Evening star., 1925-08-23
DELINQUENCY CURE
IS SEEN IN BOOKS
Library Official Asserts
Economy Policy Is Having
Bad Effect.

Believing that constructive litera-
ture is a powerful factor in the devel-
opment of character and firmly con-
WINGED, through a taste for good read
ing can be inStilled in minors, Louise
p. Latimer, director OF the juvenile
department of WaShington'S library
system, urges a radical change in the
Districts saving policy which distinct
ly hampers the library officials in their
effort to reach the minds of the young
er generation.
Miss Latimer believes that children
have more faith in the instruction they
get from reading than from that de-
rived through any other source and
SCOTS at the theory that there are
children who will not read. She says
almost any normal child will read if
the books are presented to him in an
attractive form. One teacher from a
local junior high school came to her
with the complaint that one of her
classes would not read good books.
Miss Latimer persuaded the teacher to
. bring the class to the library in an
effort to see what could be done. She
invited them into one of the private
reading rooms, but nearly all of the
boys remained in the corridor. She
then picked out several of the more
attractive girls and had them select
books they thought would appeal to
the boys and soon all were enthralled
in the stories selected. When time
came to go many Of the lads refused
to leave without the books.
Asks Attractive Books.
Miss Latimer is also an advocate
of physical attraCtiveness in books for
children. She cites the case of one
teacher who had a boy in her class
who apparently could not read Treas
ure. Island. In the next collection
of books sent to that class was. a
handsome copy of the same book,
with large type, and replete with col
ored illustrations. The same boy i'm
mediately chose this book and read
IT through with great enjoyment. Miss
Latimer has found this to be true
in many other cases, and is now
working to secure the same type of
books in all cases where the reading
might prove a bit heavy for chill
dren.
She estimates that there are roughly
three classes of books harmful for
children. Vicious books or those that
fill young minds with stories of mas
ter criminals and similar matter
Books with twisted ethics or those
written by men unable to clearly dis
tinguish between right and wrong.
.
books. In this class she puts all
stories of those superior creatures
who become wealthy over night
through no great effort on their own
part. Miss Latimer feels that books
of this type have the worst possible
influence on children, as they are not
able TO detect the manifest absurdity
of things.
Three Libraries Open.
AT present there are only three
libraries in this city open TO chill
dren. The Central Building. the
Southeast Branch and one in Takoma
Park. After 20 years of existence,
the Public Library here, in the Ma
tions Capital, can only establish two
branches for children. which looks
bad in the light of achievements of
other cities of no greater population.
library officials feel. Toronto. Canada,
for instance, has established 20
branch libraries in the last two dec
ades
That it is comparatively easy for
the libraries to reach children when
school is in session is shown by the
fact that a great majority of the
books issued to Juveniles in the past
year were sent out through the