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Charles Buckles Falls Promotes Literacy
U.S. military officials, concerned by low literacy rates, even among native-born American soldiers, promoted reading and writing. The American Library Association maintained libraries for servicemen both at home and overseas through its Library War Service -- directed by Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam. Artist Charles Buckles Falls, who signed this poster with only an "F," designed a number of World War I recruitment posters, as well as those encouraging Americans to donate books and soldiers to use camp libraries. Between 1917 and 1920, some seven to ten million books and magazines were distributed. |