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Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky
Back in print! Now available as a beautiful hardcover from Purple House Press.
It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags.
During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPA was designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky.
Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves—young, determined, and earning just $28 a month—who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains.
It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags.
During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPA was designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky.
Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves—young, determined, and earning just $28 a month—who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains.
58 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2001
7 people are currently reading
1421 people want to read
About the author
Kathi Appelt
55 books551 followersLives in College Station, TX with husband Ken and four adorable cats.
Two sons, both musicians.
Serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program.
Two sons, both musicians.
Serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
June 1, 2020
This is a fascinating little book .
November 21, 2014
I've wanted to read this ever since I read That Book Woman, so I was happy to come across it on the shelves at my new library. What a great book! The text is straightforward and simply written with wonderful photographs spread throughout.
The pack horse librarians of Kentucky were a hardy group of women! I wonder what they would think about the problems libraries are facing now? Although seeing the hardships they faced really helps to put some perspective for me on the tough times we face today. I don't have the budget I would like for new books, but I can check out multiple books to every student and still have full shelves. And I don't have to ride a horse through freezing rain to get those books to my patrons. Every librarian or fan of libraries should read this book!
The pack horse librarians of Kentucky were a hardy group of women! I wonder what they would think about the problems libraries are facing now? Although seeing the hardships they faced really helps to put some perspective for me on the tough times we face today. I don't have the budget I would like for new books, but I can check out multiple books to every student and still have full shelves. And I don't have to ride a horse through freezing rain to get those books to my patrons. Every librarian or fan of libraries should read this book!
January 29, 2019
One of the many innovative programs of the WPA (the Works Progress Administration) - part of FDR's New Deal initiative, instituted in the 1930s in response to the Great Depression - the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky provided library service to communities that had never had it before, while also putting young women, often the sole remaining bread-winners in their families, to work. Mounted on sturdy ponies, the pack-horse librarians would ride all day, in every kind of weather, through the rough back country of Kentucky's hills, bringing tattered books and magazines to remote homes and rural schoolhouses. Paid only $28 per month, they were local women, often well acquainted with the people they were serving, and were dedicated, not just as workers, but as community members.
Their story, as told by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, is engrossing. Not only does Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky provide a moving portrait of these extraordinary women (and one or two men), it also offers young readers a snapshot glimpse of one area of the country, during a period of great historical upheaval. As an adult, I found that there was much here that was unfamiliar to me - I was not aware that many of the residents of Kentucky's mountain country had been granted land after service in the American Revolution - and I imagine it will be the same with the intended audience. Well illustrated with black and white photographs from the period, the book is at the early chapter-book level, being a little too complex to be called a picture-book, but simple enough to be suitable for elementary school readers (as well as middle grade ones). A bibliography and list of web resources, as well as a helpful index, round out the features of this informative book.
Highly recommended to young readers with an interest in American history, or a love of libraries. They will come away with a greater understanding of the Great Depression, but also with a greater appreciation of the services, from schools to libraries, now available to them!
Their story, as told by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer, is engrossing. Not only does Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky provide a moving portrait of these extraordinary women (and one or two men), it also offers young readers a snapshot glimpse of one area of the country, during a period of great historical upheaval. As an adult, I found that there was much here that was unfamiliar to me - I was not aware that many of the residents of Kentucky's mountain country had been granted land after service in the American Revolution - and I imagine it will be the same with the intended audience. Well illustrated with black and white photographs from the period, the book is at the early chapter-book level, being a little too complex to be called a picture-book, but simple enough to be suitable for elementary school readers (as well as middle grade ones). A bibliography and list of web resources, as well as a helpful index, round out the features of this informative book.
Highly recommended to young readers with an interest in American history, or a love of libraries. They will come away with a greater understanding of the Great Depression, but also with a greater appreciation of the services, from schools to libraries, now available to them!
August 20, 2018
Filled with original pictures and flowing text, I found this to be a very enjoyable non-fiction read and helpful for a research book. There is a chapter that takes you through a day in the life of a horseback librarian, a chapter that explains all of the bookish details, and other chapters that give a good glimpse into this time in history.
This is a good basic introduction to the horseback librarian. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is thorough for the length of book that it is.
