children's books. Almost all of them take a number of magazines. While their reference books, and their books on special subjects are limited, the librarians will borrow books requested from Albany. The flaw is rather in a system which allows a thickly settled urban district with high property values to raise several thousand dolState standard
79 Towns supporting a village library by town tax
No. of Population of the town
registered
borrowers
Amenia
1,969
186
Millerton Pawling
2,119
835
2.39ÂŤ 1,520
3iS
Pleasant Valley
Arlington
178
Percent of the population of town registered as borrowers in the village library
76
size registered in the village library
9% 39%*
45% 45% 45% 45% 35% 30%
13% 12% 5%
6.354t 343 io,436t Wappingers Falls 936 9% The Millerton Library keeps a record of all the borrowers who rather than a list of the borrowers using the library at the present t As the Arlington and Wappingers Falls libraries are both supported ship of Poughkeepsie, they are here counted as serving one-half of township apiece.
for the percent of the population of a town of similar
have
ever
registered,
time. by a tax on the town the population of the
lars to support a library which can supply technical books for business men, professional books for teachers, books in foreign languages and so on, and which permits a small village to scrape together only a few hundred dollars for a library which can do
little more than supply some popular books for recreational reading which will suit the tastes of the majority. The outstanding needs of the existing libraries
To develop greater library funds
is the first requirement
for improving the service in Dutchess County. Because of in sufficient funds, the libraries cannot employ trained librarians in all cases, nor can they purchase as many new books as the state considers necessary for good library service. The result is that people do not know what they can get from larger libraries.
They do not know that books can answer questions as well as entertain. They do not turn to books to learn about things, or to learn how to do things. They do not expect that the library will serve the schools, the institutions, and the various clubs and
other organizations in the villages. Any program of adult edu cation in the libraries is almost completely lacking. The reading of non-fiction is lower in general than the standard set by the state for libraries of this size. There are few children's books, and the number of these books read yearly is below the state
There is little cooperation between many of the pub lic libraries and the schools. Furthermore there is little publicity about the contents of the libraries or about the activities in which standard.80
they engage. Usually the list of new books and a few news notes during the year appear in the local paper. In other words, the inadequate funds are the cause of the lack in most libraries of educational program, and of the extension of the library services outside the walls of the building.
In
the monograph
80 See Statistics,
on The Secondary School Library in
pp. 97-113.
77
the National Survey of Secondary Education, which reports the results of a survey of the libraries in three hundred and ninety schools in all parts of the United States, it is stated that the librarians,
teacher-librarians,
and principals
were agreed that
the enrichment of the school curriculum and the provision of
a
good use of leisure time were the two most important functions of a school library. It is also stated that inadequate facilities and inadequate staff were the chief problems with which these libraries had to contend.81 In general, in Dutchess County, the same needs are found.
School librarians who have not had much
training and who have little time to give to the library cannot build up to a great extent the use of books for either supple menting the studies or for recreational reading. Short library hours and teaching duties on the part of the librarian permit little opportunity for close contact between librarian and stu dent.
All
through the county, the elementary grades are given little service. Children are not trained in reading until they
high school, where other habits and other activities tend to dissipate any growing interest in books. Lack of funds for books and for full-time librarians is hampering public school come to
libraries.
A
of schools in New York State made a study of the number of books read by the children in all the schools in one township after he had persuaded his school trus superintendent
tees and teachers
school libraries. a month apiece.
farm boy or
to purchase a number of new books for
the
He found that they had read well over a book At this rate, he determined that an average
girl would read about three hundred and
ninety
books during his or her school years in the first eight grades.82 Of the rural elementary schools in this county, only fifteen per cent have 300 or more books.
Almost half the rural libraries
81 Johnson,
B. L. The secondary school library. (In U. S. Department of the Interior, of Education. National survey of education. Washington, 1933. Bulletin, 1932, number 17. Monograph number 17.) p. 103. 82 See footnote bottom next page. Office
78
contain less than 200 books.83 These libraries need to be cleared
of old, worn, and out of date material which make the collec tions unattractive. New books are badly needed in order to freshen the collection with material at which the children have not been looking for some years. Only thirty-five per cent of the schools added any new books in 1933. Attractive library corners with library tables, and open shelves are needed to dis
play the books, and to draw the children's attention to them. More careful records of the books should be kept.
All
the libraries, public and school, need more money, or backing of some sort, if they are to provide librarians with enough time and training, and if they are to supply enough books to give service similar to that taken for granted in large cities.
A county library as the solution
The solution of this condition
is a
library supported by
a
large area which can give rural libraries the backing they need, and which can distribute books to unserved areas. It should be a public library serving the entire county, and reaching everyone in it. It should lend books to the present libraries, place book collections in
all rural schools, and establish book stations in
It
should purchase a book truck with which to reach remote communities, and with which to exchange books between collections. It should be so set up that the trained libra rian, or librarians, on the staff are in as close touch with the peoevery community.
82 Felton,
Bulletin.
R. A.,
and Marjorie Beal. Ithaca, New York, 1929. Age of pupils
The library of the open road. Cornell Bulletin 188, November 1929. p. 29. Books read in 1Y2 months
7 years 8 years 10 years 11 years 12 years
books
4^
books
7
books
5J^ books
14 years 15 years
of rural elementary
books
3
books
13 years
83 Statistics
5
schools,
p. 108-113.
79
20
books
60
books
Extension
possible. Local libraries should be encouraged in their service rather than taken over as branches of the larger system. pie
as
They are much more effective than book truck service can ever be. They should be built up in every way. For several reasons, the county seems the logical unit on which to base library service in Dutchess County.
As we have
seen in preceding chapters, school district libraries and regional
found successful elsewhere. Because the school districts in Dutchess County run from east to west across have been
libraries
the hills and are difficult to traverse, and because they cut across natural areas, library service based on the school district would be difficult to establish and develop.
Miss Helen Gordon Stewart, librarian of the Fraser Val ley demonstration in British Columbia, says that no public library can begin to serve the reading needs of a modern com munity without a broad range of books at its command and the resources for a constant flow of new material. Such a range is impossible with less than twenty thousand volumes, quite inde pendently of the number of people using them, and it can not be maintained on a budget of less than fifteen to twenty thousand
dollars
a
year. As a population of forty to fifty thousand persons
is required to raise such a budget, no public
library system serv ing rural areas should be planned for less than forty to fifty thousand people.84 However, physical barriers cut Dutchess off from other counties on the west, south, and east, and make the county a self-conscious unit.
While the county could join
with Columbia County to form a regional library, Dutchess County is already large enough to support a county library, and we have laws permitting the establishment of a county library, while there are none permitting the regional library.
The Education Law, section 118-b authorizes the
estab
lishment of three kinds of libraries: 84 Stewart,
Unit.
