Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
Science
Papers and Proceedings of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Ottawa, Canada, June 26-July 2, 1912
American Library Association; Library science -- Congresses
The work with the girls is so varied, and is such a study in itself,
that I have only touched upon its possibilities. However, a book on the
subject would not cover the field, but lack of time and consideration
for your feelings will prevent further comment, and I will simply
outline just a few of the ways in which we try to reach the boys,
one-third of whom are under 21 years of age. Aside from the eternal
vigilance to blot out all Alger traces, we have many really interesting
phases of the work with the boys. We first of all can and do have
confidence in the boys. We can get necessary information as to their
home conditions, if we wish it. We have, in common with them, as with
the girls, their vital interest, the beginning of their career. The
influence that can be exerted over these young boys, many of whom are
leaving home for the first time, and are, so to speak, "men among
men," is tremendous. Often a wavering ambition can be reinforced and a
chance for "making good" saved by showing a little unasked interest.
We try to give the boys material for both work and play. We post lists
of books on the bulletin boards in various departments, and so call
attention to books on "choosing a career," or "business efficiency."
Then we make up lists on athletic sports, interest in which is
stimulated by our athletic association, whose membership includes both
boys and girls.
Many times a department is discovered where little or no interest is
taken in the library. We find that the boys and girls from there never
come to the library, and so we take the library to them. In every case
the managers are very anxious to co-operate and are willing to have us
send a small collection of light fiction to the time clerk's desk. She
circulates these as she wishes. So far, we have lost no books in this
way, and in every instance new borrowers have been the direct result.
Many of the boys have been obliged to leave school before entering high
school or even the upper grades, and in many ways we can supplement
their lack of school training--especially if we can discover a gleam of
interest in any one subject, such as mechanics, electricity or history.
All our work, our aims, and our possibilities are crystalized in our
Library Bulletin, a home product in every sense of the word. The
direct object of this little publication is to attract all ages and
all classes of our employees. It is sent to every department, and from
there distributed personally. We try to have in each issue a section to
appeal to popular demand, as well as to promote some special feature.
We hope to make this bulletin a strong factor in our work, a lever
that will gauge not only the circulation of our books, but will be the
connecting link between the library and the employees, and make it the
medium of a new energy and a new enthusiasm radiating from our small
quarters to every activity of the plant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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