This is a good basic introduction to the horseback librarian. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is thorough for the length of book that it is.
February 23, 2020
I ordered this book after finishing The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek because I wanted to learn more about the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project. While I didn't realize it was a children's picture book(!!), I must say I quite enjoyed it (only 55 pages long) and it significantly furthered my admiration for the hardy women of Kentucky who distributed books/magazines/reading material by mule/horseback, NO MATTER THE WEATHER, to their neighbors in the most remote mountainous areas of the state, riding 50-80 miles a week. I can scarcely imagine it.
The Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project ran from 1935-1943 at which time the Works Projects Administration was dismantled so the librarians could no longer be paid. Nevertheless, the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project was considered "a shining jewel" among WPA programs and received widespread attention from newspapers and magazines.
This book is worth having for the photographs alone. I paused over many, throat tight at the raw poverty and perseverance on full display. It made me wish my mother (a child of the Great Depression, born in 1929) were alive to share these photos and ask what she might have known about this project.
I appreciate the research investment made by these authors, and especially their interview of one of the former pack horse librarians. Although this book is categorized as a children's picture book, it is one that adults would benefit from reading. I certainly did.
The Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project ran from 1935-1943 at which time the Works Projects Administration was dismantled so the librarians could no longer be paid. Nevertheless, the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project was considered "a shining jewel" among WPA programs and received widespread attention from newspapers and magazines.
This book is worth having for the photographs alone. I paused over many, throat tight at the raw poverty and perseverance on full display. It made me wish my mother (a child of the Great Depression, born in 1929) were alive to share these photos and ask what she might have known about this project.
I appreciate the research investment made by these authors, and especially their interview of one of the former pack horse librarians. Although this book is categorized as a children's picture book, it is one that adults would benefit from reading. I certainly did.
August 16, 2009
This book is geared towards children and young adults. It does not, however, talk down to them and can be easily read by adults.
Appelt and Schmitzer shed light on a little known part of the New Deal. In Kentucky, women were hired to transport books by horseback to out of the way places. It's a very interesting book and looks at what the work entitled as well as the influence it had in the future.
If you are are interested in libraries or horses, this is a good book.
Appelt and Schmitzer shed light on a little known part of the New Deal. In Kentucky, women were hired to transport books by horseback to out of the way places. It's a very interesting book and looks at what the work entitled as well as the influence it had in the future.
If you are are interested in libraries or horses, this is a good book.
November 15, 2008
Compare today's hard financial times with the Great Depression and get some perspective. Also look at how the American people responded to adversity by stepping up to the plate and working to help themselves and others. Hopefully our new President can rekindle some of that American pride and spirit.
December 13, 2021
I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and loved it. This book was not a novel but a brief history of how the pack horse libraries got started and how these dedicated women served their communities. Photos of actual librarians included.
May 5, 2021
I liked how she set the stage by explaining why times were so hard and what the country was going through. I didn’t know the Great Depression had anything to do with the stock market crash in 1929, or if I did, I forgot. Thousands of people lost their jobs. Fathers left their families so they didn’t have to watch them suffer. Moms died of malnutrition. Kids went without shoes, shelter, or schooling.
Kentucky was one of the poorest states and the eastern, mountainous part was hard hit. Coal was the main resource and factories shut down nationwide and the use of natural gas increased so the need for coal decreased and hundreds of mines closed, laying off thousands of coal workers.
In 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a relief program called the New Deal. He expended it in 1935 by adding the Works Progress Administration, which was renamed the Works Projects Administration in 1939. The goals were to put people to work and promote social and cultural awareness with art, theater, and literature. Many of the programs required heavy physical labor. WPA workers build hundreds of school, health clinics, roads, park facilities, and community centers. Much of what we call our infrastructure—highways, schools, power plants, etc.—is here thanks to those workers. Most of those were considered men’s work and it was unseemly for a woman to work in those jobs. Many women were heading households and ending up on relief rolls, so a concentrated effort was made to create jobs to put women to work and take them off the dole. These new jobs included health services, school lunch programs, sewing projects, and libraries.
It was during this time that many areas received free public library service for the first time, especially poor rural areas. Reaching many of these required ingenuity because there weren’t paved roads. In the backwaters of Mississippi and Louisiana, librarians delivered books on small flatboats that they navigated with poles through marshy bayous.
