THE LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 4 By Anne T. Eaton Librarian, The Lincoln School Teachers College The Lincoln School of Teachers College 425 West 123rd Street • New York City 1923 Ex ICtbrts SEYMOUR DURST 1 FORT NEW AMSTERDAM (NEW YORK ) , 1651. 'When you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "Ever thing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned book." OLD YORK LIBRARY — OLD YORK FOUNDATION Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library THE LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY* By ANNE T. EATON Librarian, The Lincoln School, Teachers College The broader view of education which has led to changes in methods of teaching has also brought about the development of school libraries that take a very active and comprehensive part in the intellectual life of the school. Instruction is no longer carried on merely by means of text-books, but through the comparison of authorities, the consultation of sources, and the use of maps, pic- tures, lantern slides, and other illustrative materials. Here is one task of the library, difficult enough in itself; but there must be added to this the additional task of cultivating a taste for good literature and forming the reading habit. To fulfil its purpose, then, the school library must be a many-sided organization. For the high -school library definite standards have already been accepted. In 191 5, the library committee of the department of secondary education of the National Education Association was organized for the purpose of investigating conditions in school libraries. The committee, of which Mr. C. C. Certain was chairman, made a report on standard library organization and equipment for secondary schools of different sizes, which was accepted by the secondary department of the National Education Association and by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, and was published by the National Education Association and, in revised form, by the American Library Association. In this report certain specific recommendations are made with regard to housing, equipment, and amount of appropriation; and emphasis is laid on the necessity of employing a trained librarian. Similar standards will undoubtedly be adopted for the organization of libraries for the intermediate and elementary grades. In the meantime there is growing up another type of school library, of which the Lincoln School library is an example, which serves all the grades from I to XII. Housing and Equipment The housing and equipment of a library are very important fac- tors in its usefulness. The Lincoln School library is in the heart * Reprinted from Teachers College Record, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 (January, 1923). THE LINCOLN SCHOOL of the school, on the third floor of the five-story building. It occu- pies three rooms; in the middle is the main reading room, on one side a special library class room, and on the other the librarian's work room, which is also fitted with stacks for the storage of sup- plies and new books. The library class room is equipped with bulletin board, blackboard, shelves like those in the main room, and small tables that may be so placed as to make one large table. It is used for such group work as requires the use of library material for book talks, for lessons in the use of books, and for story hours. The main room has seats for fifteen per cent of the pupils in the school and shelves for about 5,000 books. One end is especially adapted to the use of elementary school pupils; the tables and chairs are lower, and the two upper shelves are covered by hinged bulletin boards, so that all books are within the reach of the smallest children. The bulletin boards thus provided, as well as two larger ones placed between the windows, are used for posting notices, for displaying pictures and book-lists, and for various matters of interest to the school. The radio division of the science club, for example, has been given the use of one of the boards for posting notices and radio news of general interest. The books are arranged by subject, according to the decimal classification. The general reference collection, however, is kept to- gether. The books used by the second and third grades are also placed together, at the children's end of the room, to make the selection of a book an easier matter. The equipment of the main room includes a card catalogue, a case for filing lantern slides, vertical files for pictures and informa- tion clippings, a magazine rack, and a display case — a combination of shelf and bulletin board which is very useful in attracting atten- tion to material bearing on special topics or matters of current interest. A glass-topped case is used for loan exhibitions of rare editions, science collections, works of art, or the work of the children. Housing and equipment are important, but the modern school library is distinguished from the library of the past by an advance of still greater significance. Not only are its books more wisely chosen and more adequately housed, but they are presided over by someone whose sole duty is to make the library felt as a constant force throughout the school, a person specifically trained to organize library material, to prepare books for the shelves, and to make the resources of the library available. Only upon such a foundation of LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 3 efficient organization can be brought about the accomplishment of such important results as the formation of good reading habits, the cultivation of a taste for good books, and cooperation with the work of all departments and grades. In order that such cooperation may be carried on at its best, there must be opportunity for the librarian to visit classes, to attend meetings of the staff and of students, to be present at assemblies, and in other ways to keep in constant touch with the activities of the school. The Lincoln School, there- fore, employs a trained librarian and a trained assistant librarian. The Work of the Library The Lincoln School library aims to do two things: first, to pro- vide a well-balanced collection of books for the use of pupils and teachers in class-room and laboratory work; second, to build up a collection of books for general reading, that will appeal to boys and girls of all ages and various tastes and will help them to develop the reading habit and a taste for good literature. A study of the con- tents of one thousand high-school libraries, by Mr. Glenn of the Lincoln School, has shown that in many cases the majority of the books in those libraries are for the use of the English and the history departments. 