Papers and Proceedings of the Twenty-Third General Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Waukesha, Wisconsin, July 4-10, 1901
Science
Papers and Proceedings of the Twenty-Third General Meeting of the American Library Association: Held at Waukesha, Wisconsin, July 4-10, 1901
American Library Association; Library science -- Congresses
The choice of subject is of supreme importance. We should study the
children whom we are trying to benefit, that we may discover their
tastes and learn their interests. We may select a subject in line with
the course of school study. This serves not only to illustrate a subject
in which the children are already interested, but is an incidental means
of making known to the teacher and pupils the usefulness of the library
in furnishing reading supplementary to the school studies. We may
bulletin a subject of transient interest, thus informing the children
along this particular line; or, we may choose a topic which by the
novelty of its presentation, may arouse interest in an unfamiliar
subject, providing we make sure in choosing that we relate the unknown
to the known. We always have a chance of illustrating some one of the
universal interests of childhood. Spring and autumn exhibits, bulletins
on birds, flowers, and animals, certain anniversaries, etc., invariably
prove attractive to children. The bulletins should be such as to satisfy
a catholicity of taste and cover a wide range in age and understanding.
But whatever be one's choice of subject, let it be carefully thought and
wrought out, definite in plan and purpose, and worthy the necessary
expenditure of time, material, and effort.
It is well to read thoroughly on a subject before attempting to plan a
bulletin. The reading of sketchy accounts in children's books is not a
sufficient preparation for this work. It is better to turn to more
substantial sources that we may penetrate the meaning of the subject for
the children, and reflect this in the selection and arrangement of the
pictures in the text, and in the talks with the children about the
bulletin. We may thus reinforce the message of the bulletin and lead
the children to the best book where the information they are seeking may
be found.
The explanatory text of the bulletin should be direct and simple.
Accuracy of statement is essential; this is especially important in
scientific subjects. Experiment has proved that a concise and simple
account will be read, when a longer statement is passed unnoticed.
Poetry may be appropriately introduced to illustrate the thought of the
bulletin. We should select the very best poems which will serve the
purpose, making sure they are simple and clear enough in meaning to be
readily understood by the children. In bulletin work we have an
opportunity to acquaint the children with the choicest poetry. In
addition to displaying pictures which please the eye, we may also
present word-pictures, thus making a double appeal to the mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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