2 4 6 8 12 Millions of dollars Chart B. Expenditures under State plans for fiscal 1957, 1958, and 1959, by source of funds 10 0 1957 1958 1959 SOURCE.-Reports filed with the U.S. Office of Education by participating States and outlying parts under the Library Services Act. NOTE. These are provisional figures, subject to final review of State reports. offices of their State agencies. There were different types of auxiliary branches. In Colorado, four field librarians were added by the State library to work with four regions of the State. In Illinois, the southern Illinois regional library service was made a permanent State regional branch serving 34 counties. This service included consultant service to com Chart C.-Expenditures under State plans for fiscal 1957, 1958, and 1959, by categories Millions of dollars 9 0 1957 1958 1959 NOTE. These are provisional figures, subject to final review of State reports. munity development teams, bookmobile service to participating libraries, some technical processing service to libraries in the region, and consultant and advisory service for all libraries requesting it. In Kansas, a western Kansas extension office was opened in the college library at Hays. In New Mexico, four regional branches of the State library have been established, serving 21 of the State's 32 counties. In New Jersey, a State agency tricounty library service center was set up in southern New Chart D.-Expenditures of funds, by source, under State plans for fiscal 1957, 1958, and 1959, by individual participating States and outlying parts SOURCE. Reports filed with the U.S. Office of Education by participating States and outlying parts under the Library Services Act. NOTE. These are provisional figures, subject to final review of State reports. Alaska, Florida, Guam, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Utah, Virgin Islands, and Washington submitted plans for the first time in fiscal 1958, the second year of the act. Delaware, Indiana, and Wyoming did not participate during this first 3-year period. Jersey with a staff of six and a bookmobile to serve Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties. Book loans exceeded 113,000 in less than 11⁄2 years. The New England States are implementing more rapidly their longstanding concept of the auxiliary State branch. Where the State is fully covered, as in New Hampshire and Vermont, there is a development in quality of service. Establishing and Strengthening of County and Regional Libraries A major overall effort in State plans has been the demonstration and development of 'county and regional library systems. Over 400 counties in the United States and 645 New England towns are participating in this type of project by means of bookmobile service, library branches, or library stations. Over 70 counties, which are, in most cases, parts of regional library systems, have already decided to continue these new or improved library services with local funds as against 8 counties which have decided against doing this. The extension and improvement of rural library services was often accomplished by the addition of counties to already existing regional libraries, as in Alabama where the Cross Trails region was formed by merger of Covington-Crenshaw and Coffee-Geneva Regional Libraries; and the Horseshoe Bend Regional Library, by adding two counties to the former Lee-Tallapoosa region. Florida organized its first regional libraries: Suwannee and St. LucieOkeechobee. In Illinois, Warren County assisted neighborhood Henderson County, which had no library, to establish countywide service. The result was a successful vote in Henderson County and continued cooperation between the two counties. In Kentucky, 6 regional libraries, the State's first, are being developed and include 34 counties. Louisiana has accelerated its demonstration program. Five demonstrations were undertaken in the period 1956–59; Allen, St. Bernard, and Vernon have been successfully completed and two are still under way. A bookmobile service demonstration was successfully completed in Caddo Parish with an appropriation of $56,000 before the end of the demonstration period. Two new regional libraries, serving five counties, and two single-county libraries were established in Minnesota. In North Carolina, rural library service improved in 82 of the State's 100 counties under plans submitted by 64 counties and 8 regional library systems. Three regional libraries of three counties each have been established in Missouri. In this State, four independent town libraries have merged with their respective county libraries, resulting in strengthened services for all. In Washington, the Columbia River Regional Library, covering an area of 15,000 square miles, has been organized. The most effective way of getting library service, efficiently and economically, to sparsely settled rural areas has proven to be through bookmobile service. Some 200 bookmobiles have already been added to rural library programs under the Library Services Act. Almost all counties and regions, after short demonstrations, have voted to support such new library services with local funds. However, many more counties need bookmobiles before all rural areas will have the benefits which this service can provide. Federated or Cooperative Projects Projects for library development on a cooperative basis are being stressed at every level of service. Contractual agreements between libraries and between State library agencies and local libraries have increased in number, doing much to extend and improve public library service on a businesslike basis. Service to their rural neighbors under State plans has been extended by cities such as Midland, Mich., Milwaukee, Wis., and Stockton, Calif. In Arizona, a cooperative library development project between Yuma city and county has been organized. Two federations of libraries were organized in Montana-the Northwest Federation, serving 2 counties with 4 libraries, and the Five Valleys Federation, serving 7 counties with 7 libraries and 13 branches. In order to assist States who requested aid in developing agreements with local agencies under which local funds could be included under State plans, a sample agreement form was developed by the Library Services Branch which was sent to all of the State library extension agencies in June 1957. This was not a complete contract, but rather an outline or framework of such a contract. Resources and Reader Services Library needs have become so great that single collections, standing alone, cannot hope to meet the need. The State librarian of Michigan points out: "The vision of systems of libraries that channel a wide selection of books and specialized services to every resident of every State involves broad plans for the coordination of all types of library materials. In many situations, it means that the centers of systems will be located in cities or on college campuses, and that the State library must be enlarged to serve these regional centers.' A major deficiency in many rural communities at the beginning of the Library Services Act program was the lack of basic reference materials, Fyan, Loleta D. "You and the Library Services Act." ALA Bulletin, January 1957. 51: 17-19. |