1 His study will undoubtedly lead to a more balanced distribution of books, and should encourage the cooperation of teachers of all subjects in building up the library. In the Lincoln School, books are ordered by the librarian after consultation with teachers whose acquaintance with books in their special fields is of the greatest benefit, while the supervision of the librarian forestalls the possibility of the collection becoming overbalanced in favor of any one department, or of its possessing too many duplicates. Besides the books more directly connected with the work of the class room, stress is laid on building up a collection of books for general reading, a collection which shall appeal to boys and girls of all ages and all tastes. There is a book which will appeal even to the boy who reads with difficulty and prefers to work with his hands, and he will read it when it is found and presented to him at the right time. Far more is accomplished, in the beginning at least, in the way of cultivating the reading habit by giving a pupil the book 1 Glenn, Earl R. "Past and Present Practice in High-School Library Book Selection from the Viewpoint of a Science Teacher." School Science and Mathematics, xxi: 217-237 (March, 1921). Also in The Library Journal, xlvi: 247-251, 297-300 (March 15 and April 1, 1921). 4 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL which he will read even if it is not of the highest type, than by forcing upon him the classic in which he has no interest. The book tastes of the boy who said the three things he liked best were, "wres- tling, roast beef, and reading books/' must be satisfied as well as those of the pupil who would put reading first on his list. In this selection of books for individual children the English department of the high school and the library work together. There is also close cooperation between the library and the teachers in the elementary school. The Lincoln School makes use of the library very early in the child's school life. There are books in the grade rooms, as is neces- sary, but as soon as the children are ready for it, they go to the library, have their own cards, and thus feel that they are indi- vidual users of the library. For some children this use of the library begins as early as the second half of the second year in school, for others not until the third year; in every case it is determined by indi- vidual need and capacity. To send pupils to the library would be undesirable without very close cooperation between teacher and librarian. Both must know the children and the books. The child's selection of a book is made an individual activity, and then if, after all, the book which is taken back to the class room is the wrong book for the pupil at that time, the teacher discovers it and suggests a change. If the teacher thinks of the right book she sends word to the library ; if the librarian discovers a book which seems the correct one for a certain pupil or for a group of pupils, she brings it to the attention of the teacher. In this way the supervision of a pupil's reading is almost as close as though the entire class were given the same book to read in the class room, and it is much more interesting for all. This chance for individual choice within the limits of the books which can be properly read, provides a better opportunity for promoting a taste for the best in literature than does the method of giving each one the same "best thing" to read. The "best thing" is not the same for all of us; one child may eagerly devour Robinson Crusoe, another of the same age may greatly prefer the Arabian Nights, or the same child may want Robinson Crusoe one week and the Arabian Nights the next. If he is given each one according to his inclination he will like both instead of being prejudiced against a good book because it is presented to him at the wrong time. Taste is formed by giving a child the beautiful thing in literature, and giv- ing it at a time suitable for his age. We must remember, too, that LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 5 not everything which a pupil needs is, or can be truly literature. We must see to it, of course, that everything read is written in good English, but for some the informational book and the book about everyday life and everyday people must be used early, and this type of book, as a rule, is not literature. Those persons must not be allowed to use this type of book altogether, but as their skill increases, they should have the experience of imaginative literature as well. A school with a library has an advantage over schools which can furnish only a list of titles to be read because it can supply the individual experience of choosing a book, under supervision, but supervision with friendly interest and companionship. The school library can offer a varied selection for different types of children and this should make them real lovers and users of books. Annotated book lists are made by the librarian, with the coopera- tion of the teachers, to call attention to certain groups of books of special or timely interest. For instance, for a history class a list of such historical stories as Pyle's Men of Iron and Otto of the Silver Hand, Marshall's Cedric the Forester, Lamprey's Days of the Guild has been compiled; or for a fifth grade interested in the