Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
Science
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
American Library Association; Library science -- Congresses
The looking up of references on domestic science, the boy scouts,
or the fireless cooker and other similar subjects is supposed to be
the work of the public library. It may be that notwithstanding the
emphasis placed by the public library on its reference work, and work
with schools, the college by its extension service is going to enter
this field and do at long range what the public library is not doing
for its own local community. If there is sufficient demand from the
rural districts for the service given by the public discussion and
information divisions of the extension work (as it is often called) it
is certainly a strong argument in favor of the extension of the public
library service over the counties or townships as is now being done in
several states. There is a good field here for co-operation between
the local library, the organized library interests of the state, the
college library and the extension service of the college or university.
An interesting feature of the work of the extension department at
Purdue university is the combination of the printed list of books,
the sample library, and the actual sale of books to the farmers. Some
months ago by consultation with members of the station staff and actual
examination of many volumes, a list of about 75 titles relating to
agriculture, was compiled and printed. Several sets of these volumes
were then obtained from the publishers, and arrangements made with them
for mail orders of these books at certain discounts. The printed lists
and sample volumes were taken to county fairs, institutes, farmers
short courses, and on special trains. The lists were distributed, the
books shown to the farmer, and his order taken on the spot at list
price. Many orders come in later by mail. There is good psychology in
this method of getting the book to the farmer. He can examine the book
for himself, give the necessary weight to the recommendation of the man
in charge, and having confidence in the university as represented by
the extension department, he trusts it with his money.
During the year and a half that this plan has been in operation 1,350
volumes have been placed in the hands of farmers in the state and the
sales have been as high as $475 in a month. Some may see objections to
this method of book distribution and there are dangers that must be
guarded against, but in Indiana it is regarded as firmly established.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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