A Survey of Rural Literacy Statistics of literacy are about the most meagre of all statistics. The federal census, and federal, state, and local school and library reports contain some data, but ordinarily they give little beyond the most elementary information regarding the subject.

For this reason the "Social and economic survey of a rural township in Southern Minnesota" by Professor Carl W. Thompson and G. P. Warber, published as the first of the University of Minnesota Studies in economics in 1913 is of interest to librarians, and interesting both because of the scope of the inquiry and because of its results.

In their survey the authors included all homes in which newspapers, farm journals, or other periodicals and books are read in the evening, and in analysing the results of their inquiry, they "weighted" their data in estimating averages.

The authors found that while reading

is a form of recreation in 66% of the homes, only 45% of the young people "do any reading worth mentioning." The boys who read generally interest themselves in farm papers, or some scientific article in a magazine. The girls "read little else than the current fiction and the fashion publications." The results of the inquiry may be tabulated as follows:

Among Among Average. owners, tenants.

Why is a library different from a moving picture show?

Because at the show, you GIVE your nickel, TAKE what the SHOW wants to give you, and then forget all about it.

At the Library, you give NO nickel, take what YOU please, and have something to think about all the rest of your life. III.

Why is a book like a shoe?

Because they are both made to fit all sizes. There is no one else in the world just like you. The first book you pick up may be written for some one very different from yourself. Read only what you like but try to like what is better. Some books are worth their weight in gold and others are fit only to be burned. IV.

What is a librarian good for?

The Library and the Librarian are not made to make you read or to make

you take books home but they are supposed to get you what you want. They are to make it easier for you to readjust as your knife and fork make it easier for you to eat.

Your knife and fork will not feed you unless you use them and a Library and a Librarian are not worth anything to you unless you use them.

The above were distributed separately and at intervals in a group of rather indifferent young girls. They were much amused and the general effect was a much more receptive attitude toward the library. ALICE B. LONG,

Parish library, Church of the Ascension, New York City.

The Library and Vocational Training

In a recent article by Miss Mary E. Hall, librarian of the Girls' high-school of Brooklyn, before the New York teachers, some very good points were made in regard to the relation of the library to vocational training. Some extracts are as follows:

To introduce her first point, the need for vocational guidance through the library, Miss Hall told this incident from her own experience. Mr Luther Gulick had lectured one day at the Girls' high school, emphasizing the fact that any one could be happy in work. That afternoon a Russian girl who had heard him said to Miss Hall, "Do you believe all that, that he said this morning?" Miss Hall replied "Yes," and brought the conversation around to where she could ask the girl what she was going to be. "I am going to be an agitator, I don't believe anybody is happy in this world," was the girl's reply. Further inquiry brought to light the intolerable conditions of the girl's life, and the lack in her home of anyone to advise her.

Because they lack wise guidance is one reason boys and girls leave the elementary schools before they are fitted mentally, morally, physically. Other reasons are, that they are tired of it, and that it does not hold their interest.

may not. Many are added eventually to the number of the unemployed and the unemployable. The fact is, numbers of employers would be glad to have the services of promising boys and girls who leave school, but have not thought to inquire there for them. An organized effort is now being made to bring the two: the employer and the would be employee together. It is an effort to prevent appalling waste.

Miss Hall's second point was the aim of vocational guidance. It is, to help each student in the schools to find what is for him the "best possible work." To amplify her meaning Miss Hall quoted from Professor Bagley's "Educative process" and Mr Bloomfield's "Vocational guidance of youth."

Third, Miss Hall dealt with the methods of work, and explained what the duties of a "Vocational counsellor" are. He or she may be a specially trained person who has made a study of the various occupations of the city and is in a position to give advice and information to teachers and parents or to pupils themselves. In most schools, this work of the counsellor is done by a teacher specially suitable because of a sympathetic understanding of boys and girls.

"In some cities, notably Boston, Vocation bureaus are established and printed bulletins about the occupations published for the schools. Employment bureaus. are being maintained by the schools themselves in some cities, in other cities by the Chamber of commerce or by interested bodies of citizens."

The fourth division of Miss Hall's talk was on the librarian's part in vocational guidance. Her first suggestion to librarians, if they wished to make themselves useful in the new movement, was to read the best opinions upon the work; Bloomfield's "Vocational guidance of youth"; King's "Social aspects of education" (see Chap. 10); Parson's "Choosing a vocation"; Outlook, August 27, 1911 "Business men in the making"; Religious Education, February 1913 articles by Jesse Davis, H. B. Wilson and

In the next place see what is being done along this line locally. If the work is already being carried on by the schools call the workers together informally and find out how you can best aid them by means of lists, reserve shelves for books, sending books to the school building, etc. "In the small town where the librarian knows everyone she herself would often make the best possible counsellor." If no work has been done at all "start an interest in your library by bulletins calling attention to its resources" in this field.

In many libraries much good material is lost because it is scattered. In one library using the Decimal classification different books with the same general purpose, to show young people what occupations were open to them, were classified: 607, 331, 174, 374, 177, 396, 640, 658. Their usefulness would be greatly increased could they all be brought to gether under one number.