H. G. Advantages and Difficulties in the Administration of a Regional American Library Association. Bulletin, 28:606. September 1934. 80
Library
"(1) The
board of supervisors of each of the counties of the state is authorized and empowered to establish a free public county library hereby and to raise by tax upon the taxable property of said county such sums as shall be necessary for the maintenance of such library and the necessary sal aries and expenses of the county librarians and assistants; provided, how ever, that the amount of tax raised for the support of such county library shall not exceed in any one year one mill on each dollar of the actual valua tion of said taxable property as determined by the state tax department.
Whenever the board of supervisors by majority vote shall have authorized the establishment of a county library, as hereinbefore provided, it shall proceed to appoint five residents of the county living in different towns of the county as trustees of the county library. Within the limits of the ap propriations made by the board of supervisors, the said board of trustees of such free public county library shall also have the power and it shall be its duty to appoint a competent trained librarian and assistants and to estab lish the headquarters of the county library at the county seat or at some other point conveniently located within the county and to establish such branches and book stations as may be necessary and to provide one or more
of books, as they may deem desirable. (2) In lieu of establishing a county library system as herein provid ed, such board of trustees of any county library may contract with any pub lic or free library registered by the regents as maintaining proper stand ards for library service upon such terms and conditions within an amount appropriated by the board of supervisors and other available funds as may book trucks for the distribution
be agreed upon by the contracting parties and approved by the commis sioner of education.
(3) By vote of its board of supervisors any county may adopt a reso lution for the establishment and maintenance of a rural traveling library system for the free circulation of books from a conveyance equipped for the carriage and distribution of such books throughout the rural districts of such county and may appropriate annually money sufficient for the support and maintenance of such system." 85
In
each
of these cases the State Education Department is
empowered to supervise the county libraries established, to reg ister the ones meeting the state's standards, and to certify the county librarians.
Either of the first two types of county library service authorized may be adapted to Dutchess County. The third type, the rural traveling library, is not adequate to meet the needs in so large and densely populated a county. New Jersey 85
University of the State of New York. The State Education Department. Library Exten sion Division. Important Laws, Rules and Regulations Relating to Public Libraries and Free Libraries in New York State. Albany, n. d. Handbook 8, part L, p. 14-17-
8l
counties have libraries which are established
as separate
institu
Country people are apt to fear the domination of the city, and a separate library is not inclined to favor the city people at the expense of the country, and makes more effort to reach rural communities. On the other hand California counties tions.
large public library located in a central village or city. Thus they have more resources in books, library equip ment, personnel, and prestige at the beginning. Nor do they contract with
a
find that the city library necessarily serves the city better than the country. The important thing is to set up a library that will serve city and country with a minimum of discrimination and a maximum of efficiency.
The organization and administration of a county library
The headquarters of the library would
be
in the most stra
tegic position if they were placed in Poughkeepsie, which is the natural center of the county, which has the best marketing fa cilities, and which has the best transportation facilities.
A
Dutchess County
Library would then
be started by a
vote of the Board of Supervisors, and supported by a tax on property of not more than one mill on the dollar of the actual valuation.
Trustees appointed by the supervisors from different
towns would be responsible for the library.
They would
choose
the headquarters, probably selecting rooms in the county court house if any were available, or getting space near the Adri-
Memorial Library. In choosing the rooms, they would have to keep in mind that the library would receive and ship
ance
many books by mail, and that the book truck would be loaded
from the book-stock. The trustees would choose a county librarian carefully. It has been said that the librarian is three-fourths of the library. They would select someone with training, experience, an abun of enthusiasm, and the ability to cooperate with people. With her, they would select such other members of the staff as dance
82
they could afford at first. A library assistant to do some of the routine of cataloging books, answering reference questions, mailing books for which there had been special requests, getting books ready to send out on the book truck, and a helper to do the typing and clerical work, would be essential. They would free the county librarian for the work of establishing collections and stations where there were no libraries, and of making arrange ments for loaning existing libraries such books as they might want. The trustees would also purchase a book truck, with built-in shelves, and sides opening to permit people to look over they do in a library building. county library would serve Poughkeepsie and Beacon, the more rural parts of the county. It would offer to
the books and make selections
The as
well
as
as
the people of these cities a wider selection of books on special subjects, and of expensive and unusual books which are used
It
would help the city library meet the demands being made on it by the schools and by the children. It would serve rarely.
the cities only through the established libraries, and cooperate
with these libraries to give better service in any way possible. In the same way, the county library would operate only through the libraries in communities which had previously established them.
A
local library is much more valuable than
book truck service which comes once
a
month, or than a station
small collection of books in the charge of someone who has had little training or experience in library where there is only
a
work. For this reason, the county library would seek to build up local libraries in order to have as many large collections and as many trained librarians as possible near to the people. Each local library might receive as much service from the county as it desired. Some libraries would want to give the county the management of their funds in order to relieve them selves of financial worries and to benefit by the economy of central buying and cataloging of books. They would make their book collections available to be used by other libraries in the 83
county, so that books which have been read in that community, might be enjoyed in other communities instead of gathering dust on the shelves.
Other village public and free libraries would continue to operate with entire freedom from county control. Their income would not be reduced county appropriation
their support would not come only from but from local sources as well. These
as
libraries might receive many advantages free from the county
library if they so wished. They might borrow from the county library books which had been requested and which they did not have. They could borrow several hundred books at a time in order to increase their collections, and then every month or two exchange the ones that had been read by the community for new ones. They might ask the county library to purchase their books for them, in order to take advantage of the economy of buying
in quantity. They might also ask the county to catalog, classify, and prepare their books for use, freeing the local librarian for valuable contacts with the borrowers.
If
requests come in for
books needed for school work, for study clubs, or for other spe cial groups, the local librarian might expect the book truck to
deliver the books she needed to fill these requests promptly. She could also turn to the county librarian whenever she wished for advice or help in library matters. Each village library might receive such help
as
it wanted
from the county, or it might receive none if it wished. At the same time, each community would be offered a constant supply of new books,
larger selection of recreational books, books for people with special interests, more books telling people how to a
do things and answering questions, more encyclopedias and dic tionaries and other expensive books of which small libraries can have only a limited supply, more children's
books, books for
study clubs and schools, and books for organizations and institu tions in the community.
A library 84
supported by a county tax
could help a village library approximate city library service, if the village library so wished. In the parts of the county where there are no libraries, the county library would establish deposit collections wherever there was a person willing to look after them. On various maps
of the county, there are shown from seventy-five to one hundred Each of these could have its own twenty-five communities.89 book station of forty to a few hundred books, depending on the size of the community.
