The 1942 Iowa Corn Yield Test

"The people of Iowa do not possess as good library facilities as do the residents of most of the other states. Iowa farm families are particularly handicapped in this respect. Farmers in other states have more public library service than the farmers of Iowa. Many states with lower standards of living than Iowa's provide better public library service. These conclusions are based on the facts presented in this bulletin and on additional information. Specialists who have surveyed libraries in many states agree with these statements. Many Iowa citizens and educational leaders believe that good libraries, like good schools, should be available to everyone without payment of special fees. The Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station was requested to assemble data comparing the public library services of Iowa with those in other states. This bulletin reports these facts to the people of the State." -- Preface