Library Work with Children Part 16

If you would succeed in this movement, be interested, know your books, and be ready to have a human interest in every child's mother, be she rich or poor, American or foreign born. Success will then attend your efforts.

REFERENCE WORK AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN

The importance of reference work with children is indicated in the next article by the fact that "the subjects on which children seek information are as varied as those brought by older people, and the material is equally elusive." Miss Abby L. Sargent contributed this article to the Library Journal for April, 1895.

Abby Ladd Sargent received her training under her sister, Miss Mary E. Sargent. She reorganized the Wilmington Library a.s.sociation Library in 1890-1891. From 1891 to 1895 she was librarian of the Middles.e.x Mechanics a.s.sociation. In 1895 she became reference librarian and cla.s.sifier of the Medford Public Library, where her sister was librarian. In 1910, after her sister's death, she became librarian of the Medford Public Library. In 1900 she organized and purchased books for the Owatonna, Minnesota, Public Library. She has been instructor in the Expansive Cla.s.sification in Simmons College Library School since its opening. Miss Sargent was joint editor and compiler of Sargent's "Reading for the young," and its supplement.

Let us suppose that the momentous problem is solved of persuading children to use the library for more serious purpose than to find a book "as good as 'Mark the match boy,' " and that we are trying to convince children that the library is infallible, and can furnish information on whatever they wish to know about--whether it is some boy who comes on the busiest morning of the week, to find out how to make a puppet show in time to give an afternoon exhibition, or some high-school girl who rushes over in the 20 minutes' recess to write an exhaustive treatise on women's colleges.

It is unnecessary to say that the fewer books the library can supply the more must those few be forced to yield. A large library, with unlimited volumes, meets few of the difficulties which beset smaller and poorer inst.i.tutions.

If the librarian can name at once "a poem about Henry of Navarre," or tell who wrote "by the rude bridge that arched the flood," and on what monument it is engraved, can furnish material for debate on "the Chinese question," "which city should have the new normal school," "who was Mother Goose," or on any possible or impossible subject, she gains at once the confidence of the severest of critics, and is sure of their future patronage.

The subjects on which children seek information are as varied as those brought by older people and the material is equally elusive. Perhaps the hardest questions to answer are about the allusions which are found in literature studies, and which frequently the teacher who has given the question cannot answer.

I find it helpful whenever I come across material of this nature to make a reference to it in the catalog, and, in fact, to a.n.a.lyze carefully all juvenile books, not fiction, whose t.i.tles give no hint of the contents. A great many books otherwise valueless become thus most useful, especially if one is pressed for time.

Mr. Jones, in his "Special reading lists," gives many such references to juvenile literature. Books like Ingersoll's "Country cousins," which contains an article on sh.e.l.l money, also an account of Professor Aga.s.siz's laboratory at Newport; Mary Bamford's "Talks by queer folks," giving many of the superst.i.tions prevalent about animals; the set of books by Uncle Lawrence, "Young folks' ideas," "Queries," and "Whys and wherefores," recently republished under the t.i.tle "Science in story," and others of this sort, if carefully indexed, answer many of the questions brought every day by children, and amply repay for the trouble. For even if juvenile books are cla.s.sified on the shelves, much time is wasted in going through many indexes.

A wide-awake teacher often gives his pupils the events of the day to study, and if they cannot grasp the situation from the daily papers, juvenile periodicals furnish the best material. For this a cla.s.sified index is indispensable; it makes available accounts of the workings of government, the weather bureau, mint, and other intangible topics. Until the recent publication of Capt.

King's "Cadet days," I knew of no other place to find any description of West Point routine outside of Boynton's or Cullum's histories. One glimpse of either would convince any boy he would rather try some other subject.

A short article often suffices to give the main facts. My experience, both as teacher and librarian, persuades me that the average child is eminently statistical. "A horse is an animal with four legs--one at each corner," is fairly representative of the kind of information he seeks. When he becomes diffuse, we may feel sure he has had help. Sissy Jupes are of course to be found, who cannot grapple with facts.

Working on this principle, I have made liberal use of a book issued by the U. S. Government--"The growth of industrial art."

