Evening star., 1902-03-01
many different classes of reading, In view
Of their relative Importance.
The Children'S Library.

| many different classes of reading, in view
| Of their relative Importance.
The Children's Library.
| A considerable portion of the appropria-
| ton for books will be expended upon the
| children's library, which is to be made a
| Characteristic feature of the Washington
Public Library. The library was declared by
| the act Incorporating 1t supplement to the
| public educational system of the District of
| Columbia" and its relation to the public
schools has been kept steadily In mind by
, the trustees and the librarian, who have en-
| deaVored to develop it along the lines of
greatest usefulness TO the school children
| of this city. A special children's room is
| provided on the first floor of the new build
Ing with wall shelving for :.aab volumes, to
| be fitted up with all the modern library ap-
| pliances. and a much larger room will be
set apart on the basement floor for use, If
| in the future the accommodate tions now fur
| nished shall not prove to be sufficient. The
| chlldrens room and the open shelf room will
| be the conspicuous features of the new
| library, inasmuch they will have no
| local competition. though in many branches
| of library work the Library of Congress
supplies the public need and causes little
| to be required from the public library.
Lines Of Conduct.
| The children's library will be conducted
on the lines laid down by the National Edu
cational Association: which recently refer
ring to that subject, said in part:
| There should be more cordial relations
| between the school and the library. The
| librarian should know the school and its
| work in a general way, very impor-
| tant part Of his work, just a teacher
! should know the library and its methods as
a part of her work. The children
| should have free access to the library
| shelves. The community should be led to
regard the library as a necessary part of
system Of public education just essen
| tial as the common school. If it is the duty
| of the state to see that it's citizens know
| how to read, it is certainly none the less
its duty to see that they are so trained that
| the ability to read will be a blessing rather
| than curse. free public library is the
| adults common school. Pupils should know
| what library is, what it contains and how
| to use IT. A child can no more be wisely
| lett to get his knowledge and taste for
| literature by himself than to get his matn-
| ematical or scientific training in the same
way. Children must be trained to use the
| things. Pupils should learn to read with
economy of time by making use of page
| headings, tables of contents, reviews,
Poole's Index, card catalogues, and other
helps"
Additions Through Private Sources.
| In several of the reports of the trustees
of the library this view of the National
Educational Association has been brought
forward. Teachers in private schools and
TIE pTeSlutIL Ol one VI the universities Ol
this city have made applications for slec-
tions of hooks to carry out courses of read
ing In addition to the regular text books.
1t has been suggested that arrangements
should be made for sending small collec
tions of books to teachers, to be used by
scholars under their direction, and in this
way supplement the text books. This can
only be done for the $500 children now in
the public schools, besides 26, 729 children
of school age not yet enrolled, by very gen.
erous library provisions. The appropria-
tion of S4O.OO by Congress for books will,
1t is thought serve as a suggestion to peo-
pie interested in the success of the library
to increase the private donations of books
or of money for the purchase of books
The conditions in the new building serve as
an encouragement to such donations.
While this appropriation by Congress
meets the minimum requirement of the sit
VA ton, yet it is extremely desirable that in
order that the shelves may be creditably
| filled at the time of the opening there shall
| be additions through private donations. At
| the time the trustees made their report for
| 1901 the library was in possession of 23,0oO
volumes In addition to that number the
| $4,000 appropriated by Congress will pur-
chase about 10000 volumes. making the
| total number $1,000. Accommodations have
| been provided in the library building for
| 177UO0 volumes. On the first floor which
should be filled in order to make the Ii
brary presentable in appearance. there will
be shelves for 1l,6'0 volumes, including
wall shelves in the public reading room and
| in the open shelf and children's rooms.
Mr.. Herbert Putnam. when librarian at
Minneapolis. found that when they opened
| their new library building with 5000 books
! on the shelves within three days the
| shelves were swept clean of the most popu-
| lar books, and the inability to meet the en-
suing demand injured materially the oppor-
| tunitv of the library to take advantage of
| the public interest awakened by the open
| ing of the new building.
Special Collections.
Two small front rooms the second
| floor of the new library building have been
| fitted up for special collections. One of
| them will probably contain collection of
Japanese art books and Japanese curios
| that illustrate the principles laid down by
| the books on Japanese art, which has been
promised by Washingtonian. 1t is under
stood that there will be a special circulat-
ing library of books relating to Burns.
! AS the new building is approaching COM
pletion and interest has been aroused in the
| library by the attractiveness OF the build
| ing, and the passage by Congress of the ap
| preparation of $4,000 for the purchase of
books there has been an increase in the
| number of books donated, and a sugges-
| tion has been made of the desirabiity of
\ having a concert or some form of public
entertainment by public-spirited Washing
| tonians for the benefit of the book fund of
| the library There is also to be introduced
in Congress bill placing the Washington
| Public Library on the list of institutions re-
! ceiving government publications.
| To Fit Up the Grounds.
| supplementary estimate for the sundry
civil appropriation bill has been transmitted
| to Congress for $4,000 for fitting up the
| grounds about the Library building. includ-
| ing the replacing Of the sidewalk on the
| south side of Mount Vernon Square. The
| architects of the new building have sub
| mitted suggestions as to the treatment of
| that environment of the building in har-
| mony with the building itself. and Mr.. Ber-;
| nard r. Green and Colonel Bingham have
co-operated in pushing this matter. Colo
mel Bingham has approved the proposed ap-
preparation for doing this work and caused
| it to be forwarded to Congress. There IS