Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-21
BRANCH LIBRARIES
in SCHOOLS GET OK.
Board Approves Establish
ment of Experimental Sta
tons in z Junior Highs.

The establishment of experimental
branch libraries in two proposed
Northeast junior high schools was APP
proved by the Board of Education at
its meeting yesterday when 1t accepted
the report of the Public Library COM
mittee, of which DR.. Frank w. Ballou
superintendent of schools. is member
The report, signed by Dr. Ballou, DR..
George F. Bowerman, librarian at the
Public Library, and Maj. l.. E. Atkins,
u. S. A., Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner of the District, recommended
the establishment of branch libraries
in connection with the Charles w
Eliot Junior High School, which is to
be erected near the Eastern High
School, and in connection with the
colored junior high school, which is to
be built on the tract north OF Bennlng
road and east of Bladensburg road
northeast.
Would Be Models.
They would serve, respectively. the
large white and colored populations of
Northeast Washington. and, If found
to be successful. would be models for
similar branches throughout the school
system.
The report made to the board yes
terday was framed in response to
request by Representative Simmons on
October 81 for more definite recon-
mendations on the subject of branch
libraries than those made by the COM
mittee last week. 1t sets forth that
branch libraries should be established
in separate buildings las promptly as
possible" in certain communities, ana
shows further that such branches, OPP
Grated in public school buildings, lack
convincing proof of their practicabllity
by virtue of the fact that experiment
tation in that direction has been con-
fined here almost exclusively TO the
Eastern High School, where inadequate
facilities were provided.
Committee Gives Plan.
Commenting upon branch libraries IN
public schools, the committee CONTENDS
in its report that such branches should
be established in independent structural
units, connected or not with the main
school building, but heated by the
schools central plant. The typical
Junior high school plant contemplateS
the construction of central unit ano
two wings, and the committee suggests
that one of the wings might be con-
structed for library purposes at the time
the first unit is built. The other wing
could be used for enrolment increases.
When. however, the enrollmentS reach
for classroom space, a separate library
unit could be constructed and the origi-
nal wing refinished for class purposes.
The committee recommends that
definite experiments along this line be
conducted at the two proposed north
east Junior high schools.
The separate library branch build
ings proposed in the report include
those in the following communities:
Northeastern, for which site has been
purchased at Seventh street and Mary
land avenue northeast; Georgetown,
Anacostia, lexington, in the immediate
vicinity of the Mckinley and Langley
High School Buildings; Calvert street
section, to serve the territory west and
south of the Geological Park, and Pet
worth, to serve the section west of the
northern portion of the Soldiers Home
Grounds and west of the Rock Greek
Cemetery; Sixteenth street section, TO
be located in a dwelling at 1929 Six
tenth street. now owned by the Dis
trict government.