Odyssey the following have been suggested : Baldwin's Golden Age, Peabody's Old Greek Folk Stories, Hutchinson's Orpheus and His Lute, Buckley's Children of the Dawn, Kingsley's Greek Heroes, Hawthorne's Won- derbook and Tanglewood Tales, Colum's The Children's Homer, and McGregor's Story of Greece. Lists of books suggested for summer reading are also made. Another function of the school library is to teach the use of books as tools. A university president has said, "Instruction and guid- ance in the use of the library would be about as important a course of instruction as the American student could possibly have given him." The knowledge of how to find material on a special topic by using the card catalogue and the indexes to the magazines, and of how to make an accurate and usable bibliography or list of references will save much time for college students, and will help to make the pupils who never go to college intelligent users of books and of the public library. The greater part of the instruction in the use of books and the library is given, in the Lincoln School, during the seventh, eighth, and ninth years. For several reasons this seems the most favorable time; the program is not so heavy as in the senior high school, and, even more important, the interest is very much keener. Since these 6 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL lessons are more effective if they are aimed at accomplishing an immediate end, they are connected as closely as possible with the work in various classes. For example, a series of ten lessons has been given to the seventh grade in connection with geography, in periods conducted by the geography teacher. The class met in the library but the teaching was done jointly by the geography teacher and librarian. When the librarian explained to the class a certain reference book, the geography teacher brought out its value with reference to specific work the class was doing at that time. The children were first given a lesson on the printed parts of a book, — table of contents, index, etc. They put their knowledge into practice by using the index to find what information about the products of France there was in the books available. Later, after the class had been shown the proper form of entry, these references were combined into a bibliography. The meaning and importance of the copyright date were brought home by asking the class to decide which book of those they had examined contained the most up-to-date material. After using books like Allen's Europe, and J. R. Smith's Commerce and Industry, they learned how they could supplement this material by such reference books as Mawson's Geographical Manual, the World Almanac, and the Statesman' s Yearbook. After they had learned to use the individual books readily, they were shown the arrange- ment of books on the shelves; that is, how the books are grouped by subjects. Then the use of the card catalogue was explained to them ; they learned how they could find what books the library had on a certain subject, what books by a certain author were in the library, and whether the library had a book with a certain title. Several pupils then went to the catalogue in turn, the first finding the group of cards which represented the books or parts of books on Italy, the others reading off the references by author, title, and call number. The class made a list of the titles as they were read, and other children went to the shelves to find the books. A trip made by the class to the public library, accompanied by geography teacher and librarian, showed them that the process of looking up a topic there is the same, in principle, as in their own library, and helped to fix these lessons in their minds. Finally, instead of undergoing a formal test, the class spent a period in the library putting into practice the knowledge they had gained, by looking up independently their next topic in geography. This series of lessons has also been taught in connection with a seventh-grade history course. LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 7 The eighth grade is given a series of lessons in general like the following, although often modified according to the special needs of the class. I. Review: Printed parts of a book, arrangement of books on the shelves, card catalogue. 2-3. Dictionaries. 4. Encyclopedia and other general reference books. 5-6. Special reference books, e. g., Chambers' Book of Days, the Encyclopedia of Foods and Beverages, Scientific American Cyclopedia of Formulas, Century Dictionary of Names, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, etc. 7. Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. 8. Review. 9. Written review. At the end of these lessons the pupils have been found capable of answering a written test consisting of the following or similar questions. Written Lesson 1. What information about a word will a dictionary give you? Name three large dictionaries you have used. 2. What is the copyright date of a book? Why is it important to notice the copy- right date? 3. What is the difference between an index and a table of contents? When would the index help you most? When would the table of contents help you most? 4. If you wanted to read a magazine article on the gyroscope how would you go to work to find it? 5. What three questions does the card catalogue answer? 