Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-10
LIBRARIANS
Begin Long Course Of
instruction.
Attendance Fully as LARGE as
Expected.
Opening Day Success in Every Re-
spcct-Address by Hon. w, w. Stet
son-Sessions Will Continue, Today,
With Attractive Program.

Librarian carver opened on Tuesday
morning in the senate chamber. at the
State House. Not all of l,.,,. who had
signified their intention of being ,,res-
ent We're there, but the attendance was
satisfactory and it is expected that
there will be much larger attendance.
The morning was devoted to organizing
and getting acquainted. But little eff
fort WAS made towards instruction, the
whole time being preparatory to the
zeal work of the school.
All those who were present manifested
the greatest enthusiasm and there is
little doubt but what the school will be
a success and that it will insure the
continuation of these schools in the fu-
ture. This belief is backed up by the
feeling of the pupils present. 1t is the
general opinion that the school cannot
but prove beneficial and that 50 soon
as its good is made apparent all libra
rianS in the State. and others connected
Herewith will make it point to at
tend future schools.
The afternoon session of the school
WAS devoted to the speakers, State Su-
perintendent of Schools making the ad-
dress. His subject was THE Relation
of Public Libraries to Public Schools"
In opening MI. Stctson said that it was
a pleasure to be permitted to address
an audience of the character before
him. He was glad to be there for he
realized the good the libraries were do
ing. He said that there was one oh jcc-
ton against the public libraries. 1t
was that Of indiscriminatc reading.
Young people came to read without any
discrimination. They gave no thought
to what they read and when one read
without thinking of what they were
reading it WAS Of no value-reading of
that kind was mere dissatisfaction
Just us the drinking of liquor with the
drunkard. They read for the pleasure
of the moment for the excitement or
the minute. 1t was bad.
The librarians of the old days did not
work as do those of today. Their work
was different. He believed that the H.
brarians should endcavor to help the
boys and girls. To do this they must
suggest to them that this book was
good and would interest them, while
that was bad, embarrassing and not
worth reading.
The local librarian, he believed. was
largely responsible for the bad boys
He felt that he as well as they were
responsible for the boys who wore
hats on sides of heads and smoked
1t might not be Il pleasant
duty, bat he believed that the librarians
should endeavor to win these boys to
coming to the library. They would no
doubt, meet with rebuffs, but the re-
suits would be good. He assured them
that no class in a community APP
prcciated what was done for thon
more than did these same bad boys.
They would talk of it for years after
the one who did the act had gone
away. A kind act of this kind would
always be remembered by the boys.
He believed in endeIvO. to help the
bad boys
In every place there were childrei,
who wore good sane readers. They
could be made great helps to the work.
BY Installing into their minds their
responsibility and they would go forth
among the other children and by their
words would excite the interest of
others and induce them to visit the
library and read as they ought t"
Another class OF children were there
to whom reading was an almost in
obstacle and they needed
to live. From his observations he felt
that the children of America had only
to be pointed in the right direction and
they vert ahead to rho end. The chill
dren he had first mentioned. the sane
readers were to be used in pointing this
right way.
He wished that all people would he
instructed as to the value and good OF
the index and table of contents. Few
people understood how to use an index.
He believed that no better work for the
schools of Maine than to bring the
teachers and pupils of the High schools
together and teach them the value and
use of the index. He was not prepared
to instruct them as to how this should
he done. but it was a very important
thing. He also felt that there was Il
grand opportunity offered in the in
StructiOn in the use of the dictionary
and encyclopedia. 1t was astonishing
how few people really understood how
to use either of these great educational
helpers. Unqucstionably many people
did not use these books. who would
otherwise do so very frequently. be-
cause they had no knowledge of how to
do it. 1t might seem that this work
ought to be done in the schools, but he
did not think so. He thought that the
initiatory step I'm this direction must
come from the librarians and the teach
ers would benefit thereby and in time
would be able to teach it to others.
Many of us after reading a book say:
its good Its bad" its fair" "its
interesting" but they give no reason
for SO saying. The words conveyed no
meaning and it was not intended that
they should. Folks did not give Il
thought to what there was in the book
and why 1t was good or bad. To him
1t seemed that it was valuable to know
the why. 1t would be well to form
classes of young people. let them read
volume and then let each one give the
digest OF the work. showing why they
thought 1t good or bad. This would
develop Intelligent readers and would
& In