SUGGESTIONS FOR LIBRARY EXTENSION. By MISS MABEL M. REYNOLDS, Librarian State Normal School, Cheney, IV n. Prepared at the request of Mrs. Edna MacDonald Bonser, of the Education Committee, W vshington State Federation of IVomen's Clubs , June, 1904. OHv \ f Time was when a few scholarly people had ftbrari^ of their own, when occasionally in ancient cities were to be found collections of fine old books, which the men of fortune and of education might read and enjoy. Today many books abound, many libraries 4 are founded; yet everywhere is there need of library extension, is there need of more and * better reading. We learn from life, we learn ^ from books, of life, and, without books, we interpret what we learn from life but sadly, seeing so little ourselves first hand and then, only the life of a single generation. Intellects are informed, but more than all, spirits are enlightened through literature. The literature of knowledge is to help the world practically, materially; the literature of pow- er is to do more, it is to mold the character and make men live truly. The question is, How to bring to all the people the books that belong to them, how to beget an enthusiasm for books, how to teach wise selection and right use. * Today librarianship has become a science, ajnd people are specially trained for this work. They classify books so carefully that all ma- terial on the same subject is brought together; thev study reference books so thoroughly that i the seeker after knowledge is directed to the right thing with the shortest possible waste of time; they make it their business to know books, to know people; they spread this knowl- edge of books, this love of good literature, this passion to help humanity through opening to the people avenues of culture, of refinement and of education. The library forces in any community are the trained library staff, the library associations, the commissions and the organizers. All the people will not be reached, however, unless others help them. The library movement, to be a success, must have enlisted on its side the social forces in the field, the schools, the newspapers, the business men’s clubs, the women’s clubs, the Chautauqua cir- cles, the kindergartens, the churches, the Sun- day schools, the magazine, and the farmer’s institutes. Many a man has locked from him the lit- erature that would make him braver, happier, more ambitious, more useful, more fit to live, because in his youth the taste for reading was not acquired, or, if acquired then, was not fed later; he may have lacked books of his own; he may not have known how to get a public library, or a traveling library, or even a school library for his town ; he may have felt unfamiliar with the library atmosphere, and neglected to use the books when the library was established. Familiarity with libraries and books ought to come early in life if the people are to use the public library as their university. The child in the first grade should use the library and his knowledge and love of books should grow as he goes through the grades. The schools should give the opportunity for this book knowledge and outside the schools, the library forces should use the press and the platform and all their own resources of at- tractiveness to bring the people in. Library bulletins are full of ways and means. A detailed account is here given of the work done in our Normal School this year along these lines. This is followed by some added suggestions as to what may be done by the citizens of any community in begetting an in- terest in libraries. At the beginning of the year, each student, as he drew his text books, was given a type- written sheet of information about the library. The classification used, the Dewey Decimal, was briefly explained, also the method of charging books, the library’s mark of ownership, and the card index. During the year this has been followed up by instruction given to classes a series of ten lessons was given, two a wee usually, to the different classes, using some of the English time. Practical work was given in the chief ten classes of the decimal classifi- cation and in the distinguishing call numbers, in order that the pupils might have some idea of the great fields of knowledge, and also that they might return books to the shelves cor- rectly after using them. One class was given a diagram of the shelv- ing in our library room and . each shelf was examined to see what part of the wall space contained history, science, education, etc. The bookmarks of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission were used. The students learned the value of Who’s Who, Century Dictionary, International, Larned’s History for Ready Ref- erence and Reader’s Guide to Periodical Lit- erature, by looking up the names found on- the bookmarks, “Some heroes every one should know” and “Some things to read about.” At- tention was called to the best periodicals; the pedagogical library and museum were ex- amined ; the picture collections noticed and^ the collections of literature. One class resolved v itself into a town meeting, discussing the es* tablishment of a library. The county superin- f n I f tendent, the teacher, the mechanic, the club ^oman, the business man, the poor woman — Mrs. Wiggs, for instance — all gave their testi- mony as to the desirability of a library. New books were coming in for our library all the time and the students helped in the & mechanical preparation of these books for the shelves. They embossed them, put in pockets, * applied ammonia, put on labels, used shellac, 4 etc., working one or two periods a week at this. The history, literature and science teachers were constantly referring them to the re- sources of the library and it was felt that the course helped them to know just where to find material and something of the needful care in leaving it that others might find it. Teachers need to know books and libraries, not alone for the individual good they may get, but that they may help their pupils to know them and also that they may work as intelligent citizens, not only for school libraries, but for public libraries and traveling libraries, well. Accordingly, during the third term, Tjalf of the time assigned to school administra- tion and school economy was used in giving a J^brary course of twenty lessons. Nineteen students, members of the Senior and Elemen- tary classes, finished this course. The work covered these four heads : 1. Children’s books for general reading. 2. Supplementary reading and reference work for schools. 3. Broad library interests. 