    [Hospital Library Service]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    ﻿W 1.35= 2-?

    WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL MANUAL
    HOSPITAL
    LIBRARY SERVICE
    WAR DEPARTMENT • DECEMBER 1945
    U OF NT LIBRARIES 76203
    WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL MANUAL
    TM 28-306
    HOSPITAL
    LIBRARY SERVICE
    WAR DEPARTMENT • DECEMBER 1945
    United States Government Printing Office Washington: 1945
    WAR DEPARTMENT Washington 25, D. C., 21 December 1945
    TM 28-306, Hospital Library Service, is published for the information and guidance of all concerned.
    [AG 300.7 (24 Oct. 45)]
    By order of the Secretary of War:
    Official :
    EDWARD F. WITSELL
    Major General
    Acting The Adjutant General
    DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
    Chief of Staff
    Distribution :
    AAF (5) ; AGF (5) ; ASF (2) ; T of Opns (10) ; S Div ASF (1); SvC (ZI) (5); GH (Sp Sv O) (2); RH (Sp Sv 0) (2); SH (Sp Sv O) (2); CH (Sp Sv 0) (2).
    Refer to FM 21-6 for explanation of distribution formula.
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    CONTENTS
    Paragraph Page
    SECTION I. GENERAL
    Purpose ........................................... 1	1
    Mission of hospital library........................ 2	1
    Establishment of hospital library.................. 3	2
    Library officer.................................... 4	2
    II.	HOSPITAL LIBRARY STAFF.
    Hospital librarian................................. 5	3
    Assistant librarians and library assistants......	6	4
    Clerical assistants ............................... 7	4
    Enlisted personnel................................. 8	5
    Volunteer workers.................................. 9	5
    III.	TRAINING OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL.
    Civilian personnel training program............... 10	6
    Procedure book.................................... 11	6
    Orientation of assistants......................... 12	6
    Knowledge of book selection......................  13	7
    Principles of supervision......................... 14	7
    IV.	HOSPITAL LIBRARY BUILDING AND ITS
    EQUIPMENT.
    Location of library............................... 15	8
    Library building.................................. 16	8
    Furniture and equipment........................... 17	8
    Space for writing and study....................... 18	9
    Interior decoration............................... 19	9
    Office ........................................... 20	9
    Workroom ........................................  21	9
    V.	FUNDS.
    Types of funds...............’.................... 22	11
    Appropriated funds ............................... 23	11
    Nonappropriated funds............................. 24	11
    Purchase of books, supplies, and equipment....... 25	11
    Property records ................................. 26	12
    VI.	HOSPITAL LIBRARY BOOK COLLECTION.
    Book selection......•............................. 27	13
    Reference collection.............................. 28	13
    Armed services editions........................... 29	13
    Talking books..................................... 30	14
    Periodicals ...................................... 31	14
    Gift magazines.................................... 32	14
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    P arayraph Paye VII. WARD SERVICE FROM LIBRARY.
    Schedules for ward visits.......................... 33	15
    Length of ward visits.............................. 34	15
    Selection of personnel for ward work............... 35	16
    Book trucks........................................ 36	16
    Stocking book truck................................ 37	16
    Special delivery service........................... 38	17
    Ward office ....................................... 39	17
    Approach to patient................................ 40	17
    Reference work on ward............................. 41	17
    Interlibrary loans for ward patients............... 42	18
    Circulation routine in ward........................ 43	18
    VIII.	ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES PECULIAR TO HOSPITAL LIBRARIES.
    Method of filing circulation....................... 44	19
    Clearance of patients.............................. 45	19
    Wall charts ......................................   46	19
    Use of books in contagious wards................... 47	20
    Books destroyed by mental patients................. 48	20
    Circulation statistics............................. 49	20
    IX.	COORDINATION AND COOPERATION WITH OTHER SERVICES.
    Library in relation to medical program............. 50	21
    Reconditioning service ............................ 51	21
    Occupational therapy section....................... 52	22
    Neuropsychiatric service .......................... 53	22
    Library in relation to recreational program...... 54	23
    Entertainment ..................................... 55	23
    Music ............................................. 56	23
    Red Cross ......................................... 57	23
    Separation classification and counseling........... 58	24
    X.	PUBLICITY Publicity methods and techniques....................... 59	25
    Signs ............................................. 60	25
    Bulletin boards ................................... 61	25
    Publications....................................... 62	25
    Exhibits .......................................... 63	26
    Book marks, throwaways, etc........................ 64	26
    Public address systems............................. 65	26
    Library programs .................................. 66	27
    APPENDIX I. PERTINENT ARMY REGULATIONS AND DIRECTIVES............	28
    II.	RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY. . .	29
    III.	SAMPLES OF PUBLICITY................................... 30
    IV.	ACCREDITED LIBRARY SCHOOLS GIVING COURSE IN HOSPITAL LIBRARY SERVICE..................................... 32
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    SECTION I
    GENERAL
    I.	Purpose
    The purpose of this manual is to state the principles of hospital librarianship that should be practiced in the fixed hospitals of the medical department, and to show how this service is coordinated with the other services of the hospital to promote the welfare and educational development of the patients. It will assist hospital commanders in understanding how a hospital librarian with a well-equipped library can best serve all types of patients and the hospital staff with a well-rounded library program. It will also enable the professional librarian who is unfamiliar with hospital library work to understand her place in the therapeutic program of the hospital. It is not designed to teach the fundamentals of library science, since the librarian of the hospital or the post librarian supervising library service at a small hospital is professionally trained and possesses the qualifications outlined in AR 210-70.