It was such a nice statement that though Kentucky is known for its racehorses, horses that are worth more than the book woman will earn in her entire lifetime, no he are worth more than her horse. The character in the story was leasing it from a neighbor for 50 cents a week plus pay. It’s gentle and sure footed and will get her across the rocky mountain slopes.
There were no newspapers, telephones, radios, paved or gravel roads in Kentucky’s mountains. People followed creek beds and mountain paths to their communities and homes. By the 1920s some other states served their residents with bookmobiles but the lack of roads in eastern Kentucky made it impossible. The answer came in the form of the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project.
The librarians were tough and dedicated and brave.
The government didn’t pay for books or materials or the centers where they were housed. The books were strictly donations. New books were dropped off at center 1, the books that were already there were taken to center 2, and so on. The center might be a school, community center, post office, or home.
After a month or so the books were brought back to central headquarters, mended, and cleaned, then transferred to another circuit. Each headquarters had 4-6 carriers. The carriers went out 3 or 4 times a week, on a different route each day, and then repeated those routes every 2 weeks. The routes were roughly 18 miles long, so they were used to traveling 50-80 miles every week. Once a week all the carriers met at headquarters to write short reports and help mend and clean books.
I loved the bit about how the librarians figured out how to fix the problem of dog ears by making bookmarks out of old Christmas cards. It got so much attention from clients that cards were collected and given as rewards to kids who returned books promptly and in good condition. Most kids had never seen a Christmas card so these became highly treasured prizes.
Early on many mountain women felt uncomfortable taking something for free even though it was a loan, without giving something in return. So women often gave their best recipes or a quilt pattern to show gratitude. A carrier had the idea to take those recipes and quilt patterns, along with articles and stories from magazines, and make a scrapbook. It became a common practice for all horse libraries.
It was sad to learn that it didn’t last long and ended in 1943. The WPA was dismantled and the libraries could no longer pay their workers. Between 1943 and 1957 people in Kentucky were left with little library service and libraries couldn’t deliver or outreach. It was cool finding out about the beginning of federal appropriated libraries. Carl D Perkins, a congressman from Kentucky sponsored the Library Services Act.
I love the story of these pack horse librarians! I find it so inspiring and it’s nice to know their origin and workings and story. I had expected this to be a thick adult nonfiction book and was shocked to receive it from the library and see that it’s a thin children’s book. It looked so different in the library’s catalogue. So I was already disappointed that it was so short.
I also felt like it was lacking because I wanted to know more about like how the women got the jobs in the first place and even more about how it all worked, how they decided the route, who they chose to deliver to, how old they were, etc. There are still unanswered questions but I guess that’s because it isn’t known.
I didn’t really like how it started out in the POV of a fictional carrier with her own story, in first-person POV, just because it was made-up and imagined and so particular, like the fact that she was 22 and her husband left her and 2 kids. It did put us in the shoes of them and walk us through their experience though, so it did bring it to life.
I wish all the pictures had come with a year of when they were taken so we’d have more context. Only one picture had the year. I guess the year is unknown on the rest though.
Kentucky was one of the poorest states and the eastern, mountainous part was hard hit. Coal was the main resource and factories shut down nationwide and the use of natural gas increased so the need for coal decreased and hundreds of mines closed, laying off thousands of coal workers.
In 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a relief program called the New Deal. He expended it in 1935 by adding the Works Progress Administration, which was renamed the Works Projects Administration in 1939. The goals were to put people to work and promote social and cultural awareness with art, theater, and literature. Many of the programs required heavy physical labor. WPA workers build hundreds of school, health clinics, roads, park facilities, and community centers. Much of what we call our infrastructure—highways, schools, power plants, etc.—is here thanks to those workers. Most of those were considered men’s work and it was unseemly for a woman to work in those jobs. Many women were heading households and ending up on relief rolls, so a concentrated effort was made to create jobs to put women to work and take them off the dole. These new jobs included health services, school lunch programs, sewing projects, and libraries.
It was during this time that many areas received free public library service for the first time, especially poor rural areas. Reaching many of these required ingenuity because there weren’t paved roads. In the backwaters of Mississippi and Louisiana, librarians delivered books on small flatboats that they navigated with poles through marshy bayous.