It gives, in pictures, with only a line or two of description, the progress of different industries--such as the locomotive, from the clumsy engine of 1802 to the elaborate machinery of the present day; the evolution of lighting, from the pine-knot and tallow-dip to the electric light; methods of signalling, from the Indian fire-signal to the telegraph; time-keeping, etc. A child will get more ideas from one page of pictures than from a dozen or more pages of description and hard words.

If lack of s.p.a.ce compels one to deny the privilege of going to the shelves, it seems to me more essential for children to have ready access to reference-books, and especially to be taught how to use them, than for grown-up people. The youngest soon learn to use "Historical notebooks," Champlin's Cyclopaedias, Hopkins'

"Experimental science," "Boys' and Girls' handy books," and others of miscellaneous contents. If they have a mechanical bent they will help themselves from Amateur Work or "Electrical toy-making"; if musical, from Mrs. Lillie's "Story of music" or Dole's "Famous composers"; if they have ethical subjects to write about, they find what they need in Edith Wiggin's "Lessons in manners," Everett's "Ethics for young people," or Miss Ryder's books, which give excellent advice in spite of their objectionable t.i.tles. They can find help in their nature studies in Gibson's "Sharp-eyes," Lovell's "Nature's wonder workers,"

Mrs. Dana's "How to know the wild flowers," or turn to Mrs.

Bolton's or Lydia Farmer's books to learn about famous people, if they are encouraged to do so. These, of course, are only a few of the books which can be used in this way. As the different holidays come round there are frequent applications for the customs of those days, or for appropriate selections for school or festival. Miss Matthews and Miss Ruhl have helped us out in their "Memorial day selections," and McCaskey's "Christmas in song, sketch, and story," and the "Yule-tide collection" give great variety. If the juvenile periodicals do not furnish the customs, they can, of course, be found in Brand's "Popular antiquities," or Chambers's "Book of days." It is necessary sometimes to use the books for older people, since there is a point where childhood and grown-up-hood meet. I was recently obliged to give quite a small child Knight's "Mechanical dictionary," to find out when and where weather-vanes were first used, and to give a grammar-school girl Mrs. Farmer's "What America owes to women," for material for a graduating essay.

A few excellent suggestions for general reference work are given in Miss Plummer's "Hints to small libraries"; but in spite of all the aids at command there come times when our only resource is to follow the adage, "look till you find it and your labor won't be lost," and to accept the advice of Cap'n Cuttle, "When found, make a note on't."

REFERENCE WORK WITH CHILDREN

Another report based on answers received from various libraries in reply to a list of questions suggests that we are "concerned not so much to supply information as to educate in the use of the library." This report was presented by Miss Harriet H. Stanley at the Waukesha Conference of the A. L. A. in 1901.

Harriet Howard Stanley is a native of Ma.s.sachusetts. After completing a normal school course and teaching for a few years in secondary schools, she entered the New York State Library School, where she was graduated in 1895. She served for four years as librarian of the Public Library at Southbridge, Ma.s.s., and thereafter was for eleven years school reference librarian in the Public Library of Brookline, Ma.s.s. Since 1910 she has had positions in the Library of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Providence (R. I.) Athenaeum, and was for a year librarian of New Hamps.h.i.+re College. At various times she has taught in summer library schools--Albany, India and McGill University. She is now on the staff of the Public Library of Utica, N. Y.

Preliminary to preparing this report, a list of 15 questions was sent to a number of libraries in different parts of the United States, from 24 of which replies were received. So far as s.p.a.ce would permit, the facts and opinions obtained have been embodied in this paper.

Reference work with grown people consists in supplying material on various topics; we consider it sufficiently well done when the best available matter is furnished with as little cost of time and trouble to the inquirer as is consistent with the service we owe to other patrons of the library. To a certain extent this statement is true also of reference work with children, but I think we are agreed that for them our aim reaches further-- reaches to a familiarity with reference tools, to knowing how to hunt down a subject, to being able to use to best advantage the material found. In a word, we are concerned not so much to supply information as to educate in the use of the library. Seventeen of the 24 libraries reporting judge children to be sent to them primarily, if not wholly, for information. One of the first steps towards improving and developing reference work with children will have been taken when the teacher appreciates the larger purpose, since the point of view must materially affect the character and scope of the work. Another forward step is for the library to have definitely in mind some plan for accomplis.h.i.+ng these ends. Whatever the plan, it will in likelihood have to be modified to accord with the teacher's judgment and deeds, but a definite proposal ought at least to give impetus to the undertaking.