    2.	Mission of Hospital Library
    It is the mission of the hospital library to provide recreational and supplementary educational reading materials for all patients, duty personnel, and medical staff of the hospital with the purpose of contributing to the mental welfare and recovery of the patient and the morale of the duty personnel and staff. Recreational reading is designed to take the patient’s mind from his illness. Supplementary educational reading is designed to stimulate the preinduction interests of the patient and to develop latent interests, thus leading him to look forward to his recovery, and to returning to duty or civilian life better equipped mentally than before his hospitalization. The therapeutic value of such reading is recognized by medical authorities. While the library is part of Special Services, it serves also as an adjunct to every department in the hospital dealing with the personal welfare of the patient. This is particularly true in such services as those offered by the reconditioning and separation-classification officers. This is not to imply that recreational reading may be neglected, since for many pa
    tients recreational reading is the only type of mental exercise possible. A trained librarian, with an adequate staff; library quarters with comfortable, sturdy, and colorful furniture; a well-selected collection of books, pamphlets, and magazines; equipment for processing and cataloging them and book trucks to take them to the bedsides of patients are the fundamental requirements for the accomplishment of this mission.
    3.	Establishment of Hospital Library
    Basic authority for the establishment of the hospital library will be found in paragraph 306(2), MR 1-10. Authorization for a hospital librarian and assistant librarians will be found in AR 210-70.
    4.	Library Officer
    The accountable library officer of a regional, convalescent, or general hospital is the post Special Services officer or the hospital Special Services officer or one of their assistants. In a station hospital, the accountable library officer is the post Special Services officer or a member of his staff. (See TM 28-305.) He should be so designated by special orders. The ideal library officer is one who understands that a hospital library requires a professionally trained librarian to administer it efficiently and delegates this responsibility to the qualified librarian approved and trained by the service command or air forces command. It is his responsibility to obtain the necessary funds, supplies, equipment, and an adequate staff for operating the library, to sign vouchers to the stock record account and official correspondence relating to the library, and to check periodically to see that records are kept in accordance with Army Regulations and directives. When library affairs are discussed at higher levels, he should have the librarian prepare written justification for her requests in order that he may present them intelligently.
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    SECTION II
    HOSPITAL LIBRARY STAFF
    5.	Hospital Librarian
    The accomplishment of the mission of the hospital library depends upon the personality as well as upon the training and ability of the librarian. A desire to serve, a pleasant disposition, and the ability to adjust to hospital life without becoming morbid are essential. The librarian should have a sympathetic understanding of people as well as of books so that she can talk with the patient who is a backwoods farmer with the same interest as with the man of professional background. She must have stamina so that she can perform the physical labor of pushing heavy book trucks through miles of hospital corridors and wards. While beauty is not a prerequisite, good grooming is an sset.
    a.	The background of the librarian is almost as important as her personality. The previous experience of any hospital librarian should have included much reading on a wide variety of subjects, and contact with many types of people. The broadening effects of travel are also helpful.
    b.	A knowledge of hospital ethics and organization is necessary for the librarian in a hospital. Those who have not gained this knowledge through previous hospital experience should take the special training courses for hospital librarians conducted by the several service commands, and should give similar training to their assistants. A thorough reading of TM 8-260 is a prerequisite to an understanding of the functions of the various portions of the hospital. TM 8-220 is also a valuable source of information about the work of the enlisted personnel in a hospital.
    c.	The librarian must be able to so organize her library that her assistants can carry on its service in her absence. In addition to preparing the procedure book described in paragraph 11, she must see that files and shelves are properly labeled, both in the reading room and in the work room, to avoid confusion and to aid in locating material quickly.
    d.	The patient has a right to expect individual attention in the library. The librarian must be interested in him as a person and
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    in his stories of his family and his experiences. She must never hurry him in his contact with the library or its staff either in the wards or in the reading room.
    e.	The librarian should be able to prepare military correspondence for the signature of the library officer. She should have a complete set of Army Regulations pertaining to the operation and organization of the library and should be able to understand and interpret them and other War Department directives concerning the library.
    6.	Assistant Librarians and Library Assistants
    Paid civilian assistants may be of two types; assistant librarians meeting the qualifications of AR 210-70, and library assistants who may be either clerical workers or library workers who do not meet the professional requirements prescribed in AR 210-70.
    a.	The number of assistant librarians in a hospital library paid from appropriated funds will be in accordance with AR 210-70; one assistant librarian in addition to the hospital librarian for hospitals having 1,000 beds, and one additional librarian for each additional 750 beds. Professional assistants are essential so that the librarian need not waste valuable time teaching book selection, cataloging procedures, reference work and other technical subjects to untrained personnel. Trained personnel are also needed for the operation of branch libraries when the hospital expands, and for supervision of ward service.
    b.	It is possible to use as subprofessional assistants, paid from nonappropriated funds, those people who have had enough experience in library work to familiarize them with library routines and terminology, and with books in the various subject fields. Such personnel should be thoroughly indoctrinated in hospital library methods, and should work under direct supervision for some time before being sent into wards with book trucks. If they are college graduates, after a year of this experience they will fulfill the qualifications of AR 210-70, and can then be paid from appropriated funds as assistant librarians.
    7.	Clerical Assistants
    Clerical assistants should be expert typists. One who can draw well enough to letter books and prepare poster designs is desirable. If is inadvisable to assign anyone to a library who has no interest in books or reading. Close liaison should be maintained between the librarian and the civilian personnel officer at all times so that there may be mutual understanding of problems and requirements. The librarian should interview and approve all appli
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    cants before they are hired. In order to get qualified applicants from the civilian personnel office, the librarian must know how to prepare intelligent and accurate job descriptions.
    8.	Enlisted Personnel
    Enlisted women or enlisted men on limited service may be assigned to the library. If they have had civilian library experience or if they are interested in books and reading, they can be of immeasurable assistance. There is no separate MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) number for librarians—they are classified as Clerk, General, MOS 055; but trained librarians can be located by their MCO (Main Civilian Occupation) number, 391. Interested enlisted personnel frequently ask to be assigned to the library. Close cooperation with the commanding officers of the enlisted detachments and with the military personnel office may result in the assignment of excellent enlisted assistants to the library. Payment of enlisted personnel for work in the library during off-duty time is authorized by AR 210-70.
