Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/49

Yorkshire Village Libraries. 39 struggle which the managers of these libraries are making to render their institutions more efficient. The following extract is from one letter out of many on the subject, and it will give an idea of the brave efforts made by some of our villagers to bring themselves into touch with the world of literature, of which many of them know little or nothing. It is from one of our most remote Yorkshire dales, and runs as follows : " I may say that it is about six years ago since a few of us (working men) saw the need of some such place and institution as we now have, so we rented an old chapel, drew up rules, got a number of names for membership, and opened the place. As soon as we got any money in hand, we purchased books, besides getting a number of daily and weekly newspapers and periodicals. I am glad to say it has been wonderfully successful. It has been, with two or three small donations, and the proceeds of three public enter- tainments given by the members, self-supporting. We have one drawback. The dale is poor through the mining industry, which is so bad, and many of the miners cannot afford to become mem- bers. Also the houses are scattered, and some of them rather out of the way, although we have a suitable place or institute." And he finishes by saying that " we shall be very glad if the extent and usefulness could be greatly increased." This letter helps us to realise in a measure what is actually taking place in many of our villages to-day. It is not that the people are in- different, nor is it the want of workers, for the extract shows that men are not only desirous of reading books, but that they are also willing to work for the purpose of obtaining them. And yet, while the country people are desirous of being brought into contact with books, there has so far been no attempt made to meet their requirements, beyond the futile efforts of men like these, or of the country parson and schoolmaster in the same .direction. This then, being the state of things, it appears to me that the Library Association has a splendid opportunity of doing something in the direction of assisting those libraries which are now in existence, and of helping to establish others in villages where no library is at present located, and in order to do this, I should like to suggest that our Association shall take steps for approaching the proper authorities, for the purpose of bringing before them the advantages of adopting the Free Libraries Acts, and also for enlisting the sympathies of the County Councils in the same direction. No one who has seen the extraordinary development of iree