The book truck would visit
these com
munities every month or two, take away the books that had been read, and leave new ones. The custodian or borrowers might
If
select the books they wished from the shelves of the truck. they wished books the station did not have, a telephone message
to headquarters, or a post card would bring the books on the next visit of the truck, or by mail if they were desired immedi ately. Stations might be established in post offices, general stores, churches, garages, restaurants, homes, anywhere that people
would feel free to come. Farm homes not near communities might have their own collections for themselves and their neigh bors. Probably the custodians would not be paid, nor would the county pay the expenses of the local station. Certainly this could not happen at first. In a county like Dutchess where so many communities are supporting their own libraries already, there
would be less jealousy if the other communities were expected to provide a custodian and a place to keep the books. This could be done very inexpensively. Furthermore, many librarians feel that local communities appreciate more something for which they are at least partly responsible.
A county
library would be able to enrich school collections in the same way that it enriches collections of local libraries. Schools might ask the county to purchase and prepare their books for use, thus being able to purchase more books for the same 86 See map 2 in the appendix for library service, p. 115.
the
name
85
and
locations of communities now without
money, and freeing the busy librarian from much routine for more contact with the children. They might limit themselves to
borrowing from the library expensive or unusual books which they could not afford. They might ask the county to leave collec tions of books in the school to enlarge the meager library. Schools would keep their own collections intact, or they would turn the collections over to the county so that books not used in one school could be put to use in another. Elementary rural schools, and the elementary grades of village schools would ask for more books and more supervision because of their present lack of books.
The ideal arrangement would
be to have a trained school
librarian attached to the office of each of the four district super intendents to supervise the high school libraries, and to conduct library hours in the elementary grades and rural schools, and to in training the children to read for pleasure as well as for information in connection with school work. These librarians would work very closely with the county library, and would be assist
dependent on the county library for adequate book supplies to use for the rural children.
Failing this plan,
a trained school
librarian to do this work
for the whole county should be employed by the county library trustees. Her work could not have the thoroughness of that of the district librarian, for she would have more than one hundred
fifty schools outside of Beacon and Poughkeepsie to look after. Such school librarians with the facilities of the county library for securing good books equal in city and county, thus helping to equalize the educational opportunities in both places. could indeed make opportunities
Besides providing the residents of the county with books through public libraries, book stations, and schools, the county library would serve the county people through their organiza tions and institutions.
If the
Boy Scouts, the parochial schools, women's clubs, county agents, churches, homes for the aged or 86
for orphans, wanted books, an expression of this wish to the county library would bring service similar to that given to com munities. In fact, the county librarian would seek out the clubs and county officers and county organizations to bring to their attention books in their particular fields, and to show them how indispensable
a
library can be. The cost of a county library
Of
The Library Exten
course such a service is not free.
sion Division of the State Education Department suggests taking fifty cents per person in the area without library service as a basis
for the county library budget. This comes to $17,717.00. Cer tainly the library cannot live up to the service which has been
outlined above with a smaller budget. If it cannot live up to this service, it has not solved the problem of inadequate library service in the county, and the county will not be interested in
supporting it at all. If we compare this cost with the budgets of county libraries in the counties in New Jersey most nearly re sembling Dutchess in size and population, we find they receive about the same amount. Population
Place
Dutchess Co.,
N. Y.
Morris Co., N. J. Monmouth Co., N. Hunterdon Co., N. Newcastle Co., Del.
J. J.
Area
County library budget87
105,462
806 sq. mi.
110,1+5
475
147,281 34,728
475
161,032
435
437
" " " "
" " " "
$21,500(1933) $24,000
(1928)
$15,000
$13,500(1931)
87 These figures were obtained from annual reports of the libraries, and from the librarians Below is a detailed statement of at the time the writer visited them in August, 1934. the budgets of the two libraries serving counties most resembling Dutchess County.
Monmouth
—
Budget
Income $24,252.52 Itemized estimated account Salaries Telephone Books Periodicals and indexes Supplies
and
—
1928
Expenditure $24,314.00 $10,300 140 11,129 300
Printing
Furniture and equipment Truck, gas, oil, all repairs Travel Postage and freight Victrola records and pictures (Continued on the foot of the following 87
400 250 500 1 50 300 20 page)
$15,000
Budget
A
$15,000 budget would amount to $.126 tax on each $1,000 valuation or $.142 per capita of the population of the county. Poughkeepsie would contribute $6,315
Annual Budget for First Three Years
of
property
Beacon $1,408.50
Normal Budget Beginning Fourth Year
Staff
Staff
Librarian Asst. Librarian
Librarian Librarian Asst. Librarian Helper
2,400
Asst.
1,500
Helper
700 4,600
Truck
2,600 1,800 1>500
850 6,750
Cost
300
Upkeep
500
Truck 800
Cost
300
Upkeep
500
Maintenance
800
Equipment
Maintenance
800
Janitor and
800
Janitor
Supplies
450
Equipment and Repairs
Printing and Postage Light, Heat, Power and Water Tel. and Travel Misc.
450
Supplies
450
Printing and Postage Light, Heat, Power and Water Tel. and Travel Misc.
456
Repairs
300
450 450 200 -
3)!00
Books
450 450 200
-
3,1oo
Books
6,500
5,200 at $1.25
300
3,480 at $1.25
4.350
15,000 15,000 87
(Con't.)
Budget
Morris Income $22,006.27
1933
Expenditure $19,579-71
Salaries Books Periodicals Binding Postage Furniture and equipment Telephone Automobile Insurance
Traveling
—
Expenses
Interest
88
$8,022.85 7.320.55 152-39 1,349.51 316.71
584.00 99.72 658.27 101.94 57-34 301.67
Initial
bookstock
needed:
24 vols• each for 169 schools 40 vols• each for 92 communities
4,225 3,680 7.905
Educ. Dept. will lend Library purchase State
2,700 5,200 7,900 $20,000
Budget
A
$20,000 budget would amount to $.169 tax on each $1,000 valuation or $.189 per capita of the population of the county. Poughkeepsie would contribute $8,420
Annual Budget for First Three Years
of property
Beacon $1,878
Normal Budget Beginning fourth Year
Staff
Staff
Librarian
2,400
Assistant
1,500
Helper
Librarian Asst. Librarian Asst. Librarian Asst. Librarian
700 4,600
Helper Truck Cost
300
Upkeep
500
2,600 1,800 1.500 1,200 850 7.950
Truck Cost 800
Upkeep
300 750
Maintenance
1,050 1,000
Janitor
Stations Equipment
Maintenance
Janitor
500
Stations
and
Repairs Supplies Printing and Postage
Light, Heat, Power and Water Tel. and Travel Misc.
400 600
Equipment and Repairs
600
Supplies
Printing and Postage Light, Heat, Power and Water Tel. and Travel Misc.
