Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-08-01
puRL1c SCHOOL L1gRAR1Es.

During his term of office Superintendent
Charles E. Bishop, of the county public
schools, has been making great efforts to I'M
prove the school libraries throughout the
county. and states that in some districts no
library is to be found, and the money set
apart by law fer this object has been misap-
piled and expended for other purposes with
out authority of law, and frequently for
useless objects. He has just issued the fol-
lowing to the Trustees Of the public schools
of the county:
Gentlemen: Whilst I recognize tie fact
that you are the guardians Of the school
funds in your respective districts. also that n
the expenditure of the same You are aetu-
ated by the best OF motives, still feel it a
duty incumbent on me, IS Superintendent.
60 warn you against an abuse that has crept
into our school system, and trust that |
shall not be considered as having oyerstepped
the bounds of my duty in SO doing.
The school law provides that ten per cent.
of the State funds shall be taken for library
purposes and school apparatus. The PLAIN
intent Of this is that children should be fur
nished with reading matter suitable to their
capacity and necessary apparatus. This fund
has in many districts been carelessly ex-
pended, and [ might add. in some instances,
actually wasted. Every district is entitled TO
from $50 to $50 per year. This, righttuLy
expended, would purchase from twenty to
thirty volumes OF good books, which any
child or adult in the district could read with
pleasure and profit. There is nothing, IN my
Judgment, better tended to educate, to i'm
prove, to adorn society, than to cultivate
taste for reading, and to that end L have
40 Eba If ability tn NIlll6
up the District School libraries.
There are iirms who keep an exact account
of this fund with each district, that it may be
pirated upon by smooth, oilY-tongued agents,
with first one thing and then another. First
came Bancroft's % Native Races" Some
forty districts in this county have purchased
that work, and so far as [ have been able
to lind out, no one ever read it except the
proof reader land he died). About the same
number of districts have expended $50 each
for metallic MAPS, numbering up the school
room, and to my view, Of very little practical
utility. Then the historical chart comes in
for place, well enough for the lecture-room,
but have yet to find the district where there
has been use made of it. Nov the tellurion
is having its turn. The agent has my indorse.
ment that it is a desirable article of school
apparatus, that was intended for only those
districts that were we'll supplied with all
needful school apparatus and had already q
good library accumulated. | deem it unwise
for any district to purchase this instrument,
that has not good blackboards, maps, globes
and a book case well filed with books.
You will. doubtless, soon be called upon
by agents with a philosophical apparatus,
and sundry other articles, good for the seller
but hard on the library fund
Upon you rests tha responsibility whether
you hot oaly have good library and good
se.liooi-whether in your neighborhood there
will grow up an uneducated class, fitting for
a life of crime-or whether they shall be fitted
to become good men and women, credit to
themselves and an honor to society. Such
considerations demand the hearty co.opera-
ton of all well disposed.
Hoping that this may tend to prevent the
abuse which it directs your attention, and
therefore promote the best interests Of So
ciety, l remain, respectfully,
CHAs. E. BISHOP, Superintendent.