Show Library Week Set April 18 12 Manti Mantl residents will join millions of th their ir fellow Americans Americans Americans Amer Amer- in over communities ties in all fifty states in observance observance ob oh- servance of National Library Week April 18 12 as was announced announced announced an an- by the Utah Library Week Committee This is the seventh culminating observance observance observance ance of the year-round year program program program pro pro- gram designed to encourage lifetime reading habits and to create wider use and support of libraries of all kinds The theme of Reading is the Key to Knowledge Opportunities Opportunities Opportunities Op Op- and New Worlds provides the emphasis of personal personal personal per per- rewards of reading and increased ed interest in supporting support support- ing reading resources that serve each community Here in Utah the Library W Week ek Committee has launched launch launch- ed a major drive to inform the citizens of national library standards of service and to develop develop develop de de- the support needed to meet the increased library needs in public schools colleges colleges colleges col col- col- col leges and universities as well as special libraries Present statistics show that over 18 million Americans have no library services while more than million Americans Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans have very inadequate li- li library li library services Over 29 percent per percent percent cent of American school children children children chil chil- dren attend public schools with no centralized libraries Over 66 per cent of the el elementary schools are without libraries College and University libraries libraries libraries ies lay behind the recommended recommend recommend- ed standards Most public li U- libraries libraries are far away from the standards The public libraries in Utah show an expenditure of per capita while recommended standards t to give minimum library library library li li- service is 3 05 to 3 96 Public libraries in the state vary from collections of a few hundred books to very excellent excellent excel excel- lent libraries of hundreds of thousands of books buildings vary from the modern Salt Lake Public Library now under under under un un- der construction to libraries with little change since they were established early in the states state's history Most Utah University libraries li libraries libraries li- li only re reach ch 50 per cent of the national standards while most colleges fail to even reach the way half-way mark The approximate students students students stu stu- dents attending colleges in Utah in 1965 will increase to or more by 1970 Good library service is essential essential essential essen essen- to research and scholar scholar- ship The great shortage of trained trained trained train train- ed librarians is evident in Utah as across the nation Over will be needed in the United States by 1965 and only 2563 library degrees are conferred each year Right now over 18 jobs are awaiting each graduate of library schools with starting salaries ranging from upward Many positions in Utah are vacant because of the lack of qualified personnel During the last state legislature legislature legislature legis legis- lature important library laws were passed to encourage a greater library development and service by cooperation and consolidation Good libraries are an important resource for forthe forthe forthe the state and the nation As the late President John F. F Kennedy stated Good libraries libraries libraries ies are so essential to an educated educated educated edu edu- and informed people as the school system itself The library is not only the custodian custodian custodian cus cus- of our cultural heritage but THE KEY to progress and advancement of knowledge National Library Week should help us recognize the enormous enormous enor enormous enor- enor need and challenging potential of the public and school library system |