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
grade meetings in which the course is discussed.
_Systematic instruction in the use of the library._
While a general effort is being made to instruct children individually,
only a few libraries report any systematic lessons. In Providence each
visiting class is given a short description of books of reference. In
Hartford an attempt at instruction was made following the vacation book
talks. In Springfield, Mass., last year the senior class of the
literature department was given a lesson on the use of the library,
followed by two practice questions on the card catalog. In one of the
Cleveland branches talks are given to both teachers and pupils. At the
Central High School of Detroit the school librarian has for the past
three years met the new pupils for 40 minutes' instruction, and test
questions are given. A detailed account of similar work done in other
high school libraries is to be found in the proceedings of the
Chautauqua conference. Cambridge has given a lecture to a class or
classes of the Latin school. In the current library report of Cedar
Rapids, Ia., is outlined in detail a course of 12 lessons on
bookmaking, the card catalog, and reference books. The librarian of
Michigan City, Ind., writes: "Each grade of the schools, from the fifth
to the eighth, has the use of our class room for an afternoon session
each month. Each child is assigned a topic on which to write a short
composition or give a brief oral report. When a pupil has found all he
can from one source, books are exchanged, and thus each child comes into
contact with several books. At these monthly library afternoons I give
short talks to the pupils on the use of the library, the reference
books, and the card catalog, accompanied by practical object lessons and
tests." At Brookline our plan is to have each class of the eighth and
ninth grades come once a year to our school reference room at the
library. The teacher accompanies them, and they come in school hours.
The school reference librarian gives the lesson. For the eighth grade we
consider the make-up of the book--the title-page in detail, the
importance of noting the author, the significance of place and date and
copyright, the origin of the dedication, the use of contents and index.
This is followed by a description of bookmaking, folding, sewing and
binding, illustrated by books pulled to pieces for the purpose. The
lesson closes with remarks on the care of books. The ninth grade lesson
is on reference books, and is conducted largely by means of questioning.
A set of test questions at the end emphasizes the description of the
books. In these lessons the pupils have shown an unexpected degree of
interest and responsiveness. The course brought about 400 children to
the library, a few of whom had never been there before. These were
escorted about a little, and shown the catalog, charging desk,
bulletins, new book shelves, etc. Every one not already holding a card
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