Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-11-07

SOME SUGGESTIONS FoR TEACHERS ON THE
USE OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR BOYS AND
GIRLS IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR SCHOOL
STUDY.
tRey. Henry A. sriMsoN of Worcester, Mass, in the
Congregationalist.l
Worcester rejoces in public library and
a librarian, whose work deserves TO be widely
known. When high school teacher, at the
close Of the school year, can look back upon
200 scholars, who, besides their miscellaneous
use Of the public library, have been system
atically at work there for an hour each week,
eagerly poring over standard historical books,
something has happened of great concern to
all parents. When, day after day, during
school hours, squads of fifteen to twenty roll
licking boys and girls, relieving each other
every hour, may be seen hard at work in the
general reading room Of public library, dis
turbing no one, wholly absorbed in pursuing
interested historical research under the guild
anoe of the library staff, there may be said to
be social phenomenon worthy OF attention.
When one half of all the teachers in a city,
public and private, some 250 in number, are
in the habit of drawing from the public libra.
ry large numbers of books, bearing upon the
particular subjects they may at the time be
teaching for the purpose of putting them in
the hands of their pupils, and on an average,
no less than 700 volumes are to be found dai-
ly in the school buildings in such use, in ad-
dition to the much larger number at the
homes of teachers and pupils, drawn on their
personal cards when, after school hours,
crowds Of boys and girls are to be seen hur-
rying to the library, and there in room ar
ranged for the purpose, teachers are constant
ly to be found, surrounded by groups Of their
scholars, examining together great piles of
valuable illustrated books, it need not be said
that there is one public library that has be-
-, IL,
life of the community.
1t cannot but be Of interest to learn how
this state of things has been brought about.
Worcester has a large variety Of technical in
dustries, as well as a number of diverse edu-
cational institutions. A dozen years ago 1t
had fine reference library, which like many
| others was little used. At that time a simple
but important change was introduced. Every
| body, no matter who, child or man, scholar
| or mt chanic, who had question, was invited
to come TO the library at any time and have il
| answered IL was made manifest that this
was regarded az part Of the business Of the
library, aud that all necessary time and pains
would be freely and cheerfully bestowed on
| every question. The boast of the library for
| some time has been that questions are almost
| invariably answered. Indeed, it has come to
be a serious matter TO PROFOUND the most
trivial question within the library walls, such
a world of information is piled at once upon
| you. Should visitor casually express the
wonder whether NebuchadneZzar used tooth
brush or Alexander the Great parted his hair
in the middle, it would go well with him il he
| did not quickly fnd the whole library force
in a commotion like a disturbed ant-hill
Should he slip out with the problem unsolved
he will invariably receive communication
next day, full of the most erudite and minute
| information. So Wi1c-reaching is this sys-
tenn that it is not unheard of for ministers to
| get letters from their parishioners venturing,
| on the authority Of an inquiry addressed to
the public library, to correct statements that
| have been made in the pulpit. The state
ment of the librarian will readily be believed
that upwards Of $4,000 volumes are each year
put into the hands of inquirers.
But this was only beginning. The next
step was to secure the active cooperation of
the school teachers. After conference with
superintendent and principals a meeting of
| the teachers Of the seventh, eighth and ninth
/ grades was arranged in the library building.
| The librarian proposed to assist them in
| teaching geography, and exhibited to them
perhaps a hundred volumes which he had
| previously selected to illustrate the country
under consideration. The teachers we're in.
| vited to keep the librarian informed as to
| what countries the children were studying
1 hOOul, IIOu llLlo " NlLhts Nuht OObho hiiBht
/ be selected for their special use. The teach
ers were supplied with books for their own
information upon the topic in hand, and 9th
| er books, adapted to the age of the scholars
and likely to interest them, we're offered for
| use by the children in place of readnR-books.
| Special cards were issued, on which teach.
| ers might draw six books at a time for them
selves, and twelve for their scholars whose
reading they had undertaken to supervise
| The older scholars, having right to cards of
| their own, place them also in the hands OF
their teacher, so that not infrequently class
| has in use fifty volumes bearing on one sub
iect. The teachers were also invited to bring
their classes to the library and inspect oolleo-
tions of photographs and engravings illustra-
/ tive of the scenery, animals and vegetation of
/ different countries, and of street views in ci-
| ties.
The testimony of teachers that lessons are
| much better learned than heretofore will be
readily believed, az will the declaration that
| bows and girls who read little out of school
except story papers have largely forsaken
| these for the better class of books OF travel
and the like.
Two years ago another important step was
| taken The teacher OF history in the high
school was invited to send her pupils to the
library during school hours in parties of IF
teen, changed hourly. They come without
their teacher, and scatter among the unoccu-
pied seats like any other readers. 1t is known
in the library that their class is at the time
studying Greek or Roman history, for exam
pie. Piles of suitable books, such as Falke'I
Greece and Rome, Stuart and Revett's An
tiquities of Athens, Parkers Archaeology oi
Rome, Mahafy's Old Greek Life, Wllkinl
Life of the Romans, and the standard hsto
ries and encyclopedias, have been put togeth
| ka oh hu Il
ly employed They have special topics tC
look up, and must all report in full to theil
teacher the results Of their investigation.
The librarian passes around among them
here changing a book, there pointing out how
| 10 use an index or table of contents to ge
needed information, everywhere making SURE
that right methods are pursued and keen in
terest awakened. A minute or two is usual!
enough for each pupil, many need no aid, ant
soon all are busily at work. Trouble and dis
turbAnce are unknown, for all are interested
in what they have to do.
Perhaps it is the history of the middle age
on which they are engaged Their teache
requires each of them to write story or es
say on some topic connected with the genera
subject, ordinarily selected by themselves
Here are a few that have been presented
Tournaments, The Art Of becoming a Knight
The Position of Woman, Storming Castle
Hunting Scene, Secret Tribunals, Educa
ton of the Sons of Mobiles, Currency of tn
Middle Ages, A Farm Scene, The Prepare
ton of Food. Descriptions were given o
Kenilworth, Heidelberg, Holyrood and Wind
sor Castle; and selections read from Marmion
The Legend of the Rhine, Ivanhoe, etc.
- pupil told her teacher that she was dis
! couraged by her library work, because sh
found that historians make conflicting state
ments II was discovery that opened tn
way for the independence of thought whic
| it is the aim of all true teaching to produce
i and an emphatic testimony that the metho
: here pursued is widely securing it. Thes
a children are rapidly learning to think and,
t need not be said, are keenly interested /
!, their school,
a Similar work is also done in English lterI
ture. class whose studies are soon to en-
have placed in their hands copies of the littl
- volumes in the series of Ancient Classics fC
. English readers, and are thus led, step by steI
a into some knowledge of such stories as Ii
e Iliad and the Odyssey, which otherwise the
would never get. When the literature class,
are to study Longfeow or Irving, for exam
pie, the scholars are put in the way of seou