It was such a nice statement that though Kentucky is known for its racehorses, horses that are worth more than the book woman will earn in her entire lifetime, no he are worth more than her horse. The character in the story was leasing it from a neighbor for 50 cents a week plus pay. It’s gentle and sure footed and will get her across the rocky mountain slopes.
There were no newspapers, telephones, radios, paved or gravel roads in Kentucky’s mountains. People followed creek beds and mountain paths to their communities and homes. By the 1920s some other states served their residents with bookmobiles but the lack of roads in eastern Kentucky made it impossible. The answer came in the form of the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project.
The librarians were tough and dedicated and brave.
The government didn’t pay for books or materials or the centers where they were housed. The books were strictly donations. New books were dropped off at center 1, the books that were already there were taken to center 2, and so on. The center might be a school, community center, post office, or home.
After a month or so the books were brought back to central headquarters, mended, and cleaned, then transferred to another circuit. Each headquarters had 4-6 carriers. The carriers went out 3 or 4 times a week, on a different route each day, and then repeated those routes every 2 weeks. The routes were roughly 18 miles long, so they were used to traveling 50-80 miles every week. Once a week all the carriers met at headquarters to write short reports and help mend and clean books.
I loved the bit about how the librarians figured out how to fix the problem of dog ears by making bookmarks out of old Christmas cards. It got so much attention from clients that cards were collected and given as rewards to kids who returned books promptly and in good condition. Most kids had never seen a Christmas card so these became highly treasured prizes.
Early on many mountain women felt uncomfortable taking something for free even though it was a loan, without giving something in return. So women often gave their best recipes or a quilt pattern to show gratitude. A carrier had the idea to take those recipes and quilt patterns, along with articles and stories from magazines, and make a scrapbook. It became a common practice for all horse libraries.
It was sad to learn that it didn’t last long and ended in 1943. The WPA was dismantled and the libraries could no longer pay their workers. Between 1943 and 1957 people in Kentucky were left with little library service and libraries couldn’t deliver or outreach. It was cool finding out about the beginning of federal appropriated libraries. Carl D Perkins, a congressman from Kentucky sponsored the Library Services Act.
I love the story of these pack horse librarians! I find it so inspiring and it’s nice to know their origin and workings and story. I had expected this to be a thick adult nonfiction book and was shocked to receive it from the library and see that it’s a thin children’s book. It looked so different in the library’s catalogue. So I was already disappointed that it was so short.
I also felt like it was lacking because I wanted to know more about like how the women got the jobs in the first place and even more about how it all worked, how they decided the route, who they chose to deliver to, how old they were, etc. There are still unanswered questions but I guess that’s because it isn’t known.
I didn’t really like how it started out in the POV of a fictional carrier with her own story, in first-person POV, just because it was made-up and imagined and so particular, like the fact that she was 22 and her husband left her and 2 kids. It did put us in the shoes of them and walk us through their experience though, so it did bring it to life.
I wish all the pictures had come with a year of when they were taken so we’d have more context. Only one picture had the year. I guess the year is unknown on the rest though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2020
Librarians on Horseback
An interesting piece of Kentucky history, about women (and some men) who rode on horses and mules, carrying books and magazines to cabins in the mountainous terrains and to schools.
The book provides only the very basic information. So although the photographs are of historical value, if you've read about the Pack Horse Library Project on wiki or anywhere else and seen some photos on the internet, you're not missing much.
An interesting piece of Kentucky history, about women (and some men) who rode on horses and mules, carrying books and magazines to cabins in the mountainous terrains and to schools.
The book provides only the very basic information. So although the photographs are of historical value, if you've read about the Pack Horse Library Project on wiki or anywhere else and seen some photos on the internet, you're not missing much.
September 19, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Read it before or after reading “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” and “Giver of Stars.” Good bibliography included, important to note there just aren’t many books that talk about pack horse librarians.
December 29, 2019
I read this after reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek because I was interested in reading more about the Pack Horse librarians in Kentucky during the Depression. Lots of photos.