6. In what reference books would you look to find the following: a. Total wheat production of the United States in 1905, 1910, 1915. b. Something about old English Christmas customs. c. The price of coal in the United States in 19 17. d. The author of the quotation, "The mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel." e. A recipe for making glue. f. When Mr. William McAdoo was born and his present address. g. The area and population of Australia. One period during the seventh or eighth year is given to an exercise, conducted by the household arts teacher and the librarian together, to help in familiarizing the pupils with the books related to household arts. The books are placed on tables and, after the teacher has briefly described and shown them to the class, slips are distributed, each one with a question. The children then look over the books, select those they think most likely to give them the in- formation, try to find the answer to the question on their slip, and, 8 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL if successful, make a record of the volume and page where it was found. The industrial arts teacher and the librarian have cooperated in showing classes how to list references to the books which they use in connection with their shop work. The ninth grade has been given talks on general magazines by the librarian, and on technical and scientific magazines by the science teachers ; more detailed instruction on the use of magazine indexes, and practice in the making of a bibliography. This latter part of the work was done in cooperation with the biology teacher. After a lesson showing what a bibliography is and how to make one, the class used one or two periods in looking up references on their indi- vidual topics in the library, with the help of the librarian and the teacher; the bibliographies, when finished, were handed in to the librarian for criticism of their form and accuracy. The following are examples of bibliographies made by ninth-grade pupils. They are here given just as they were handed in by the pupils. Bibliography on Corn (Maize) [. Brooks, Eugene Clyde. The Story of Corn and the Westward Migration. Rand, McNally and Company, 1916. 2. Crissey, Forrest. The Story of Foods, Chapter 4, Other Grains, pages 60-77. Rand, McNally and Company. 1917. 3. Finch, V. C. and Baker, O. E. Geography of the World's Agriculture, Corn, pages 29-34. Washington, Government Printing Office. 1917. 4. Smith, J. Russell. The World's Food Resources, Chapter 5, Corn and its Sub- stitutes, pages 107-137. Henry Holt and Company, 1919. 5. Ward, Artemas. The Encyclopedia of Foods and Beverages, Corn, pages 191-93, 191 1- 6. The World Almanac and Encyclopedia. Wheat and Corn Crops in the United States, page 322, The World. 1920. Bibliography on Sugar Cane Carpenter, F. G. Cane Sugar (see his "How the World is Fed", page 328-337, 1907) Published by the American Book Company. Chamberlain, James F. Cane Sugar (see his, "How We Are Fed", page 77-83, 191 7) Published by The Macmillan Company. Crissey, Forrest. Cane Sugar (see his "The Story of Foods", page 428-434, 1917) Published by Rand, McNally and Company. Warner Sugar Refining Company (see their "From Sugar Cane to Sugar Bowl" 1916) Published by Warner Sugar Refining Company. In periods allotted to the social studies, the ninth-grade children are made acquainted with some of the many government publica- tions which are of use in everyday life, and are shown how they may be obtained. LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 9 Additional lessons on the use of books and the library are given in the senior high school. During the first-year chemistry course, for example, two more lessons on making a bibliography are given, in order to help the pupils in preparing a more elaborate bibliography for their chemistry report. The following is an example of these tenth-grade bibliographies. Mercury Condensed Chemical Dictionary. New York. Chemical Catalog. 1919. p. 316-17. Ford, W. E. Mercury (see Dana's Manual of Mineralogy. London. Wiley. 1912. p. 321) Gratacap, L. P. Mercury (see his Popular Guide to Minerals.' New York. Van Nostrand. p. 116) Leighton, R. B. Mercury (see his Chemistry of Materials. New York. McGraw. 191 7. p. 161) McPherson, W. and Henderson, W. E. Mercury (see First Course in Chemistry Ginn. Boston. 1915. p. 362-63) Mineral Industry, The. New York. McGraw. 1919. p. 629-38. Rogers, Allen. Mercury (see his Manual of Industrial Chemistry. New York. Van Nostrand. 1912. p. 235) U. S. Geological Survey Mercury, (see U. S. Geological Survey. Useful Minerals of U. S. Bulletin 624, 1917. p. 384) U. S. Geological Survey Quicksilver (see U. S. Geological Survey. Mineral Resources of the U. S. 1916. v. 1, p. 757-73) World Almanac Mercury. New York. Press. 1922. p. 125-26. World Book, The Mercury. Quarrie. Chicago. 192 1. v. 6. p. 37-42. In the elementary school, instruction in the use of books and the library has been largely individual, but even children in the second grade use the library to look up simple reference questions, teacher and librarian cooperating, so that the librarian knows beforehand what topics are to be called for. Letters written by pupils are sent to the librarian, who after consulting with the teacher is able to provide material that the children can use. Thus they not only have 10 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL the experience of finding answers to their questions but are im- pressed with the fact that the library is a place where they can "find out things." Specimens of letters written by third-grade pupils follow : Will you please give me a book that would tell about making a syphon? I would like to know whether animals in an aquarium should be fed; and how many times a week they should be fed. I want to find out how the dragon-fly nymphs turn into dragon-flies. ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL During the school year 1921-22 the Lincoln School library circu- lated to teachers for class use and to individual pupils, 1244 pic- tures on 142 different subjects. These pictures are kept unmounted in manila folders, arranged alphabetically by subjects, in a vertical file. When loaned for class use they are placed in celluloid picture holders. This saves time in mounting, space in storing, and has the added advantage of protecting valuable prints and photographs. The pictures in the Lincoln School picture collection, w r hich con- tains approximately 12,000 pictures on more than 250 different subjects, have been obtained from many different sources and range from a set of rare and valuable photographs of Lincoln to pictures clipped from old magazines, railroad folders, and trade pamphlets. Such booklets as "Paper Making" (Hampshire Paper Co.) and "From Sugar Cane to Sugar Bowl" (Warner Sugar Refining Co.) furnish valuable material for this collection. The stereoscope pictures and slides owned by the school are listed and stored in the library, and circulated from it. The Pupils and the Library The following figures give some idea of the use made of the library by the three hundred pupils and teachers during the school year, 1921-22: Books circulated for home reading and study. .5,442 Books circulated for use in the building i>746 An actual count was made of 526 reference questions looked up in the library by pupils and teachers. These figures, however, do not by any means indicate completely and accurately the use made of the library for reference, but only the number of times the librarian was asked for help and advice. Every year there is an increasing LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY II number of students who are able to use reference books by them- selves, who consult the Reader s Guide to Periodical Literature, the Statesman's Yearbook, the Cyclopedia of American Government, etc. without having to ask for help. The following is the record of the questions looked up in the library, during one day selected at random. Life of Alfred Noyes I2th-grade pupil Monticello 8th-grade pupil Birches, by Robert Frost Teacher How long did Henry the VIII reign? 6th-grade pupil Identification of whelk's egg 3rd-grade pupil Identification of skate's egg 3rd-grade pupil Some of the causes of dreams 7th-grade pupil Sir Robert Home's proposal ioth-grade pupil The Sevres Treaty ioth-grade pupil The "Iron Age" — when and what it was 5th-grade pupil How an Eskimo snow hut is built 2nd-grade pupil Wireless (theory) I2th-grade pupil Cause of financial panics 9th-grade pupil Where aluminum is found ioth-grade pupil How gold is mined ioth-grade pupil Citizenship requirements for New York State 9th-grade pupil Plan of an Homeric house Teacher Cocoanut palms (pictures) 3rd-grade pupil Radioactivity ioth-grade pupil Panic prevention ioth-grade pupil Pictures and other illustrative material are not always taken out for use in the class room, but are brought together in various ways in the library for consultation there. For example, when a seventh- grade history class was studying the medieval castle, material was collected to aid the class in drawing a plan of a castle and then in planning its assault and defense. This material, arranged on the display rack, consisted of books like Tappan's When Knights Were Bold, Quennell's Everyday Things in England, historical stories such as Pyle's Men of Iron and Otto of the Silver Hand, Marshall's Cedric the Forester, Longman's historical illustrations, and other pictures illustrating castles, sieges, and attacks. Later, pictures illustrating costumes, armor, and life in the middle ages were added. The librarian was present at the class period when the plans of attack and defense were explained, and helped in deciding which side won. ^ During the last week before the close of school the out-door books 12 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL on the list for summer reading and for use in making summer col- lections were placed on tables in the library class room. Plates illustrating insect, plant, and animal life, and United States geologi- cal survey topographic maps were displayed on the bulletin board, and the children were given an opportunity to look over the books and discuss them with teachers and librarian. At one time books of poetry were brought together for the sixth grade, and the libra- rian read aloud to them during an informal poetry hour. At another time, books, poems, and pictures illustrating the life and times of King John and Richard I helped the sixth grade to acquire a his- torical background for their ballad study. Round-table discussions or conferences have been held by the librarian and teachers with the different grades in the elementary school to discuss books already read or to suggest books for further reading. In the case of children who need to be encouraged to read, enthusiastic accounts of favorite books act as an incentive. The children take part in these discussions with enthusiasm. At the beginning of the year the librarian meets with each class in the ele- mentary school to show to them and talk over with them the books that they may like to read during the year. In the case of the second grade this is done during the second half of the year, when at least a portion of the class is ready to use the library. STORY HOURS Stories are told by the librarian or assistant librarian at the time and on the subject requested by the teachers as, for example, Hal- lowe'en stories, May Day stories, a Greek myth, or the story of Joseph, this last to the second grade when they were making a study of food. In the case of the older children these stories may be directly connected with books suggested for reading. In the lower grades they form a point of contact and help the younger children to feel that they, too, have a share in the school library. In one case when a second grade asked for a Spring story, the children's own poems and stories were used in a setting provided by the librarian, so that the result was a sort of group product. ASSEMBLIES Assemblies in the library, showing how it is used by different grades, have proved useful, not only for arousing interest in reading, but for promoting the care of books and library property. Full LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 13 accounts of two elementary school assemblies on the library are given on pages 38-52 of Some Uses of School Assemblies, a booklet published by the Lincoln School. In the first, after an introduction by the librarian, representatives from every grade from the first to the sixth, explained one or more ways in which their grade had made use of the library. For example Charlotte of Grade II and Fred of Grade