Library Work with Children Part 31

It is probable that some of the readers of the Journal are unfamiliar with the idea of the home library. In a few words, this is its motive and its plan: To help the children of the poor in developing and enn.o.bling their lives by giving them books and a friend.

The home library idea was evolved, not by a librarian, but by Mr.

Charles W. Birtwell, secretary of the Children's Aid Society in Boston, a very old non-sectarian society. It grew up in a most natural way. He fell into the habit of lending books to poor children of his acquaintance and of talking with them about the books after they had been read. This took time, and the result was organization. The children were formed into little groups, books were bought systematically, and his friends were interested to form regular visitors.

And so a home library involves a group of 10 poor children, a library of 20 carefully selected books placed in the home of one of the children and circulating among them all, a visitor, who should be a person of rare wisdom and sympathy, who meets the children once a week, talks over the books with them, and during the hour gives them all possible help in any way she chooses.

Each group contains both boys and girls from eight to fifteen years of age.

There are several groups of children and several little libraries. Once in three or four months the libraries pa.s.s from one group to another. The personal element supplied by the visitor is quite as valuable as the influence of the books. It is hard to tell just what the visitor does. It is perhaps simplest to say that she is a friend to the children and that she studies how to help them. That means a great deal. The plan is elastic and each visitor chooses her own methods.

Doubtless many librarians listened to Mr. Charles Birtwell's paper on home libraries at the Lake Placid conference, September, 1894, and are thoroughly familiar with the central thought and its application in the parent libraries in Boston. To such I would like to call attention to some modifications of the plan in the Albany libraries, to a few new points which we have worked out and old ones which we have emphasized.

It goes without saying that each book is read carefully by at least one member of the selection committee with special reference to the home libraries. It is not enough that a competent judge has read it without having that in mind. We are constantly tempted to give these readers books a little too old for them. They enjoy books which children who have always been familiar with books would be ready for three or four years earlier.

Visitors should be prepared for disappointment in the quality of the reading that is done. At the beginning of my work with the children I was delighted with their enthusiasm over the books. To be sure their choice was often determined by the attractiveness of the cover or big type, or the bigness or littleness of the book. I soon found that it was a rare thing for a child to read a book through. They would often say with pride "I read 30 or 60 pages" and were unwilling to take the book again, though claiming to like it. It is a slow process, but now after over two years they read with much more enjoyment and thoroughness. It was a long step ahead when the brightest child in the group began to read the continued stories in the St. Nicholas and to watch eagerly for the next number.

I wonder if these children are not in a way a type of the readers in our larger libraries. We fondly hope that there will be an immediate and hearty acceptance of the good things which we have spread out with such lavish expenditure of our own life, later we learn that even among the educated cla.s.ses the genuine reading habit is the heritage of the few and among the many must be the result of a slow and steady growth.

I think we have improved on the Boston plan in dealing with the magazines. They take nine different periodicals and break the year up so that with one library of 15 books the children have parts of five periodicals. We put 18 books in each library and subscribe regularly for each group of children for St. Nicholas and Youth's Companion. In some of the groups the children have not cared for Youth's Companion. It has been given a fair trial since July, 1894, and we have just subst.i.tuted Harper's Round Table as an experiment. Other groups, however, are devoted to the Youth's Companion. St. Nicholas is a prime favorite with all.

We do not buy cheap editions. Grimm's "Fairy tales" is selected in the tasteful Macmillan edition with ill.u.s.trations by Walter Crane. Hawthorne's "Wonderbook" is given to them in the exquisite ill.u.s.trated edition of Houghton, Mifflin & Co. We consider the ill.u.s.trations and the dainty covers a part of the educative value of the book. We do not cover the books permanently, but give them covers which slip on and off easily that they may use them at their pleasure. A good deal of pride is developed in each group of children in having the little library clean when it pa.s.ses on to the next group.

An effort is of course made to balance the libraries, putting in each a volume of history, one of light travel, and a book about animals like Mrs. Jackson's "Cat stories," "Buz," "Sparrow, the tramp." Stories of course predominate. Fairy-tales are by all odds the most popular and get the hardest wear. I have noticed that this is also true in the children's travelling libraries sent out by the New York state library. In one group of home library children Grimm's "Household tales" was such a favorite, and they called for it so persistently, that an extra copy was bought for their benefit and is almost constantly in use. They much prefer it to Andersen. The naming of the libraries and of the groups of children is a new feature. Of our nine libraries five are named for children. Any person, or number of persons, giving $25 (the cost of a new library with its bookcase) is ent.i.tled to name the library. The plan is a popular one and several gifts of that sort have been received. In one case a small framed picture of the child for whom the library is named goes with it and the children seem to have a positive affection for the picture.

