Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-13
AMERICANS AND HUMoR
Continued from Page 1,

CONTINUED from Page ~
convention that the daughters Of the
late B. F. Glue had made an offer to
present to any Iowa library, not al
ready possessing set, the History of
Iowa, in four volumes, as compil-
ed by their father. A vote of
thanks was later given by the con-
vention to the, donors expressing
the gratitude of the assembled dele
gates for the donation.
w. P. Payne of Nevada, at this time
moved that the chairman be author
lied to appoint a committee to act on
certain suggestions made in the letter
received from President Douglas.
| This motion was carried and the COM
mittee was appointed.
New Legislation.
Mr.. Paine next offered an amend
ment to the constitution providing
that the secretary and treasurer of
the association should hold their re-
| spective offices for a term of two
years, one holding ove- each year. On
suggestion from Miss Downey it was
added to this amendment that the
office Of Registrar be created This
amendment to the constitution is to
be acted upon this afternoon.
Mr.. Paine also moved as an amend
ment to the bylaws that two more
members be added to the program
committee at least one of which mus
come from the town at which the next
annual meeting will be held.
Miss Lyman Speaks.
| The principal speaker of the after
noon, Miss Lyman of Oak Park, whose
address is mentioned above spoke in
part as follows:
1--WE, the librarians, are more than
the mere handlers out of books. We
are part of the great movement for
social uplift and betterment. With this
responsibility upon our shoulders we
| have a right to accept all new methods
of carrying on our work. But we also
have right to hesitate, to carefully
consider whether the results of the va
rious new methods suggested are
such that they justify our giving them
a portion of our already we'll oc-
cupied time
"We have realized that any great
work on our part must be done with
tt, childr 1. With this realization
has come many new methods. One Of
these is the storv Lour. This method
| has attracted probably more attention
than any other one of the new plans
that have been taken up by libraries
and in connection with library work.
However, we should not feel that be-
cause it is new and seeminly popular,
that it is always a good plan OF work
to take up. We must be wise Let us
see if it is really worth while. We
must feel assured before beginning its
use, that 1t is justified
ITO me 1t has seemed wise to put
the story hour into two classes; the
| ing hour For most Libraries it has
been my observation that the reading
story hour is the best. This is princj-
pally SO because there are far more
people who can correctly and success
fully interpret good literature by read
ing it, than by telli- !, it in story form.
Through the readl1g story hour,
many deep friendships may be formed
between the librarian and the children
and the mind of the child may be di-
rected toward taste for really good
books This feel is the best kind
of story hour for the average library
However, there is much to be said
for the story telling hour. In the first
place it is the ideal basis for library
work with children in the incubation
Of love of good literature. The child
will read without urging if he be con-
vinced that there is something worth
while in the books to read. The only
way to create In a child love for
good literature is to associate him
with it.
Again there is a bond established
between the listener and the story
| teller that nothing els can approach.
Once you have convinced child that
you know good story, by telling him
one, he will believe you when you tell
him what is good and what is not. 1t
VIII have far more weight with him
than merely your 'grown-up' opinion
of the merits of book.
"The great feature of story telling
is the great pleasure that it gives the
child. Again it is the best way Of
teaching pure English. The vocabul.
airy of child is affected far more by
what it hears than by what 1t reads on
the printed page"
| Miss Lyman stated that story telling
was also great means of cultivating
| the imagination of the child and she
laid much stress on the Importance
of this Further 1t is assisted in the
forming of a true sense Of humor,
which she states was noticeable only
by its absence in the average Ameri-
can of today.
| Continuing the speaker said, in
part:
Nothing is so really important after
all with children, as the building Of
character So it is right to claim for
story telling, all of the moral and ethi-
cal significance that it may have.
Psychologists say that it is impossible
to teach a child any abstract idea of
right or wrong. His mind simply can
not grasp it. But make it concrete,
make it living, and he will realize and
learn.