St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-09-27

speakers and invited guests. 1t wa:
followed by an informal reception at
o'clock.
The evening session opened with
another pleasing duet on the piano
and organ by Misses Lothrop and
Beede which was much enjoyed
The first speaker was Miss Fanny B.
Fletcher Of Proctorsville. president OF
the Vermont Library association, who
spoke upon Library Training in the
Schools" She said that pupils as
young as those in the sixth and sew
enth grades should be taught a work
ing knowledge of books in a simple
and tactful manner so that 1T would
be a pleasure rather than a bore to
them to search for a desired book.
For example, when a boy is much in
terested in Indians he should be
taught to find Cooper in the card
catalog. The Librarians should have
the cooperation of the teachers in
this work The teacher training
classes of the state are of advantage
to the librarians in that they are Wis
tied by the association and are given
instruction and hints as to the way to
aid children to the right class of
reading. Travelling libraries of 80
books are furnished to the schools
where a public library is not avail
able.
The next number on the program
was a solo entitled 1.-THE Lost Path"
charmingly sung by Mrs. Lillian Doe
Woodbury.. THE Selection of
Books" was very intelligently treat
ed upon by Mrs. w. P. Smith of St.
Johnsbury. Some libraries have only
SIS yearly to expend in the purchase
of new books. In such a case she
advised that one-third be spent for
children's books, one-third for adult
fiction and the remaining third for
adult non-fiction. Small libraries are
often imposed upon, and she suggest
ed that it might be well to keep these
three don'ts in mind-Do not buy sets
of books; do not buy of agents; do
not buy books on publishers notices
only. The following books were then
given as good ones for an average
library: ELLEN Glasgow's Life and
Gabrielle" The Bent Twig," 1.-THE
Real Motive" a collection of short
stories. self Reliance" by a Yer
mont writer, Mrs. Dorothy Garfield
Fisher, 1.-The Courage of the Com
monplace," Three Things BEST
Angels" Dear Enemy Just Dav-
i'd" Prudence of the Parsonage
THE Pioneers and Diplomats
Life in Mexico"
She then read parts of 1.-The Liter
airy Clinic" an article in the Septem
Der Atlantic Monthly.
Mrs. Smiths talk was followed by
a piano solo by Mrs. F. A. Donald
son.
The last speaker of the evening
was Miss Alice Wilcox of st. Johns
bury, whose subject was Mature
Work and the Library and said that
the great difficulty of people study
ing nature in books was that it was
secondhand information and that the
scientific names were not understood.
She suggested the Doubleday Nature
Guides as a very good series for the
Identification of out-of-door life and
pointed out the advantage of having
flower calendars. and collections of
cocoons, ETC., in the library. She told
about the different industrial and
commercial exhibits which were to be
had for the asking, and the advantage
of bird walks which enable the peo-
pie to see beauty hidden in the COM
mon things.
Miss Evelyn Lease of Montpelier
then expressed thanks in behalf of
the visitors to the Book and Thimble
club and hostesses for their interest
in making the meeting the success
that it was.
The closing number of the evening
was an organ solo, Twilight" by
Miss Lothrop.
A great deal of credit for the sue
cess of the meeting is due to Miss
Richmond, librarian, who was the
hostess of the occasion.