pport a permanent
local library, and many of those established have a precarious existence
and are maintained only through the devotion of public-spirited
individuals. To meet the need of isolated neighborhoods a few county
libraries, notably in Washington County, Maryland, and a few counties in
Delaware and Minnesota, have made use of book-wagons which are
accompanied by a librarian who makes a "rural free delivery" of books to
each home and assists the families in their selection. It seems,
however, that the chief value of the book-wagon is as a means of
creating a desire for books, and that when this is created it will be
much more economical to furnish them through branch stations at
neighborhood or community centers. Systems of traveling libraries are
also supported by many states and make it possible for the most isolated
neighborhoods to secure the best of books. Unfortunately, however, the
places which need them most do not always know of them nor will they
take the initiative to secure them. They are of particular value for
securing collections of books on special topics for the use of granges,
churches, and study clubs of all sorts. But as the demand for traveling
libraries grows, the administration of the system from the state library
becomes a large undertaking and the need of better local libraries is
realized.

A system of "county libraries" has been developed in California, has
spread to several other states, and is now being advocated by the
American Library Association and by library leaders generally. Under the
county system a central library is established at the county seat, with
branches or loan stations at the different community centers, and with
traveling collections for the more isolated neighborhoods. The larger
centers which have local libraries continue to maintain them and simply
serve as part of the system. Thus the library resources of the county
are pooled and the farm people are given the same sort of service that a
city library gives its people through its branches. The feature of
interest from a community standpoint is that, although this is a county
system, it recognizes the usefulness of local branches and makes
possible a library service adapted to its needs for every small
community, whereas separate libraries have heretofore been possible only
in the larger centers.

THE COUNTRY WEEKLY

One of the most important educational agencies of the rural community is
the oft-derided