600 600 300 4,600
400 600 600 600 600 300 5,100
Books
Books 8,000 at $1.25
1,000 1 ,000
10,000
4,800 at $1.25
20,000
6,000 20,000
89
Initial
needed:
bookstock
vols, each for 169 schools 35 vols, each for 50 92 communities
5.9I5 4,600 10,515 2,500 8,000
Educ. Dept. will lend Library purchase State
10,500
$25,000
Budget
A
$25,000 budget would amount to $.211 tax on each $1,000 of property valuation or $.237 per capita of the population of the county. Beacon $2,347.50 Poughkeepsie would contribute $10,525 'Normal Budget Beginning
Annual Budget {or F irst Three Years
Fourth Year Staff
Staff
Librarian
2,400
Librarian
Assistant
1,500
Assistant
Helper
3,000 1,800 1,500 1,200
700 4,600
Helper
850 8,350
Truck
Truck Cost
Cost
300
Upkeep
300 1,000
Upkeep
500 800
1,300
Maintenance
Maintenance 1,200
Janitor
Equipment
Stations
and
Repairs
Equipment 750
Printing and Postage Light, Heat, Power
750
and Water
Tel. and Travel
1,500 and
Repairs
500
Supplies
1,200
Janitor
1 ,000
Stations
750
Printing and Postage Light, Heat, Power
750
and Water
750
Tel. and Travel
750 6,100
750 750 6,600
Books
Books 10,800 vols, at $1.25
7,000 vols, at $1.25
13,500 25,000
Initial
500
Supplies
bookstock
8,750 25,000
needed:
vols, each for 169 schools 60 vols, each for 92 communities
7,604
45
5,520 13,124 90
State Educ. Dept.
Library
will
lend
2,300 10,800
purchase
13,100
In
general, the New Jersey and Delaware counties which the writer visited spent more proportionately on books and salaries
and somewhat less on maintenance.
will give will cost. It will
The suggested
very good idea of what the county library be noticed immediately how little overhead there is in such a library. Most of the money goes directly into books, and into the salaries of trained people who will make
budgets
a
It will
those books available.
be noticed also that the suggested
very small addition to the county tax bill as a whole. Fifteen thousand dollars, if added to the aggregate property taxes of the county, would be only three-tenths of one
budgets would make
a
per cent of the total, and twenty-five thousand dollars,
if added,
would be only six-tenths of one per cent. The man with ten thousand dollars of taxable property, would pay about the price of one book, or less than the price of a magazine subscription, for the privilege of receiving in his own community as many books and magazines as he and all his family could read. Each person in the county can be assured that the state will do everything in its power to help the county library give ade quate service from the time it opens, and that it will hold the county library up to high standards of good service thereafter. It will help the county organize the library, plan the budget,
plan the book truck routes, and map out the communities where there should be stations. It will cooperate in making known to the county residents what they may expect of the library. It will loan from one thousand to five thousand books from the
traveling library collection for a period of one to three years varying with the population and the local needs. It will recom mend to the state officials that they expend their school funds
through the county library for school use. 9'
It will
recommend
to the local libraries that they borrow books from and lend books to the county library, and that they turn their book funds, if
limited, over to the county library for the purchase of books for the library which might later be borrowed by other libraries. It will supervise the county library through its approval of the books purchased, and through its aid to the librarian and trustees in problems of administration. Furthermore the county library may borrow books and obtain information which are not avail able in the county from the State Library.88 Dutchess County Library
A
Dutchess County
Library
is then the solution
A
and library needs in the county.
of the book
two-year demonstration of
service would prove this conclusively.
The
one
thing necessary
to its establishment is a county-wide campaign which will result in the residents of all parts of the county requesting their super visors for a county library service. A county library means: equal chance for country children; educational opportunity for all; recreation through books for everyone.
It will
come
as
soon
enough organizations individuals in the county become active in its behalf. 88 Felton,
R. A.
Library of the open road.
as
p. 27-28.
9*
and
BIBLIOGRAPHY For
those interested in reading further about county library service, Miss Long's book, County Library Service and Miss Fair's book, Countrywide Library Ser vice give an authoritative and adequate picture of what can be done for a rural
area.
American Library Association. 1923. Council. American
Proceedings of the
Library Association.
Hot Springs Conference, Bulletin, 17:153. July,
American Library Association. A Survey of libraries in
the
United
States.
Chi
4 vols. American Library Association. Committee on Library Extension. Books for town and country. Chicago, 1928. 16 p. American Library Association. Committee on Library Extension. Library ex tension: a study of public library conditions and needs. Chicago, 1 926. cago,
1927.
163 p. American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Annual re-port for 1934. Washington, 1935. 27 p. Askew, S. B. County libraries and rural schools in New Jersey. School Life,
March, 1930. 15:121-123. Askew, S. B. New Jersey county libraries.
April 1, Ayer, N. W.
1927. and Sons.
Directory
delphia, 1934. Bostwick, A. E. The American 471 PBostwick, A. E., editor. Brunner, E. de S. and
of newspapers and periodicals, 1934. public library.
T he Library
J.
Library Journal, 52:341-344.
New York, 1929.
Phila 4th ed.
and society . New York, 1920. 474 p. social trends. New York, 1933.
H. Kolb. Rural
386 p. Brunner, E. de S. Village Communities. New York, 1927. 244 p. (Institute of Social and Religious Research. American Village Studies. E. de S. Brun ner, director)
Chamber of Commerce, Poughkeepsie. Industrial survey of the city of Pough keepsie. Poughkeepsie, 1930. Pamphlet. Contrasts in library service. American Library Association. Bulletin. 29:249.
May, 1935. Dairymen's
League Cooperative Association, Incorporated.
Story of the year,
New York, 1932. Pamphlet.
1931-1932. Fair, E. M. Countrywide
library service. Chicago, 1 934. 208 p. the school. Chicago, 1930. 453 p. Fargo, Felton, R. A., and Marjorie Beal. The Library of the open road. Cornell Ex tension Bulletin. Ithaca, New York. Bulletin 188. November, 1929. 50 p. General Federation of Women's Clubs. Committee on Library Extension.
L. F. The Library in
Books for everybody. 8 p. Hasbrouck, Frank, editor. History of Dutchess County, keepsie, New York, 1909.
93
New York.
Pough
Johnson, B. L. The Secondary school library. U. S. Department of the In terior. Office of Education. National Survey of Education. Washington, Bulletin Number 1932, 1933. 17. Monograph Number 17. 109 p. Lathrop, E. A. County library service to rural schools. U. S. Department of the Interior. Office of Education. Washington, 1930. Bulletin 1 930, Number 20. 53 p. Lathrop, E. A. A Study of rural school practices and services. U. S. Depart With the cooperation of the ment of the Interior. Office of Education. of New York. Chicago, Carnegie Corporation 1934. 105 p.
