The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-27

A few years ago children were con- scientiously shooed away from pubic book shelves as possible. An inva- sion from the child world was regard ed with almost as much terror as one from the Goths and VandAls. So far has the pendulum of progress now swung to the other side that libraries are not only opening their doors to children. but are building separate rooms for their exclusive use. and are offering every possible inducement to get them to come and use the books. Some have even gone so far as to take the books into the homes iof the children and show them how to best use them. So much for the growing altruSsm of nation that IS 'now eager to use every means avail able to improve the mental. moral and physical condition of its younger cit lizens.
 The chfldren's libraries came in an- swer to a eau that could not be de- nied. It was noted by attendants in free libraries of leading cities that one-third of the books issued were taken out by children, that two-thirds of the readers in the tenement dis tricts were children, and that these children were sometimes teaching their elders It was also noted that from one-fourth to one-third of all books in the average library are suited to the uses of children. From these ob- servations grew the idea that these younger readers should be seggregat- ed in rooms with chairs and tables suited to their sizes. with books they loved best on open shelves within easy reach, and with pictures of an educative nature on the wall. Chil- dren naturally disturb older readers. for 1t is difficult to keep little hands and feet always still. and more dim cult to keep from calling the atten- ton of a neiRhbor or the attendant to some particularly interesting para graph or some very funny pictures Separate rooms were needed and they came.
 Of the one hundred largest free H. braries in this county. over sixty have separate departments for children. The majority of these have each single room for child readers. The Carnegie Library of Alleghany. Penn sylvania, conducts its children's li- brary as an entirely separate and dis tinct department from the rest of the institution. There are attendants, who have been especially trained for the work, in charge of each reading room for children. It gives the modern child q better training. when some- one can direct his reading than when he was allowed. like Charles Lamb, to browse at will over a whole closet full of heavy tonnes.
 Usually the librarian for children's rooms is woman. Men have not been able to come xn such close and friendly relations with little folks. The keynote to this situation Is said by prominent library worker to be found in Kipling's fntroduction to some of his child's stories. "Only wo- men understand children thoroughly. but if a mere man keeps very quiet and humbles himself properly. and refrains from talking down to his su periors, the children will sometimes be good to him and let him sec what they think about the world' Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, has a sch ool for train- ing librarians for childrens work. and with New York shares the distinction of having, by a home library system, literally taken the library to the peo- pie when the people did not care to come to the library. Ten or more cit les have adopted this plan.
 There are 152 places Tn Pittsburg where children can go and draw books