The children choose for themselves some hero to give the name to their club, or group. We have the Was.h.i.+ngton, the Columbus, the Anthony Wayne, the Lincoln, and the Edison groups, and one more recently formed, not yet named. It is a significant fact that the children knew and admired Anthony Wayne because they read about him in Coffin's "Boys of '76."

One beauty of the home libraries is the simplicity of the central idea and the natural relations between the children and the visitor. It is quite possible to combine with this much direct educational work. Games are almost always used by the visitors.

The skilful visitor, who should have the spirit of the kindergarten and might well have also her training, may develop through the games attention, concentration, and courtesy, qualities in which these children are especially lacking. It is an interesting study to watch the development of the game of 20 questions; e.g. from a wandering, haphazard medley asked in a slow and painful way by self-conscious children, to quick, intelligent, carefully planned questions

To ill.u.s.trate more specifically an attempt at educational work, the Columbus group may be taken as an example.

There is a badge consisting of a bronze medal with the head of Columbus, fastened with a knot of red, white, and blue ribbon.

The rule of the group is the rule of the majority; e.g., when games are to be played a vote is taken and all are expected to enter heartily into the one chosen by the majority. By constant application of this plan and the discussion which it involves, those children have come to understand pretty well the nature of a vote. There is a child's life of Columbus and a sc.r.a.p-book containing pictures of him. The Columbus group are appropriately discoverers, and as they have set out to find out everything possible about their own city, once a month the group goes out together for a long walk. They have visited the capitol, geological hall, city hall, the Schulyer mansion, etc. Every week 10 minutes are spent in studying the city, the name and location of the streets, the city buildings, the government of the city, its history and antiquities, the cleanliness of the city, etc.

Many problems of city government which are taking the attention of the best minds to-day can be studied in simple form here. And this is real study. It is simple and elementary, but not haphazard, and what they get is definite and organized. It is not merely amus.e.m.e.nt, though they are interested and take hold heartily. A simple statement of each lesson is duplicated and put into the hands of the children. These will be combined into a handbook useful for all children in the city and suggestive for other cities. I hope that some line of study may be taken up by the other groups, each visitor choosing that which she can best develop. Light science would be attractive to some and of real service to the children.

Music, always a powerful agent in the development of life, is specially useful in this city because the music taught in the public schools is purely technical. All the children have met on Sat.u.r.day afternoons in the kindergarten room of one of the public schools to sing under the direction of a competent director of music who loves children and takes genuine pleasure in the work.

This gives them a little repertoire of choice children's songs to take the place of the street songs which was about all they knew before, helps to soften their voices in speaking, and also serves as an excuse for bringing together the children of the various groups about once a month and making a little esprit de corps, which is desirable. It is wonderful when they are inclined to be boisterous and unmanageable in their games what a humanizing influence a sudden call for one of these songs will produce.

It is proposed to circulate games suitable for playing at home, also small framed pictures after the plan of the Milwaukee Public Library. The books are often read by the parents and older brothers and sisters. The games and pictures would help in like manner to sweeten and enn.o.ble the home life.

But why should you be interested in the home library and in allied movements? Is it simply because they are an extension of the book power to which you have pinned your faith? There is, I think, a deeper reason. The movement known as the new philanthropy is one of the strong factors in our civilization to- day. The life of the community is the study of the man who serves the public as librarian. Nothing which is an essential part of that life is foreign to him. As distinguished from the old- fas.h.i.+oned charity which relieved individual suffering without regard to its effects on society, the new movement is characterized by two tendencies:

1. A scientific study of the principles of philanthropy: information before reformation.

2. A spirit of friendliness: not alms, but a friend.

Men and women of singular ability, of the best training and devoted to n.o.ble ideals, have given their lives to studying the problems of the poor, and so we have colleges and social settlements, free kindergartens, home libraries and a score of other new activities, one in spirit and in aim. But there are not enough trained specialists.

The philanthropic work of our cities is largely done by young ladies of the leisure cla.s.s, quite a proportion of them graduates of colleges, and with a splendid mental, moral, and social equipment for the work. But they are raw recruits for lack of discipline. Caught in the wave of enthusiasm they plunge zealously into work with very little understanding of underlying principles.