    9.	Volunteer Workers
    Much valuable help can be obtained from volunteer workers assigned to the library by the American Red Cross. In planning with the Red Cross field director for the assignment of volunteers, it is desirable that the Grey Ladies assigned to the library be permitted to concentrate on that work alone, so that the librarian can safely devote time to training them, and can count on their availability when she draws up her weekly work schedules. It may be possible to recruit professional librarians as volunteer workers. If persons outside the Red Cross offer their services as volunteers, clearance must be obtained from the commanding officer, since the Red Cross is the agency authorized to provide volunteer help in Army hospitals.
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    SECTION III
    TRAINING OF LIBRARY PERSONNEL
    10.	Civilian Personnel Training Program
    Full use should be made of the training methods developed by the Civilian Personnel Training Program, since it is essential that the library staff become familiar with military correspondence and methods, as well as with their professional methods. They must understand the organization of the Army as well as the organization of a library, and Army procedure as well as library procedure.
    II.	Procedure Book
    In the library, the training of assistants should be based on a complete standing operating procedure for the library which sets forth the routines for each phase of the work, and includes samples of all forms and cards in use. The writing of such an SOP, necessitating a critical analysis of existing procedures, should assist the librarian in improving her organization, and eliminating wasteful routines. It is not necessary to teach professional functions such as reference work, reader’s advisory work, complete classification and cataloging, or the fine points of book selection, but the basic principles involved should be written down. Clerical routines, circulation routines, and similar processes should be set forth in detail. The procedure book should be written so that the employee with no knowledge of library procedure can understand it with a minimum of oral explanation. TM 28-305 will be of assistance in preparing this manual.
    12.	Orientation of Assistants
    The civilian assistants, whether professionally trained or not, will need to be oriented to Army hospital routines and organization. This orientation is the responsibility of the librarian. Permission may be requested for new library personnel to attend orientation lectures given to Red Cross workers or other post personnel.
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    13.	Knowledge of Book Selection
    One of the most effective methods of training assistants in the necessary knowledge of book selection is to allow them to help select books after they have acquired a certain familiarity with the existing collection. At any early staff meeting after any assistant has been added to the staff, the librarian or an assistant librarian should give a talk on book selection for hospitals. Each new assistant, whether trained or untrained, should shelve books and read shelves for several months in order to become thoroughly familiar with the collection. From the very first week, all assistants who are assigned to desk duty or conduct library service in wards should be given at least 2 hours per week to read bookreviewing periodicals. They should be instructed to read with the existing collection in mind, $nd to keep in mind the principles of book selection set forth in the procedure book as well as the request list and the types of readers patronizing the library.
    14.	Principles of Supervision
    No amount of formal instruction or reading of professional books will teach a library assistant the actual work of the library. Lectures and reading serve only as an introduction for on-the-job training. The wise librarian will observe the following principles in the supervision of assistants of any type:
    a.	Staff meetings should be held frequently, and frank discussions on all subjects encouraged.
    b.	Assistants should be corrected in private and never in the presence of a patient, other patron, or another assistant.
    c.	All instructions, whether written or oral, should be clearly stated.
    d.	Accuracy in all operations must be stressed, since mistakes can result in delaying a patient’s recovery or in creating unfavorable public relations for the hospital or the library.
    e.	Work schedules should take into account the personal lives of both the librarian and her assistants.
    f.	Specific tasks and specific responsibilities should be assigned each assistant.
    g.	Assistants should be made to feel that they are a part of an organization designed for service to the patients and staff, not that they are working for the librarian. The librarian must explain to them the meaning of their work in relation to the mission of the hospital.
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    SECTION IV
    HOSPITAL LIBRARY BUILDING AND ITS EQUIPMENT
    15.	Location of Library
    The library should be centrally located so that ambulatory patients will not have to walk greater distances than necessary. In hospital centers, each hospital should have its own library, administered as a branch of the main library. In large general hospitals, it is recommended that branches be established so that unnecessary walking can be eliminated. When suitable space is available it is desirable to have branch libraries near the separation-classification office, near the psychiatric wards, and near the reconditioning classrooms. The main library should be located near the post exchange or the telephone center where large groups of people normally congregate.
    16.	Library Building
    It is recommended that the space assigned to the library be used only for library purposes and activities. Accessibility from a ramp is necessary for both wheel chair and crutch cases, and for the easy manipulation of book trucks. Plenty of daylight is essential as well as adequate artificial lighting for use at night. Many libraries have found that fluorescent lighting is practical as well as attractive. The use of soundproofing material will add materially to the efficiency of the library; records can be played and conversations carried on in ordinary tones of voice without disturbing those who wish to concentrate, thus eliminating the repressive atmosphere sometimes found in public libraries where silence is considered essential.
    17.	Furniture and Equipment
    The first principle to be observed in furnishing a hospital library is convenience for the patients. There should be chairs of varying heights so that patients with any type of injury can be comfortably seated. Hassocks should be provided for the use of patients in various types of casts. If at all feasible, the shelving should
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    not be over 5 feet in height so that even a wheel chair patient can see the top shelves. The patient should not be reminded of his degree of incapacity by not being able to see all the books. Shelving provided by library supply houses will be adjustable, but if the shelving is made on the post, shelves for books that circulate should be 12 inches apart, and for reference books 13 inches. If it is necessary to use book stacks to provide adequate shelf space, they must be widely spaced to enable easy movement for patients in wheel chairs, or with crutches.
    18.	Space for Writing and Study
    If there is no other place in the hospital available, the library should provide a place for writing and study, but emphasis should be placed on comfort and a homelike atmosphere rather than on the quiet necessary for study. It is ideal for the library to have two rooms for the use of the patients; one furnished with easy chairs, sofas, small low tables, hassocks, and soft lights, for browsing, and one furnished with straight chairs, study tables, and table lamps for writing or study. A plentiful supply of ash trays should be provided for each. If it is not possible to have two separate rooms, the library can be divided into sections by the advantageous placing of book stacks.
    19.	Inferior Decoration
    Color should be used generously but judiciously. Harmony of color in draperies, upholstery, floor covering, pictures, pottery, and vases will promote an attractive appearance. Care should be exercised in the use of glaring color, although a few bright accents are effective. Generous use of soft tones will insure a restful atmosphere. Whenever possible the advice of an interior decorator should be procured.
