第22章 HOW LIBRARY WORK WITH CHILDREN HAS GROWN IN HARTFO

After an exhibition of lace in the Athenaeum the next spring,the specialist who arranged it held the attention of her audience of girls between ten and fourteen,giving a practical illustration of the making of pillow-lace,showing specimens of different kinds,pointing out the use of lace in old-fashioned costumes for children,and exhibiting a piece of Valenciennes which had been stolen by a catbird and recovered before it was woven into a nest.This talk was given at my request,because we could find almost nothing on lace in books for children,and the exhibit was then attracting much notice.

That year our first children's librarian,who had given only a part of her working hours to the room,the rest to the loan-desk,left us to be married.The school work had grown so fast that it had become necessary for us to find a successor who was equal to it,and whose sole time could be given to that and the care of the room,which is open only from 3.30to 6on school-days,except on Wednesdays,Saturdays and in vacations,when we have all-day hours.The children in vacation-time may change story-books every day if they like--practically none of them do it--but in school time they are allowed only one a week.This is not a hardship,for they may use their non-fiction cards,which give them anything else,including bound magazines.

Our children's librarian makes up for lack of library technique by her acquaintance with teachers,and experience in day,evening and vacation schools,that have brought her into contact with children of all sorts and conditions.

The summer before her coming I had charge of the room for a part of every day,and observing that children under fourteen were beginning to think that they had read everything in the room and were asking to be transferred,I made a collection of books,principally novels,from the main library,marked them and the bookcards with a red star,and placed them on side shelves,where the younger children soon learned that they would find nothing to interest them.This keeps the older boys and girls in the room until they are ready for the main library,and when they are transferred they are sent to me in my office,where they are told that some one is always ready to give them help if they ask for it.The list of books for the first year after coming into the library is handed to them,and they are also referred to the high school shelves,to be mentioned later.

We insist on a father or mother coming with a child and leaving a signature or mark on the back of the application-card.This is placing responsibility where it belongs,and as we always have at least one of the staff who can speak Yiddish,and others who speak Italian,the parents are usually willing to come.

We are very strict in exacting fines as a means of teaching children to be responsible and careful of public property.

One summer the children acted simple impromptu plays,Cinderella,Blue Beard,Beauty and the beast,on the lawn outside the long windows.The lawn has been in bad condition for nearly two years,on account of the building of the Morgan memorial,but has now been planted again.One May-day we had an old English festival around a Maypole on the green,with Robin Hood,Maid Marian,Friar Tuck,Will Scarlett,the hobby-horse,the dragon and all the rest,including Jack in the Green and an elephant.This was such a success that we were asked to repeat it across the river on the East Hartford Library green,where it was highly complimented on account of being so full of the spirit of play.

Our Christmas exhibits have been held every year,at first,as Ihave said,for one day only,then for two or three in the rooms above,and for the last two years in a large room used by the Hartford Art Society as a studio until it moved to a whole house across the street.This room has space for our school libraries,and the room which they had outgrown was fitted up at no expense except for chairs and a change in the lighting,as a study-room for the older boys and girls,who also have the privilege of reading any stories they find on the shelves,which are on one side only.The other shelves,placed across the room,were moved to the studio,which is so large that it has space for story-telling,or oftener story-reading.The winter of the Dickens centennial,through the month of February,the beginnings of "David Copperfield,""Nicholas Nickleby,""Dombey and son"and "Great expectations"were read.

In 1911,a gift of twenty-five dollars from a friend was spent for the boys'and girls'room,and has bought specimens of illustration,Grimm's "Fairy tales,"illustrated by Arthur Rackham;Kate Greenaway's "Under the window,""Marigold garden,""Little Ann"and "Pied piper",Laura Starr's "Doll book,"and a fine copy of Knight's "Old England,"full of engravings,including a morris dance such as has been performed here,and Hare's "Portrait book of our kings and queens."The rest of the money bought a globe for the older boys'and girls' reading-table,and sent from Venice a reproduction of a complete "armatura,"or suit of Italian armor,eighteen inches high.