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Show One-Third of U. S. Poplotion Iks Ho Access to LikariGs WASHINGTON. Two solons have stated that almost one-third of the people of the United States, or "more than 35,000,000 persons, nearly all of them in rural areas, have no access to libraries." Because of that situation, the $ lawmakers. Sen. Lister Hill of Alabama Ala-bama nnd Rep. Emily Taft Douglas Doug-las of Illinois, have introduced identical iden-tical bills simultaneously in the house and senate calling for annual federal grants of $25,000 to each state for use of state library associations asso-ciations in rural areas. The bill also empowers states to provide additional funds up to a maximum of $50,000 annually for such work, which the federal government govern-ment would match. While no federal control or administration ad-ministration is involved, annual reports re-ports would be called for and stntes would qualify for funds by preparing prepar-ing plans and submitting them to the United States commissioner of education. The statistics show there are 586 counties without any public library service. The greatest number, 150 counties, are in Texas. Kentucky is second with 63 counties with no library, and Louisiana and Mississippi Missis-sippi are third, with 35 counties each. In only 11 states docs every county coun-ty have a public library. They are Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont. |