crucial ones. In this period the child's character and many of his future habits are formed. This is the time to instill in him a love of books that will form the basis for his later reading habits. “Children rely on their parents to lead them in the way they are to go. If a child never even sees his parents reading and, more important, has never been read to, his chances of becoming a reader or of learning to read easily are almost nil. Why should he? He has no idea of the pleasures to be found in books. "And if you want the best for your children in this complicated world today. a good education is a must. A love of reading ensures a head start‘tn this race. and it is up to you as parents to provrde the necessary leadership." What sort of books do our people ask for? an article in the Ontario Library Review, Miss Evans says: “It is fascinating to observe how the adult picâ€" turc has changed over the last five years. Prior to that rural Ontario asked almost exclusively for sweet and simple annals. But now? Non-fiction in increasing numbers, angry young or old men, and avantgarde literature in all fields. Fortunately the day of mediocre requests is past and these days at least every third application for a travel- ling library is accompanied by inquiries indicat- ing that We are catering to a thoughtful and oflcn exacting public. The result is that our book collection has been improved and expanded to meet the more enlightened demands made upon it. But it still contains a good'deal of recreational reading and is not. by any stretch of the imagina- tion, a store house of knowledge on which to base a province-wide reference service." We learned that many people are asking for a. "Ititii' its Will ~ tit -_ ‘ n\ . g \A A corner of the Travelling libraries premises where book: are telecled, packed and prepared for shipping. \I‘, 13 books about Africa and the head library is ,7. log out “Profile of Nigeria" by Leonard s worthy; “A New Earth" â€" an experimeuim‘ colonialism; “a book about Kenya bv Flt- Huxley; “Meet the Congo and Its Peopl'e" k for younger readers by John Gunther. We 7.3. interested, too, in the wealth of books in ‘ about the Canadian North: Farley 31.». “People of the Deer“, “Coppermine Joni “Ordeal by Ice", wI'he Desperate PL». ~ “Schoolhouse in the North" by Marjorie t n. “The Mysterious North" by Pierre Berton Farley Mowat's book about Newfoundland > L Seas Under". And it was interesting to he: ,i the Travelling Libraries Branch has a stat: Moose Factory serving 1,000 Cree Inï¬ll-Elna I . cl ‘|il\_p‘ :iS The central library's shelves would debut at. nature toyer. Just passing along the corridi ' noticed “Outdoor Rambles" by Stuart Thor q. “Wings in the Wind" by Anne Merrill, ' ‘ Lake Countryâ€"Life in the North Wooi‘ John J. Rowland, with illustrations by He. It Kane "Where" (We had to stop and on book of course to read this) “timber WOlVL‘ the hills on the long winter nights and brings the big Canada geese and the son. and in summer the moose and the den down to the lakes and bears feed on the bli; barrens." We cannot begin to list the good new. nor the good old ones in the Travelling Ll‘ stock; but it is safe to say most of them [H or if not they will be provided if they art, for â€" from Morley Callaghan‘s new "The Coloured Coat", Jessie L. Beattie‘s “Split Sky" and others, to Stephen Leacock's “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town" .1: excellent anthology of Canadian poetry. "'I. ford Book of Canadian Verse“ in Engll‘ French edited by A. J. M. Smith. The in the library maintains a stock of about books, all considered worth circulating. git-t Idea of the supply We have to draw from. * ‘k ‘k THE PATIENT SCIENTISTS Bertha Gerneaux Woods How_ they have learned the secrets of the ct Ships in the clouds, afloat as on a Sea: Votces through miles of distance singing, my Brought to our homes to gladden you and ' How selflessly they seek profoundet‘ meaning Hid in the clump of mossâ€"the iron ore! How they have found in energy the serreh God smiled to know a billion years befirrt Counting their lives not dear, so they discm't Some bit of truth through eons all unSU““ Something to make the lives to come the rit‘i- Ere they themselves shall shut their eyes" ï¬n" Ah, still the Lord God walks with noiseless fun: Visits the workshops of these patient menr Smiles on the test tubes, the revealing Iensc<. And "It is good," He murmurs once again- * 'k * HOME AND COUNT 33V