Set apart for your teachers a "Counsellors' book shelf"; for your young people, special shelves marked "Choosing a career." Here group books by the appeal they will make, "Some successful men," etc. Group also by special occupations, e. g. Law, Medicine, etc., and with these shelves, pamphlets on these subjects. If necessary, divide the books again into those of interest to girls and those of interest to boys.

"Keep your vocational shelves full of only live books. Do not store dead wood." Talking about the books with the children when they return them, is the best way to find which make an appeal. Do not be shocked or unsympathetic at their crude taste. The Marden books may be the very greatest inspiration to many a boy and girl. Ruth Ashmore's "Business girl" may supply the very common sense some girl lacks.

Inexpensive pamphlets on all occupations from that of the grocer to that of the bacteriologist are to be had from cities where the vocational guidance movement is organized.

Have a card index of vocational material and make it as suggestive as pos

sible of the resources of your library. Analyze your college and school catalogs as far as vocational subjects are concerned.

Keep clippings. Have them sorted, mounted, labeled and kept in large manilla envelopes in a vertical file, or in pamphlet boxes with the pamphlets. Daily papers and magazines are full of excellent material, inspiriting and wholesome, on how success is won, which ought not to be lost.

The bulletin board can be made a great agent in stimulating interest in good biographical or other inspiring material. Post portraits of successful men and women of to-day with short sketches of their lives. Select suggestive quotations from Booker Washington on "Work," some of the splendid things Carlyle and Ruskin have said, Dr Van Dyke's little sonnet on "Work," President Hyde's words on "The offer of the college." Suggestive centres for bulletin boards are the beautiful colored reproductions of E. H. Blashfield's mural painting on the wall of the Great Hall in the College of the city of New York, the memorial to Alice Freeman Palmer in the Chapel of Wellesley college, the idea of both is that of Alma Mater leading youth into life with the lamp of knowledge lighted by the college.

Organize clubs among the pupils. Let them study the occupations. Encourage debates on such subjects for instance as the Work of the plumber vs. that of the carpenter.

Have men and women come to your library and give brief talks on the occupation in which they have succeeded and the things which make for success.

"Lastly and most important of all, in this work the library can do in vocational guidance, is the personal work of the librarian with the teachers and boys and girls." Most libraries now-a-days have children's librarians. But for the boy or girl too old for the children's room, and too young for the adult department no "library friend" has been provided, and the boys and girls from 14-18 are left to flounder just when they

are ready for the best things that books can give. Where there is no high school librarian to be a guide in such matters, a fine opportunity is afforded a town. librarian to offer her services to the Board of Education. She or one of her assistants could perhaps take charge of the study periods at school when pupils

are free to come in to read. "Once let the right kind of a librarian work with. teachers and pupils within the school and we shall at last have found and cemented

fast the connecting link between the public library and the high school."

Miss Hall's last plea was uttered in the words of Dr Parsons, to help a student "to choose a work in which his best abilities and enthusiasms will be united, work that one can put his whole heart into and do it, because he would rather do just that particular thing than anything else in the world."

Post Office Libraries

The Honorable Mr Borden, Premier of Canada, said recently to the House of Commons, that the Government has under consideration the idea of establishing lending libraries in the post offices of Canada. Mr Borden argues that the post office has housing facilities in every community and the addition of the library service should be as natural to it as parcel post.

The proposal is for a supply of books on the basis of one volume per capita, distributed over the Dominion according to population, a post office serving 200 people having 200 books, one serving 10,000 people having 10,000 books. Montreal would have a library of 500,000 volumes, Toronto, 400,000, Winnipeg, 150,000, Halifax, 46,000.

The postmaster in a smaller office could draw on a neighboring larger office for any books which his library did not contain. Applications could be sent in on postcards and delivery made by ordinary mail. The enterprise is expected to be self-supporting, with a fee of two cents for the use of a book for seven days.-News Item.

The A. L. A. Exhibit at Leipzig

Libraries, both large and small, have responded generously in money and material, and there is every indication that the exhibit will be an interesting and creditable one.

The exhibit has been made possible by the hearty coöperation of librarians all over the country. The large libraries have been exceedingly generous in their support and the smaller institutions in proportion to their size and income have contributed in an equally liberal manner. The number of personal contributions to the fund is an evidence of the enthusiasm and devotion of individual librarians to their profession. As an example of the cordial spirit of fellowship which exists. among the librarians of this country and their willingness to coöperate in any scheme which concerns library interests, the exhibition is especially noteworthy.

Almost all of the material has been received since March 5, and many libraries have asked for an extension of time in order that they might complete the charts, etc., in preparation. It is therefore impossible at this time to give more than a suggestion of what the completed exhibit will contain.

Many of the libraries contributing have sent their material beautifully mounted and labeled, thus saving the Committee much time and work, and all have shown great care and thought in the selection made. Practically every phase of library work in this country will be represented by photographs, charts, or descriptive matter, and the

Committee believes that the exhibition as a whole will be instructive and interesting and will give an adequate idea of the present condition of libraries in this country. Especial emphasis will be given to those features which are most significant, and those phases of the work in which this country has been a pioneer will be fully treated.

The space granted the American library association exhibit represents a cross section at the end of one of the Exposition