December 10, 2022
I read this for a research paper I’m writing and I always love learning about the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky! I’m incredibly proud of the Roosevelt’s and their passion and advocacy during the Great Depression to create the WPA Project and employ women Librarians, to provide outreach services to rural-isolated mountain communities. Even though it did not last for years after, it was a great starting point to give access and resources to community members, build trust, relationships and other social capital between people and build the foundation for library services and the importance of them to people afterwards, leaving a legacy and inspiration!
July 28, 2022
We picked up this reprint from Purple House Press in curiosity. Living where we do, we have known people who were raised in the mountains of Kentucky and benefitted from the work of the pack horse librarians back in the day. This is a quick look at how one a geographical and historically specific project benefitted the people who were served. I love reading about everyday great people making a sacrifice and helping build where they are. The pack horse librarians fit that bill for us.
July 9, 2017
WPA stamps are out by the USPS. I bought some because I liked how they looked, but it wasn't until reading this book that I learned that WPA stood for Work Projects Administration. It was created by FDR in 1935 to "put people to work" and "to promote social and cultural awareness with art, theater, and literature." As a result, pack horse librarians were hired to take books to people living in the eastern Kentucky mountains, and it was this book for kids that told their story.
Robinson Crusoe and poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson were some of the most-favored books of the kids. My most-loved part was the fact that some people were too proud to accept a book even though they would return it on the next go-around. Because of this, they would often give the librarian a recipe or a quilt pattern in exchange for a magazine or book. The recipes and patterns were then put in a scrapbook and would be put in circulation for other "library" users.
Just like today, the pack horse librarians listened to what the people wanted and tried to create collections based on needs.
I THINK this book was weeded from my school's collection because of an old copyright and low circulation. It's one of those books that is heart-warming, but that kids just aren't too interested in reading on their own. It's a great before bed book that an adult could read to a little.
Robinson Crusoe and poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson were some of the most-favored books of the kids. My most-loved part was the fact that some people were too proud to accept a book even though they would return it on the next go-around. Because of this, they would often give the librarian a recipe or a quilt pattern in exchange for a magazine or book. The recipes and patterns were then put in a scrapbook and would be put in circulation for other "library" users.
Just like today, the pack horse librarians listened to what the people wanted and tried to create collections based on needs.
I THINK this book was weeded from my school's collection because of an old copyright and low circulation. It's one of those books that is heart-warming, but that kids just aren't too interested in reading on their own. It's a great before bed book that an adult could read to a little.
November 10, 2022
This book for young children about the pack horse librarians of Kentucky provides plenty of information about this WPA program. The people who rode horses to bring reading materials to those who lived in far- flung areas of Eastern Kentucky provided an extremely valuable service to those who otherwise would not have had access to books, magazines or newspapers. Readers of all ages will learn something.
I was rather surprised at the number of errors including a missing ingredient in the recipe for Ash Cake; definitely a poor editing job.
I was rather surprised at the number of errors including a missing ingredient in the recipe for Ash Cake; definitely a poor editing job.
February 13, 2021
The summary of the message of the book tells everything you need to know. It's a fascinating story, especially to library lovers like myself, but also to Americans who love to see an idea work well.
Written to look like a children's book and loaded with photographs of the work at the time, Down Cut Shin Creek rewards the adult reader. It is not a child's book even though the sentence structure is simple. The photographs reveal elements of life at that time that many Americans will be surprised to see.
I was led to this book when my wife read the romance The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. She said that the most interesting part of the book was this history, so I went in search of a nonfiction source, and found this gem. Highly recommended (and you could share the reading of it with your child/godchild/grandchild in elementary school).
Written to look like a children's book and loaded with photographs of the work at the time, Down Cut Shin Creek rewards the adult reader. It is not a child's book even though the sentence structure is simple. The photographs reveal elements of life at that time that many Americans will be surprised to see.
I was led to this book when my wife read the romance The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. She said that the most interesting part of the book was this history, so I went in search of a nonfiction source, and found this gem. Highly recommended (and you could share the reading of it with your child/godchild/grandchild in elementary school).
April 28, 2019
Although this splendid little (55 pages) book is aimed at youthful readers, adults who love books, libraries, and reading, as does this octogenarian, should find it thoroughly enjoyable.
FDR's Works Projects Administration (WPA) is best remembered for putting men to work building America's roads, parks, bridges and other infrastructure during the depths of the Great Depression. Until the end of his days, my late father in law was proud every time we drove across a bridge he had helped construct as part of the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was part of the WPA.