4. Library administration. The answers to one question asked in ex- amination indicate the character of the work to some extent. “What part of this course has been most helpful to you?” “Getting ac- quainted with books for children.” “Learn- ing about books and how to get lists. “How to use 1'ibrary reading books.” “Becoming ac- quainted with the best authors and illustrators will help me so much when I begin to teach.” “Discrimination, to a certain extent, of the likes and dislikes of pupils.” “Some definite ideas of library work and organization and of the books good for different grades.” “I think the plan to get children interested in books will do me more good when I go out to teach than anything else.” Our library of children’s books, of about 500 volumes, was much used by the class. Each member has helped in the loaning of books to the training school children and helped fo select for them; the books they returned each week were examined; the book reports given by the children each Friday were heard, and each student read two children’s books him- self, and reported on them to the class, or in the training school. Another question was stated in this way: “All people would work for public libraries and support them liberally did they realize their benefits; if you should be in a town working for a public library, what arguments would you use to make friends for the movement? What literature on the sub- ject would you like to see brought before the people in local papers and in clubs and at pub- lic meetings.” The answers are suggestive: “Have a lecture about the good libraries have done in other places.” “Get a traveling li- brary and another (a permanent public li- brary) will be wanted.” “Read books myself, talk them over with my friends and start a little club.” “Have some one who has seen successful work done, speak.” “Have articles in the local papers telling of the library move- ment.” “Use the National Educational Asso- ciation reports for material.” “Get material from the Library Commissions and reports of public libraries.” “Get the children interested and then the parents.” “Show books to the people.” “Get a good story teller to come and tell stories.” “Get the schools to know the benefits of a public library.” “Ladies ma.^ read books and then read or tell the stories to' boys of the neighborhood. They will tell other boys, etc.” As these answers show, the class heard and read a good deal along this line. The students examined over twenty good library lists and used them in making lists of books for themselves. Articles, hearing in some way on our subject, were found in the current numbers of St. Nicholas and World’s Work; Public Libraries, Dec.-March, contained much that was helpful. Mr. Dana’s article on the Newark (N. J.) Public Library is ecpecial- ly valuable. The Library Section of the N. E. A. Reports, 1896-1903, were^ reported on at length, the Cleveland “Open Shelf” and the Carnegie Library (Pittsburg) Bulletin used, and the article in our Normal Seminar for March was studied. All through the course, there was as much laboratory work as possible, reports, lists, special books, bulletins, library aids of all kinds, were placed before the stu- dents for them to study. The catalog of the* large, well equipped library was explained byi using a card catalog made at the University.^ of Illinois Library School, showing all the spe* cial cards, such as biography, bibliography, t subject, author, title. “See” and “See also.” L Pages, from an old copy of the A. L. A. catalog Lwere also used for this. We endeavored to [Keep in touch with the practice teachers by noting the books they were using for supple- mentary reading in their classes. The class made a reference list on George Washington the last of February. Each member of the class examined a book of collective biography and brought out on cards the names of the dif- ferent biografers and so practice was given in analyzing books, a very necessary thing for a teacher who has a small library to know. Pictures were cut from old magazines, sorted by subject and arranged in pamphlet cases; pages of some article removed from a magazine, not selected for binding, were sewed together by each member of the class, to show how usable reference material may be found. A talk was given on the making of books from the earliest times to the present, and book binding and ilustrations were each sub- jects of interest to us, for both of which we ^iad illustrative material. l Addresses were given of the places to get library aids and copies of Welsh’s “Right Read- ing* "or Children,” furnished us through the courtesy of D. C. Heath; Maxson bookmarks, kindly sent by the St. Nicholas ; Library League cards printed at the local newspaper office ; St. Nicholas League folders, distributed so gen- erously by that organization, were supplied to all members of the class. In a Normal School, the teachers usually refer classes, not to the subjects alone, but to the best books on the subject; in the method classes children’s books are recommended and all normal students get library help in this way. We were aided also by the friendly and co-operative attitude of the training school teachers. Twenty lessons is a very brief course, but we hope the library work will supplement the work of the training school, and of the depart- ments of history, literature, and science, in making of our students citizens who know the value of a library liberally supported ; that as teachers they may co-operate with all li- brary forces and make of their school libraries efficient aids in their work. There may be other citizens of Washington to whom such a course appeals. As incentives to library interest, besides the literature men- tioned in this paper, library enthusiasts may find material for proselyting in the books on the study and teaching of literature. Arnold, Corson, McMurry, Lowell, Scudder, Norton. Welsh, are on onr library shelves, and support the course right royally." There are a few pamphlets and articles especially to the point: Library Tracts, Nos. 1, 2 and 3, to be bought of Publishing Board of American Library As- sociation, Boston, for five cents each ; the titles are as follows: 1. “Why do we need a public library?” extracts from papers and addresses. 2. “How-to start a public library,” by Dr. Wire. 3. “Traveling libraries,” by Frank A. Hutchins of the Wis- consin Free Library Commission. Two small pamphlets sent at slight cost by the Wisconsin Commission, Madison, Wis. : “Influence of the village library,” by H. P. Bird, of Wauseukee, who gave a library to his village and knows whereof he speaks; “Free city library as a department of city government,” paper read by Mr. Hutchins at the League of Wisconsin Municipalities in 1902. An article by Mr. Crunden, Librarian of the St. Louis Public Library, in the Outlook for Feb. 28, 1903, on “The public library as a pay- ing investment,” may appeal to the practical business man. The friends of the library claim that ■ the people’s university and that money on the library itself, or on fitting people t books, and so making them able to enter university and use its equipment, is well s: As the state considers money spent for its : lie schools a good investment, why not m spent on bringing library facilities to people? The report of the State Librarian of Y ington for 1902, contains a statement in re ; to traveling libraries, applicable as we 1 village and city libraries. He says: we consider that the state expends (and v so), some $135,000.00 yearly (see last aj priation bill) at the University of Washin for the education of the small pereentag her population who attend this school, it not seem unreasonable that she encourage sending out of these cases of books, so tlia people of the state at large who have rece. buUa common school education, may, in a s. ; way, continue to educate themselves, th( pense to the state being almost nothing a compared with the above named sum.”