New-York tribune., 1895-01-07
4 LIBRARY ~ SORE NEED.
DEMANDS THAT THE UNIVERSITY SET
TLEMENT CANNOT MEET
SIDE CHILDREN TO GET GOOD BOOKS TO
READ-WHERE CONTRIBUTIONS


SIDE CHILDREN TO GET GOOD BOOKS TO
READ-wHERE CONTRIBUTIONS
WOULD 10 GOOD
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: notice in to-day's number of The Tribune
| "Charity's" inquiry for the proper institutions 10
which to send books etc. ana your reply that DOCKS
may go to the University Settlement, - Deiahcey-
ST Let me- thank YOU for your thought and add
something the UNDERSTANDING OF the WORK ana
needs there chiefly in regard to the library
The work Of the Settlement as the pubic mas
| learned consists largely Of cubs. classes a day
penny provident bank. a kindergarten ana "pra'y'
Tho resources of each one of these departments are
always overstraned beyond the capacity Of the
| building and the means of the society. In one OF
the classes | know Of a list OF fifty children waiting
| to join. And In the library 1t has this month been
| impossible TO admit more than one-Sixth or those
| ho have applied. This Is owing to Lack oi BOOKS
and also to insufficient means to pay Tor 'he wear
| and tnat A larger circulation demands. Ihe
library contains SIS volumes. most Of which have
been given us at odd times and many OF when arc
| unsuited TO its peculiar needs. 1t has about $50
members chiefly school children and all foreigners.
| and the circulation for November was 2lS'-Wo
volumes in excess of the actual number OF books IN
| the library one week shortly before Christmas
there 500 books given out. showing an average
| OF lco a day. Some one Is kept busy all the time
|
| ores that the books may be given out the same
| afternoon These figures, encouraging as they APP
pear. do not begin TO represent the necessity for
| small Libraries I'm East Side districts or the great
| demand on the University Settlements library.
| These children. most of whom are Hebrews. would
| naturally read nothing but the best literature.
| Their first their las, and their constant call is
| FOR United States histories We have eiShtythree
| aad they are always out. boy viii often read
| not one but nearly all Of them in succession.
| The little ones scarcely out Of the kindergarten
ask first for history. and, when they cannot get
that for fairy tale. and there are never enough Of
| either. nor Of biographies OF American patriots
ami statesmen. II is tmost If the boys who live
down here IN this worst Of municipal governed dis
| trcts where vice nourshcs and poverty is deepest.
| are bound. I'm spite of fate. TO learn what constl-
| tutos good citizenship. Then. too. they naturally
| prefer good stirring. manly boys books 10 the
vicious half-dime novels they can any OF them buy
| at street newsstand They prefer Ayers stories
| t. that stuff and Twain. Stevenson Stockton and
| Trowbrdge to Ager and Optic. They are not dull.
All they ask is half the chance to improve that
| boys In more highly favored communities possess
So too with the girls. Not of them. after
having read Miss Alcott's. Susan Cooll!ee's and
| Sophie Mays sweet and uplifting stories. would
eyer return 10 the trash with which they before
! filed their OUT school hours Few people think
| Of these children In this oy'rcrowdei district as
reading Many of them read a book day. and.
| have % De limited three "A week. one
| little girl to whom admission had long been re-
| fused hocause she young brought back her
book tho day after she took 1t out with ne look
she has drunk a cup o. milk AT one gulp ana mods
it out for more Her older sister ioli III" me niue
girl hat risen at O'Clock 10 finish the story Ana
| one boy who brought back a thick biography the
| fay after receiving Il. when asked n ne hai
read lf out said IN tone which iold now
generous anI unusual the gift tnat his mother haI
given him A candle AMI he had read as long as the
|
good hooks fan 70 help get them for the niue SIX
| ycnr-oii Who rose a. 10 read her iaIry tae ana
! on slI evidence II the oyercro~i.ng Of tho dis
irct in which those chilren i've is that they al
have weak ami plead for large print Ihr"e
| 49,. I,rk am one ~ which he IRON, room, mas
on.y two windows to tho street. II * not the child
81 ~ her book lhJ, gcfs the seat near the w.nIow,
| Il a. fhe older memoirs ~ no are sewing coats.
| An5,h.r ci,ss ~ rstiets 10 whom NE library is
irving 20 hc - Use e. the school children IN th"
higher grades an1 members Who are IN college
a.ll help them. ana how Few times 10 thcy get the
| .-rntinc or Biographical volume they n"et' II b
hard - nave boy ask FOR six weeks FOR geom-
efry and have - Offer him MS choice between \
irIroniv OPP try q satisfy a girl who nas com
! position 10 write on Abraham Lincoln wi'h q He
! ono ihns want 90 adl 80 regard - the library
I ITSELF one way Justly ask why tncs. chi! lr-n d'
,bun Lance - books u mo bcst -or; Many OF the
! llIren are Zoo Young 20 be admitted most ~ them
as io' ba,k S" cseep. Glimms FAIRY Talcs' and
| "f f.ia Toms cabin These TWO am sure, are
! known lu every tongue A. first thcy come win a
| il.lIlns hook and ak for d good AOdry. They
! aitr h.tri from SOME liiio clmrlde that you g"i
/ 'i.o.I lhArr-f h,re After while th"y learn iEe
names 80 fhr hrst books what 90 ask flr AMI what
l- ,,pll 20 read Then they are equipped TO 20 %
other libraries II ta.y Wish. but as raj" they stay
300. cNhau-tins olf poor shelves until ~ keep
| sfeaI ~ fh.u Sc strain every effort % buy orcl-
| slpuil books pnr primary boy. who had read
| nearly ever. story wlthu his understanding. took
\ uuf Lewis Cirfuls 'Ihymrs and Jngl"s.' ~"
| ais warned that b. WIs Ike nothing D" had ever
| read. ami fpD larl for him. lie brought ~ back
| n three days having renI n al. Wien asked II
| boo understood 10. hc slI be has dictionary a
| home lnI looked Dut ihe hard words. Far"v
-~arching FOR th, definition of "hrlis. "frabjous'
| anl 'hramlr.'
when b. B. known ihl' there Werr ~ new mem.
hor- admitted TO ,hi- library during November ami
that this II about half who applied. AMI that In
| December Il has been impossible 70 take IN one
sixth if VII be how important IL IS that the
| uhrary'S nrel becomes known to Just such KIND
| nquir~rs ~ CHARITY represents.
| thank you FOR the space allowed me- ana FOR
Your reply To- 'Cuirlty,' which suggested Your
helpful columns for thls appealfor 30 - meant for
- direct ana mciitaiel appeal for good books. not
trash or battered ones ana Tor money To buy those
Ne need. that when 4 boy asks for Webster :
speeches or a book on electricity, We may get
them. HELM Mo'NE,
Librarian. University settlement.
Ypr Ian l.