Alicia is writing an informative text on the topic of the Pack Horse Library initiative, a mobile library program created during the Great Depression. Alicia gathered the following facts from her initial research:
. During the Great Depression, librarians rode on horseback into the Appalachian region of Kentucky and distributed reading material to the people otherwise isolated from schools and libraries. This program was called the Pack Horse Library initiative.
In 1936, packhorse librarians served 50,000 families and, by 1937, 155 public schools.
• During the Great Depression, food, education, and jobs were scarce for people living in the Appalachian region of Kentucky.
In 1930, up to 31 percent of people in eastern Kentucky couldn't read.
• Electricity and highways in Kentucky were not as advanced as those in neighboring states.
• Libraries for the Pack Horse program were housed in any facility that was available, from churches to post offices.
⚫ Librarians staffed these libraries, giving books to carriers who then rode their horses or mules and brought books to those living in the mountains.
⚫ Carriers rode out at least twice a month, with each route covering 100 to 120 miles a week. • Riders used their own horses and mules.
• Riders earned $28 a month.
. The books and magazines they carried usually came from outside donations.
⚫ Roads could be dangerous and impassable.
Health, strength, and reliability of the horses were a problem.
. Some mountain families initially resisted the librarians, suspicious of outsiders/intruders.
1. How could Alicia organize these ideas for her report?
2 What beadings could she use?
1. Alicia could organize these ideas for her report by grouping them based on similar themes or topics. For example, she could organize the information into categories such as:
- Introduction to the Pack Horse Library initiative and its purpose
- Statistics and facts about the program's reach and impact
- Challenges and obstacles faced by the librarians
- Benefits and positive outcomes of the initiative
- Initial resistance and eventual acceptance by the local communities
2. Possible headings Alicia could use in her report could include:
- The Pack Horse Library Initiative: Bringing Books to the Appalachian Region
- The Impact of the Great Depression on Education and Access to Resources
- The Role of Packhorse Librarians in Kentucky
- Challenges Faced by Packhorse Librarians: Road Conditions, Horses, and Suspicion
- Overcoming Resistance: Establishing Trust and Building Community Connections
- Success and Legacy: The Lasting Impact of the Pack Horse Library initiative
1. Alicia can organize these ideas for her report by categorizing them into relevant subtopics such as:
- Introduction to the Pack Horse Library initiative
- Challenges faced during the Great Depression in Kentucky
- Purpose and impact of the Pack Horse Library initiative
- Operations of the Pack Horse libraries
- Reactions of the local population
- Conclusion summarizing the significance of the program
2. Potential headings for Alicia's report could include:
- The Pack Horse Library Initiative: Bringing Books to Isolated Communities during the Great Depression
- Challenges in the Appalachian Region of Kentucky during the Great Depression
- Increasing Literacy Rates: The Pack Horse Library Program
- The Logistics of the Pack Horse Libraries: Riders and Routes
- Overcoming Resistance: Building Trust in the Pack Horse Library Initiative
1. To organize these ideas for her report, Alicia could consider using a combination of chronological and thematic organization. Here is one possible way she could organize her ideas:
Introduction:
- Briefly introduce the Pack Horse Library initiative and its purpose during the Great Depression.
Thematic Organization:
Theme 1: Background of the Pack Horse Library initiative
- Explain the scarcity of food, education, and jobs in the Appalachian region of Kentucky during the Great Depression.
- Mention the high illiteracy rates in eastern Kentucky in 1930.
Theme 2: The Pack Horse Library initiative in action
- Describe the role of the librarians and how they distributed reading material on horseback.
- Discuss the number of families and schools served by the initiative.
- Highlight the facilities that were used as libraries.
Theme 3: Challenges and obstacles faced by the initiative
- Discuss the lack of advanced infrastructure, including electricity and highways.
- Mention the dangers and impassable roads faced by the librarians.
- Explain the issues with the health, strength, and reliability of the horses.
- Discuss the initial resistance faced by some mountain families.
Conclusion:
- Summarize the significance of the Pack Horse Library initiative and its impact on isolated communities during the Great Depression.
2. Possible headings Alicia could use for her report might include:
- The Pack Horse Library Initiative: Bringing Education to Appalachian Kentucky during the Great Depression
- Background: Challenges Faced by the Appalachian Region during the Great Depression
- Introduction of the Pack Horse Library Initiative: Librarians on Horseback
- Extent of Service: Reaching Thousands of Families and Schools
- Libraries on the Move: Facilities and Carriers
- Carriers and their Routes: Covering Miles to Deliver Books
- Finances and Donations: Making the Pack Horse Library Initiative Possible
- Overcoming Obstacles: Dangerous Roads and Unreliable Horses
- Initial Resistance and Building Trust: Gaining Acceptance in Mountain Communities
- Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of the Pack Horse Library Initiative