III explained respectively as follows: One day we all went up to the library. We sat around Miss Eaton's desk and Miss Eaton told us a story of the little lame prince, how he had been shut up in a tower and couldn't see anybody and nobody could see him, and one day a fairy godmother came into the tower and brought him a magic travelling cloak, and she said he could sit on the travelling cloak and wish where he wanted to go and it would take him where he wished. After that Miss Eaton told us that we have a magic travelling cloak, just as much as the little lame prince had and what do you suppose that is? They are books. All over Miss Eaton's desk she had selected books which she thought the second grade could read and we have been deciding where we wanted to go and they have taken us all over the world. This is another way we use the library. Augustus had finished his battleship. He asked Miss Curtis to guess what he wanted to do. Miss Curtis asked, "What?" Augustus said, "I am going to put my ship in full dress." That means with all the flags flying as they came into harbour a few days ago. Miss Curtis said, "What flags do ships fly?" Augustus said, "I don't know." Miss Curtis asked where you can find out and Augustus said, "I don't know." Miss Curtis said, "You go to the library to find out things like that." He came in very early one morning. He went up to the library and came down with this book, Flags of the World. It tells you about all the flags of the navy. And that is another way we use the library for any information. In the second assembly a "Shelf of Books" was represented. Each grade selected one or more books and children from each grade in costume represented the book or books selected. Another group of children, representing readers in the library and the libra- rian in person, talked about the books on the shelf. The second half of the program emphasized the importance of taking care of books ; the sixth grade told of the different processes which go to the making of a book; the fifth grade showed by lists and charts the increasing cost of books; the fourth grade explained certain careless ways of treating books, which damage them and destroy the pleasure of other readers. The material used in their talks was suggested and worked out by the children themselves. There follow some of the children's letters written to the librarian after the assembly. Each paragraph is a separate letter. I want to thank you for making this assembly so nice. I appreciate the trouble you have taken to make it so very nice. The part I liked best was the part that 14 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL was spoken last. I think it best shows what kind of a spirit one must have toward books. The assembly was lovely. I liked the bookshelf about the best thing we had. I will never ill treat a book again. I think that if you had an assembly like that every year for the new children so that they would know how to use library books. I think the library asembly was a very good thing. I enjoyed it very much I think everybody enjoyed it too. I enjoyed being Tom Sawyer. Every one who acted, acted very well I think. You acted very well too. I just loved that assembly about the books. I liked the part where John Cross told just a part of Robin Hood. I liked the way it was fixed up. I loved the assembly. I like it because it showed me how to take care of a book. I liked the Shelf of Books very much and the Picture Book, too. I would like to read Donkey John of the Toy V alley. I appreciated the assembly that you helped us give. I am sure everybody en- joyed it. The books gave me an idea of which one I would like to take. I hope we have another assembly because it reminds you of how you should treat a book. I am sure that I will try my best to take good care of all the books that come in my hands. I did not expect the assembly to be so nice and I am sure you took a lot of trouble to make it so good. Of all the books mentioned I liked Treasure Island. I will appreciate the value of books very much more. Suggestions for a third library assembly were asked for from the grades through the elementary school library committee, made up of representatives from Grades II to VI, and the result was the following play written by Janet, a sixth-grade girl. Emma: Oh, dear, I wish it wouldn't rain. I wanted to go to the Park this after- noon! {Enter Elizabeth.) Elizabeth: I think it's mean! Listen, Emmy, Miss Girardi just said that mother telephoned that we will have to wait here for her until the rain stops! Emma: Oh, of all the poky places to stay! I so wanted to go to the Park to play with Mary and Edna! Elizabeth: I know, its perfectly horrid, but come on, here's a picture book for you, and I'll try to get interested in that book they all think so wonderful, Tom Sawyer. (As Elizabeth speaks she hands Emma a picture book, which she picks up from the table, and she herself goes to the shelves and gets a copy of Tom Sawyer. Gradually the light gets fainter and fainter, and, finally, the children fall asleep. A Dream in the Library characters SCENE Emma, a little girl six years old. Elizabeth, her older sister. Miss Eaton, the librarian. Two children from each grade, each child representing a favorite book from his grade. The school library. A little girl about six years old, Emma, is wan- dering around, occasionally looking out of the window into the fast falling rain. (Miss Eaton is not in the library when the play starts.) LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 15 When they are asleep, twelve children, two from every grade, dressed each as a character of a favorite book of each of the six grades, enter. The characters dance around and talk as they would in the books. This part must be worked up by the grades, as they will have to choose the books, and the people who will have to act the parts of the books. After the dance and talk is over, the characters disappear, and the light gradually returns. The children then awake. They