Six libraries state that a considerable part of the inquiries they receive from children are apparently prompted by their individual interests, and not suggested by the teacher. These inquiries relate chiefly to sports, mechanical occupations and pets. This paper is confined to the discussion of reference work connected with the schools.

LIBRARY FACILITIES

In selecting reference books for the purpose, certain familiar ones come at once to our minds. Beyond those there have been suggested: Chase and Clow's "Stories of Industry," "Information readers," Brown's "Manual of commerce," Boyd's "Triumphs and wonders of the 19th century," Patton's "Resources of the United States," Geographical readers, Youth's Companion geographical series, Spofford's "Library of historic characters," Larned's "History for ready reference," Ellis's "Youth's dictionary of mythology," Macomber's "Our authors and great inventors,"

Baldwin's "Fifty famous stories," "Riverside natural history,"

Wright's "Seaside and wayside," bound volumes of the Great Round World, and text-books on various subjects.

A dictionary catalog will be useful in teaching the child to look up subjects for himself. If a separate catalog is provided for children, the question arises whether it is wiser to follow closely the A. L. A. headings or to modify them where they differ from topics commonly asked for by children or used as headings in text-books. This question suggests also the advisability of a modified cla.s.sification for a children's library.

Last and not least, children should have room and service adapted to their needs, so that they may not constantly have to be put aside in deference to the rightful demands of adult readers.

So far as the writer knows, the Public Library of Boston was the first library to open a reference room expressly for children, well equipped and separate from the children's reading room or circulating department, and from the general reference department for adults.

CHOICE OF TOPICS

Many libraries report that they find the topics habitually well chosen. The gist of the criticisms is as follows:

(a) The teacher should make clear to the child just what he is to look up and how to ask for it. An eastern library furnishes this incident:

"I want a book about flowers."

"Do you want a special flower?"

"Yes, I want the rose."

A book on the cultivation of roses is handed her. Her companion, looking over, exclaims, "Why she wants the Wars of the roses!"

The same librarian was invited to provide something on American privileges; whether social, religious, political, or otherwise, the child did not know.

(b) The teacher should be reasonably sure that there is on the topic something in print, in usable shape, that can be gotten at with a reasonable amount of labor.

(c) The subject when found should be within the child's comprehension. The topic Gra.s.ses is manifestly unfit for children, since gra.s.ses are difficult to study, and the description of them in encyclopedias and botanies is too technical. An eight- year-old had to investigate the Abyssinian war. Pupils under 16 were a.s.signed the topic Syncretism in the later pagan movement. A western librarian was asked by some girls for Kipling's "Many inventions" and "Day's work." Both were out.

"Well, what other books of Kipling's on agriculture have you?"

"Why, Kipling hasn't written any books on agriculture; he writes stories and poems." "But we have to debate on whether agriculture or manufacturing has done more for the welfare of the country, and we want a book on both sides."

(d) The topic should be definite and not too broad, and should be subdivided when necessary. The briefest comprehensive description of Rome is probably that in Champlin's "Persons and places,"

where the six columns, already much condensed, would take more than an hour to copy. A young girl came to find out about Italian painters. None of the several encyclopedias treated them collectively under either Italy or Art. Mrs. Bolton's book of 10 artists includes four Italians, but it takes some time and skill to discover them, as the fact of their nationality does not introduce the narrative. How should a sixth grade pupil make a selection from the 60 painters in Mrs. Jameson's book? Three names were furnished by the librarian, and the child made notes from their biographies. The next day she returned and said she hadn't enough artists.

(e) The question should preferably be of such nature that the child can be helped to find it rather than be obliged to wait while the librarian does the work. One inquiry was, "What eastern plant is sometimes sold for its weight in gold?" This is not in the book of "Curious questions."

(f) The topic should be worth spending time upon. The genealogy of Ellen Douglas will hardly linger long in the average memory.

USE MADE OF THE MATERIAL BY THE CHILD