The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-01-16
ABOUT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
MEETING OF STATE ASSOCIATION
 HEED IN HARTFORD.

An Interesting Session There Saturday I Work of the Committee During Past
 Five Ycars-Addresscs by Prominent | Librarians
 The meeting of the Connecticut Pub
 lie Library association was held Satur- i day in the librarians room of the Hart
 ford public library. The opening ad-
 dress on 'The Work of the Connecticut ' Public Library Committee" was given
 by the chairman, Charles D. Hine of
 New Britain. The work of this com
 mittee, which has now been organized
 five years, is mainly to assist in the se-
 lection and purchasing of books for the
 public libraries of the state During
 this perior of it's existence it has also
 established in the state forty-five libra
 existence and in fourishing condition The books purchased by the committee l oatiiio tiiio tIilit NClt III lllS ltlSIlDOE- hood of 1S,000, for which an average
 price of $1 per book had been paid. Not all of the money thus expended came
 from the state The state committee
 receives no money as recompense in any way for their efforts the work be-
 ing wholly voluntary. At present the committee is endeavoring, through the channels of the public schools, to inter- est the children in the selection of bene- ficial reading At this point MT. Hine alluded to the interesting children's class which Miss Hewins conducts on
 Saturday morning, greatly aiding the furtherance of this movement.
 As regards the selection of books for
 which the committee often receives criticisms as to their severeness, MT. Hine said that the committee is obilg- ed and at the same time glad to take the responsibility of making the selec- tions.
 Miss Caroline H. Hewins of the Hart ford Public library, also secretary of the society, was the next speaker, talk ing for her subject What the Country Schools and Country Library Can do for Each Other" In doing this Miss Hewins first called to the mind of the listeners the common ordinary type of country school with it's time worn desks, initial cut doors and often blind less windows. The children draWl out their recitations, whatever they may be, reading history, geography or tables with no apparent interest beyond that of getting through. It the small town where there is a public library vast difference is noticed. In connection with their studies, the children are in- structed and at the same time amused in a degree with books upon travels, lives of prominent and influential men, birds, insects, flowers. In this way the child who hitherto regarded bird an object at which to throw a stone, IS given the opportunity of interesting study.
 The social life of the town is also effected. Boys do not lounge around stores in large numbers as heretofore. and a more intelligent interest is taken in town politics. The spare hours of the sturdy housewife are also brght- ened with books suitable and advan- taGGOuS to her SpHtlc' i' oiHi''i summer boarder, who is characterized for leaving at the country residence in numerable paper covered novels, IS more likely in town of this Kind 10 leave copies of Harper's Bazar, Mun- sey or Mcclure. In this way Miss Hewins showed clearly how libra rian might greatly aid the teacher of a country school in the instruction of her scholars. ITO do this" said Miss Hewins, 'the librarian must become friendly with the children by talking with them and oftentimes writing letters to them as to what books they enjoy reading and what books are ad- visable for them to read" This sub ject was illustrated by many personal experiences of Miss Hewins along tbe line.
 W. I. Fletcher, librarian of Amherst college, was present and spoke inter- estingly on the subject of Progress" as the present note of library and school work. MT. Fletcher, whose career in library work was begun in this city twenty-five years ago, describ ed the condition of our library a that time and the changes wrought during the intervening time. The progress of 1 the last century is marked off in two | periods. The middle of the | century as an era of organization and ! the last quarter by a great improve ment movement. It is a common | thing for any one who has the build | ing of library in charge to copy one which in their opinion and that of an | advisory beard is thought to be the nearest to perfection