登陆注册
15365500000049

第49章 LIBRARY MEMBERSHIP AS A CIVIC FORCE(4)

3.In dealing with large numbers of children of foreign parentage it is evident that we need to define their relationship to the library more clearly than we have done as yet.Quite frequently they do not distinguish between the building and the books and refer to the latter as "taking libraries".Now "taking a library"home is a very different matter from playing a part in the life of a civic institution and the parents as well as the boys and girls are quick to feel a difference which they are not always able to express in words.Quite early in my experience this was brought home to me by a visit from the mother of a Jewish boy who had been coming to the children's room for about a year.She came on a busy Saturday afternoon and after looking about the room seated herself near the desk while the boy selected his books.As Leopold always tested the interest of several books before committing himself to a choice the visit lasted the entire afternoon.When they were ready to go she explained why she had come.She had been curious to discover for herself,she said,what it was Leopold got from the Library that made him so much easier to get on with at home.He had grown more thoughtful of his younger brothers and sisters,more careful of his books and other belongings and more considerate of his mother."I wouldn't have him know the difference I see,"she continued,"but he told me you were always asking him to bring me here and I made up my mind to come and see for myself and I have.

"These children are learning how to BEHAVE in PUBLIC as well as how to choose good books and I think it comes from the feeling they have of belonging to the Library,and being treated in the way they like,whether they are as young as my Simon,who is six years old,or as old as Leopold,who will be fourteen next month.

If they were all boys of Leopold's age it would be the same as it is at school;but having the younger ones here makes it more as it is at home."Should it not be the plan and purpose of a children's room to make every boy and girl feel at home there from the moment of signing an application blank?Forms of application blanks and the manner of registration differ in nearly every library.Whatever form is used,personal explanation is always essential and it does not seem worth while to advocate a simplified form for the use of children.I believe there are very decided advantages in a system of registration which requires the children to write their own names in a book.The impression made upon their memories is distinctly different and more binding than that made by writing the name on a slip of paper and has frequently been of great service in cases of discipline as the signature is headed by a reminder of obligations:

"When I write my name in this book I promise to take good care of all the books I read in the Library and of those I take home and to obey the rules of the Library."Such a method of registration is not impractical,even in a large library provided the work is carefully planned to admit of it.

Recent inquiries and investigation show very convincingly that a large proportion of parents,both foreign born and American,and a considerable number of educators,social workers and persons connected with libraries in England and in this country,have exceedingly hazy ideas respecting the work public libraries are doing for children.The issue of an admirable illustrated hand book on "The Work of the Cleveland public library with children"and the means used to reach them,should make clear to the latter whatever has seemed vague or indefinite in the work.

But there are many parents in large cities and in manufacturing towns,who cannot be induced to visit libraries and see for themselves as Leopold's mother did,and they are frequently averse to having their children go to a place they know nothing about,believing that they are being drawn away from their school tasks by the mere reading of story books.How is it possible to stimulate their curiosity and interest to the point of making a Library seem desirable and even necessary in the education of their children to become citizens and wage earners?Printed explanations and rules issued by libraries are either not read or not understood by the majority of persons to whom they are addressed.There is something very deadening to the person of average intelligence about most printed explanations of library work.Pictures which bring the work before people from the human side might be more successful and I wish to submit an outline for a pictorial folder designed to accompany an application blank to the home of an Italian child.

同类推荐
  • Wolfville

    Wolfville

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 七千佛神符经

    七千佛神符经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 唐玄宗御注道德真经

    唐玄宗御注道德真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 即休契了禅师拾遗集

    即休契了禅师拾遗集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 六祖坛经

    六祖坛经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 纯情在校园

    纯情在校园

    之前强者决,之后风云起。人类的崛起?人类的堕落?普通的生命,不同的人生。双胞胎兄妹,默默校园中。
  • 古武乱世

    古武乱世

    古武学,一种突破人体极限的武学。一个普通的叛逆少年,掀起一段属于他跟他分身闯三界的故事——————————————————他叫做“欧轩”绰号:银发——————————————————我已创建了百度贴吧,欢迎大家的加入!!
  • 千金重生,异能暗黑女王

    千金重生,异能暗黑女王

    前世为孤儿,偶然被好闺蜜顶替千金身份,重回豪门尽招白眼讽刺,身为亲身千金,却不如误认的闺蜜,亲手被闺蜜推入地狱,竟得重生,获得异能,拽霸上天,定不会活的此番痛苦,你爱装白莲花,我比你更会装,必将当年的痛苦全部施加在你身上,我是黑暗的统治者,只是,那神秘的男子莫名其妙的话有何意思,自己到底是谁?身负使命,到底该何去何从?
  • 重生之转世皇者

