Traveling libraries division; Study club division; Public libraries division; Books for the blind division. PROPOSED LIBRARY LEGISLATION FOR THE PRESENT LEGISLATURE. County Library Act. and may compel its adoption. Towns Librarians who have kept closely in touch with the development of their work as a factor in our general educational system have become conscious of a demand that books be supplied to the people of the county as well as to those of the town. For some years and in several states an attempt to fill this need has been made through state traveling libraries. These collections of books have supplied reading matter in a great number of districts where before their coming no opportunity to use library books existed. The work has been of importance; but the inelasticity of the system, the great expense of shipping from and to a center in a state of California's dimensions, the inability of readers to visit the library and make selections of books suitable to personal needs, makes it plain that some more adequate plan should be hit upon at least for the more populous districts. The travel- The wisdom of making three members ing libraries may still very wisely be sent of the board of supervisors a committee of to outlying and scatteringly settled sec- general supervision for the county library, tions of the state. During the past ten instead of selecting private citizens for years a few counties in different states of this work, is obvious when one considers the Union, namely, Ohio, Maryland, Ore- that the former have influence and a vote gon and more recently California, have in the distribution of the county funds. established what is known as county The committee selects the librarian who libraries which serve the county residents is then responsible for the work. In order after the model offered in the larger cities that the system, however, may be effective with their central library, branch reading it is necessary that it be directed by some rooms and deposit stations. Such plans one who has made library work his busi have been found highly satisfactory in ness; hence the law requires that the bringing to those living in even the re- county librarian be a person of known moter districts affected many of the priv-executive and educational ability along ileges of reading and study enjoyed by the special lines of library organization, city dwellers. The only surprising thing administration and service. His tenure of is that so far no state has seen the wis-office is made reasonably sure and he is dom of encouraging by proper legislation left free to devote himself entirely to the a much wider adoption of the county business for which he was appointed. library system. California has the distinction of proposing in the following measure known as Assembly Bill No. 196 a plan which will point out clearly to the people of each county how the educational and recreative advantages of a library may best be attained. The main purpose of the act is the further welding together of the separate and distinct library units of the state into such a well articulated and smoothly working system that the book needs of every citizen may be promptly filled, that the rare or required book wherever found The proposed law is so worded that the may go without delay where it will be of county supervisors may of their own use. To that end the state librarian as motion establish such a system, or one the head of the organization is given fourth of the qualified voters of the powers of general supervision similar to county seeing the need of library facilities those exercised so effectively in the case |