    20.	Office
    An office for the hospital librarian is recommended where some measure of privacy may be assured for her and her consultants, who may be either members of the medical staff seeking information or patients requiring reading guidance.
    21.	Workroom
    Because so much of the activity of a hospital library is carried on outside the library room it is essential that adequate work space be provided for the library staff. There must be sufficient floor space in which to store the book trucks and to work around them
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    when preparing for ward trips. There must be shelving for general and ward storage, a vertical file for records, correspondence, and book jackets, a work table, a sink with running water, a convenient electric outlet for a stylus, storage space for supplies and mending materials, a typewriter table or desk, and lockers for coats and hats. Much of this equipment can be obtained by issue from the quartermaster. Another source is the post engineer who will construct furniture or shelving upon proper request and the presentation of plans.
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    SECTION V
    FUNDS
    22.	Types of Funds
    Appropriated and nonappropriated funds may be used for purchase of library equipment, reading material, and supplies in Army hospitals.
    23.	Appropriated Funds
    Funds appropriated by Congress for the use of the Army are presently available for the payment of librarians and assistant librarians and for the purchase of reading materials, supplies and equipment for libraries. Requests for appropriated funds, adequately justified, must be submitted through proper channels to the commanding officer of the post, camp or station involved.
    24.	Nonappropriated Funds
    These funds are derived from the net profits of revenue-producing activities of a post involving the sale of merchandise or services, such as the Army Motion Picture Service, and the Army Exchange Service. (See C4, AR 40-590.) Equipment and supplies for the hospital library may be obtained from the Central Post Fund or the Post Hospital Fund. Requests for funds and justification therefor should be submitted to the custodians of the above-mentioned funds.
    25.	Purchase of Books, Supplies, and Equipment
    The purchase of books from appropriated funds must be made in accordance with the provisions of SB 10-87 which is revised annually. Purchases from appropriated funds can be made only by a purchasing and contracting officer. Purchases from nonappropriated funds will be made in accordance with C4, AR 40-590. Recommended expenditure for books and periodicals for hospital libraries is a minimum of $2.00 per bed per year.
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    26.	Property Records
    Extreme care should be taken to insure that the property records for Government property are kept in accordance with AR 35-6800. When there is a change in accountability, the provisions of AR 35-6680 should be complied with to the letter. Both the library officer and the librarian should check frequently with the post supply officer regarding any changes in regulations or procedure governing accountability.
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    SECTION VI
    HOSPITAL LIBRARY BOOK COLLECTION
    27.	Book Selection
    With a few exceptions, book selection principles for small public libraries apply equally to hospital libraries. The following special considerations, however, should be borne in mind:
    a.	Books of an obviously depressing nature should not be purchased.
    b.	No book which contains material calculated to cause distrust of the hospital or its personnel should be purchased. Examples of this type of book are mystery stories in which a physician or a nurse is the murderer, and books which have sadistic doctors as characters.
    c.	No medical books should be ordered for the patient’s library unless specifically requested by a medical officer.
    d.	Technical books and supplementary educational material should be emphasized.
    e.	Adequate numbers of copies of current books should be supplied while they are in demand.
    /. Easy to handle books, and books with large print as well as books of pictures and cartoons should be supplied for ward patients.
    28.	Reference Collection
    The reference needs of the hospital library are Similar to those of any small public library. However, circulating copies of certain popular reference works, such as The World Almanac, well-illustrated, popularly written encyclopedias, and bound volumes of the National Geographic Magazine should be provided for use in wards.
    29.	Armed Services Editions
    Armed services editions are supplied to Army hospitals on the basis of one set of each series of 40 titles for each 50 beds. These books are not part of the library collection, but the librarian
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    should from time to time check to see that the hospital is receiving the correct number of sets and that the sets are distributed to the wards. Care should be taken to see that they are used only by military personnel since editions for the armed services has agreements with the publishers that the books will be distributed only to members of the armed services. If funds permit, other paperbound books can be purchased by the library and placed in the wards. These books are light in weight, and for patients with some types of injuries much easier to handle than bound volumes.
    30.	Talking Books
    Libraries of hospitals which specialize in the treatment of eye injuries should provide talking books for this type of patient. The machine and records can be lent to individual patients as required, and can be used in the library for several patients at once. Books can also be played over the hospital’s public address system so that patients in several wards can hear them. Information on borrowing the machines and records should be secured from the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.
    31.	Periodicals
    A large and varied list of periodicals should make up the subscription list of any hospital. Multiple copies of the most popular titles should be provided for use in wards, enough to insure one copy for each ward of predominantly bed patients and one copy for each closed or contagious ward. Ambulatory patients should be encouraged to come to the library to read magazines, rather than reading the copies procured for bed patients. Picture magazines, comics, news magazines, westerns, and mystery stories will be in demand. Out of date or torn copies, medical journals, propaganda publications not approved by the post intelligence officer, and too gruesome pulps should not be circulated.
    32.	Gift Magazines
    The following principles should be considered before any gift magazines are circulated:
    a.	Only clean magazines with both covers intact are acceptable.
    b.	Only current magazines are useful, except for the National Geographic, Fortune, and the popular scientific monthlies. Weeklies are acceptable not more than 2 weeks after date of publication, and monthlies not more than 6 weeks.
    c.	The hospital must reserve the right to dispose of gift magazines as it sees fit.
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    SECTION VII
    WARD SERVICE FROM LIBRARY
    33.	Schedules for Ward Visits
    Ward service is designed to provide bed patients with all the advantages of library service usually provided in libraries. As far as possible the visits of the book truck to the wards should be at regularly stated intervals so the patients will be able to plan their reading accordingly. In making the schedules, however, the librarian must adapt her plans to the routines of the doctors and the patients. Before schedules can be determined, the factors discussed below must be taken into consideration.
    a.	Frequency of service will depend on the available library personnel, the number of book trucks, the physical location of the wards, and the type of patients in each. Three visits a week are usually considered adequate.
    b.	Consultation with the various chiefs of service and with the ward officers concerned will determine the most convenient time of day for ward service in the various wards, so there will be no conflict with the rounds of the medical officers, scheduled treatments for the patients, inspections, meals, rest periods.
    c.	Schedules must also avoid conflict with regular recreational activities, reconditioning classes, and clean up periods. The chief of reconditioning service and the Red Cross field director must be consulted.
