The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-29
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
'If We get the children OF to-day. We VIII
have the adults of tomorrow"
This Is the motto OF the children's de-
koartment Of the Public Library.
To train the young how to read and what
% read is as important function as that
Exercised by the public schools. and that Is
tust what the ST. Louis Public Library is
trying to do. To show the children how to
e. get the best results from their reading and
how to select their books is not an easy
task, but the old edage, Line upon line.
and precept upon precept'' is put in prsc-
rice every day at tie Public Library.
Gradually the children are being weaned
away from the frivolous books and inter-
ssted in better literature. In fiction. stories
Of adventure and history.
The city Of ST. Louis supports two great
educational Institutions. the Public Schools
and the Public Library. The aim OF each
q the same. It Is not strange therefore,
that cooperation between the two should
be successful.
A few monhs ago Mr.. Crunden. librarian
OF the Public Library. inaugurated the plan
Of active library work in the schools. In
other words. he maae the public schools
library stations for the distribution OF
books. In this way the chiidren's reading
Is directed by the teacher who knows in
dividual needs.
The library has moro than eighty sets
Of books. selected with a view to the needs
OF the first four grades OF the public
/ schools. each set consisting OF thirty copies
vi an attractive book SO that all the chill
a N in the class may be reading the book
a, the same time. Mr.. Crunden states that
the work could have been quintupled If the
library had possessed the means. He says:
Thus far we have been unable to supply
sven the first four grades. while We have
done very little work in the higher grades.
This has reversed the usual order. but l
believe that the sooner you begin in at
tempts to give the children love for read
Ing the better. In the public schools Ii is
ell the more essential to reach the lowest
Trades first. because so many children leave
without going beyond the fourth or htth
Grade Moreover. it Is easier to incuicate
a love for reading in young children than
Il is in older ones; and the supplementary
reading more directly aids the regular
school work In lower grades. Indeed, since
the chief thing taught In the earlier grades
is reading. the more practice they get the
TO learn to read is to read: and II reading
Is made interesting by giving children at
tractive books the teacher will be relieved
of all further care. In the school In this
city where the greatest amount Of this
reading is done. the principal tells me that
they do not have to give any thought TO
discipline; that the school takes care OF 1t
sSlf; that the children are so interested In
heir work and their books that they are
(perfectly orderly. He tells me. also. that
they let the children do all the reading OF
books in school that they may want to
do.
you SEQ this chidren's room, said MI
Crunden to a Sunday Republic reporter
eay or two ago, 1T is usually CROWDED with
children. Forty such rooms In Inherent
parts of the city could easily be filed with
Suvsnile readers. That is not wild state
ment, There are eighty schools In the city
1t stands to reason that II these schools
are filled with children as they are. some
Of them much crowded. / hear-from l5O
TO 500 children in one school-we could
all as many library-rooms 1t could be done
easily we had the means"
Last year $4,000 books were issued to
4uvsl)s EsaAss q 81. houis through me