    重生之转世皇者

    秦天宇身为转世龙皇,却因一怒为红颜,闹东日毁尼印,因而遭到天谴,被众神合力封印在天地之极的困龙山上!其子秦枫为救父亲专心修炼秦天宇留下来的龙皇剑决,劈困龙,杀众神,救出被困十八年的亲生父亲,美女,金钱,权谋,热血,一个也不能少。
  • 停下脚步的爱情

    停下脚步的爱情

    痴心一片的竹子妖,为了爱情,牺牲了光明前程,只为陪伴在爱人的左右。却遇到一群竹子跟她作对!还有一个修炼成精多管闲事的珠子!哼!不过就是一丢丢的困难!竹子妖是不会放弃的!爱情对于现代的我们而言,太容易得到了。但是看到这只妖艰苦的求爱路程,你会不会对身边的爱人更好一点儿?会不会愿意对身旁的人做出一生一世一双人的承诺呢?我想会是个好答案!相信我!最合适你的人就在你身边哦!一对打酱油的竹子珠子,却意外的相爱了。他们又是如何续写属于他们的美好呢?
  • 逮捕令:喂!殿下别卖萌

    逮捕令:喂!殿下别卖萌

    【隐腹黑超级路痴技术宅×撒娇卖萌的邪魅伯爵大人】如果一个打扮奇怪而且是个超级大路痴的“东东”出现在你面前你会怎么办?C国新继位的伯爵大人就遇上了这种事。从天而降打扮奇怪的路痴少女竟然整整好好掉到了伯爵大人的怀里!唉!什么情况?!伯爵大人竟然一见倾心了?天哪,那个邪魅的伯爵什么时候变得这么无赖了?撒娇卖萌不说,就然还孩子气般的说:“人家会暖床。”“你来自哪里?”某伯爵问。“孤来自二次元!”某宅回答。“人家会暖床,求你收留人家吧。”看着在自己面前撒娇卖萌的伯爵大人,某宅很淡定的吃着泡面继续追番……
  • 步步惊心之生死相随

    步步惊心之生死相随

    马尔泰若曦在桃花树下闭上了眼睛,所有的人都以为她死了,只有巧慧和十四阿哥不愿意相信她已死了,一直守着她。她的灵魂回到了现代,却发现自己已医院躺了二十多年,肌肉萎缩,容颜衰老,听到医生和实习生说爸爸、妈妈、哥哥都已去世,才发现在这个她做梦都想回来的世界里,已经没有了亲人,而那个铭刻入心的人却与她隔了三百年,她无法忍受在一个没有亲人没有“胤禛”的黑暗的世界独自漂浮,这时她听到深情的呼唤“若曦,若曦”她以为是胤禛在呼唤她,极力睁开了眼睛,却发现是十四阿哥一直在深情地对着她说话,再世为人,允禵的“深情”胤禛的“绝情”让她无法在留在遵化,借着那堆火化她的熊熊大火,她乘着夜色一路西行回到西北,隐名埋姓自由自在的生活,但胤禛最终发现了蛛丝马迹,锲而不舍的找回了她。在宫中又经历一番悲欢离合后,她才发现来到这个世界只是为了陪伴他走完一生。
  • 江山如画之女王如花

    江山如画之女王如花

    她们无时无刻不在成长,江山无时无刻不在壮大,她们的成长之路布满了荆棘,她们如同女王一般披荆斩棘,成长为商界最亮的星星,江山如画,世人敬仰艳羡,可江家人的苦谁曾知,谨以此文激励江家女王注:本文非重生,非穿越,江家女王的确存在江山将会是这个时代最大的遗产,江家女王将会是这个时代最大的奇迹
  • 修仙之旅路慢慢

    修仙之旅路慢慢

    她是万人仰慕的叶家千金,却碰上了一个霸道总裁,他们两个会碰撞出怎样的火花呢?
  • 七星陨天诀

    七星陨天诀

    漫天巨星陨落,黑暗世界的恶魔降临,毁天灭地的灭世幻境。他,此刻却在俯首哭泣,那怀中的美人儿却再也醒不过来了。命运为何如此捉弄,回答他的唯有陨落的星辰。