Page:The library a magazine of bibliography and library literature, Volume 6.djvu/115

 The Village Library Problem. 103 fair size, fully equipped in every respect with all the best modern appliances, and a carefully selected stock of books, under the care of a qualified officer, which would travel in a given circuit, and change about as may be necessary. The illustration annexed shows the outward form of the proposed library, which is simply a lightly constructed furniture van, well ventilated, lighted, and safe-guarded, with wall shelving capable of storing a minimum of 1,500 volumes. Let us again return to the county of Dumfries, with its assumed income of ^"2,000 per annum ; and see how our proposed travelling libraries will work out, as compared with the small, fixed village libraries. To serve the forty-three parishes eight travelling libraries would suffice. These would allow of a weekly call, of some hours' duration, at every village in the circuit, and suffice to serve outlying hamlets and farms. The initial cost would be ^"2,940, or a total of ^"367 los. per van, and the whole could be provided from the rate in two years, without hoarding. The cost per library may be. roughly appropriated as follows : s. d. Van, complete ... ... ... ... 100 o o 1,500 vols. at 2s. 6d. each 187 10 o One Horse ... ... ... ... ... 70 o o Charging System, &c 10 o o ^367 10 o The annual cost of maintenance would be as follows, per van : Librarian 78 o o Driver 65 o o Horse 45 o o Repairs ... ... ... ... ... 10 o o Books ... 20 o o Light and Heat, &c. 700 Printing, Charging, &c 500 ^230 o o making the total annual expenditure about ^"1,840. Economies might be effected in salaries by having persons of responsibility at every stopping place, to volunteer to issue and receive books, but all proper continuity of service would be broken, and the library would be deprived of the knowledge of a trained official, which is