ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how Australia and Britain mobilized books and other reading material to meet the demands of men at war and of military authorities. Charitable and philanthropic organizations served as an important, even vital, extension of the functions of the state and military throughout World War I. Such organizations thus came to play a role in shaping the social and cultural experiences of soldiers not least in their provision of education and entertainment. After the outbreak of war, specific organizations for book provisioning were created for the war's duration. The first, established in Britain, was the War Library. However, soon after the establishment of the War Library, Sir Edward Ward and Dame Eva Anstruther established the Camps Library, and it was decided that the War Library would focus on the unfit', while the Camps Library would focus on the fit'. Ultimately, the Camps Library provided the largest number of books for troops over the course of the war.
