Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-16
STATE LIBRARIES.

Yesterday week Miss Florenca
Bayard Kane addressed the News
Century Club regarding the importance
Of library work in co. operation with TIL
eohouls in the education of childrera
In the past parents rather deprecateE
the presence Of library in their picinitE
to which their children had free aooesyt
thinking they learned as much harm
good, but then there was no one
guide and control their reading,
bridge had been BUILT betwe seho4
and library such as exists at present
many educational centres in our citiel
The centennial year of 1876 was III
birth year of the modern library mutf
ment Of the establishment of the mer
can Library Association, and no nthq
nation has produced anything approa
| ing it. Italy stands close to us, bt
England is fifth on the list. FRAUD
has the finest collection OF books OF am
country in the world, but smald
circulation of them than our owe.
The ilnportan Of this subject Wa
recognized by President Roosevelt IL
his message to Congress, and Charles
Francis Adams said sit ia wrong TO
tBach children 10 read without at this
same time teaching them to appreciats
good reading, how to read and what III
read. = In 1879 there was first publiH
discussion Of the mutual relation NJ
school and library,o Of the importance W
oultivBting the taste and directing VI
choice of children, oil making theI4
studies more profitable and interestrs
| by, for instance, books OF travel in CO
neetion with geography, classes heil3
taken to the library to see collections a
pictures and books about countrlei
selected, and then asked to write del
scriptions OF what they had seen. II
schools where such course has beef
pursued and teachers and libraria1i
confer about the course of stud es, thv
latter providing special attendant Y
supervise and direct the reading Of Ii;
children, great intellectual development
has been noticed, Miss Kane errha
sized the great need of libraries for on
State, the advantage il our children ar
taught to love good hooks. Educatlo
is not merely Tor youth, but for life
a good book Is something to take up j
the home life, relief from and 80 &C
from labor. Think OF the long winte
evenings ia isolated country places
without books. The schools will furnis
the readers and the library must 50
that whaJ they read will make thet
better citizens. She paid tribute
MIR. Bowerman OF the Wilmington In
stitute Library, who is willing and abb
to help in this work. He has shut o
part of the library Tor the use OF chi
dren where are indexes and iilustrale
bulletin boards. timely pictures and II
formation presented in attractive shap'
and moreover, although newcont
among US, he has presented a wei
selected travelling library for State US
Our State has no tibrary that is worth
of the nHme and mono at all adaple
for children's use Traye.ing librar
are the most econon ca form in whit
good reading can he mace aecessib
as all expenses OF buildings, taxes, sal
ries, &o. are saved. Miss Kane wi
herself, present two of these TO the Sta
: as mem rals tn her father and siste
and suggest to he. heare that
no other WAY could the memory of
fr end be better or more widely honore
But the state Library Commissi'
will he unab g 6 continue its w0rA u
less there is generous contribution
its eyohequer. Cns hundred dollars h
been promised provided slGU more ci
be collected Untii the Leqis atu
meets when an app OPERATION might
oGtaiued its funds are iract caly o
.t'hausved No 1taer NH uEtfth 10 wn,
in iha State wen d ne l. ore he I (
than to make god reading accessin
, tho people h. : kim 10 the Litra
Cn@misa nu meals 10 is.ahe know cd
cir ulale. A. S.