The Roosevelts thought it was as important to support culture as it was infrastructure, and to this end the WPA also supported writers, artists.... and female librarians, who distributed books and reading material to those who could not afford them. In eastern Kentucky, where there were few paved roads, bookmobiles could not get into the isolated valleys and hollows to bring books to out of work coal miners. There the WPA created the Pack Horse Library Project which hired young women at $28 a month to pack in books and magazines. The Pack Horse librarians collected and repaired used books, magazines and other reading material, begged, borrowed or rented (for 50 cents a week) horses or mules, and then transported bags of books to isolated cabins, churches, and one room schools, along 20 mile or so routes, a different route each day at two week intervals, fording creeks and following mountainous trails. The "book lady" would leave off today's sack at the first cabin, pick up last week's sack and take it to the next cabin, take that cabin's sack to the third and so on until she made her way back home where she would feed and rub down her horse, and maybe get a meal for herself before getting up at dawn to do it all again the next day.
Written in clear non-condescending prose, this book is richly illustrated with black and white photographs of the book ladies and their customers. The photos of skinny young children huddled together in a bed to keep warm in unheated cabins "insulated" with newspaper bear mute witness to the privations they suffered.
FDR's Works Projects Administration (WPA) is best remembered for putting men to work building America's roads, parks, bridges and other infrastructure during the depths of the Great Depression. Until the end of his days, my late father in law was proud every time we drove across a bridge he had helped construct as part of the CCC, the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was part of the WPA.
The Roosevelts thought it was as important to support culture as it was infrastructure, and to this end the WPA also supported writers, artists.... and female librarians, who distributed books and reading material to those who could not afford them. In eastern Kentucky, where there were few paved roads, bookmobiles could not get into the isolated valleys and hollows to bring books to out of work coal miners. There the WPA created the Pack Horse Library Project which hired young women at $28 a month to pack in books and magazines. The Pack Horse librarians collected and repaired used books, magazines and other reading material, begged, borrowed or rented (for 50 cents a week) horses or mules, and then transported bags of books to isolated cabins, churches, and one room schools, along 20 mile or so routes, a different route each day at two week intervals, fording creeks and following mountainous trails. The "book lady" would leave off today's sack at the first cabin, pick up last week's sack and take it to the next cabin, take that cabin's sack to the third and so on until she made her way back home where she would feed and rub down her horse, and maybe get a meal for herself before getting up at dawn to do it all again the next day.
Written in clear non-condescending prose, this book is richly illustrated with black and white photographs of the book ladies and their customers. The photos of skinny young children huddled together in a bed to keep warm in unheated cabins "insulated" with newspaper bear mute witness to the privations they suffered.
November 18, 2019
I finally found a copy of this book to read, I've been meaning to for years! The Pack Horse Librarians is a fascinating topic that I find really cool. During the Great Depression, these librarians rode horses and mules to deliver books, newspapers and magazines--as well as handmade scrapbooks containing recipes and home remedies and articles of interest to hardy mountain folk--to their Appalachian neighbors in hard-to-reach hollers and on mountainsides in Kentucky. I was surprised to learn that they didn't have very many books to share, so that was why they took to making their own, as well as soliciting donations of used books from everyone they could find, the PTA and church groups, etc. This children's nonfiction book has lots of nice big black and white photographs of the women at work, fording creeks, even using rowboats at some points, reading to their patrons who were unable to read themselves, and sorting books in the library waystations. One chapter is written as a story of the typical day in the life of a Book Woman. The program was a big success in spreading literacy and companionship, so much so that some parents complained to librarians that their kids wouldn't do their chores any more because all they wanted to do was sit and read! (I always love to hear things like that!) The book ends with a chapter on Kentucky Congressman Carl D. Perkins, who sponsored the Library Services Act in 1956 to provide the first federal funding for library services. It paid for building new libraries, creating bookmobiles, hiring new staff, and so forth. He had taught in a Kentucky school serviced by a pack horse librarian, so that may have influenced him early on to appreciate the value of library services to those who need them most. Nice little reference book on a cool topic.
