Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-30
MISS DOWNEY TALKS.
! Delivers Address Before Meeting
ofIowa Library Association.
CRINNELL HAS MANY VISITORS
Many Prominent Educators and Lead
ing Library Workers in Attendance
Address to be delivered by Rabbi
Hirsh and Judge Horace E. Deemer.
iFrom Wednesdays paily.l

lFrom Wednesdays Daily.]
A feature of the second days
session of the thirteenth annual
meeting OF the Iowa library
association at Grinnell, was
the address delivered by Miss Mary
q. Downey, librarian of the Ottumwa
public library, on the subject Talks
to School children on the Use of
Books" Grinnell, where the meeting
is being held. is entertaining large
humber Of Iowa's prominent library
Workers and many of the leading edu-
eators of the state are also in attend
}nce. Tonight an address will be de-
iivered by Rabbi Hirsh, of Chicago
On the subject Libraries and Educa-
ton, and tomorrow morning Judge
Horace e. Deemer, of the Iowa SUI
breme court, will address the associa-
ton on Selection of Books" The
three days meeting will close tomor-
row evening with reception given
to the visitors by the college and the
citizens of Grinnell at the Rand gym
nasium.
Miss Downeys Address.
The general theme for the meeting
this afternoon was Library Work With
Children" and Miss Downey in her adj
dress told the members of the associa-
ton of some of her experiences with
the children and of the work she had
outlined for their benefit. Miss Down
ey spoke as follows:
''Schotl children are library chill
dren as well, for the public library
should never be considered an annex
to any part of the public school sys-
tenn. The library is the hub around
which the spokes of all education re-
yolve. We must not force even a
child into using the library but, if pos
sible. lead him voluntarily into the
reading habit. Let us create such an
interest in the library that it will be
to the young as we'll as old a place of
greatest pleasure. First get to the
heart OF the child. then to the heart of
the book. We find good deal of in
direct work to be done before talks to
children on the use of books can be
made with the desired effect. But the
main object must be kept constantly
in mind to teach the intelligent use
of books. What | may here suggest
is from practical experience in our as
yet embryonic library and what | see
may be done toward the use of books
for children in the schools and library
of our own city.
Boys Move the Books.
1.-THE first talk given to children was
on moving the books across the street
into the new building. Boys from
eight to fourteen years old had been
invited the week before as they came
for books to come on the next Tuesday
to help with the moving. They came,
were formed into regiments. number
ed and the books were taken off the
old shelves and put on the new with
out being disarranged. Parts of three
days they eagerly kept at work and
when they had finished began to beg
to carry up the new books from boxes
in the unpacking room. Their fingers
were tingling to get hold of new books
for there had been none in year and
a half. So the books were on the
shelves of the work-room in less time
than the elevator could have done the
work and the comments of the boys
would have delighted the ears of any
librarian A few minutes before they
were through | said, Boys, if you will
20 into the Children's Room, when you
have finished, and sit down on the
floor in a circle (for there We're as
yet no chairs,) I will tell you sto
ry.' Then they were very Thoughtful
indeed and one boy said to the others
Just before the story began, i know
what she is going to tell us-about
the man who gave the money for this
library Sure enough that was the
story which led up to appreciation OF
what others do for us, the use of the
Children's Room and finally to calling
attention to books on biography-the
lives of other men who have done
great things.
Children Eager to Work.
''This spirit of usefulness is en-
couraged as much as possible
The next day two boys watched
their chance to get into the
library, for the door was locked, and
coming up to me, hat in hand ant
mtking a little courtesy, one of then
sale in a tone that could not be re
Sisted, Can l do anything to serve
you? / knew what they wanted, ant
after glancing around a second an
swered, Yes, if you are very quiet yol
may go into the work room and TAX,
the paper covers off the new books.
They worked away all the afternoon
still as mice, QlSIurDlnS nODOuy. WA
never refuse them, for there are al
ways leaves to cut, soiled covers t
clean, and various other things whicl
the children enjoy doing, and which
give me opportunities to talk to then
in little groups on the use of cata
logues, the care of books and their al
rangement on the shelves, so that the,
may help themselves intelligently, fol-
of course, the shelves are open to all
The chiIdren's Hour.
"The childrens hour Saturday after
noon at 2 o'clock followed. / begal
reading children's books at my room
evenings to rest my mind when to-
tired to go to sleep or to read even
novel One week read several book
on the Wagner Opera stories told TO
children, and the thought of tellin
them occurred to me. An Invitation
for Saturday afternoon was posted an
the result was very pleasing. The
were first told about the Holy Graf
then the Flying Dutchman. The Mas
tar Sinoars and ,Ohen grin f0lInweG