Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-07-22
SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
GREAT HELPS IN THE EDUCATION
OF THE YOUNG.

Ways and Mems ny which the Boys
and Girls May Secure II Collection
of BoOks-Intcrch of Reading
Misunderstanding Libraries.
The statutes Of Illinois provide that
80 voters may present Il petition to the
clerk of the town or village, or to the
trustee Of schools in counties not under
township organization, asking for an
annual tax, not to exceed 2 mills on 81,
for the establishment and maintenance
of a free library.
When such petition is presented, the
clerk must include in the next legal
notice Of the regular annual election no.
tice that the tax for free library is to
be voted upon. If at the election the
majority Of votes shall be for it, the tax
in the specified notice shall be levied,
and at the next regular election there
after six directors shall be elected to
serve, one-third for cnc two and three
years, respectively, and annually there
after two directors to serve three years,
the board to have the same power as
the board of free libraries in cities.
If the library cannot be secured by
taxation. then let the school give liter
airy entertainments. | know of one
small country school in which an enter
tainment of this kind Melted $3S, writes
a correspondent of the Chicago Record.
In these days of cheap books the best
literature can be purchased for 80 cents
a volume, and this one entertainment
would furnish enough books to last the
pupils and their parents two years, al
lowing each family to keep book but
one week.
The schools can give concerts, Operet-
tas, sociables and suppers. The boys
can do the janitor work and turn the
money paid by the board for this service
into the library fund.
| have heard of one school in which
the pupils induced the board to hire
them instead of a woman to scrub the
schoolhouse.
Or hold book sociables, at which each
guest donates book.
l have been told of school which
has 1900 newspaper and magazine
clippings mounted on pasteboard and
classified Surely such zeal as this de
serves recognition at the hands of the
patrons and school board.
School boards often agree to duplicate
the amount raised by pupils. And this
is the best of all plans, much to be pre-
ferred to unconditional donation, for
it makes the pupils feel that they are
earning what they get, and they prize
more highly library which they help
to purchase
Many counties of Illinois now have
small school libraries, started with the
books prescribed for the pupils reading
circle as a nucleus. Champaign county
has 1875 school libraries and La Sale
195. The teachers of the latter county
report that two years ago, before the
starting of the libraries, not one pupil
in six had ever read any book except
the school textbooks whereas now eight
out of ten have read from one to ten
library books, and that there is n cor
responding improvement in the accu-
racy and intelligence of their answers
to examination questions
A small library having been secured
by hook or crook, it is easy to keep a
fresh supply of reading matter on hand
by the system of exchange adopted in
some counties. l copy from the state
superintendent report the plan adopt
ed by Macon county, HIS
1.-The county superintendent selects
a board of competent teachers known
as the Macon county library commit
tee, and this board selects books suita-
BILE for pupils from the third to tie
eighth grade, inclusive.
1.-The books for each school are put
into small telescope cases each contain
ing list OF the books inclosed and a
space for recording the name Of each
pupil together with the title of the book
read.
THE county superintendent $ Office is
the depository and center of circulation
for these libraries.
mo school can enter theeXchange list
until it first furnishes a library.
ANY school furnishing a So, $40 or
$50 library is entitled to exchange for
one of the same grade.
THE pupils areresponsiblef for loss OF
damage of books drawn by them, and
the teacher is responsible for'the return
of the library to the central station on
or before the expiration of the prescrib-
ed number of weeks. -
Another way of obtaining reading
matter is to send to the women's clubs
that have set in circulation travelling
libraries to be had for year free of
charge so far as they will go, which, Of
course, is not far, as the movement is a
recent one The Culture club of Chicago
has set in motion one such library Of
600 volumes and is about to send ont
two more. 1t is a great pity that this
collection was not divided into - libra
ries OF 80 volumes each or, better still,
into 81 libraries of 25 volumes each. tC
tarry not to exceed six months i'll a
place, thus accommodating many more
schools and giving the children some
thing fresh with each exchange. The
percentage of book reading has been
found To be many times greater with a
% volume library which is to remain q
brief period than in a large library
which is to remain on the shelves in
definitely
The State Federation of Women,
Clubs is hooking to the matter of travel
ing libraries aud it is to he hoped they
will make them small, frequently mi
grating ones.
Defective Sidewalks.