I have given a good deal of thought to this difficulty and am persuaded that there is a way out. I want to present it here because, if it appeals to you as wise, you will be able to help in putting the plan to the test of experience. As the difficulty is ignorance, the remedy is study.

A cla.s.s in philanthropy should be organized, for serious study in the scientific spirit and by the scientific method, under the direction of as competent a teacher as can be secured. Only those who are determined to do serious work and who have ability to cope with these problems should be admitted. Every attempt to popularize the course should be discouraged. The cla.s.s might be carried on under the auspices of a church, a charity organization society, or even of a library. The initiative should be taken by some one person with the requisite discrimination, tact, and organizing skill. According to my outline a two- years' course is needed, involving an hour of cla.s.s work once a week, with, if possible, five hours a week of study, and for nine or ten months in the year. Laboratory work, that is, investigation of local conditions, should be carried on throughout the course. Lectures combined with seminar work seem to me the best methods of instruction. The literature of the subject is rich and helpful.

At the end of the first course there would be two or three new persons competent to instruct, and these might organize other cla.s.ses.

If this cla.s.s in philanthropy could be carried on in any city for 10 or 15 years, the charities of the city would feel the effect of the work. Instead of crudity there would be strength, enthusiasm would be supplemented by wisdom. The result would be the strengthening of the personal character of the poor and the enrichment of the whole city life. For we rise or sink together.

The higher groups of society cannot develop without a corresponding development in the lower groups.

And so I call you to study the problems of philanthropy, to follow intelligently the history of home libraries, to approve this plan of training if it be wise, if not to work out a better one. Neither is this to go outside your natural course on the ground of sentiment. You are to study the community on broad lines that you may give back to the community through many channels that abundant life which is the highest service.

LIBRARY DAY AT THE PLAYGROUNDS

The Monthly Bulletin of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for October, 1901, includes an account of summer playground work which was begun three years before. Playground libraries as an introduction to regular library agencies are described by Miss Meredyth Woodward.

Meredyth Woodward, now Mrs. J. Philip Anshutz, was born in Waterloo, N. Y., in 1869, and was educated in the schools of Tec.u.mseh, Michigan. She took special work in the State Normal School at Oswego, N. Y., and later studied in the Law Froebel Kindergarten Training School at Toledo, Ohio, and in the Chicago Kindergarten College. After teaching in this inst.i.tution she became Princ.i.p.al of the San Jose Normal School in California.

After this she studied in the Leland Stanford University. She took charge of the Home Library Work in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh in 1901, where she remained until 1904, part of the time acting as a.s.sistant in the Training School for Children's Librarians.

The work of supplying the summer playgrounds with books, begun as an experiment three years ago, was continued this summer as a part of the work done by the Children's department of the Library for the children of this city. During the initial summer, five playgrounds were supplied, the total circulation being about 1,600. Last year the needs of seven playgrounds were met, with a result of 1,833 in circulation, while the present year nine playgrounds have given a circulation of 3,637 volumes, and this during one day in each of six weeks. At a joint meeting of the Library workers with the Kindergartners who had charge of the playgrounds, it was decided to set apart this day as Library day, and as high as 117 volumes have been issued in a single playground on that day, while one week every available book was issued in spite of a drenching rain outside.

Through the courtesy of the school directors and princ.i.p.als, the library was enabled to place the books, take registrations, and fill out cards, several days before the day for circulation. Thus much valuable time was gained, and the work begun and carried out more systematically. Boxes of books carefully selected from the best juvenile literature, comprising attractive stories of history, biography, travel, nature, poetry and useful arts, as well as fiction, picture books and the ever popular fairy tales, were sent to each playground. Each kindergartner also received for her special use a list of stories bearing on the thought she wished to emphasize each week, with the books containing these stories. Charging stations were improvised out of desks, tables, or chairs, in some vacant room, or corner of a hallway. Walls dismantled for the summer cleaning were made more attractive by gay flags, or picture bulletins ill.u.s.trating the books to be circulated.

One morning spent at a playground on Library day would be enough to convince the most sceptical that the children fully appreciated their opportunities. As one of the kindergartners remarked, "You'd think they had never seen a book before." They swarmed about the windows and doors of the circulating room, and at one school, when the impetuous but good-natured line became too eager, they were restrained by the commanding voice of the policeman to "Back up." Even the charms of an exciting game of base-ball had no power over a wonted devotee, when pitted against the attractions of an interesting book. Kindergartners from five playgrounds agreed that by far the largest attendance was on Library day, many of the older children coming on that day only.

They felt "too old to play," but never too old to read.

