There are music, drawing, and physical culture teachers for our
schools; may we not have a few lessons in how to use a library to
the best advantage as part of the course? This field for
instruction may be worked to advantage by the librarian, with
comparatively little expenditure of time after the first round
has been made.
Teachers often feel that they have themselves already more
outside work than they can accomplish, but they are really glad
to have this instruction given in their schools, and in our
experience they have invariably taken great interest in it and
have done all in their power to further our efforts.
There is certainly no library work which sends in its returns
more promptly, for children feel an instinctive sense of
ownership in their library, and take a personal interest in
anything pertaining to it. They give the most flattering
attention and put their instructions into immediate practice. I
believe they really take more interest in the subject when
presented by "a lady from the library" than if it were only an
additional school lesson taught them by their teacher.
Most of the practical instruction must come in the grammar grades
and high school, but it is well to begin as early as the third
year, and possibly with the second, if there are found to be many
children in a room who have already begun to take books and if
there is no age limit. If it should so chance that only a small
number in a room are library members, it is better to give only
the general interesting library talk, leaving the specific
instruction till a second visit, when the fruits of the first
will probably appear. There is one point for the lowest room
which it may be well to mention. See to it that they are learning
to say their A B C's in the good old-fashioned way, for upon this
depends all familiar use of catalogs and indexes.
Any child who can write can fill out a call slip, and this we
teach them to do from the very first, either from a catalog when
help in selection must be given, or from a special list of books
for little children.
It must be impressed upon them that if they do not understand the
general instruction you are always ready and glad to explain
further. If they feel that you are really interested, even the
smallest ones will work with enthusiasm to prepare their own call
slips instead of asking each time for just any good book.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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