talk about what they have just dreamt. This dialogue cannot be worked up until the grades have chosen the books they are going to act.) Emma: Oh, I'll never call the library a poky place again. I think it's wonderful! Elizabeth: Yes, I certainly do want to know more about these lovely books! (Enter Miss Eaton, hurriedly, with a book under each arm. The children rush up to her and ask if they cannot take out the books they have been dreaming about.) Elizabeth: Oh, Miss Eaton, is the library open on Saturdays? I'm sure I'd much rather come here than go to the theatre! Wouldn't you, Emma? Emma: Yes, I would. Miss Eaton . . . (Miss Eaton here ends the play with her answer and some message to the audience, which she herself may wish to compose.) [Curtain] This was presented substantially as written and was worked out almost entirely unaided by the children themselves, each grade, as suggested, selecting the books they wished to represent, the characters to represent them, and arranging the dialogue and conversation. The Peterkin Family writing a book, Robinson Crusoe lamenting his solitude, a Knight of the Round Table taking the oath of allegiance, Jo from Little Women writing in her journal, Hoppity and Tippety from Katharine Pyle's Tales of Two Bun- nies, Wallace and his henchman from the Scottish Chiefs, and others were enthusiastically received by the audience. BOOK REPORTS Children in all the grades beginning with the second have been encouraged to write, on large cards specially prepared for the pur- pose, brief reports on the books they have read. In the second grade, and sometimes in the third, these reports are dictated. Care must always be taken of course to avoid making these reports too much of a task and thus discourage reading. The librarian meets the different classes early in the school year and talks these reports over with them, trying to make the pupils feel that the reports have a real use and purpose in helping other boys and girls to select their books, and in helping the librarian to know what boys and girls 16 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL like. What the report should consist of is discussed; whether, for example, it should tell all the story or only enough to arouse a possible reader's interest. The cards are kept filed in the library and the children consult them freely. The following are examples of reports dictated or written by children in Grades II to X. There has never been any difficulty in obtaining genuine expressions of opinion, for no child is made to feel that he is required to write a favorable report if he does not like the book. Carrick, Yalery. Russian Picture Tales. The lame duck was one of the very best stories. It had very nice pictures in the book, too. There was a man and a woman who wanted to find mushrooms and found a nest with a lame duck. They took the duck home. They kept the duck and if you read the story you'll find out how the duck helped them. Anne. Second Grade. (Dictated) Pyle, Katharine. Six Little Ducklings. I liked the book better than any book I've had. I liked it especially at the end. The ducklings did everything their mother told them not to do. They lived in a hollow tree by a river. Squdge was a boy and he was the one who always started the mischief. Cecilia. Second Grade. (Dictated) Turner, Nancy Byrd. Zodiac Town. I liked the book very much. It was about a little girl and boy named Amos and Ann and they ran away from home because they did not like to study the poem they were reading. The book is about a calendar. Now I think I won't tell you any more about the book because you won't want to read the book. Virginia. Third Grade. Schwatka, Frederick. The Children of the Cold. I do not think it is very good because it only tells about the Eskimo in general. I do not like books about Eskimo when they tell about the Eskimo in general. I did not read it through but I am going to get it again. Hilgard. Grade Three. (Teacher's note — Hilgard means he would rather have a book about a character with a name.) Jacobs, Joseph. Celtic Fairy Tales. I think it is a very nice book. The reason why I got it was because I heard the person that had it before I did say what she thought about it. I thought I would read it so I did. Peter. Third Grade. Craik, Mrs. D. M. The Little Lame Prince. This book is about a little prince. His name was Prince Dolor. It is not a true story, it is a fairy story. I liked it very much. (It was a little hard for me but very nice.) He was shut up in a tower all alone with a nurse. But he went on trips by means of a travelling cloak his godmother gave him. Walter. Fourth Grade. LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 17 Macdonald, George. At the Back of the North Wind. I did not like it at all. It was too much of a fairy story. It tells how he and the North Wind go on many adventures far, far away. David. Fourth Grade. Crump, Irving. The Boy's Book of Policemen. This book is very interesting. It tells about the policemen of New York and how they do their work. The part I liked best is the chapter about the motor cycle policemen. This is true and teaches you some things. Hermann. Fourth Grade. Hale, Lucretia P. The Peterkin Papers. I liked it very much. It is a very ridiculous book. The part I liked best was when the Peterkin family wanted a telegram boy. It is not a book for information. David. Fourth Grade. Bostock, Frank. The Training of W T ild Animals. The book is very interesting because it tells about wild animals and their ways in captivity. It tells experiences that trainers have had. In one instance a lion escapes from a cage and gets down the sewer and I leave it to you to find out what happened. Billy. Fifth Grade. Grenfell, W 7 ilfred T. Adrift on an Ice Pan. This book is about how Dr Grenfell went to take care of a sick boy, and he had to cross a lot of ice with his dog team before he could get there. When he was in the middle the ice broke into lots of small pieces. The book is about what happened when the