Long, H. C. County library service. Chicago, 1925. 206 p. Long, H. C. Library extension through county libraries. Public Libraries, 26: 7-8. January,
1921.
Looking toward national planning. August,
28:453-456.
American
Library Association.
Bulletin,
1934.
Lynd, R. S., and H. L. Middletown. New York, 1929. 550 p. New York State. Tax Commission. Annual report, 1933. Albany, New York, 1934-
New York Doran,
363 PState.
H. F.
Agricultural Experiment Station. Ithaca, New York. Social and economic areas of Yates County, New York. Bul
letin $20. October, 193 1 . 51 p. Hoffsommer, H. C. Relation of cities and larger villages to changes in rural trade and social areas in Wayne County, New York. Bulletin 582. February, 1 934. 61 p. Melvin, B. L. Village service agents. Bulletin 403. August, 1929. 1 17 p. Paxson, A. M. Relationships of open-country families of Onondaga County, New York, to socio-economic areas; villages and cities. Bulletin 584. February, 1934. 71 p. Sanderson, Dwight. Social and economic areas of Broome County, New
York. 1928. Bulletin 559. May, 1933. 79 p. Taylor, E. A. Relationship of the open-country population of Genesee County, New York, to villages and cities. Bulletin 583. February, 1934- 59 PWakeley, R. E. Communities
of Schuyler County, New York, 1927. Bul letin 524. June, 1931. 74 p. Wasson, C. R., and Dwight Sanderson. Relation of community areas to town government in the state of New York. Bulletin 555. April, 1933-
New York Paul,
56 p.
Library. Lending rules. Albany, 1933. 8 p. American Library Association. Regional coordination.
State
H. L.
Juty> 193428:389-393Ronan, E. C. Instituting a county library.
Bulletin
Public Libraries 26:9-11. January,
1921. Standard library organization and equipment for secondary schools. University of the State of New York Bulletin, number 713. July I, 1920. 39 p. Stewart, H. G. Advantages and difficulties in the administration of a regional library unit. American Library Association. Bulletin 28:606. September, 193494
Stingley, Grace. Studying a community in order to render better library ser vice. Public Libraries 26:4-6. January, 192 1. The Story of a county library. Number I, Tompkins County. Number 2,
U.
Chemung County. Number 3, Monroe County. Pamphlets. S. Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Volume 1. Washington, Population. Population, Volume 3, 1931-33.
U. U.
part 2. Reports by states: Montana- Wyoming, 1932. Population. Volume 6. Families. S. Country Life Commission. Report. Washington, D. C, 1909. 65 p. S. Department of the Interior. Geological Survey. Topographical map. State of New York. Rhinebeck. Poughkeepsie. Millbrook. Clove. S. Post Office Department. Map of Dutchess County showing the rural de
U.
livery service. Washington, n.d. University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Regulation of the Commissioner of Education governing the issuance of certificates to school librarians in N'ew York State. Albany, 1930. 2 p. University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. Important laws, rules and regulations relating to public libraries and free libraries in New York State. Albany, n.d. Handbook 8, part
L.
106 p.
University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. Public libraries. Handbook 8, part p. 54 p. University of the State of New York. State Education Department. Library Extension Division. The Purchase of school library books. 2 p. Mimeo graphed.
University of the State of New York. State Education Extension Division. School librarians' certificates. 2 University of the State of New York. State Education Extension Division. State traveling libraries, what obtain them. Handbook 8, part t. 12 p. Van Sant, Clara. Planning a county library campaign.
Department.
Library
p. Department. Library they are and how to
Public Libraries 26:1-4. January, 1921. Wheeler, J. L. Library and the community. Chicago, 1924. 417 p. Williams, A. W. How good is your town? Forms for citizens survey. Madi son, Wisconsin,
193 1.
124 p.
95
STATISTICS OF PUBLIC AND ASSOCIATION LIBRARIES,
1933
The source of the statistics for public libraries is the reports of the libraries to the Library Extension Division of the New York State Education department for the year 1933. The Education Department gives aid in purchasing books to public libraries which fulfill certain requirements as defined on pages 19-20. From these libraries it requires an annual report. The statistics of those libraries which do not make annual reports were obtained directly from the libraries by the writer or were left incomplete. Hyde Park and Staatsburg libraries are asso ciation libraries and require a membership fee of borrowers. Comparing them to public libraries is not really fair because they do not intend, as public libraries do, to serve the whole population. The libraries in Pine Plains and Quaker Hill are public, but they are small and not eligible for aid from the state. They keep almost no statistics. The library in Fishkill has applied for aid from the state but it had been opened for less than a year at the time of this report.
The "population served" is taken to mean the population of the city or village in which the library is located. A circulation of one book means that one bound volume, pamphlet, or unbound periodical is lent for home use, or that the loan of the volume is renewed under the library rules. No increase is made be cause the volume is read by more than one person during the period of the loan. The Library Extension Division has worked out for libraries, according
The classification, "state standard" to their size, certain minimum standards. includes those standards to which the statistics given by the libraries here may be compared. Credits are given to libraries for attaining a minimum standard as regards bookstock, circulation, budget, staff and service given. On the basis of these credits, ratings are given to the libraries. A rating of one hundred percent or over indicates highly satisfactory service; a rating of seventy-five percent to one hundred percent shows fair to good service; a rating of fifty percent to seventy-five percent shows poor to fair service; and a rating of less than fifty percent shows very poor and unsatisfactory service. The number of registered borrowers in Millerton and the total circulation in Tivoli can not be compared fairly to similar categories of other libraries. Both of these figures have been compiled by in other libraries.
97
a
different method from that used
Amenta
Population served Volumes in the library
Arlington
Dover Plain*
Beacon
900
775
H.933
3.788
2,693
13,221
500 1,504
7.765
6,352
84,189
2,867
186
343
3.990
340
7 12
10
60
8
12
Total expenditure
9
454.12
294.13
48 5,370.68
178.12
Expenditure for books, binding, periodicals Volumes per capita of the
232.87
50.55
1,838.65
79.44
3-8
1.1
3-0
4.0
4.0
1.5
6.0
Total circulation Number of registered borrowers
Number of hours library
the
is open weekly state standard
population
served
state standard
Volumes added per capita state standard
.2
.1
.1
.2
.2
.2
.1
•3
8.6
8.2
7-1
5.7
8.0
8.0
5.0
9.0
registered
20.7
44-3
33.4
68.0
state standard
50.0
50.0
30.0
60.0
42.0 16.0
18.5
21.