October 6, 2015
A interesting look at one of the many programs FDR put into place during the Great Depression to get people working again. Following the norm for these programs job descriptions, it is hard, somewhat dangerous work, but unlike most of the other programs (the construction of roads, dams, bridges, trails, etc.) this job was mostly filled by women.
I am, of course, biased to be favorable to this book as it combines two things I love, books and horses; and having gone to college in Kentucky, I can imagine the terrain (and weather) these riders and horses would have faced. One of the most interesting aspects of the book I found was the "exchanges" and "scrap books". People weren't comfortable with the idea of getting books and magazines for nothing (even knowing they would be returning them) so they would share recipes or patterns with the librarians, some of whom collected them into scrap books, which they would enter into circulation for the library!
Anyway, a good look at the time period from a different perspective, and though the conditions of the people aren't "watered down", it isn't depressing like a lot of 1920's books.
Content notes: No language issues; women are mentioned being pregnant, but no sensuality; danger from weather and moonshiners is mentioned, but other than the librarian getting very cold on her route, not seen during the story. Of interest: the librarian prays and sings hymns as she's going about her route, which the author does not paint in a negative light.
October 26, 2008
This photo-filled book will appeal to any lover of books. The pack horse librarians are truly inspiring with their dedication to improving the lives of people in their community. I certainly take my wonderful library for granted. When I do an outreach program, it entails getting into my car, driving to a school or preschool and bringing a bag of books from our abundant collection. These librarians who rode and walked 20 miles to bring a meager selection of tattered books to a one-room schoolhouse... well, they're an inspiration.
This should be required reading for all librarians and anyone who loves their library.
Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...
This should be required reading for all librarians and anyone who loves their library.
Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...
Want to read
February 26, 2010Why: We just read the lovely picture book "That Book Woman," a fictional account of one boy learning to read because of a "pack horse librarian." In a historial note in the back of that book, it mentions web sites and books about the WPA and the pack horse librarians of Kentucky. I'd never heard of them! Apparently this recommended book has many great photos taken at the time and I'd like Logan to see those. The text is for older kids, but we might read a bit of it here and there and I know that I myself will read the whole thing!
January 8, 2010
Something about this book left me proud to be a woman, an educator, a horsewoman, a mountain person, and a citizen of a country with enough vision to implement a program like this. I confess, history is not a big passion of mine, but this book hooked me, and therefore I'm confident it will hook my students too.
May 26, 2015
This is a juvenile non-fiction book. Not generally something that I read, but it was about a program of the WPA during the depression that I was not aware of at all before reading it. It has sparked my interest to learn more.
May 2, 2017
What some people will do to get books into the hands of patrons! Every librarian should read this. Combine it with My Librarian is a Camel by Margriet Ruurs.
March 26, 2016
This book really makes you appreciate how easy we can obtain library books now..krb 3/26/16
December 29, 2021
This is described as follows:-
"It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags.
During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPAˆ€ˆwas designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky.
Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves "young, determined, and earning just $28 a month who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains."
I learned about the Pack Horse Library Project through reading Jojo Moyes book The Stargivers and was looking forward to hearing more about the project and women involved. Although this book contains interesting photographs of the women and their horses, out on their rounds overall I found the book disappointing. I expected more first hand accounts from the women involved although appreciate the majority have now died although diaries might have survived. I guess if more interest had been taken in this subject 30-50 years earlier we might have had the book I'd have really enjoyed reading. However it's good that we do now know about these women and their incredible work and journeys.
"It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags.
During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPAˆ€ˆwas designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky.
Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves "young, determined, and earning just $28 a month who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains."
I learned about the Pack Horse Library Project through reading Jojo Moyes book The Stargivers and was looking forward to hearing more about the project and women involved. Although this book contains interesting photographs of the women and their horses, out on their rounds overall I found the book disappointing. I expected more first hand accounts from the women involved although appreciate the majority have now died although diaries might have survived. I guess if more interest had been taken in this subject 30-50 years earlier we might have had the book I'd have really enjoyed reading. However it's good that we do now know about these women and their incredible work and journeys.
September 24, 2017
A 55-page look at how the WPA program of the Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky was envisioned by Eleanor Roosevelt and implemented to provide women in remote areas with work during the Depression and a way to "feed people's minds". Wonderful photographs on almost every page make the text come alive.