The signature of one of the parents, with that of the child's, ent.i.tled him to draw books. One little tot begged hard to have a "ticket," and be allowed to take books home, insisting with many emphatic nods that she could write her name. On trial only a few meaningless scratches resulted, and the tears that filled her eyes at her failure were banished only when the librarian promised that she might come each week, and look at the picture books. Another child asked for a card for his little friend who had rheumatism, and couldn't come to the playground. A mother of the neighborhood took a card that she might draw out picture books, and books of rhymes and jingles for the little one at home. The "little mothers" invariably saved a place on their cards for a book to please the baby brother or sister tugging at their skirts, or, it might be, for some older member at home.

Very often the whole family read the books. One boy waited till nearly noon on Library day for his father to finish the "Boys of '76." Another said he wished he might take three books, because there were four boys at home, and he would like to have enough "to pretty near go 'round." In another family three of the children were drawing books. Still the older sister had to come down to get a book for herself, saying the others never gave her a chance to read theirs.

In these miniature libraries not only do the children become familiar with library regulations, but more judicious and intelligent in the selection of books. At first they choose a book because it has an attractive cover, large print, "lots of talk" (conversation), or because it is small and soon read. "I tell you, them skinny books are the daisies," said one, while the opinion of another was, "These ain't so bad if they'd only put more pictures in to tell what they're about." Later they select a book because the t.i.tle tells of interesting subject matter, or because a playmate has recommended it as "grand," "dandy," or "a peach." A popular book often has as high as ten or fifteen reserves on it, the Librarian being greeted in the morning with a chorus of, "Teacher please save me"--this or that book. So, from having no idea of choice, the children finally have such a definite idea of what they want, and why they want it, that, unless the particular book is forthcoming, they "guess they don't want any book to-day." One small girl took out "Little Women,"

and wanted "Little Men" on the same card. When she understood that only one book of fiction could be taken on one card, she inveigled her little sister into taking it on her card. Then she tucked the books under her arm, remarking, with a sigh of satisfaction, "Now, we'll have 'em both in our family." In striking contrast to the excitement attending the selection of books is the lull that follows. Here and there are interested groups looking at the pictures-- delightful foretaste of what is to follow in the text--or comparing the merits of the different books. Some have already made an absorbed beginning in the story which will be finished at home, on the door step, or by the evening lamp, when the more active games of the day are over. Nor are these absorbing books always fiction. The statistics show that stories of travel, lives of great men, and books on natural history were fully as popular as the fiction. The fiction per cent of last year was reduced from 60 per cent to 52 per cent this year.

And so the work for the season has closed, leaving many a young reader not only trained but enthusiastic to enjoy regular library privileges. The general verdict of the children was that they were "Sorry it was over." Four lads from the South Side begged that they might get books from the Main Library, and one boy presented his card the very day after the playground closed.

Nearly all the branches have gained new adherents from their respective districts.

On the whole we feel well pleased with the season's work, although, as is natural, the work done by the two new Branches was not so successful as that elsewhere owing to the fact that the work was new to the district. When compared with that done in the districts where it has been carried on for three years, it gives a striking example of the growth and development which has taken place since the beginning. As a result of the work, at the West End Branch alone, fifty-two children from the Riverside playground have taken out library cards. The children are better trained in library usages, and more intelligent as to what they want, often counting from one year to the next upon getting a certain book. Out of this enthusiasm there naturally result the Home Library groups and clubs which furnish books during the winter. One notable outgrowth of last summer's playground was the Duquesne School Club, whereby the children of the Point were enabled to get books through the winter. This has since been superseded by the introduction of the School-Duplicates, and now the children hold elections for their various officers, while the wide-awake princ.i.p.al has gotten out a neat little catalogue of the books in their collection.

Unemployed and uninterested children are fallow ground for the seeds of mischief and crime. The half-day playgrounds do wonders toward solving the problem of the vacation child. Do not the interesting, wholesome, juvenile books made so accessible to the children also play a large part in this good work?

LIBRARY WORK IN SUMMER PLAYGROUNDS

At the Pasadena Conference of the A. L. A. in 1911, Miss Gertrude Andrus led a discussion on library work in summer playgrounds, in which she considered some simple methods of administration.

Gertrude Elisabeth Andrus was born in Buffalo, N. Y., acted as an a.s.sistant in the Buffalo Public Library in 1900-1901; was a student in the Training School for Children's Librarians in Pittsburgh from 1902 to 1904; children's librarian in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh from 1903 to 1908, and since that time has been head of the children's department in the Seattle Public Library.