1917 The annual report takes a philosophical turn with Miss Lena musing over the real function of the library in light of “the war”(World War I) and the increased need for frugality. Her conclusion was service.
The books most requested that year were about the war, the aviation corps, personal narratives, books on why we are at war, and books on the causes of war. Most of these requests were made by men who had never used the library before.
Her report also included a section on “War Activities.” 110 volumes were collected in a book drive to provide a library at Camp McClellan. The camp libraries were sponsored by the American Library Association. In addition to the books collected (and fully prepared for circulation), the City of Gadsden and its librarian raised $590.10 for the ALA Camp Libraries - $90.10 above their quota.