    34.	Length of Ward Visits
    Time allotted to each patient by the library worker cannot be set arbitrarily, but must’ depend upon the individual patient. Conversations regarding his interests and experiences and his background furnish clues for determining his reading preferences. Whenever possible conversation should be led into book channels, but even when this is impossible on the first visit, on the third or fourth trip the conversation can be turned to books and latent interests discovered. When the patient feels the ward worker is too busy to talk to him, he immediately loses confidence and interest not only in the library service but’ in other special service activities offered to him.
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    35.	Selection of Personnel for Ward Work
    Only those people with an adequate knowledge of the library’s book collection should be assigned to ward work. Special care should be taken in the selection of ward workers for neuropsychiatric wards. Even though the librarian herself will not be able to make ward trips regularly because of her many other duties, she should visit the wards often enough to keep in close touch with the interests and the needs of the bed patients.
    36.	Book Trucks
    There are two types of commercially made book trucks for use in hospital ward work; one, an adaptation of the ordinary library book truck, must be turned around for the patient to see the books on both sides; the other, built on a wheel chair type chassis, permits the patients to see all of the books at once. Book trucks made by the hospital shops are not satisfactory unless built on an oxygen tank carrier, and those do not have room for magazines since they consist merely of a bookshelf mounted on the carrier in place of the tank. In order to determine the number of book trucks necessary, the librarian must first determine the number of trips that must be made at one time in order to cover all the wards. There should always be one spare truck to be used in case another breaks down, because repairs often take a long time.
    37.	Stocking Book Truck
    The type of book truck used will determine the arrangement of the book stock. The singlefaced truck lends itself to a subject arrangement, while the double faced truck is better adapted to an alphabetical author arrangement. Consistency in arrangement enables the patient to make his selection with ease. The librarian must be aware of current reading trends in specific wards and stock the truck accordingly. She should also anticipate individual reading preferences. The book truck should provide coverage of all subjects with a representative collection for all tastes, with emphasis on popular novels and picture books. Books on trades, hobbies, handicrafts, entertainment of various types, and special topics relating to lectures or classes conducted in the hospital as well as a wide range of magazine titles should be included. Suggestions for titles may be obtained from the occupational therapist, the reconditioning offices, and the separation-classification offices, all of whom are pleased to have collateral reading offered their p .tients.
    I j
    38.	Special Delivery Service
    Reservations, special requests, and reference questions should noted by the ward worker, and material delivered from the library at the earliest convenient time.
    39.	Ward Office
    Before seeing the patients, the library worker should report to the ward officer, or in his absence to the ward nurse to receive any special instructions such as warnings about critically ill patients who must not be disturbed, books turned in by patients who have left the ward, or requests to see a particular patient with a particular book. This reporting to the ward officer may be only routine, and the doctor or nurse may have no special instructions, but failure to so report when entering a ward is a breach of hospital etiquette, and will endanger the library’s public relations.
    40.	Approach to Patient
    The library worker’s approach to the patient either on the ward or in the library should be a natural one. Finding out where he.is from by a casual glance at the bed card is often an entering wedge; many people who have never read before will look at a book of pictures of their own state. Finding out what he did in civilian life may often provide a clue to his reading interests. The patient should not be allowed to complain of the treatment he is receiving, or to talk about his ills other than to say that he is getting better, or that he does not feel like reading. The librarian should notice without prompting when casts have been removed and make the proper remarks. No library worker should ever urge a patient to take a book; a simple sentence or two as to what a book is about will give the patient sufficient information to make his own choice. Remembering a patient’s name and grade and addressing him by them frequently is a good psychological approach. If the patient can think the library worker came especially to see him his ego and faith in himself have been helped.
    41.	Reference Work on Ward
    Any reference questions asked on the ward should be noted, looked up upon return to the library, and answered by “special delivery” or by putting the appropriate book with the material to be taken to that ward on the next visit. It is also possible to answer reference questions on the spot by telephoning the library and getting the answer at once. There should be a copy of the current issue of The World Almanac on each ward.
    !7
    42.	In+erlibrary Loans for Ward Patients
    If the patient requests books not in the libary, he should be told about interlibrary loan service, and asked whether he wants the book borrowed from a nearby library. No books should ever be borrowed on interlibrary loan without the patient’s direct request, since he may not be as interested as he seems, or he may not be hospitalized long enough to receive the book in question. Requests for lists of books on certain subjects should always be noted and the lists made as soon as possible after return to the library. The untrained worker should be impressed with the importance of finding out whether the patient wants a bibliography that includes only those books available in the library or whether he wishes the list for future study, and wants the best material on the subject included whether or not it is available in the library. No request for a bibliography should be taken without first getting all the limitations clearly set down.
    43.	Circulation Routine in Ward
    The importance of getting the patient’s full name, grade or rank, serial number, and ward on his borrower’s card cannot be too strongly emphasized. It is also helpful for other trips and other workers if any notes about reading interests are also entered so that the patient may feel he is getting individualized service when the next person from the library knows what he likes to read. These notes are made without the patient’s knowledge. A supply of borrowers’ cards should be included in the supplies taken to the wards. On the book card it is sufficient to record merely the name and ward number. Although the date the book is due may be entered on the date slip as quickly with a pencil as with a date stamp, when using volunteer or untrained personnel, there is less possibility of error with the latter method. Routine work performed in the wards should be held to a minimum so that the library worker may be free to devote her entire attention to the patients.
