El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-16

w ASHINGION' D. O. rep 10
NJ No feature Of the modern Ii
brary movement has been
more criticised and no feature
practical value as the childIen's
department Of the public library.
The need Of this was recognized
in the middle west before II was
brary in the country includes a chill
dren's room and the little folks MAKE
out their slips Ike the adults and oIten
present them at the same desk, al
though the separate room Tor the chl-
dren IS most in demand.
Less than a generation ago the eX-
istence of juvenile literature was NOT
ecognized by the librarian. The shelVes
would contain plenty Of history, travel
biography and fiction for the grown
ups but the children who desired 70
read were forced to buy their own
books or depend on the few which were
given to them at Christmas and Easter
And because children's purses are
never opulent. the books they pur-
chased usually were Of the dime mover
class The enormous falling off In
the percentage Of dime novels read by
the school boys OF the present 8 On Q
largely TO the development OF the c2sL-
dren's library.
Reaches Adults Through Children.
Aside from their value in creating
desire Tor GOOD reaaing aInOns 1ns
children themselves. rhe children IL
brary has been largely Instrumental IN
reaching adult members OF the home
4 little girl last year came into the
library with an ulegtbly written caro-
You won't mind the looks Of this card,
1 know" she said cOnfidentially 10
the woman at the desk gu know
fathers broke his leg now and has 10
stay in bed so I took him this card
to sign and bruug IL back Tor you 20
give me some books for him. lie
likes books about how to maze things
The child was given several DOCKS on
light cabinet making. These supplied
the man with ideas for making seV-
eral small articles he c0uid work at
with his hands and thus lessen the
te0ium OF his confinement upon ms
recovery he became one IF the res ular
readers at the library and derived much
practical benefit from it.
Aids in School Work.
The chndren's library aids children
in preparing their work for school and
for this reason the successful children
librarian Is often an exteacher. II
not. she doubtless has had special
training in psychology and child study
as well as in library work If she is
successful in meeting half the demands
made upon her. A high school girl VINO
does not know even the meaning OF
the word atom" viii come to the Ii
brarian for a book that describes the
atomic theory" and O boy who knows
nothing OF French history viii ask Tor
arguments supporting the question IKE
solved. that general Grant did more for
the United States than Napoleon did
proper spirit each viii go away sta
isfied with the help received and each
viii have acquired a supply OF knOWl-
edge impaired in a fashion agreeable
to memory.
The chiIdren's libraries supplement
the work OF the schools in many ways
In Green Bay, Wisconsin, the story
telling department OF the cnlldren IL
brary began the telling OF folklore
stories regarding the early history or
Wisconsin. This aided the local his
81 La an~
started in the public school and, by
means of knowledge gained from his
torical archives IN the state library,
the childrens Librarian was able 20
create interest in an important study
which had been unpopular in the be-
ginning
The teacher and the librarian coop
crate in aiding the children to familt-
arize themselves with the methods Of
library work. In one town ali seventh
and eighth grade pupils are able 20
compile bibHograpies upon subjects
connected with their school work Inc
library contains photographs Of Lin
coin. Washington, LOngfellOw, Whit
tier, Eli Whitney. Samuel B. Morse
and a number Of other noted Americans.
which have been compiled by the
school children and are yet OF prac-
teal value in the library. other
schools have made photographs OF the
national holidays. OF events in Amerl-
can history and similar subjects, in
all Of which the school children have
gained q broader knowledge OF books
and their use than could have been
secured in any other way
Has Difficulty to Overcome.
1t IS matter of regret that chill
dren Of foreign parentage are SO fire.
quently unacQuainted with the htera-
ture Of their parents countries and
this is something that the children's
library hopes 10 overcome. As the
public libraries now carry on their
shelves the classic and standard lit
erature Of most foreign nations. the
children are encouraged to take these
I books home 10 their non-English
speaking parents and TO learn to read
them as they read the English
Z books at school and in the library To
further this interest the library story
teller will frequently tell the children
the folklore stories Of other countries,
at the same time intimating that those
who have an opportunity TO learn TO
read them In the original Language
should DO so Thus the childrens IL
brary helps to develop the linguistic
resources Cf the child and at the same
time inculcates respect Tor the father
land of the parents, sometimes 50 pain
fully lacking in immigrant chilcren al
ter two or three years In public schools {
with American schoOlmates.
While the children's library loans
books freely to children, it also sug-
gests to them the advantage OF owning
books themselves. Lists or books con-
stituting The Chld's Own Library
have been compiled and New Jersey
a number OF these book collections put I
up in neat cases designed and made
by the children I'm the manual tram
ing department of the public school
This same library is versatile in
many OF its methods of attracting the
interest of the children 1t lately IS
sued circular entitled How to form I
a Snow club" The snow club is an
organization of boys who undertake 10
see that the sidewalks in locality are /
kept free from snow and thus earn
their own spending money The cir
cular gave suggestions as to the price
asked for doin@ this work. the method {
OF approaching the property owners /
and the best means of dividing Lhe I
money among the club members Other !
suggestions for money making nave
been given at different times and al
ways with a gratifying result
Books OF Instruction Favored
Many children prefer books Wnlcn /
tell them how to do things rather than l
those which are merely entertaining OF
Intellectual A small volume entitled |