1
8.4
16.0
16.7
15.0
12.0
18.0
6.0
25.0
20.0
Circulation per capita of the population served state standard Percent of the total population Circulation
per capita of registered borrowers state standard
Percent nonfiction circulation is of total circulation state standard
Percent children's circulation is of total circulation state
standard
Percent of expenditures for books, binding, periodicals state standard Percent of expenditures for salaries state
Rating
20.0
18.8
39.8
26.4
18.7
35-o
35.0
40.0
35-0
51-3
17.2
34.2
44.6
30.0
30.0
25.0
45.0
22.9
61.2
42.8
0
standard
Expenditure per capita of the population served state
10.7 20.0
standard
of the library
55.0 .51
.38
1. 00
1. 00
85.56
80.06
•45
.36
00
1. 00
67.88
62.04
1.
Fishkill
Hyde Park
Millbrook 1,296
Miller ton
Pawling
Pine Plains
950 3,802
919 2,195
1,204
1,209
9,531
3,133
5,000
4,833
21,803
5,577
5,771
82
926
835
315
*5
10
28
12
12
18
9 12
9 18
552 1, 800
307
18
3,913.27
685.65
196.49
150.00
550.82
210.63
192.49
3-3
4.O
7-4
2-4
2.6
5-0
4.0
3-5
4.0
3-5
34
•4
.1
•3
.2
.2
.3 .2
.2
.2
5-1
16.8
6.1
9.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
4.8 8.0
8.0
55.6 60.0
1 0.0
71-5
90.9
26.2
50.0
50.0
50.0
50.0
58.9 16.0
23.6 16.0
6.7 16.0
18.3
15.0
16.0
16.0
10.8 20.0
20.0
24.7 20.0
2.2 20.0
14.6 20.0
20.0
24.4
28.3
1 1.6
16.4
35-0
35.0
35.0
35.0
35.0
14.1
30.7
98.0
37-5
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
54.2
26.3 50.0
50.0
50.0
1. 00
1. 00
3.02 1. 00
•7S
.16
1. 00
1. 00
184.07
69.20
65.90
99
3-5
50.0
35-0
1. 00
Pleasant Valley
Population served Volumes in the library Total circulation Number of registered borrowers
Number of hours the library
is open weekly state standard
Total expenditure
440 4,902
Quaker Poughkeepsie
40,288
6,675
80,757 222,644
178
13,188
8
68
9
60
Hill
148* 4,000
Red Hook
996 3,923 4,446 •93
9
4 12
344-54
33,237-95
282.93
50.32
6,274.17
77-51
for books,
Expenditure binding, periodicals Volumes per capita of the
1 1.1
2.0
3-9
6.0
'-S
4.0
•3
.1
.1
*3
.1
.2
15.2
5-5
4-5
9.0
5.0
8.0
population registered state standard
40.5 60.0
32-7
19.4
30.0
50.0
per capita of registered borrowers state standard
37-5
16.9
15.0
16.7
23.0 16.0
7.2 20.0
28.4 20.0
20.0
population served state standard Volumes added per capita state standard Circulation
per capita of
the population served state standard Percent of the total
Circulation
Percent nonaction circulation is of total circulation state standard
Percent children's circulation is of total circulation state standard
Percent of expenditures for books, binding, periodicals state standard Percent of expenditures for salaries
16.1
24.1
1 1.9
35.0
40.0
35-o
14.6
18.9
27.4
45.0
25.0
30.0
36.3
48.5 60.0
36.0
state standard
Expenditure per capita of the population served state standard
Rating of the library
8.1
.78 1. 00
90.72
100
.83
1. 00
84.17
.28 1. 00
58.65
Rhinebeck
Rhineclijf
Staatsburg
Tivolc
''
*
TYappingers
falh
I TvWlf.
'""•:3;J3:6'*-::68;936;
1,569
608
11,321
3,251
600 6,000
3>675
7,070
16,425
2,928
1,700
20,690
27,552
63O
174
30
270
956
22^ l8
33*3
14 12
22
30 24 3,184.80
12
71V
12
5,236.59
1,672.20
500.00
379.90
214.43
128.62
40.00
66.03
717.27
7.2 3.0
5-4
1 0.0
5-2
2.1
5.0
5-o
5.0
2.0
.1
.2
.2
.1
.1
.2
•3
•3
•3
.1
IO.5
4-8
2.8
29.0
8-3
7.0
9.0
9.0
9.0
6.0
40.2
28.6
45.O
60.0
5.0 60.0
37-9 60.0
40.0
26.I l6.0
16.8
56.7
76.6
28.8
15.0
15.0
15.0
16.0
20.0
27.3 20.0
13.4 20.0
36.1
25.2
35-o
35.0
5-5
1.2
20.0
20.0
35-o
35.0
30.8 35.0
28.7
4-1
7-7
8.0
17.4
22.5
25.0
37-5
37-5
37-5
25.0
11. 2
38.5
72.0
54.0
41.4 50.0
50.0 3-34 1. 00
2.75 1. 00
108.30
122.55
•«3 1. 00
101
•53
.96
1. 00
1. 00
124.76
87.22
STATISTICS OF VILLAGE AND CITY SCHOOLS,
1933-193+
"
.
'; The statistics of the village and city schools are based on a state survey of school libraries made by the Library Extension Division of the State Education The figures are for the school year, 1933-34. The Department in 1934. number of volumes in the library per capita of the teachers and pupils, the num ber of volumes per capita, and the circulation per capita are based on the figures
Amenta
High School Number of teachers
Number of pupils Number of volumes Number of periodicals Total circulation Expenditure for books and periodicals Number of volumes per teacher and pupil
Number of volumes
9
334
215
900
465
14
4 4,700
0
16.79
I3o-S3
31.01
14.7
2.6
2.1
.6
.2
.3
13.6
daily
hours spent in library certificate
Librarian's
6
1,779
added per capita
average
II
Arlington College Ave.
112
Circulation per capita of teachers and pupils Librarian's
Arlington High School
2j4 Limited
102
2
Temporary
No librarian
given by the schools Division.
in the questionnaires sent out by the Library Extension
The qualifications of librarians on the
basis
of which certificates
are granted
are explained on pp. 19-20.
The figures given for expenditures for books and periodicals are not quite comparable, as some librarians included library equipment in this figure, and others omitted some of their purchases.
Beacon
Beacon
Beacon
High School
South Ave.
Spring St.
II
16
2,500
520 1,054
Dover Plains High School
Hyde Park Union Free 8
430 2,655
227
183
56S
1,032
6
2
14
8
87O
603.77
IIO.74
134.00 5-5
2.0
6.0
2.4
.2
.2
.2
3.7
No librarian
No librarian
Permanent
103
2
No librarian
Millkrook Memorial
Number
of teachers
21
Number of pupils Number of volumes
Millerton High School 10
16
4I2
171
829
1,690
406 1,400
13
12
17
Number of periodicals Total circulation
2,071
Expenditure for books and periodicals
I97.79
102.10
1-9
6.0
Number of volumes per teacher and pupil Number of volumes added per capita
.1
Circulation per capita of teachers and pupils Librarian's
average
306.OO 3-3 *4
4.8
daily
hours spent in library Librarian's certificate
Number
Pawling
High School
of teachers
1
Temporary
Poughkeepsie Freshman High School
Poughkeepsie Washington St. Freshman H.S.
