Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-16
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW
THE FACTS, JUST ASK
MISS ADA LTVERtCHT
Head of Education Board,s
Pedagogical Library a Mine
of Information on All
Subjects
NO QUESTION TOO HARD

II you want 20 know who was the "a,
President OF the United States, how ,,ssa ,sa
ounces OF blood flow through the ve,.s.
OF the average adult or which IL ~
deepest river in Australia, consult M,ss
Ada Liveright. 18th floor Stock Excbar-.
Building
Miss Liveright, as many thousapd. :,
Philadelphisns know. Is head OF the Pa
agogical Library Of the Board OF Elucs.
uon. Besires exercising custody over on.
OF the most frequently used llbrarIe. ~
the city she serves in the capacity 80
an unofficial bureau OF information "a
Philadelphia's school teachers.
Whatever they failed to learn IN a..
Normal School or at COLLEGE. thev -
easily learn from Miss Liverirht
II is often necessary for the publ,c a,
structors to answer questions on suhiers.
not strictly within the curriculum
ANSWERS FOR ALL QUESTIONS
When Samuel Smith meets his co,.,.
Edwin Green In the cigar store ana n,
other topics fail. the conversation ,,.-
turn to political economy brickla,ir-
psychology, automobiling or any of ~.
sciences. Mr.. Smith may ask Mr. Crss,
a question and Mr. Green, incapabls :,
answering, will refer the inquirer 70 h,s
oldest son John. The latter being on,s
teacher. When the teacher Is "blanksds
she calls Locust 500 and confers with
Miss Liveright.
The latter may be able to answer N.
question Immediately, for she is known
to possess a remarkable amount Of IN,
formation on matters OF varied imporf
But II, by accident, she, too, is "blankeds
she can lay her finger at once on book
that is certain to contain the deslred
he Aa
The Pedagogical Library was not "a.
tablished. however. as a clearing houss
| for information occasionally needed by
the teachers. 1t was intended tn hs
| devoted entirely to the science Of
pedagogy, but as the school system d..
veloped and the teachers standard OF
culture was raised. Miss Liveright found
| II necessary to include standard Htera.
ture-poetry and prose-in the list Of
| books.
ESPECIAL INFORMATION.
The beginning of the age of specisIIzs-
tion worked another change. History in
| structors refused to teach anything else
| than history, and demanded the most
complete and profound works on the sub
| ject. Often these were not to be obtained
| in the schools themselves, so that Miss
Liveright included them In the library
| list.
Philosophy has become an important
study for teachers, as the art Of education
no longer means the simple ability to
keep a class In order and drill them in
arithmetic as military officer drills
group of raw" soldiers.
"Educntion," Miss Liveright says, has
| not only to do with the textbook and the
classroom. 1t must adapt itself to the
childs mental makeup. to his home en-
vironment and his future position In
society. The teacher must not only
| know; she must think" And II is for
that reason that the collection Of
philosophical works in the Pedagogical
Library is probably the largest Of itz
kind in the city. +.
Every enpioye of the Board OF Educa.
tion has the privilege of taking books
from the library. and teachers in com.
munities outside of Philadelphia may us,
the books, but not remove them from th,
building.
Miss Liveright has absolute authority
over the institution, and she can refus,
or grant the request Of each visitor.