Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-12-28
Atte noon Sessfo

mously adopted, land the meeting adjourned
till Pm.
4tte noon SeSsiO
The afternoon session opened with pa
per by Prof. F. L. Cook, superintendent
OF schools of Olmsted county, upon
LIBRARIES IN SCHOOLS.
The Introductory to the paper was de-
voted to treating vicious literature, which
are so disastrous, and which vitiate the lit
ersry tastes and Intelligence of the youth
of the country. He included not only SEN
satlonal literature, but wishy washy trash
such as books of Mrs. Holmes, Mrs. South
worth and Rev. E. P. Roe, as we'll as the
trash from the pens of Henry Peck and
Bill Nye.
1t is an objectionable error, he said, for
any teacher to depart from the text books.
Collateral reading has been urged in teach
ing geography. He detailed his system
adopted in the schools of Olmsted county,
urging as one of the most valuable aux
iliaries in educating.the youth, the estab-
lishment of a we'll selected library. He
has paid great attention to grading
country schools. In the villages it is an
easy matter to not only instruct but to
entertain the pupils, by the use of literary
and musical entertainments. These en-
tertainments are given for the benefit of
the library fund. Great care should be
exercised in the selection of the books for
the library. There are admirable cata-
logues of books and by their use we can
not go far astray. The result of these
libraries is that the pupils not only use
the libraries of the public schools, but they
use the public libraries and usually secure
valuable books for home reading and
home study. The paper was re-
plete with many valuable
suggestions respecting conducting
public school tbrsries,w which were the con-
illusions of the essayist's personal expert
ence, as we'll as from the experience of the
great institutions of the day. He found
much difficulty in selecting the right kind
OF books for the younger pupils. The first
difficulty was in getting the pupil to read
intelligently. AS rule they read
WORDS, WORDS, woRDT,
but fail to analyze. 1t is the person who
reads every day who understands what he
has read. The professor advocated max
ing notes regularly from the matter read
by the pupils. He thought it of import
ance to have the teacher read aloud. The
speaker read a number of abstracts from
papers by various educators upon the sub
ject, which we're Of especial interest.
In Rochester, Mimi, it is common for
the city council to make appropriations
of monies for the public school libraries.
The teachers themselves should take their
initiative in these things. He hoped the
matter would receive more attention in
the future than had been accorded to it in
the past.
Before discussing the paper the mem
bers of the Minneapolis high school sang
Gathering Home"
The secretary of the association was in
struoted to send the greetings of the asso
citation to the various associations now in
session, and to ask their active co-opera-
ten at the national association to be held
IN Madison, Wis, next year.
The president Of the association was
sorry to announce that President
Parker had found it impossible
to be in attendance owing to failures in
securing railroad connection.
The following was adopted unani-
mously,
RESOLVED, That committee of three be
appointed to act as medium of commu-
nication between teachers desiring situa-
tions, and principals and school officials
desiring teachers.
Prof. Niles was appointed by the presi-
dent as chairman of this committee, he to
select the other two and report at a lat er
time.
Prof. Allen of st. Cloud took the floor
to discuss the N after of literature for
school pupils. There is no difficulty in
getting literature. The bookstores are
full of it. There is Jack, who spent his
life in cutting peoples throats; and the
shelves of the stores are loaded with this
class of literature, and boys read them
with ayidity and are fascinated by the
thrilling incidents depicted. He suggest
ed that the teachers devote an occasional
hour to relating to the pupils healthy
story deducted from history. Where it
has bSen employed the children always
look forward with extraordinary interest
to the hour. Furthermore they relate and
review there stories to each other. So
the interests in historical researches
and studies, even in the
primary departments of the schools is
constantly decreased. The taste for litera-
ture In grown people is nothing more
than the reflex of the taste of children.
Let books containing historical sketches,
biographies of great people be literally
supplied the children, and so will the taste
be cultivated science and Literature must
be presented in such a manner as to gain
the interest of the pupils.
Supt. Shepard, of Mortified, was
appointed to attend to the issu-
ing of certificates of membership.
1t was voted to appoint committees on
resolutions, nomination of officers and on
finance, to be announced at to-dsy's sss-
sion.
Superintendent Noon, of the city
schools, asked ths alumni of Dartmouth
college to meet at the conclusion of the
exercises of music.
TEACHING MUSIC.
A class of small pupils from three of the
city schools gave an exhibition of musical
exercises, demonstrating the two first
steps in instructing pupils as they first
enter the public schools. The little mid
gets were taught airs which they had never
heard and sung them correctly within
from three to five minutes, eliciting the
applause of the teachers assembled.
The children were then catechised
and answered correctly without hesitation,
The exercise also included solo by boy
about eight Or ten years of age. who had