10
of pupils Number of volumes Number of periodicals Total circulation Number
3
Temporary
486 Pupils use the
H.S. library
2/2 Limited
Poughkeepsie
Clinton School
6
16
200
470
1 79
428
5
7
7,900
Expenditure for books and periodicals
70.18
Number of volumes per teacher and pupil
132.00
•9
•9
.1
•5
Number of volumes added per capita Circulation per capita of teachers and pupils Librarian's
average
16.3
daily
hours spent in library Librarian's
6
certificate
104
Pine Plains Central School
Pleasant Valley School
Poughkeepsie Town Fairvtew Viola
Poughkeepsie High School
6
S
48
519
281
235
225
M37
780
952
590
396
5.362
1
3
480
820
40 30,635
31.01
2.50
101.50
626.85
M
3-3
2.4
'•7
4-5
.2
.2
.1
.2
.2
'•7
3-6
22
9
6,015 165.OO
1 1.1
3
No librarian
No librarian
No librarian
and assistant Permanent
Temporary
Poughkeepsie Columbus School
25.9
Full time
Poughkeepsie Elsworth School
Poughkeepsie
Franklin School
Poughkeepsie Krieger School
IS
13
IS
12
550
410 1,140
544 947
402 1,200
6
11
896
Poughkeepsie
Lincoln School
9 320 1,228 0
4 8,822
7,608
9,900
294.71
399-50
295.38
177.00
1.6
*.7
i.7
2.9
3.7
•3
•5
•3
•5
.8
20.9
13-6
23-9
1
1,760
5-3 3
?A
S*A points in summer school
3
8
Limited
105
Temporary
hours
3 days
wkly
Poughkeepsie Morse School
Number of teachers Number of pupils Number of volumes Number of periodicals Total circulation Expenditure for books and periodicals Number of volumes per teacher and pupil
Number of volumes added per capita Circulation per capita of teachers and pupils
Poughkeepsie Smith School
Poughkeepsie
Warring School
22
18
23
667 1,640
693 1,424
807 2,965
10
10
15
6)766
13,910
18,392
389.OS
357-94
250.00
M
2.0
3.6
•S
.2
•s
9.8
19.6
22.2
4 credits
6J4
Librarian's
average daily hours spent in library
6y2 12
Librarian's
certificate
One-year
Wappingers Falls Union School
Number Number
of teachers
for permanent
Private Academies: Oaktcood
22
490 1,250
119 5,000
15
19
Total circulation
5,667
teacher and pupil Number of volumes added per capita Circulation per capita of teachers and pupils Librarian's average daily hours spent in library Librarian's
certificate
5/. Ann's Hermitage 9
of pupils Number of volumes Number of periodicals Expenditure for books and periodicals Number of volumes per
One-year
72
6,025 25
4.373
I 70.00
115.42
197-43
»-4
42.0
74-4
.2
•4
1-9
1 1.1
53-9
Limited
3 -year
7
106
Red Hook High School
Rhinebeck
Staatsburg
High School
High School
Stanford Union School
Tivoli Union School
18
14
6
8
130
168
1>754
363 2,341
288 1,500
587
943
7
7
16
8
13
26l
1,932 220.00
I3S-07
6.4
6.1
•4
•7
400.00 5.0 .8
98.00
135.00
4-3
5-4
•3
7.0
Poughkeepsie St. Peter's
II 350 1,815 4
2j4-year
Ho/>« Farm
'5
226 5,164 26 7,789
277.00
95-H
5.0
21.4
,4
1-5
32-3
4/2
.2
9.1
2J4 Permanent
10
1,604
3*4 Permanent
2
Limited
No librarian
3
STATISTICS OF RURAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS,
1933-1934
The statistics for rural schools were obtained from the Statistics and Ap The figures are for portionment Bureau of the State Education Department. Statistics are given here for all schools, elementary the school year 1933-34. or secondary, which are under the supervision of the rural school superintend ents of Dutchess County.
NO O
1
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m
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00
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,
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1 9
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20
11
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pupil
3
34 6.9
91
1-
11 94 -91
9
8l
11
4.
-
per
added
9olumes
1
811
4
11.6
8 -81.1
I
11.1
3
11
99.-
9
-61
1.1
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52
15
11
19.8
1
9olumes
of
Number
1
5 61.9
4
69.1
6
pupils volumes
0
of
4
Number
Total
1
teachers
1 HYDE
19
1.-
-3
9-Âť
5
of
1-
1
District
FISH9ILL
10
14
-6.6
n
1818
196.9
-
Number
9 9*
1
pupil
98
per
5 1 981
19
9-
9
9olumes
added
9olumes
1 199
-
99
1.-
10
-6
14
99
9
-
9
6 1.-
114
9
911
7
18
181
-.6
46
Total
-
91
4.1
-
9>
9
pupils volumes
1
of
4
of
1
Number
9
Number
s
FISH9ILL
-
teachers
19
99.6
8
of
91
91
18.1
-
District
1AST
90
19
0
Number
9
pupil
-
4
3 1
per
added
9olumes
-
91
4
69
5 9 --.1
9
-
98
-
-9.1
8 1
19
i --.1
10
9
9olumes
of
Number
2
9 9
pupils volumes
of
Number
teachers
6
of
District
7
Number
DO91R
9 81
1
-
19
1.6
49-
91
186.1
Total
8.1
191
16.8
Total
Ul CI w . O c> *>+"
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OO O* <sl
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a a, 2-3 ^ luiutu'd V O O O « Cl, 3 S
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H
Z
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^
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!
j3"3
pupil
10
961
496
9
49
91 -69
1.9 14-
-8
9
per
added
9olumes
1
-.1
19
-
11
3 1
191.1
11
9.8 11
9.-
11
4816
119
1.8
96
10
11 -81
91
u
-
Volumes
of
Number
99
9
4.1
44
9
18.9
16
9 9
8.9
-15
-6.9
Total
9
pupils volumes
of
a
Number
RHIN1B1C9
94
-89
16-.1
7
of teachers
pupil
6-
-6-9
-69
19
-9
164
666.9
Total
8
Number
per
9
4
-
District
9olumes
added
-
9
5
54
6 1
8
9olumes
1 99
6
3
pupils volumes
9 94
7
--
of
41
61.9
-
4
of
9
196
1.9
8 1
-
Number
teachers
HOO9
11
194
1
5
Number
of
-
District
R1D
91
969
99
1
Number
pupil
1
per
added
9olumes
1 1' 4
4 1
4
4.1
5 1
11.1
1
9olumes
of
4 9
pupils volumes
of
i
Number
a
Number
teachers
3
of
6
Number
District
POUGH911PSI1
9 9
11
'19
12
9 1
6
-
O
1
-
-
-
-
1
981
616-
91.1
Total
M
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O
it o
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u v
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ih
3
3
3 "3 "3
v 2 g a a a 5
zzz 113
I "Ms"?
