OTHER EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES 401 



Some time since a rather careful investigation was made of 

 the efficiency of different library systems. It was discovered that 

 the state traveling library systems circulated every volume owned 

 with greater frequency than did the average city library in six 

 representative states chosen at random. The average city library 

 circulated each volume owned only 2.22 times during the year, 

 whereas one state traveling library system, according to its 

 actual recorded circulation, circulated every volume 2.77 times 

 per year. As it is very difficult to get unpaid custodians of 

 traveling libraries to record every circulation, it is likely that 

 the actual circulation much exceeded the recorded circulation. 

 It is also probably true that each time a book is taken from a 

 traveling library situated in the country it is read by many more 

 persons than is a book taken from a city library by a resident of 

 the city. Several members of the farmer's family are likely to 

 read every book which gets into the farm-house. The records of 

 another state traveling library system showed that each volume 

 owned was circulated 4.07 times per year. 



The average city library in the six states tested expended 12.6 

 cents for each time a volume was circulated, whereas the two 

 state traveling library systems tested spent 7 cents and 7.7 cents 

 respectively for each time a volume was circulated. Fourteen 

 county traveling library systems in one state expended only 5 

 cents for each time a volume was circulated. 



We think we may safely assume that the need for books in the 

 country is greater than the need in the city. If this is correct 

 and if the traveling library systems circulate the books on their 

 shelves more frequently than do city libraries, and if it costs the 

 traveling library systems less to deliver good books in book hun- 

 gry rural districts than it costs to deliver the less needed books 

 to urban dwellers, are not the traveling library systems more 

 efficient than are city libraries? 



The data collected seem to indicate clearly four points: first, 

 many rural communities are sadly in need of reading matter; 

 second, country people will read when given the opportunity; 

 third, country people do not differ greatly from city people in 

 their choice of books; fourth, money invested in traveling 

 libraries is well invested. 



