Report of Missouri Farmers' Week. 269 



collection of thirty photographs of Greek sculpture to the afore- 

 said club. Their study is much enlivened throughout the year by 

 the presence of these beautiful illustrations of the work of the 

 Greek masters. A teachers' club wants to know if we have any 

 interesting books on child study. A school superintendent asks 

 for some teachers' books that the teachers will enjoy. So from all 

 corners of the State — towns, where there are no libraries and 

 towns where the libraries are small and in.adequate — come the re- 

 quests for help along special lines of work. Such requests come, 

 it is well to remember, from the students and helpers who are 

 working out the salvation of the State. 



The equipment of the Missouri Library Commission for an- 

 swering such calls is constantly growing and developing. We have 

 now upon our shelves 11,300 odd volumes, all of which are at the 

 service of the people of the State. If a time should ever come 

 when not one book remained in the office of the commission and 

 all were scattered throughout the State doing their work among 

 the readers and students, it would be a happy day. As it is, the 

 circulation in the last five years of about 42,582 volumes indicates 

 the immense need of the field. Within the last year, through the 

 earnest co-operation of the public libraries of the State, the State 

 University and other institutions owning large collections of books, 

 an, effort has been made to perfect a system of co-operation which 

 will allow these libraries to loan to the Library Commission books 

 which they can spare from their own circulation for the use of 

 those who live in distant points of the State. The reservoir from 

 which we may draw is thus doubled or trebled in capacity. 



If you want a book for study or if your club is in need of a 

 special collection of books for its program work, how shall you 

 secure the advantage thus offered by the State of Missouri through 

 the Library Commission to all dwellers within, its borders ? Let us 

 say that Mrs. Blank's club is interested in the study of the English 

 novelists, the few books which are owned by the members prove 

 inadequate to aid them in the development of the subject. Mrs. 

 Blank as secretary writes a letter to the Missouri Library Com- 

 mission asking for the loan of books which will help in the study 

 of the English novelists. An early mail brings an answer con- 

 taining the following list of books which can be supplied by the 

 Missouri Library Commission. 



Cross — Development of the English Novel. 



Garnett & Gosse — History of English Literature, v. 4. 



Moffat — George Meredith. 



