Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-14

Elsewhere in todays Star appears an
article reprinted from the Review of Re
views on The Provision for Children in
Public Libraries. 1t is highly gratifying.
on reading this interesting account of what
has been done elsewhere to cultivate book
love in the young. to reflect that Washing
ton will he fully up to date in that regard
as as the public library receives its
new equipment. now in preparation From
the inception of this enterprise it has been
held true to the ideal of making it an i'm
po-tant feature of the educational system
of the capital. The law creating the library
5 de clared its main purpose. At every sub
sequent stage of its development the same
thought has prevailed In their first annual
report. submitted in December, 1898, To the
Commissioners. the trustees of the Public
Library said:
Mindful of the Ibrary's functions as
"a supplement of the public education syS-
TEN Of said District, the trustees have en-
GeaVOred to develop it along the lines of
greatest usefulness to the school children
of Washington They co-opera ted with the
school authorities in establishing the most
effective system Of thus utilizing the books
and have kept this purpose steadily in
mind in the purchase of new books
In calling for designs for the new library
building In 1899 the commission stipulated:
1t is desired also to give special attention
to the open-shelf facilities, to the chtdren's
rnom-in short to all departments which
will increase the usefulness of the library
: the supplement of the public schools.
Architects will. therefore, provide the most
ample areas and the most convenient ar
engagements for those departments. and. If
necessary. will increase their minimum al
lOtmentS of space as suggested
The immediate needs of the children will
b. amply met by the provision of room
bo p2xtS INN DIV
adjacent to and communicating with the
''open-shelf-' room. 1t Is believed, however,
that so valuable will this feature of the
library become that 1t will greatly deveop
and. consequently. In the planning of the
building provision Is made for future
pans:on in this department. as will be
shown by the following extract from the
annual report for last year, submitted in
October. describing the accepted design:
The Easements particular feature, now
ever. is the reservation of entire wing,
Constituting single large room. well light
ed and accessible, which may be used as
Ch:ldren's room if any future time such
Use may seem desirable. Wherever the
children may be ultimately located. how
ever their comfort and convenience Will
b. carefully considered Mindful of the
nbrary's function a supplement of the
public educational system of the District,
the trustees will endeavor to develop it
:
the school children of Washington"
The reports of the librarian show that the
school children Of the District have already
found their way to the book shelves in
steadily increasing numbers and 1t seems
assured that by the time the library has
been housed in its beautiful new home,
with the outfit of books expected to reach
1t by that time from one source and
other. the institution will have established
itself permanently part of the process
of developing and training the Juvenile
mind.
The value to the child of access to we'll
liable. not alone on the side of the acquisi-
ton Of mere knowledge, but in the moral
phase. The incubation OF book-Iove, as
explained in the article mentioned, is an
important feature of this movement. The
child is taught, by direct contact under a
gentle restraint, the worth and Individual
fly Of books. 1t is taught. Furthermore, to
choose books intelligently BY being judi
ciouSly guided In an apparently Independent
search Indeed. the library. when well
filled. housed and managed, becomes one
OF the most important factors in producing
a generation OF Intelligent, alert minds,
we'll equipped for the life work through
intimate association with the worlds mas
tiers OF thought and action.
The great practical usefulness of the
library should inspire the community TO
afford all possible support to this new in
stitution, already fiourishing far beyond the
measure Of its years.