Mrs. Mary E. S. Root was born and educated in Rhode Island,
studied art before her marriage, became interested in children's
literature through her own children, and organized the children's
work in the Providence Public Library, where she still has charge
of this work. She has held many offices in educational and civic
organizations, and has lectured on children's literature. For two
summers she conducted a course in children's work in the Simmons
College Library School.
Mrs. Adelaide Bowles Maltby was born in New York City, and was
graduated from a private school in Elmira, New York, in 1893,
with an equivalent of one year's college work. After completing
the regular course in Pratt Institute Library School in 1900, she
spent six months in the Pratt Library, at the same time taking
lectures in the second-year children's course. For four and
one-half years she was head of the Children's Department in the
Buffalo Public Library. She then became a member of the New York
Public Library staff, first as special children's worker in
Chatham Square Branch, then as branch librarian there, and later
as librarian of the Tompkins Square Branch.
There has been a rather marked difference in activity between
the eastern and western libraries on this subject of picture
work, we of the east seeming more conservative, somewhat prone on
the whole, because there is not time for elaborate work, to doubt
its practical usefulness. The questions upon which this report is
based were sent out in a circular letter to different libraries.
These questions with their answers may be considered in order:
Question 1. If you make picture bulletins in your library, what
is your object in so doing?
To supplement school work, advertise the books, stimulate
non-fiction reading and celebrate anniversaries are the four
answers which the majority give.
There is no question but bulletins made for school helps are
useful, help teacher, pupil and library; but we are all studying
to do away with suggestions of a school atmosphere in our rooms
as far as possible, so, primarily, these bulletins should give
pleasure. They offer a strong point of contact between the
children and the librarian, and if too strongly labelled with
"school work," do we not rob the child of the one place where he
could have the indescribable charm of learning what his natural
tastes prompt him to acquire? It is easy enough in our libraries
to teach without calling it teaching. Again, a bulletin to
"advertise our books," especially new ones, seems misdirected
energy, as the new books are always eagerly sought and there is
often need of checking in some way the desire for the new just
because it is new. If the books to which the attention is
directed by the bulletins enlarge the child's experience, well
and good, but we do not need to post a bulletin merely to
circulate the books or with the feeling of advertisement in any
sense of the word.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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