    18
    SECTION VIII
    ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES PECULIAR TO HOSPITAL LIBRARIES
    44.	Method of Filing Circulation
    In civilian hospitals, it is the practice to keep patients’ cards and book cards separately by wards so that the cards for £ach ward trip can be taken with the book truck, and the returned books slipped then and there and recirculated. This method is impractical in Army hospitals where patients are frequently moved from ward to ward and where their status from bed to ambulatory patient is subject to change without notice. It is, therefore, suggested that the patients’ cards be kept in a straight alphabetical file at the charging desk in the library, and that book cards for books in circulation also be filed at the desk by date due. Patients may then borrow books either in the library or in the wards by the simple means of signing their names to the book cards and filling out a borrowers’ card the first time they take a book. The additional process of charging the books on the borrowers’ cards can be completed in the library when the library worker returns with the circulation and her book truck. In a small hospital, books returned on the ward and requested by another patient can be returned to the library, slipped, and delivered to the patient who requested them. In a cantonment-type installation where it is impractical to make more than one trip to a ward during the course of a day, charge-out slips may be filled out on the ward to transfer books from the original borrower to a new borrower.
    45.	Clearance of Patients
    All patients should be cleared by the library before they are discharged from the hospital. In order to facilitate this clearance, borrowers’ cards should be filed alphabetically in one file, including patients, duty personnel, and staff.
    46.	Wall Charts
    One method of recording circulation on wards is to prepare a wall
    19
    chart showing wards covered each date and the total number of books circulated in each ward. This should be posted in the library office, and the figures recorded on it at the end of each ward trip.
    47.	Use of Books in Contagious Wards
    Many types of germs are not transmitted by books. Laboratory tests made by the Veterans Administration show conclusively that tuberculosis bacilli are not transmitted by books, and that books used by tubercular patients may be safely circulated to other patients, without fear of infection. Books used by venereal disease patients may also be circulated safely. However, it is the practice in most Army hospitals to limit contagious wards to paperbound expendable books and magazines that can be destroyed after use. Nonexpendable clothbound books which have been in contagious wards may be collected in paper bags and taken to the Physical Therapy Department to be disinfected by exposure to ultraviolet rays. The use of expendable books in contagious wards will avert anxiety on this score on the part of patients and their relatives.
    48.	Books Destroyed by Mental Patients
    In closed wards, books are occasionally destroyed by mental patients who cannot be held responsible for their actions. Statements of charges should not be prepared in such instances. Such books, if Government owned, should be cleared from the records by a Property Adjustment Slip, with the certificate of the ward officer that the patient is not accountable for his actions. If the book was purchased from nonappropriated funds, the certificate of the library officer as to the circumstances will serve as a credit voucher. Mental patients should not be deprived of books just because of the possibility that they may destroy them, but reasonable care should be taken that expensive or irreplaceable books do not get into closed wards.
    49.	Circulation Statistics
    Circulation statistics must be kept in order to compile the monthly and semiannual library reports that may be required by higher commands. It should be remembered that these figures serve as an indication of the service rendered by the library, not as an exact record of the use of books, since it is impossible to include ’in statistics the number of people who read a book on one circulation or the number of times a book is read without being taken from the library.
    20
    SECTION IX
    COORDINATION AND COOPERATION WITH OTHER SERVICES
    50.	Library in Relation to Medical Program
    Without the cooperation of the medical services of the hospital the library cannot function as a part of the medical program. The librarian must familiarize herself with the organization of the hospital, the responsibilities, problems, and objectives of the various services, and the types of cases to be found on each. In order to coordinate her work effectively with the activities of the hospital, she must know the medical officers, the nurses, and the rest of the hospital staff, and be ready to assist them in every way possible. On the other hand she must accept the responsibility of making sure that the hospital staff understands the services she has to offer them as well as their patients. While medical books cannot be purchased from funds for the patients’ library, such books can be borrowed on interlibrary loans whenever they are requested. Books that the medical staff recommends for the use of patients can be purchased. The librarian always stands ready to give special attention to any patient the medical staff feel needs particular treatment, either by providing specific types of reading material, as books with large print, or recommending specific titles to arouse interest in morose patients. Her assistance can be particularly useful in the services discussed below.
    51.	Reconditioning Service
    The wishes of both the physical and educational reconditioning officers should be represented in every book order made by the librarian. In many cases duplicate copies of books required by these officers should be ordered and issued to them on memorandum receipt for the reference collections in their offices and the librarian should offer her assistance in maintaining these collections. The librarian should make a supplementary reading list for every course being taken by a patient, and see that the patient receives the books on the list in which he expresses an interest. She should
    21
    also instruct all reconditioning students in the use of the library either singly or in groups. A pamphlet file of material for discussion groups, for classes, and for individual study should be maintained by the librarian, either in the library or in the reconditioning office. The library should also maintain a complete file of USAFI texts for reference use. The librarian should refer to the educational reconditioning officer all patients expressing an interest in any of the courses. Information concerning patient needs and interests should be constantly interchanged between the librarian and the reconditioning officers.
    52.	Occupational Therapy Section
    a.	The occupational therapy section of the Reconditioning service can be of great assistance to the library, and vice versa. They can assist in preparing posters, can furnish material for exhibits, print book lists and throwaways, and through the use of the library provide valuable publicity to the patients they serve. On the other hand, the library should be the chief source of designs for all types of crafts. Several hospital libraries maintain a file of designs clipped from magazines and mounted so they can be checked out. If the librarian and the occupational therapist work together on this file it can become a very valuable source of material. Included in the appendixes of this manual is a list of books suggested by the Office of The Surgeon General for library purchase for the use of the occupational therapy section, or anyone interested in handicraft. It is suggested that when requested by the occupational therapist, duplicate copies of these books, or books on The Surgeon General’s Occupational Therapy List, be purchased by the library and issued to the section on memorandum receipt for use in the work shop.
    b.	In addition to The Surgeon General’s Occupational Therapy List of books recommended for purchase, the Headquarters AAF Library issues lists of books approved by the air surgeon and available for distribution to AAF Convalescent Hospital Branches of AAF field technical libraries. Hospital librarians in coordination with officers in charge of convalescent services should select items pertinent to the convalescent program in force at their hospital and submit requisitions on AAF Form 104B for books which will then be distributed at no cost to the hospitals.
