The San Francisco call., 1898-04-24

Last month, as the result of the presen- tation of an operetta, "Queen Hester, uy +he children of the Sunol and Alameda street schools in the Hester district or San Jose, the sum of S200 was cleared, and has since been devoted to school library purposes. Miss Frances Cole as queen Miss Rose Gardiner as Prince Perfect, and the little dancing. fairy, Rita Beniba, took prominent parts in the operetta which was charmingly rendered, and was a financial success.
 "The Public School Libraries of Califor- mia" was the subject of a most interesting and instructive address read before the Calaveras County Teachers Institute by James Keith, principal of the San An dreas School. In it the author gives short history of our school libraries, de- scribing their advantages and also point ing out their defects. and the lines along which they. might be improved.
 John Swett was the author of the provi- sion in our school law by which 10 per cent of the State school fund, since changed to county fund, provided 1t did not exceed $50, was set aside for school library purposes. MT. Keith says with truth: No nobler thought ever emanated' from mans brain. You may preach ethics till you die, but more children have been taught to master themselves, more char acter has been built into the pupil by this @ one provision of the school law than by all the ethical lectures in Christendom. At the present day there are nearly 800, 0,000 volumes in the public schools of CaDfor- niaS over 5000 of which are in CalaVeras County, and we have not near enough"
 Teachers are warned against the misuse of the library fund to purchase text books for pupils. This should only be done in the case of children whose parents or guardians are absolutely too poor to pur- chase the necessary books. Improvement in our libraries may be outlined as fol- g, lows:
 os ''The supply of working materiaIs-by working materials is meant those books of reference and supplemental work which are absolutely necessary for the teacher, pupil and everyday work. of the school room. These in order should be: First A good dictionary. Second-Such supple mentary works as are absolutely neces- sary for the proper progress of the pupils. Third-A few works for teachers use to assist and promote the work before the pupils. FOuTth-An encyclopedia, not one of the very expensive kind, but one that is reliable and serviceable. Fifth-Addi- uonal supplemental work to keep pace with the progress of the pupils. Sixth A few standard books of literature more for the use of the teacher in connection with pupils work than for the direct use of the latter. Avoid the purchase of biographical dictionaries and geographi- cal gazettes until circulating library is secured. All required in that line will be found in dictionary and encyclopedia. The effect of judicious use of the library will soon make itself felt on pupil and school Parrot answers to questions will cease. Individuality will assert itself in each pupil breadth of thought and reasoning oftentimes surprising will manifest itself in the oral and written work of the school. Children have a much greater capacity for the abstract than we give them credit for Suit your language and teaching to their conditions, and they will grasp the deep est thoughts of Shakespeare"
 PLAYING FOR KEEPS
 Since PrincfDaI Georee FDdgar of NriIas stirred up such a tempest in a teapot by fOrbdding his boys playing marbles for keeps the subject has been taken up and discussed at length by the surround