358 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



the strictly rural interests anct activities. This fact 

 is productive of a degree of homogeneity in feeling 

 and point of view which is characteristic of the State. 

 It is not unusual to find producing farmers at the 

 head of city organizations of various kinds and 

 farmers' wives leading the women's clubs and other 

 organizations of urban women. 



There is of course close association between the 

 people of the villages and the surrounding farming 

 country. The pastors of rural churches and the 

 teachers in rural schools take earnest part in farmers' 

 assemblies and welcome them to their meeting-places. 

 Such associations are tending strongly toward the 

 development of community spirit and effort through- 

 out the whole countryside of California, but in the 

 manner of it there is perhaps nothing which can be 

 claimed to be novel or distinctive. 



LIBRARIES 



California has collections of books, both institu- 

 tional and privately owned, which are very credit- 

 able, considering the youth and population of the 

 State. Of those that are public or institutional, the 

 table on page 359 may be cited. 



As in other states, the provision of public libraries 

 was stimulated and promoted by the Carnegie gifts 

 of buildings which were scattered throughout Cali- 

 fornia and served as exemplars of what the public 

 should do for itself. An initiative in this line was 

 put forth by the late James L. Gillis, who served 

 as State Librarian from 1899 to 1917. His concep- 



