Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-10
MISS EMMA ROBINSON ENGLE
On ChjIdren's Work in Public Libraries

wv
THE work of the Public Library. in so far
i as children are concerned. while mod
ern Developments is rapidly assuming great
proportions, according to Miss Emma Rob.
insOn Engle. who Is in general charge OF
this phase Of the work in the Philadelphia
Free Library.
I'm the twenty nine branches of the
Public Library" said Miss Engle,, there
are now childrcns departments in all except
one reference branch. and we have thirty.
four ccnters of administration. The nrSt
children's room in Philadelphia was opened
at the West Philadelphia branch in ls"S.
and as work for children in libraries was
then in its infancy, ii was regarded as an
experiment. Up to that time children were
not allowed At all in most lbraricS and. re-
calling that time. there Is an institution IN
New York which still bears the old sign,
Children and dogs not allowed.
''In the West Philadelphia experiment a
separate room for the children was set aside.
provided with low tables and chairs, and put
in charge of an assistant interested in
children. Before that time the Philadelphia
Free Library had purchased a few chill
dren books which were placed In positions
inconvenicnt to adults in case child
straycd in.
The Experiment Successful
1.-The experiment here was successful from
the start. an increasing number Of children
~
thoritcS became satisfied that it was filling
n real need. The following year a room was
fitted up on the ground floor OF the Chest
nut stree! building in order to get the chill
dren out of the main library. 1T was opened
in May Of that year. and the wisdom of
separating the children was manifested when
they used more than G2 1000 books during the
rcma inder of the year, hocking there in
great numbers.
'"rhen it was seen that the children $
,l.,. IN
know the child. to know the best methods
Of approach and, even more important. who
knew rhil,lrcns books So. in 1903 it was
| decided to make the children : work scpa-
rate branch, and it has continued so ever
| since. with constantly growing interest
| manifested.
''As soon rs the children librarians were
| trained and quarters found. rhildren's de-
! partmentS We're opened in each of the then
| fourteen branches Of the library. The Sc
| lection of the proper books was on" of the
| first things TO be considered. and then we
| had TO find persons who had the right sort
| Of inspiration in dealing with the children.
| First Act of Citizenship
| Another problem was to attract the chill
! dren to the right books The child usually
| comes to II library in his leisure moments
! and because he finds something there which
| he needs and wants. In many cases the
signing Of library application card is his
first act Of citizenship, The children are
| always allowed to select the books which
] they want. and the only supervision, if it
I may be called this, is an attempt to direct
| his selection. unconsciously to himself. into
the proper channels.
"'rhe Philadelphia Free Library was one
| of the first in the world to make n separate @
! department for children, and also among the
! first TO take up group instruction. The
| children were gathered together in groups
| to hear stories told to them from the hest
| literature, and thus TO encourage an inter
est in the best books. This Introduction TO
| the best literature, We have found, is seldom
made when the child's thoughts are un :.
| guided, and not ! per cent Of the children
! who visit a library come to il directly from
their homes,
splendid results in reading. The old clas-
sizes, folklore, fairy stories and the like are
the chief material used. These the child
| will miss If he has to get IL himself from
| the books. owing largely to tie difficulty
| Of tho names. Modern stories are never told
| to them Lectures with stereopticOn views
were also used for II time, but this was soon
abandoned. The movies did most of this.
Cannot Look and Listen Together
"A child rarely looks and listens well at
the same time, and now we regard n picture
as a direct interruption to story. AT any
rate. the pictures are not necessary now.
| ns the stories are so much better told
.'Still another means Of opening the hest
hooks to children was the Library Leasue'
which did. " remarkable work. we found
many children and young, people aiinlessiy
turnlns tss pssss q, q books, and yst they
1SeSiS This was solved 81 tie lessuss ssvs
4 /.