El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-01-25

centers." where books may be OBJ
[ tained without having TO 90 a long
{ distance for them. is one Of the prac-
Z teal ways OF making the library q
useful factor in the life OF the com
munity. With limited means It is
/ impossible TO do this work effectively.
{ as Il requires many books and the
/ services OF wei trained Librarians to
make IL successful But we have
made a beginning. and the work IS
! growing.
The branches at Five Points. East
Fl Paso and Grandview are giving
/ excellent service. During Deem Der
] SIS books were circulated at these
stations and so much interest Is
manifested by those who come that
I We are confident that mum Der Will be
/ doubled during January
Books for FOreigneru.
characterization" IS a part OF pa
7 triotic education, and this has been
one OF the guiding ideas FOR the IL
l brary's work with children and young
] people. The Mexican children need
books IN easy English They are
eager 10 read. and there Is no better
I way Of making good citizens OF these
: little people than through the medium
; OF the best literature written for
! children.
At the Aoy school. through the CO.
/ operation Of the principal Miss Cor
butt and the teachers, we have been
able to make an excellent beginning
I toward bringing books into the lives
{ OF the children there We are plan
ming, this year, 10 send a collection
/ Of books for the members OF the night
/ school. that the Mexican women, who
I come there TO learn English, may
have some books IN simple language
Z which they may take home.
The library has nn1fnrf Inn ~
at the Boy Scout headquarters. the
Z high school and the Y. NJ c. A at
Hach IA. y. N. for the use Of the
young boys Of that town There IS
also a collection which Is sent out 10
the school, for the use OF the chill
Plans for the Future.
This year every effort must Be d.
rected toward making the children's
department what Il should be. and
increasing the usefulness Of our ex-
TENSION Wcrk
Visitors from other cities. and there
are many who come 10 the library,
comment freely on our very poorly
equipped children's room During the
sumner there were a number OF COM
petent Librarians here IN the service
OF the American Library association.
In speaking OF the library they agreed
that the adult department was vel
selected for so small collection, but
that where We showed our poverty
and backwardness was in the chill
dren's department
ChiIdreR's Library Needed.
This is a perfectly true and tust
criticism. Ten years ago there was
hardly a library IN a city OF 10000
people without its children's librarian
trained for this especial service. This
library IS still without one.
II hardly seems possible that IN
af# "a Hmu- ~
progress In so many ways, should
neglect one OF the most important
things toward the cultivation and ed
ucation Of the children OF the COM
munity.
Library a Great School.
The library is a great school; open
ANY library that does not give It's
best effort toward training the minds
Of the children fails in its duty 20 the
citizens Of the community. With a
small staff II IS impossible 20 have
an attendant in the children's room
to help select the book best for each
child
This should appeal especially to
those parents who have collections OF
beautiful books for their children, and
can teach them TO love and reverence
the best things IN literature. Many.
many children cannot have such
libraries in their homes. and the pub
lie library must do its best to give
them what It is the right OF every
child to have-books to stimulate the
Imagination and TO foster those splen-
did ideals which help to build char
acter and make good citizens.
FL Paso Behind All Other Cities.
In this work we are behind every
city IN Texas. It Is for no lack OF
strenuous work on the part OF those
who have administered the library all
these years. It Is because there is not
enough money 70 90 II right, and Il IS
better left alone than to make an at
tempt to accomplish what cannot be
done without books and trained ssrv-
Ice
The Library'H Message.
This, then. is the library's message
to the citizens OF FL Paso. Il IS your
library. Your pride IN this city is
great. as Il should be. Show an IN
terest IN the work which we are try
ing to do for the children, and help
make Il q success.
city where there are so many
clubs, and where college women and
university men group themselves to
Eether for intellectual enjoyment,
should not have 10 apologize for It's
library.
Among the books added to the col
lection In the library during the year
may be mentioned the following. IN
der varying classifications.
The Years Best Fiction.
Cahan--Riss OF David Levinslcy--