Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-03-12
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
A Subject Discussed by tho State Librar!
Association.

A Subject Discussed by tho State Library
Association.
Denver. March "a meeting OF the
Colorado Library association was held
In the Chamber of Commerce last Fri
day evening. About thirty-fve people
were present. Mr.. J. II. NanSickle,
superintendent of school district No.
II, Arapahoc county, gave very Inter
esting talk on libraries in the school
room. Mr. VanSickle is one of the few
school supcrintendcnts in the United
States who has given this matter much
consideration He said that many
experiments had been tried to arouse
an interest In books among the pupils.
Making the school n delivery station
for some central library had not
proved very satisfactory, because the
children found 1t hard to get such
books as they wanted by calling for
them from n catalogue, and that some
means of bringing them in closer con-
tact with the books was necessary.
He suggested several plans for ac-
complishing this result. and then de-
scribed the method that he had adopt
ed in the schools of North Denver.
His plan was to place about fifty books
in each room in every building In the
district, commencing with the third
or fourth grade. AS the children pass
from grade to grade they are brought
each year in contact with different
collection of books. The pupils were
encouraged to read these books and
consult them for reference and to take
them home. The books for the lower
grades were such as would arouse an
interest in the young pupils. Those
for the higher grades were selected
with more special view to supplement-
ing regular work; thus gradually lead
ing the pupil from the interesting
story-book to the higher fields of lit
erature. science, and art.
So far the experiment had fully JUS
titled the money expended and he was
of the opinion that n further applica-
ton of it would give still better re-
suits.
Several of the teachers in North Den
yer then told of the result of the actual
working of this system as seen in their
| own school room. Among these We're
Mrs. Allen. Miss Skinner, Miss Kalt-
enback and Miss Maxwell. Miss Kalt-
enbach said that with the books right
at hand it was not difficult to interest
the pupils in good literature without
any seeming supervision of their read
| ing. By talking to them about the
books, asking them questions. in re-
| 10 %. TAN IN, ~.
couraging them to make use Of such
reference books as were accessible.
general interest and knowledge of
books was promoted.
By careful inquiry among her pupils
she found that last September only
eight of the pupils in her room had
cards at the Public Library; but that
since she had had books in her school
room this number had rapidly in
creased until now there were few child
rem in her room who were not regu-
lar patrons of the libraries of the city.
The prevailing opinion seemed to be
that such experiments as those of Mr.
Van Sickle is making should be en-
couraged in every school district in
the country.
The secretary was instructed to is
sue a circular inviting all who might
be interested in library matters, wheth-
er members of the Association or not.
to join the association. in order to
promote the welfare of libraries
throughout the state.
The committee on library commits
sion, consisting of l.. C. Hoyt, ]. w.
Mills, G. NJ. Lee, made preliminary
rcport, and recommended that the
number of the committee be increased
to nine. After a little discussion the
report WIS adopted, and the executive