Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12
A Wider Use of School Buildings

izations have found n meeting place IN
the school buildings.
Several types of evening schools nave
been founded in the larger cities, among
which are the industrial schools. the
evening high schools. evening elemen-
tary schools and various classes In phys
ical training, music and courses OF lee
lures i'm practical subjects. For thoss
day pupils who find difficulty In STUDYING
at night In a crowded home Newark has
opened study classes at D O'Clock In the
evening. Reference books from the Pub
lie Library are to be had there and ex-
perienced teachers are In charge.
Chemistry and physics, all branches or
arithmetic, electrical engineering ana
free-hand drawing are among the SUBJ
5ects taught in the night INDUSTRIAL
schools of many of the cities. All ma
tionalities and all ages are represented
in these schools that prove such a very
material advantage to the pupils. Illus
trated travel lectures and addresses on
topics of general interest are given In the
evening high schools in addition to the
elementary course provided In the regu-
lar day school.
In New York. however, of the twenty
nine courses offered four give a prepare
ton for dressmaking, millinery and the
household occupations. and five give
commercial training. In the Cincinnati
night high school carpentry. cabinet
making and mechanical drawing form
part of the course. Lowell, Mass, gives
it's night high school pupils lessons In
stencil and leather work and china paint
ing.
The evening elementary schools gen.
orally consist of pupils ranging from all
ages and of all nationalities. Stenography.
typewritng, dressmaking, millinery and
carpentry all form part OF this course.
The English classes are often composed
Of representatives of as many as twenty
or thirty different races. In one New
York elementary night school there is
Itch lon Un
class consisting of middle-aged colored
women and known as the baby class
X
New York, Cleveland, Cincinnati, ST.
Louis and many other of the larger cities
are all supporting vacation schools
Basketry, carpentry, sewing, COOKING
drawing, dancing and many other sub
jects form this course. In one New York
school some seven hundred children came
regularly last vacation period because
they wanted to. The cool, well ventilated
school rooms offered pleasing COMPARE
son to hot streets and apartments, and the
work was of such nature that 1t became
almost play. Frequently broken chairs
and tables were brought from home to be
caned and mended; dresses and hats
were trimmed, and the days seldom
proved too warm to learn folk dancing
and to play games.
One movement that has served TO bring
parents and citizens OF community INTO
the schoolhouses is the operation or
public circula ting Libraries In the school
buildings. George +. Bowerman, librarian
Of the Public Library, Is an enthusiastic
supporter of this movement here In WASH
ington One small step has been taken In
this direction and OF this Mr.. Bower1nan
speaks in his report for the last fiscal
year:
..The past year has witnessed a very
successful experiment of conducting
school station by library employees at
the John Eaton School in Cleveland Park.
this station was only open for
a two-hour period once week. there was
a home circulation of 4,O37 volumes from
November % to June 30. The users OF its
facilities included adults as Well as chill
dren This experiment for the wider use
of the school plant was suggested by the
Cleveland Park School and Community
Association. 1t points the way for SINH
lar use of school buildings in various
parts of the city. soon as the librarys
resources are increased.
Grand Rapids has been perhaps the
most successful city in combining the
school work with branch libraries" said
Mr.. Bowerman recently. Between the
board of education and the board of IL
brary commissioners of the city a formal
agreement has been established TO the ef-
feet that wherever the library board re-
quests and the school board agrees 1he
school board will equip a room for library
purposes in one of the school buildings,
supplying the heat, light and janitor serv-
ce. and the library board the books,
card catalogue and the Ii
)rarian. In addition the library board
conducts story-hour each week and
courses of free lectures for children and
adults in the school building.
There are six of these school branch
libraries in Grand Rapids at the present
ime and all are arranged with separate
outside entrance so that they may be
hut off from the rest of the building and
n no way interfere with the regular
chool work. They are opened every week
lay of the year from 1890 until 8 O'Clock
md the total of all records Of use OF the
library in school buildings last year was
'ver 325. 900. Such a system cultivates
md regulates the reading habit in chill
lren and proves a great advantage to the
itizens of a community perhaps some
title distance from the main library"