Page "Herbert Putnam" Paragraph 17

Initially, Putnam was not interested in the wholesale distribution of books to American troops simply due to the lack of interest.

However, when attention arose that the British War Library Service in London were performing similar duties to their troops, measures were quickly devised by Putnam, the ALA, and Congress to enact such a program to the American military branches.

“ Aided by a grant of $ 320, 000 from the Carnegie Corporation, the War Service built thirty-six libraries, completing the majority by February 1918.

But with so much invested in buildings, little money remained for books or administration … Putnam took the matter up directly with the War Department and obtained assurances that the government would provide utilities.

He appealed to ALA members to donate books and volunteer for service, and by June 1918 the association had purchased 300, 000 books, sent 1, 349, 000 gift books to camps, and distributed 500, 000 magazines .” In the time after World War I, the services of the Library of Congress towards the war effort provided a new outlook for the American public on the possibilities of what a successful library could accomplish.

In other words, the contributions made by the Library of Congress in that time gave “ librarians ‘ a new conception of what a truly national library could be ' and added one more item ‘ to the long list of benefits for which American libraries have to thank the Library and the Librarian, of Congress .”