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j ji ji
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> >
THE UNSERVED POPULATION AND THE AREAS OF INTENSIVE LIBRARY SERVICE IN DUTCHESS COUNTY The Library Extension Division of the State Education Department has set sixty per cent
as
the highest percentage of
registered borrowers which one may expect to find in the total
population of a village or small community. In order to deter mine the area of intensive library service around each library, the number of registered borrowers in that library was taken to equal sixty per cent of the population served intensively. On a pop ulation map of the county on which a dot was placed to represent
fifty persons in the total population, circles were described which included enough dots to equal the size of the population each
intensively served. Because a city library almost never has sixty per cent of the people in the city registered as borrowers, the city lines of Poughkeepsie and Beacon were taken as the bound aries of satisfactory service.
The village boundary of Millerton
arbitrarily taken as the extent of satisfactory service, because the record of the number of borrowers is kept differently here
was
from that of the other libraries.
It will
be noted that the area
the rural libraries
This
particularly true of the libraries which must depend mainly on a town or village tax for their support. A large rural area in the county is inadequately is
small.
of intensive service around
served.
"5
is
Registered Borrower!*0
Library**
Amenia
186
Arlington
343
â&#x2122;ŚBeacon
Dover Plains
Fishkill Hyde Park Millbrook *Millerton Pawling Pine Plains
310
3,990
570 11,933
340
570
307
510
82
140
926
1,540
835
1,390
315
530
?
Pleasant Valley
178
13,188
*Poughkeepsie Quaker Hill Red Hook
300 40,288
f
630
320 1,050
174
290
â&#x20AC;˘93
Rhinebeck
Rhinecliff Staatsburg
Tivoli
Wappingers
Population Served Intensively
Falls
30
SO
270
450 1,590
956
The ratio of column I, registered borrowers, to column 2, population served is 60:100, except in the case of the starred libraries. Statistics of public and association libraries, p. 97*101.
intensively,
117
TOTAL YEARLY CIRCULATION AND PER CAPITA
CIRCULATION OF PUBLIC AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES The
A
of the circle represents the total yearly circulation of the library. represents school and public libraries which do not keep circulation sta area
tistics.
The shading represents the circulation per capita of the population served. In the case of a public library, the population served is taken to be the popula tion of the city or village in which it is located. For a school library, the popu lation served is the total number of teachers and pupils. Per capita
Per capita
Total Circulation
School libraries:91
Arlington High School Dover Plains
High
4,700
School
Per
Capita
Circulation
I3.6
Millbrook Memorial School
87O
3-7
2,071
4.8
Pine Plains Central School
6,015
11. 1
408 820
3.6
30,635
25.9
7,900 8,822
20.9
Poughkeepsie
— Fairview Viola
School
School
— High School Poughkeepsie City Clinton School Elsworth
School
1-7
16.3
Franklin School Krieger School Lincoln School
7,608
13.6
9,900
23.9
1,760
5-3
Morse School
6,766
Smith School
I3,9IO
9.8 19.6
Warring School
18,392
22.2
118
11g
Public libraries:
Total Circulation
Red Hook High School Tivoli Union School
1.932 1,604
Wappingers
Falls Union School
5,667
Per
Capita
Circulation 7.0 9-1 11. 1
Public libraries?2 Amenia Library
Arlington Library Beacon Library Dover Plains Libraiy Hyde Park Library Millbrook Library Millerton Library Pawling Library Pleasant Valley Library Poughkeepsie Library Red Hook Library Rhinebeck Library Rhinecliff Library Staatsburg Library Tivoli Library Wappingers
7.765 6,352
8.6
84,189
7-1
2,867
5-7
4.833 21,803
5-1 16.8
5.577
6.1
5.771 6,675
4.8 15.2
222,644
5-5
4,446
45
16,425
10.5
2,928 1,700
4.8
20,690*
Falls
8.2
27.552
2.8
29.0 8.3
A study of this
map shows a concentration of library use along the Hud and especially around Poughkeepsie and Beacon. This is the area of the greatest population in the county. It is also true that the libraries in this area in general have a higher circulation per capita of the population they are serving than do the ones outside. An examination of the statistics of public and association libraries on p. 97-10 1 shows that the following libraries have a
son Valley,
lower circulation
per capita than the state expects: Hyde Park and Staatsburg, which are private libraries and charge a membership fee ; Dover Plains, Miller ton, Pawling, Red Hook, and Rhinecliff, all of which serve small populations, and which have small budgets. Private funds increase the use of the library. A large population can support a more varied and therefore more useful library than
small population can. The large statistics of the public schools support the latter point. central school in Pine Plains, the new high school in Arlington, which serves the Poughkeepsie suburbs, and the Poughkeepsie schools have more active libra ries than those in the small villages. The libraries in the small rural elementary a
The
of Viola and Fairview are not used nearly as intensively as are the Poughkeepsie elementary school libraries. A large community makes possible a large budget which will buy the books and pay for the trained personnel neces sary to making a library accessible and useful. schools
91 Statistics 82 Statistics
of village and city schools, p. 102-107. of public and association libraries, p. 97-101. * This figure is inaccurate; it is too large.
120
121
CARDHOLDERS IN THE RENTAL AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES PER THOUSAND OF THE TOTAL POPULATION IN EACH CENSUS ENUMERATION DISTRICT
IN POUGHKEEPSIE
An explanation of Census
these maps
will
be found in Chapter
V, p. 68.
Rate per Thousand Population Rental Libraries Public Libraries
Districts
40
4
80
41
42
4 10
95
43
6
44
4
65 108
45
5
164
46
15
47 48
35 18
91 168 223
49
48
146
50
23
5J
26
81
'75 250
52
29
103
53
149
54
25 12
55
72
191
56
69 62
275
57 58
19
57
59 60
29 40
198
61
15
62
3'
194
63 64
38
289
72
235
68
20
71
'5
72
29
73
'5
122
91
129
223 120
90 24 53 26
RENTAL LIBRARY BORROWERS IN POUGHKEEPSIE Rental libraries Rate per thousand ' of the population , *
O — location
of libraries. ; ;
PUBLIC LIBRARY BORROWERS IN POUGHKEEPSIE
Public libraries Rate per thousand of the population"
O — location of libraries :*,:::*.
123
1 24