Evening star., 1900-07-14

rule the little ones are well behaved. In
DEED: boy or girl likes the responsibility.
children by the use Of Illustrations. and
pictures often appeal where books do not.
boston has picture club. with folios OF
Photographs for circulation among the chill
dren.
The Milwaukee Library.
The Milwaukee Public Library has one
Of the finest children's rooms. large,
cheerful room on the third floor is given
over to the children. About 5000 books are
shelved here. among which the children
allowed to go and choose their own reading.
There are few good pictures and casts
in the room, and on the wall directly oppo-
site the entrance is painted tastefully the
following: This room is under the protec-
ton OF the boys and girls of Milwaukee.
and this is the spirit of the work. The chill
dren feel proprietary interest in the room.
and like to aid in keeping the shelves or
derry and to report books that need repair.
To encourage familiarity with authors their
| birthdays are celebrated by displaying Iheir
portraits and pictures illustrative of their
works with the books themselves. AT
Christmas time they had exhibition of
copies Of the famous Madonnas. During
| the spring they had an eNhi ibition OF
| seventy-five pictures of birds, with bc oks.
stories and poems about birds placed in
| conspicuous place near them. A talk about
birds was also given.
Cincinnati has seen the need of chill
drea's room. and has just opened
| pable of shelving 5000 volumes They plan
| to make 1t ch!ldren's library and reading
room, with competent attendants to guide
| their tastes.
| Children as a rule enter a library, and
after receiving a card are directed to the
| ch.ldrenS room. If they wish for any rea
| son to go to the main room they are per-
mitted, but most children are satisfied with
| the books in their own room. After choos-
| ing the hook he desires either with
| without the librarians assistance the book
| with card is handed the librarian. the prop
er charge made and the child passes out.
| unless he desires to remain to read. The
young peop e. from little tots who cannot
| read to the young men and women, enjoy
| these privileges.
The Jungle Stories" are not too difficult
| for children, and there is educational value
| in many of the stories of St. Nicholas and
| other so-called juvenile magazines.
In many libraries large tables loaded
with maps and pictures, and many book
which otherwise might be duh is found in
| teresting when prettily Illustrated
Detroit and Boston.
| Detroit has been interested in the work
for children since 1887. when books were
| first sent to the high school for help in
class work. 1t now has a ch.ldrens room
on the ground floor AL of the best peri
odicals for children are kept on file. and
street boys come in the long winter even
ingS to enjoy them.
Every effort is made in these libraries to
attract children. and last summer the To-
ledo Public Library sent to the scholars in
their city, just before the close of the term.
lists of books for boys and girls of differ
ent ages, with an invitation to make free
use of the children's room. The aim in this
library, as in the others. is to make the
room a source of pleasure to the children
and TO counteract the evil influences of the
street.
Boston has had separate department for
children since May 1895. The age limit is
ten years for pupils cards and twelve years
Tor ordinary cards. Seventy-five hundred
books are shelved, of which 500 are a ref
erence library. The average circulation is
about 300. There are four attendants for
the room. This library. like others, does
organized work with the schools. There is
no library league. Solar prints represent
ing architecture and statuary are hung in
the main room. Howard Pyles il.ustra-
tions OF Woodrow Wilson'S life of Washing
ton are in the reference library. Exhibits
which interest children are shown in the
flne arts department. Pictures hang in the
childrens room, and cop.es of St Nicholas
Youths Companion, Golden DAYS. Birds
and All Nature, Young Catholic, Journal de
la Jeunesse, Magazin Illustre. and Deutsche
Jusendbiaetter are to be found on the ta-
blcs.
Quite as attractive is the room furnished
by the Minneapolis Public Library for the
children Exhibits are held from time to
time, and last spring the evolution of the
American flag was depicted in a series of
colored drawings from its beginning to the
present: AS one of the chief developments
OF work in this room is to improve the
quality of reading, the children are encour-
aged to ask questions. Underneath a pc
ture of mother bird with nest full of eggs
are Mr.. Cheneys bird songs and list OF
various kinds of birds. The children love
their librarian. and come to her with all
their Toys and griefs, with demands for
from something to cure sore knee" to a
IN
Every Book Recon- mende.I
The children's department in the Buffalo
Public Library consists of two rooms. a
reading room and book room. Every book
is a recommended one. The collection start
ed with 1000 volumes, to which over 5000
have been added. The average circula ton
for the past year has been 425 daily The
books are on open shelves. so that the chill
dren make their own selections, but there
Is constant SUPERVISION and aid to those
who desire it. Six regular assistants are in
this department, and they receive aid from
the main library at very busy times The
circulation has gone as high as 1925 in a
single day.
During the past year they have had a
number of special displays of pictures
notably the Century pictures of original
drawings of war articles in the Century
and Hobsons book. They have also ex-
hiblted the process of making a plate
showing six different stages; the artists
drawing, the screen from which the picture
Is taken; the negative: the plate before re-
ceivins the acid bath; the plate after going
through the etching process; the finishing
proof. On the bulletin boards are constant
ly displayed pictures taken from maea-
zines on special topics-anniversary days
great events. birthdays of famous men also
PICTURES bearing upon special studies given
by the teachers in the public schools The
room Is made attractive with flowers grow |
ing plants, pictures and books. room is |
especially provided for the tiniest children
with games and scrap books and miniature
chairs and tables seem adapted to the little
ones. This same idea is being carried out
in smaller new libraries, that of Providence
in particular.
The two old libraries of Denver have re-
Gently been consolidated, and they have
been In their new building but few
months Their new children's room has
wall shelving for 1000 volumes Their am
is to come in contact with the children
and to direct their reading without their
knowing 1t, having always in mind the
adase OF the twig. The average circula-
ton of the room is 300 books a day.
One notable feature about all these libra
ries is the liberty given children and the |
freedom from abuse of that privilege.
series Of questions was sent to the |