    53.	Neuropsychia+ric Service
    The librarian can give much valuable assistance to the neuropsychiatric service if she works closely with the medical officers. Some hospital librarians have sponsored book reviews or discussion
    22
    groups for closed ward patients and have been successful in stimulating patient interest. All material which is taken to psychiatric wards should be very carefully considered, and any questionable books discussed with and approved by medical officers before they are circulated to patients. The librarian must make a special effort to treat these patients in a normal, friendly manner, and must remember how quick they are to take offense, and how much personal attention they demand. One Army hospital has established a special library for the use of closed ward patients. Whenever pos-^ sible, the librarian should have access to case histories so she may base her reader’s advisory service on a knowledge of the patient’s needs. Patients in open wards should, of course, have unrestricted access to the main library.
    54.	Library in Relation to Recreational Program
    Army libraries were originally established to provide recreational reading for the improvement of the morale of troops, and in her efforts to coordinate her program with the medical program the librarian must not lose sight of her responsibility for providing recreational material, nor should she overlook her opportunity to cooperate with the recreational program of the hospital.
    •
    55.	Entertainment
    The library should be well supplied with material on stage craft, acting, make-up, and other subjects that are used in connection with soldier shows. She should stimulate interest in shows and in the theater by having exhibits of plays and theatrical material.
    56.	Music
    If the hospital does not have a music room for the use of patients, the library should provide a record player and a varied selection of records. This can be housed in the library itself, if the room is soundproofed so that records can be played without disturbing too many people, or in an adjacent room.
    57.	Red Cross
    The Red Cross is responsible for planning and directing medically approved recreation for hospital bed patients and convalescents in voluntary off-duty activities which are not part of the required reconditioning or convalescent program, but it is not responsible for library service to patients. The Red Cross is the only source of volunteer help available to the library, and without this help it would be impossible for many hospital libraries to give the serv
    23
    ice expected of them. Grey Ladies assigned to the library must be very careful not to perform any of the other duties which are the responsibility of the Red Cross, such as writing letters, running errands, and maintaining contact with the homes of patients while they are working for the library. A thorough understanding on the part of the library staff of the mission of the Red Cross and an equally thorough understanding on the part of the Red Cross of the responsibility of the library are essential for friendly cooperation. New members of the library staff should either attend the Red Cross orientation lectures, or have the Red Cross functions explained to them by the field director. The librarian should present the library program to new Red Cross workers as part of their orientation in the hospital. Some hospital libraries have found it expedient to use paper reproductions of the Army-Hostess-Librarian Service insignia on the book trucks which go to the wards with the legend Army Library Service so that the patients will be aware of the fact that the books are Army property and not Red Cross donations.
    58.	Separation Classification and Counseling
    The librarian will assist the separation-classification and counseling officer in organizing and operating the occupational library, which is a function of the separation and counseling section and is for the use of patients being discharged or counseled. The librarian will maintain a pamphlet file of vocational material, both that distributed automatically to hospital libraries and free and inexpensive material purchased from local funds. She should provide vocational books for the library collection as well as for the occupational library, since many patients who are not being discharged will be interested in post Army careers. For this reason her collection will duplicate some of the publications in the occupational library. As much material as possible concerning vocational opportunities in the geographical area in which the hospital is located should be provided. The representative of the United States Employment Service at the hospital should be able to assist in locating this type of material. Many states publish indexes to vocational institutions as well as to colleges, and these indexes should be available to both counselors and patients.
    24
    SECTION X
    PUBLICITY
    59.	Publicity Methods and Techniques
    Library service, like any other activity, will be used only if its availability is known. The precise methods of publicity will depend on local circumstances, but the keynote should be variety in content, media, and technique. Wherever possible, the services of enlisted personnel who have had previous experience in advertising or publicity should be utilized to carry out this program. Artists who can contribute both ideas and craftsmanship for attractive posters should be made available. It should be remembered, however, that the most effective publicity is by word of mouth as the soldier comes to know and appreciate the effectiveness of the library service offered him.
    60.	Signs
    The library’s location and hours of service should be well advertised throughout the hospital by directional signs in corridors, posters on all bulletin boards, and the library sign. This sign should always indicate the hours the library is open. If the library is in the hospital recreation building, the library sign should appear at both the entrance of the building and the entrance of the library.
    61.	Bulletin Boards
    Since the library is an information center, it should have a bulletin board for all notices of general interest, such as recreational activities, transportation schedules, and hospital bulletins. Other bulletin board space should be provided for current events, newspaper headlines and articles. A bulletin board just outside the library, or just inside the entrance, should be devoted to advertising books by means of book jackets, posters, and photographs.
    62.	Publications
    A weekly book column should be prepared by the librarian for the
    25
    hospital newspaper and should include annotated book lists and book reviews. Feature articles for the hospital newspaper, appropriately illustrated, concerning the library’s resources and connection with other hospital activities should appear in the newspaper frequently. Occasionally these articles should be prepared by the newspaper staff from the layman’s point of view. Recurring notices concerning the library and its activities and hours should appear in the daily bulletin.
    63.	Exhibits
    Army hospitals provide a wealth of material for use in library exhibits. Products of the occupational therapy program and books on the arts and crafts involved are very effective. Theatrical exhibits have been mentioned in connection with the Soldier Show Program. Hobbies of post and hospital personnel are useful. Art work, either by soldier artists or from local art museums, should be displayed in the library from time to time. Wherever wall space permits, it is suggested that pictures or art objects be borrowed on indefinite loan to be used for decorative purposes. Photographs always create interest, either those taken or developed by amateurs in the hospital or official pictures of post or hospital activities. Pictures of the library in action are particularly helpful. Special displays should be used whenever possible to acquaint the readers with featured material.
    64.	Book Marks, Throwaways, Etc.
    Book marks which contain directions for borrowing and the hours and location of the library should be freely distributed, and included with the books sent to the wards. Throwaways containing pertinent facts about the library should be distributed throughout the hospital and made available at all centers where personnel congregate. Book lists, either of new books or books in a certain field, should be freely distributed from time to time. These lists should be short, not more than a page in length, the titles carefully selected, and the annotations stimulating.
