第156章 THE SELECTION OF BOOKS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES

AND THEIRINTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN

In the following article taken from the Library Journal of October,1882,Mr.S.S.Green says that his "principal object is to show how books are selected and how children are interested in books in the Sunday-school in which I am a teacher."It is interesting to know that in a recent letter written to the editor in regard to the use of this article Mr.Green says:"As I read it over,it seems to me that the advice given in it is still much needed."Samuel Swett Green was born in Worcester in 1837,and was graduated from Harvard in 1858.In 1890he was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts an original member of the Free Public Library Commission.He was one of the founders of the A.

L.A.,and also a life member,and was chosen its president in 1891.From 1867to 1871he was a trustee of the Worcester Public Library,and he was librarian from 1871to 1909,when he was made librarian emeritus.Mr.Green has published several books on library subjects.

It is gratifying to notice that the movement started several years ago by certain ladies connected with the religious body known as Unitarian Congregationalists,who organized themselves under the name of the Ladies'Commission for the purpose of reading children's books and preparing lists of them suitable for Sunday-school libraries,has led within two or three years to the formation of a similar organization in the Protestent Episcopal Church,and more recently to that of one among Orthodox Congregationalists.

Individual clergymen and others have also lately shown a great interest in the work of selecting and disseminating good lists of books suitable for Sunday-school libraries.

It is unnecessary to say that it was high time that this work was entered upon earnestly.The officers of the more intelligently administered public libraries had come to reject,almost without examination,books prepared especially for the use of Sunday-schools,and without consideration to refuse works admission to their shelves issued by certain publishers whose business it was to provide for the wants of Sunday-school libraries.

It had become obvious,among other facts,that the same objections that were made to providing sensational stories for boys and girls in public libraries,lay equally against the provision of books usually placed in Sunday-school libraries.

The one class of books was generally moral in tone,but trashy in its representations of real life;the other,religious in tone,but equally trashy in its presentations of pictures of what purported to be the life of boys and girls.

Both classes of books were good in their intention,both similarly unwholesome.

Gratifying,however,as are the results of this movement,there is something more that needs to be done.Libraries must be purified from objectionable literature;new books must be properly selected;but after this kind of work has been done,a very important work remains to be attended to,namely,that of helping children to find out the books in the library that will interest them and pleasantly instruct them.Every child should be aided to get books suited to its age,its immediate interests,and its needs.

The Library Journal,in its number for June gave the title of a catalogue of the books in the Sunday-school library of the Unitarian church in Winchester,Massachusetts.In this catalogue short notes are added to the titles of some of the books to show,when the titles do not give information enough,what subjects are really treated of in the books annotated.

Something beside this is desirable,however.Children need much personal aid in selecting books.