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Need a Library Grant? By Lyn Harrington Editor’s Note: Canadian Library Week is to be celebrated April 81h to 14111. this year. Institute members will want to keep informed of any special programs or events arranged by their County Library or the Library in their nearest town. Perhaps in some places (here may be ways for Institutes to CO-OPEI'HJ‘E' in the program. celebrated April 8 to 14. in 1962. but any week of the year is the right time for evaluating library resources in your com- munity. Two years ago. new library legislation was passed in Ontario, permitting the formation of County Libraries. We’ve had ‘em for years? I thought so. too. It turns out those are county cat-operative libraries. The municipalities bear the tax burden. while the rural areas shoulder little responsibility. At present, 14 out of the 38 counties of Ontario have co-operative library systems. with transfer of books from branch to branch. sometimes with bookmobile service. it‘s far from satisfactory. Let's face itâ€"Ontario really has poor li- brary service. Out of 937 municipalities. only 486 have libraries, and nearly half are "Asso- ciation," not tax-supported. CANADIAN LIBRARY WEEK is being William A, Roedde, until recently with Nurthweslern Regional Library service, on one of his calls to distribute books at a rural school. Mr. Rodde is new Director of Ontario Provincial library Service. â€"Pholo Courtesy Imparlal 0“ i- l __. H WINTER I962 â€"Phulo Courtesy Imperial Oil Bookmobile from Northwestern Regional Library Co- operative, based at Fort William and serving towns and villages for miles around. We Canadians are n cautious people. and not least, we Ontarians. In the two years. Women‘s Institutes. Home and School Asso- ciations. educators and boards have poked and prodded. testing the new regulations for flaws. Yes. a County Library will cost the rurul dweller more than he pays at presentionc mill as compared with 1-: millâ€"on the new “equalized assessment." The grants to libraries within the county co-opcrativc system are rear sonable. but new grunts to true County Li« brarics are more than doubled. It‘s worth look- ing into. Who runs such a library? The Board will comprise a Warden. three County Councillors. and three public-spirited citizens appointed by the Council. The already established libraries will keep their own boards. though with fewer responsibilities. and one or more bookmobiles will serve outlying areas. What's the catch? Well. a County Library will call for higher taxes in the countrygan item you can‘t ignore. What does the country- man get in return"? Better library service in schools. in established libraries. at the cross- roads. You can use your borrower's card at any branch library in the county. With books he enjoys. Johnny quickly learns to readâ€"and nowadays he's got to read to get along in school. The adult who reads for in- formation is usually ahead socially and pro- fessionally. A larger book collection can be bought with an enlarged budgetâ€"you have a wider choice. And better reference tools. (It saves you time to have SlallSIlCS handy. rather than having to write away to the govern- ment.) The librarians who have run the library for years won't lbsc their jobs. They‘ll have more time for actual library service, not the time- 35