Most of the book is based on the interview of Grace Caudill Lucas, a former pack horse librarian, who shared her story with the author in the fall of 1999. The authors make the story of these intrepid women who rode long miles several times a week into remote areas with steep hills and deep hollows to deliver books to families that had no access to the written word come alive. These riders had to overcome the natural suspicion of these remote families who were very protective of what ideas these books and pamphlets might be putting into their children's minds as well as cope with the difficulties of the trail and the excesses of the weather.
The other amazing side story was how the books were gathered to start and continue this project plus the loving care and repair that enabled the project to continue. In all, a most interesting sidelight into a lesser known aspect of the time, place and effect of the WPA.
Most of the book is based on the interview of Grace Caudill Lucas, a former pack horse librarian, who shared her story with the author in the fall of 1999. The authors make the story of these intrepid women who rode long miles several times a week into remote areas with steep hills and deep hollows to deliver books to families that had no access to the written word come alive. These riders had to overcome the natural suspicion of these remote families who were very protective of what ideas these books and pamphlets might be putting into their children's minds as well as cope with the difficulties of the trail and the excesses of the weather.
The other amazing side story was how the books were gathered to start and continue this project plus the loving care and repair that enabled the project to continue. In all, a most interesting sidelight into a lesser known aspect of the time, place and effect of the WPA.
July 6, 2024
Attending "That Book Woman" at the Pioneer Playhouse sparked an interest in the Pack Horse Librarians which started thanks to the WPA and Eleanor Roosevelt. More information was given here on that program and how it changed the lives of many living in the Appalachian Mountains during the great Depression.
"It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags. During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPA was designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky. Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves—young, determined, and earning just $28 a month—who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains."
"It's 4:30 in the morning, and the "book woman" and her horse are already on their way. Hers is an important job, for the folks along her treacherous route are eager for the tattered books and magazines she carries in her saddlebags. During the Great Depression, thousands lived on the brink of starvation. Many perished. In 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration under his 1933 New Deal initiative. The WPA was designed to get people back on their feet. One of its most innovative programs was the Pack Horse Library Project of Eastern Kentucky. Thoroughly researched and illustrated with period photographs, this is the story of one of the WPA's greatest successes. People all over the country supported the project's goals. But it was the librarians themselves—young, determined, and earning just $28 a month—who brought the hope of a wider world to people in the crooks and hollows of Kentucky's Cumberland Mountains."
September 21, 2018
This is a children's book and is probably best for 4th-6th graders. Its a pretty easy read and would make a great book for the classroom. A teacher could really use this book as a starting point for teaching about the New Deal, the Great Depression, poverty, Kentucky, and pack horse librarians. The book itself touches base on all of the above.
The concept is very interesting. The "Pack Horse Librarians" were a mighty cool and brave group of women who are virtually unheard of. This book really emphasizes how fortunate we are today to have such access to books and other learning materials. However, as some don't know, many areas of Eastern Kentucky still struggle greatly with poverty, literacy, and access to educational materials. Again, this is all part of why this book is a great tool towards understanding previous issues, the history of our state, and even the current situation that surrounds us.
The book is straight-forward but written a bit like a textbook. Its a little bland and it may not hold everyone's attention. The pictures, however, are a really great asset. They give a solid feel of what life was like "back then" and give readers a glimpse into the challenges and benefits of being a pack horse librarian. I appreciate any book that takes a piece of history that is seemingly unknown and allows readers to see its importance by bringing the story, or person, to life.
The concept is very interesting. The "Pack Horse Librarians" were a mighty cool and brave group of women who are virtually unheard of. This book really emphasizes how fortunate we are today to have such access to books and other learning materials. However, as some don't know, many areas of Eastern Kentucky still struggle greatly with poverty, literacy, and access to educational materials. Again, this is all part of why this book is a great tool towards understanding previous issues, the history of our state, and even the current situation that surrounds us.
The book is straight-forward but written a bit like a textbook. Its a little bland and it may not hold everyone's attention. The pictures, however, are a really great asset. They give a solid feel of what life was like "back then" and give readers a glimpse into the challenges and benefits of being a pack horse librarian. I appreciate any book that takes a piece of history that is seemingly unknown and allows readers to see its importance by bringing the story, or person, to life.
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