Part 24 (2/2)

The function of the story hour as a recognized feature of library work with children has been variously discussed. The five papers given below represent these different points of view, and the experience of several libraries is included in the report of the Committee on Story- telling given at the Congress of the Playground a.s.sociation of America in 1910.

Another group method, which has been adopted as a means of introducing children to books and of securing continuity of interest, is that of the reading club. The three articles given show the influence of the direct, personal effort of Miss Hewins, and the carefully organized work of somewhat different types in two large library systems.

The early history of home library work with children as conducted by the Boston Children's Aid Society and a consideration of the place of this method in extension work of libraries in general are included.

Library work in summer playgrounds is one development of cooperation with other inst.i.tutions. The first article included may be supplemented by a statement made by Miss Frances J. Olcott in an article on ”The public library, a social force in Pittsburgh,” printed in the Survey magazine, March 5, 1910. She states that ”Perhaps the most important phase of the library's work with children which is being developed at present is that of playground libraries. ... Now that the Playground a.s.sociation is establis.h.i.+ng recreation centers for winter as well as summer, arrangements have been made with the library to supply books, the a.s.sociation providing the necessary reading rooms in its new buildings.” Practical difficulties in administration are discussed in the second article.

The last group of articles brings together several unrelated phases of work. Two special kinds of children's libraries are mentioned, one a type--the Sunday School library--and one a library organized for specific work in connection with the Children's Museum in Brooklyn. Work with colored children in a colored branch library is described. The last paper gives a vivid picture of work with children in a foreign district of a large city.

THE STORY HOUR

The paper by Edna Lyman Scott, printed in the Wisconsin Bulletin for January, 1905, was said to be introductory to a talk which she was to give at Beloit at the Wisconsin State meeting, February 22, 1905. The author looks upon the inauguration of the story hour as but the grasping of an opportunity in working with children in the library, as a means of cultivating the love of literature and of introducing the child to books.

Edna Lyman, now Mrs. Scott, was born in Illinois, educated in the schools of Oak Park, Ill., and at Bradford Academy, Haverhill, Ma.s.sachusetts. At the time this paper was written she was the children's librarian in the Oak Park Public Library, then known as Scoville Inst.i.tute. Her work in story telling became known outside the immediate field of its activity, and in 1907 Miss Lyman severed her connection with this library to give time to special preparation, and later to become a lecturer on literature for children and story-telling, and a professional story-teller.

She spent portions of three years as Advisory Children's Librarian for the Iowa Library Commission, and during that period published her book ”Story-telling: what to tell and how to tell it.” She holds the position of non-resident faculty lecturer on Work for Children in the Library School of the University of Illinois, and the Carnegie Library School of Atlanta, Georgia, and lectures regularly in other library schools, before teachers'

inst.i.tutes and normal schools, women's clubs and study cla.s.ses throughout the country.

When we touch the question of guiding the reading of children in our libraries we have opened the consideration of a subject which is one of the great arguments for the existence of public libraries.

All about we see and feel the utter indifference of parents to what their children are reading, or whether they are reading at all, and the results of this indifference appear on every hand, in the character of the books which content the child, or in his determination to bury himself in a book to the exclusion of every other interest.

The librarian sees this indifference and its fruit and realizes that it adds another responsibility to her already long list, and another opportunity to serve. She may doubt whether her province is to educate the taste of the public at large, but there can be no question that in the case of the children the choice is not left for her to make; the only reason for the child's reading at all is that he may grow mentally and spiritually. There is no way to protect the child against worthless books except by giving him a decided taste for what is good. Hamilton Mabie says that ”tastes depend very largely on the standards with which we are familiar,” and if these standards are acquired hit and miss, without training, they are likely to be of a most doubtful character.

The love of literature, like the love of any of the fine arts, is susceptible of cultivation and is strengthened by constant contact with the beauty and greatness which can compel it. ”They are exceptional children who read everything regardless of its character and come out all right. We do not know that any child is of such a make-up. We must deal with him as though he were not the exceptional but the normal child.” The influence of all that he reads upon the mind of the child is sufficiently appalling, but it is not to be compared with the influence on his character.

Henry Churchill King says: ”It is his susceptibility to the faintest suggestion that makes the child so marvelous an imitator.” The significance of this truth lies not only in the fact that he responds to the example in manners and morals of those about him, but equally, and perhaps even more exactly, to the heroes who live within the covers of his books. If the dangers are great, our response must be as forceful and our search untiring for the influence which will most surely lead the child to the best.

And what means shall be found? The answer seems ready to hand in the use of one of the oldest, yet one of the newest arts, the art of story-telling. You may talk to a child about books, he will give a certain kind of response, particularly if he respects your judgment because of previous experience, but tell him a story and you have fastened him with chains he does not care to resist.

The inauguration of the story hour then is but the grasping of an opportunity, first of all to give keenest joy to the child, and at the same time to set his standard for judging the value of other stories by those he hears, to give him a love for beautiful form, to introduce him to books he might never choose for himself and to bind him to the friend who tells him stories, so that he will feel a confidence in her suggestions.

Before choosing our stories for telling it will be well to remind ourselves of our purpose in telling stories, namely, to give familiarity with good English, to cultivate the imagination, to develop the sympathy, and to give a clear impression of moral truth. With this purpose in mind we shall gather our children into groups whose ages are near, and will be reached by the same tales. We must be methodical in this as in all our library work, and have our campaign well planned before we begin.

Not everyone has the gift of telling stories, but if one is not gifted with the art himself, there will doubtless be someone who is, who can be secured for the purpose, if we only feel that the need is great enough.

The way is open to the minds and hearts of the children. Shall we neglect it because it is old, or because it is new, or because we seem somewhat hampered by existing conditions? Why not follow the successes of others, and then find our own?

The above paper by Miss Lyman is offered as introductory to a talk which she will give at Beloit at the Wisconsin state meeting, February 22, 1905. The story hour has been most successfully conducted in a few of our libraries. To be sure every librarian is not qualified to conduct a successful story hour, but it is usually possible to find someone in the community who will tell the stories. The story hour requires a good deal of preparation. In Pittsburgh the librarians who were to tell stories had special training under Miss Shedlock, a well-known English story teller, and gave thorough study to the subject before attempting to interest the children. This library has published a pamphlet on Story telling to children from Norse mythology and the Nibehulgenlied. This pamphlet contains references to material on selected stories, an annotated reading list for the story teller and for young people, a full outline of a course, and many valuable suggestions. The same library published in its bulletin, October, 1902, the following outlines:

LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE Story 1. Merlin the Enchanter Story 2. How Arthur won his kingdom and how he got his sword Excalibur. Story 3. The marriage of Arthur and Guinevere and the founding of the Round Table. Story 4. The adventure of Gareth Story 5. The adventure of Geraint. Story 6. The adventure of Geraint and the Fair Enid. Story 7. The story of the dolorous stroke.

Story 8. How Launcelot saved Guinevere; or, The adventure of the cart. Story 9. Launcelot and the lily-maid of Astrolat.

Story 10. The coming of Galahad Story 11. The quest of the Sangreal Story 12. The achieving of the Sangreal.

Story 13. The pa.s.sing of Arthur.

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