    65.	Public Address Systems
    The location of the library, its hours, and descriptions of ward service should be mentioned over the public address system frequently. Occasionally the librarian should give book reviews of books of general interest, and should provide annotated lists of new books. If the hospital has a talking book machine, records should be played over the PA system. If a talking book machine is
    26	«
    not available, other commercial records that can be played on ordinary phonographs may be secured for this purpose from The Recording Division, New York University Film Library, Washington Square, New York 3, New York. Plays, poems, and short stories are available on these records.
    66.	Library Programs
    As the cultural center of the hospital, the library should sponsor discussion groups and forums. The interest among the men will probably run higher if the discussions are led by qualified enlisted personnel or patients, but the librarian should offer any assistance needed, and should plan the programs and see that discussion leaders are available. The library should also sponsor book talks periodically. Interest in these talks may be promoted by inviting hospital personnel or patients to participate. Local literary people may be invited to give talks on subjects of interest to military personnel, although the wise librarian will not invite speakers until she is sure they have something constructive to offer her public. Through cooperation with the separation-classification officer, speakers on postwar vocational subjects may also be sponsored by the library.
    27
    APPENDIX I
    PERTINENT ARMY REGULATIONS AND DIRECTIVES
    Accountability for library books................. AR 35-6800
    Accounting for lost, damaged, and destroyed property AR 35-6640 Accounting for lost, damaged, and destroyed property TM 14-904 Administration of hospitals, general provisions. . . . AR 40-590 Appropriated funds............................... AR	35-760
    Army exchanges................................... AR	210-65
    Army library service (basic authority for)....... MR 1-10
    Army medical library............................. AR	40-405
    Auditing property accounts....................... AR	35-6740
    Civilian employees, allowances................... CPR 125
    Correspondence .................................. AR	310—15
    Disposition of property records.................. AR	35-6700
    Educational reconditioning....................... TM	8—290
    Employment of American National Red Cross........AR	850-75
    Expendable property.............................. AR	35—6620
    Explanation of appropriation and project accounts TM 14-707 Fixed hospitals of the medical department. . .... TM 8-260
    Medical Department professional books............ SB	8-20
    Medical Department soldier’s handbook............TM	8-220
    Nonappropriated funds.........................C	4, AR 40-500
    Prescribed service uniform—Army hostess and
    librarian service.............................. AR	600—36
    Property accountability and responsibility....... AR	35-6520
    Procurement of books............................. SB	10-87
    Receipt, shipment, and issue of property......... AR	35-6560
    Service clubs and libraries...................... AR	210-70
    Special service officer (athletics and recreation). . . TM	21-205
    Small Army libraries............................. TM	28-305
    Station supply procedure (receipt, shipment, and
    issue of property)............................. TM	38-403
    Statement of charges............................. AR	345—300
    Transfers of property accountability and
    responsibility ................................ AR	35-6680
    Vouchers pertaining to money accounts............ AR	35-1040
    28
    APPENDIX II
    RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
    Becker, W. J. Metal working made easy. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1942.
    Bick, A. F. Artistic metal work. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1940.
    Carlyle, Paul, and Oring, Guy. Learning to letter. New York, New York, McGraw-Hill, 1939.
    Dougherty, J. W. Pottery made easy. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1939.
    Eastman Kodak Company. Kodak reference handbook. Rochester, New York, 1941.
    Helium, A. W., and Gottshall, F. H. You can whittle and carve.
    St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1942.
    Horth, A. C., and Coll, F. Beaten metal work. London, Pitman House, 1940.
    Lockrey, A. J. Plastics in the school and home workshop. New York, Van Nostrand, 1940.
    Mankin, V. J. Modernistics chip carving. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1942.
    Sowers, J. I. Woodcarving made easy. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1940.
    Tustison, F. E., and Brown, A. G. Instructional units in hand woodwork. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1942.
    Waring, R. G. Wood finishing and painting made easy. St. Paul, Minnesota, Bruce Publishing Co., 1940.
    Zahn, Bert. Silk screen methods of reproduction. Chicago, Illinois, Drake, 1935.
    29
    APPENDIX III
    SAMPLES OF PUBLICITY
    "NOW! . . in this first sc»n»" . .
    HOSPITAL BRANCH
    post library
    HOURS:
    Tues.- Thurs.-Fri.
    10:00-12:00 1:00-7:30
    Mon.- Wed.-Sat.
    10:00-12:00 1:00-5:00
    Throwaway
    30
    GEN. & CONV. HOSP
    ADVENTURi
    HOSPITAL BRANCH Post Library
    Post Library book truck visits you twice a week.
    Prompt delivery on any book you may ' wish to read.
    You are responsible for the proper return of your book.
    Before discharge, please return it to the book box opposite the telephones in the Red Cross Building.
    We hope you are enjoying the library service.
    1.	Survival ........ Bottome
    2.	Fair Stood the Wind For France.............Bates
    3	Spearhead ......... Brophy
    4.	Adventurers	All .. Buchan
    5.	By Sea and By Land Burton
    6.	Voyage of Captain Bart .................... Erskine
    7.	Simone ..... Feuchtwanger
    8.	No Beautiful Night .............................	Grossman
    9.	Bermuda Calling.... Garth
    10.	While We Still Live ................... Maclnnes
    11.	Daybreak For Our Carrier ............. Miller
    12.	Jimgrim ...........Mundy
    13.	Terhoven File.......Pick
    14.	Signpost ..... Robertson
    15.	The Pass..........Savage
    16.	Storm To The South ..................   Strabel
    17.	Perilous Journey .... Sublette
    MABKEB w,n keep y°Qr A A AKO place—save folded page corners—suggest new and interesting titles.
    Book marks
    31
    APPENDIX IV
    ACCREDITED LIBRARY SCHOOLS GIVING COURSE IN HOSPITAL LIBRARY SERVICE
    Columbia University, School of Library Service, New York City, New York.
    University of Minnesota, Division of Library Instruction, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
    Western Reserve University, School of Library Science, Cleveland, Ohio.
    & U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1945-675930
    32
    UNT LIBRARIES DENTON TX 76203
    ■I III ■III
    1002600612