Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1913-01-03
BETTER LIBRARIES
FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS
Strong Sentiment in Favor of Move
ment Developed at Union Meeting
Last Sunday Evening


ance at the union meeting held in
the Christian church to consider the
question of providing libraries for
the grade schools and incidentally
the discussion developed a strong
sentiment in favor of establishing a
central library for the use of the
citizens as well as the school pupils.
j. l.. Dumas was the first speaker
and dwelt upon the Importance of
encouraging children in every way
possible to form the reading habit,
and OF providing the right kind of
books.
w. b. Hanson spoke on the i'm
portance of school Libraries from the
standpoint OF business man. He
showed how much the addition of
one family to the population OF a
town means to the merchants and
argued that well equipped schools are
the best inducement which a COM
munity can offer to secure more citi-
zens. He also announced that the
Chamber of Commerce will hold an
open meeting with supper on Tues
day evening, January IA, at which
the question of building a new high
school will be discussed.
City superintendent of Schools
Ellis gave a statement of the scope
and equipment of the present school
library and strongly urged the neces-
sity of charging it.
Mrs. George Ewing read a paper
written by Mrs. f. n. Bryant suggest
ing how the women's clubs of the
city could cooperate in the work.
j. w. Mathews outlined the law
governing library funds and defined
the powers of the city council and
board of school directors in levying
taxes for library purposes.
b. f. Campbell stated that while
he was not familiar with the present
status of the school library, as a
citizen and member of the city coun-
Gil he was ready to do anything in his
power to advance the interests of the
schools and the community.
The following paper was read by
Miss Vallen, one of the teachers in
the Edison building, and is published
by request:
Good Books for Boys and Girls
When asked to make a five-minute
talk upon this subject, | was at
loss to know what to say on so broad
a subject in so short a time. Were
to begin and merely name books that
are good, | doubt if | should have
time to exhaust the list, while should
| treat the subject negatively and
name those that are not good, judg-
ing by the stacks of gayly bound vol
umes displayed on the counters in the
large book stores during the holiday
season, | should not have nearly
time enough.
With your permission, | should
like first to comm end the people of
Pullman upon this movement which
is being put forth to establish librar-
les in our grade buildings. 1t is GER
tainly a meritorious undertaking.
The National Educational associa-
ton committee on libraries says: 1T
seems to be true that the greatest
amount of reading is done by chill
dren between the ages of IL and IA,
and that by the end of high school
course pupils settle down to one class
of reading matter, whatever that
may be-" Surely, then, it is of very
great Importance that we provide
them with the most wholesome liter
ature and so soon as the very sim
plest mechanical processes of learn
ing to read have been mastered,
which is at the beginning of the sec
ond half of the first year, direct and
train them to read and love good lit
erature in order that they may set
tie down upon that which is good
and pure, wholesome and uplifting
in its character, thereby producing
strong, manly and Independent in
dividuals.
In choosing books for boys and
girls, while not excluding books of
poetry. reference and science,
should restrict myself almost en-
tirely to story books.
Not all story books are good. how
ever. l should eliminate those con-
tanning low slang phrases; those
teaching by expression or inference
any degree of irreverence for sacred
things, or for anything that is good
or great; those teaching that 1t is
smart Ito get ahead" as the saying
is, "of ones parents or superiors;
those tending to familiarize the child
with the haunts OF vice, or the ways