ice broke and how he was rescued. I liked the book. I think you would. Lawrence. Sixth Grade. Grahame, Kenneth. The Wind in the Willows. I think this is about the best book I have read this year, next to the "Call of the Wild" and "White Fang." These books and the "Wind in the Willows" are all about animals. I love animal stories. The animals that we meet the most in this book are a little mole, who is timid at first after he comes out of his underground home into the open, but who grows into a very daring fellow, a kindly water rat, into whose home the mole strays, a toad whose fads change every little while; and a badger who lives in the W 7 ild Wood, and is a very imperious fellow. The reason I liked the book so much was that it gave such intimate touches of animal life. Janet. Sixth Grade. Kipling, Rudyard. Captains Courageous. The story of a multi-millionaire's son who falls off a European steamer and is saved by a fishing boat. This is really the making of the boy. William. Seventh Grade. Mitchell, S. Weir. The Adventures of Francois. An adventure story of an orphan during the French Revolution. He gets into some very tight scrapes. John. Eighth Grade. Beebe, William. Jungle Peace. A wonderful story of the Jungle. A wonderful description of natural things in the Jungle. You can just imagine yourself there. William. Ninth Grade. 18 THE LINCOLN SCHOOL Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. A thrilling delightful story. You don't have to work to get into it. It starts with an escaped convict asking admission to a very good and saintly priest's house. The priest gladly lets him in, giving him supper and a soft bed. But — during the night — ah, don't guess — find out! Elizabeth. Tenth Grade. In a class discussion with the teacher the following criticisms were made by a fourth grade on their own book reports. It is not necessary to say "I like it" as well as "It is interesting." Many of the reviews would not help a person who is a stranger to the book to know whether he wishes to read it or not . The review should tell the part you liked. It should tell why you liked it. It should give only important points. SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE LIBRARY AND LIBRARY COMMITTEES The Lincoln School feels that the use of the library, involving as it does, the care of books, promptness in returning them, and courtesy in the reading room, is an important factor in cultivating responsibility, consideration for others, and regard for property. An attempt is made to develop the right attitude toward the library by encouraging pupils to feel pride and responsibility rather than by making formal rules. The library is a place for consulting reference books and magazines, for doing assigned reading, and for recreation; the atmosphere is neither that of a study hall, nor that of a room used for unrestrained conversation and recreation, but one of quiet freedom, which does not interfere with the rights of others. Library committees in both high school and elementary school help the librarian to deal with carelessness in using books and with inconsiderate behavior in the reading room, and in preparing library assemblies. The high-school committee consists of three members appointed by the high-school council; the elementary school committee is made up of two members from each grade, from the second to the sixth, appointed by the teacher or chosen by the class. The librarian is a member of both committees. The following is a report made by the elementary school library com- mittee to the elementary school council in June, 1922. Report of the Library Committee The library committee consists of two children from each grade, from the second to the sixth grade. LINCOLN SCHOOL LIBRARY 19 The committee had meetings during the year. At one meeting the committee thought they could make suggestions as to how people could keep the library a place where you would like to read and work. These suggestions were written down and were to be printed on book marks, but the moving interfered, and we think we will do it next year. Toward the end of the year we thought it would be nice to give a Library Assembly to interest people in the library and to show peo- ple how to use it. We asked the different grades for suggestions. A suggestion came from the sixth grade to give a little play. The sixth grade made some posters to show people how to care for books and the library. It also made the scenery for the play. Signed: Katharine Kiehl, Chairman. The "suggestions" for use of the library follow: How to Use the Library We need quiet and order for working and reading in the library, therefore 1. Come in and out quietly. 2. Do not read aloud. 3. If it is necessary to say more than a few words go outside the library. 4. Books like dictionaries and encyclopedias should be replaced on the shelves after you have used them. 5. Books should be returned promptly on the date stamped on the back of the book, or before. 6. Books should be returned in just as good condition as when they are taken out. 7. Chairs should be left in place. The posters spoken of served as a means of connecting the library and the work of the art department. Art teacher, grade teacher, and librarian met with the sixth grade and discussed the various ways in which the library should be used and books treated. The class then made suggestions for posters which would call attention to overdue books, careless treatment of books, untidy library shelves, etc. Each child worked out his own idea and the completed posters were used in library and class rooms. Whenever possible the library tries to cooperate with the dif- ferent organizations in the school. For example, some of the Girl Scouts have done their "community service" by putting away books and pasting book pockets. The Boy Scouts have helped in tying up magazines to be sent to the bindery and in doing errands. More important than the actual help received, is the opportunity for en- couraging a feeling of library citizenship.