assistance of what he has already experienced, felt, and learned. He can assimilate new ideas only by means of his present ones. Every new relation of the idea helps to correct, make clear, and extend the meaning. Instead of trying to get the whole meaning in its one relation, it is often better to read on, getting at truth in different relations, and deepening and enriching experience at the same time.

It is impossible for a student at any one time of his life to comprehend the whole of a piece of literature, no matter how much time is spent in studying it.

THE GREATER SCHOOL; OR, THE SCHOOL PLUS THE LIBRARY GREATER THAN EITHER

H.

L. ELMENDORF, SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BUFFALO PUBLIC LIBRARY, BUFFALO, N. Y.

The object of our compulsory, tax-supported system of education is to make good citizens. The good citizen is, without doubt, the happy and intelligent man; and no less an authority than President Eliot asserts that lifelong happiness and increasing intelligence are best assured by the formation in early youth of the taste for good books. Indeed, he explicitly says that "schooling which results in this taste for good reading, however unsystematic or eccentric the schooling may have been, has achieved a main end of democratic education; and that schooling which does not result in implanting this permanent taste has failed."

For many years educators have seen this fact more or less clearly, and school libraries have been somewhat generally used as a means toward supplementing text-book learning with the broader wisdom of general books, but the institution of the greater school by the federation of the public school and the public library is a much longer step toward true democratic education.

Nearly all school libraries have been made up of supplementary reading and reference-books for the children of the higher grades, small attention being paid to the little folk. Statistics show, however, that a large majority of children leave the public school before they are twelve years old. If our schooling fails unless we teach the love of good reading to all, it is evident that a more far-reaching plan must be found, and attractive, wholesome books must be furnished, not only for the few who persist to the higher grades, but for all, even the youngest. This enlargement of the scope of the school library might, no doubt, be easily accom. plished, but if the books are supplied by the school authorities, the children are cut off from the books at the same time that they are cut off from school. If, on the other hand, the public library steps in and puts such books as the children will love right under the teacher's hand; if she

tells the children that these books are a part of a great collection in the public library, where as citizens they have not only welcome, but right; if she teaches them that, tho school days are soon over, reading days need never end, our means for the education of good citizens, of happy men and women, is complete.

When the Buffalo library was made free, in 1897, under contract with the city for its liberal support, plans for co-operation with the public schools were at once considered. The old library, altho it was supported only by private endowment and subscription, by means of one thousand free school tickets had reached out into the schools in a very public-spirited, tho very inadequate, way. In the reorganization, under the contract before referred to, it was provided that the schools should be represented in the board of control of the library by making their executive officer, the city superintendent of education, ex officio a member of the board of directors of the public library. The counsel and support of the state superintendent of public instruction, Hon. Charles R. Skinner, were also of great assistance in planning the new work. The official sanction of these school authorities was regarded as the first essential, and was readily secured.

As the proposed plan was both radical and expensive, it was determined by the directors of the library to make the experiment with ten schools only, the ten to be selected by the superintendent of schools and the librarian, from among those whose principals were willing to accept the scheme. All the school principals in the city were invited to a meeting, at which the scheme was thoroly explained, and they were given. ample opportunity to understand and discuss it. The outlines of the plan were afterward embodied in a circular letter, which was sent to each principal, and two weeks were given in which to consider it and to decide, in consultation with the class teachers, whether application should be made for the installation of class-room libraries under the plan.

The scheme presented to the principals was, briefly, as follows: Each school selected was to deliver to the public library, reserving purely reference-books, all its school library; these books were to be examined, and those thought fit for the purpose graded and returned to the different class-rooms of the schools, together with enough books added by the public library to make the number of books in each room equal the number of children.

In response to the first invitation twenty-four principals applied for the libraries, and the selection of ten schools was a difficult matter. The distance of the school from the public library, the character of the district in which it was located, and the possession by both principals and teachers of such an intelligent sympathy with the idea as to give the experiment a fair test, were all considered in making the selection.

The old school libraries had been the accumulation of years, partly by gifts, but mostly by purchases made with city and state appropriations for the purpose, which amounted for each school, according to its size, to from fifteen to forty dollars a year. The entire collection as gathered at the public library was a very miscellaneous lot. There were some excellent books, many of them, however, worn to tatters. There were many others which were useless, or worse than useless, for children Dr. Johnson's and Lord Bacon's works in diamond type, Bible stories in hieroglyphics, old guide-books, directories, patent-office and other government reports, and a considerable sprinkling of novels of a kind that suggested that the literary appetite of the purchaser had been consulted rather than the wants of the children. The trail of the wily subscription-book agents was much in evidence. The librarian's heart is hardened by experience to resist the charm and persistence and influence of these suave gentlemen, for he knows that their wares are seldom or never the best books, and only the best is good enough for children. Altogether the character of the books returned seemed to show a plain need that selection and purchase should be in the hands of a single-headed institution like the public library, which could be held responsible, rather than a composite body of principals and teachers.

After careful sifting, only about 20 per cent. of the school library books were thought fit to be returned, and more than five thousand volumes were added by the public library. These books were selected with the greatest care, in the effort to include only the best. Not only were the literary contents scrutinized, but the editions, in order that the text might be pure, and the type, illustrations, and binding be beautiful. They were bought, too, with the closest economy as to price. It is in all these things that the expert knowledge of the librarian is of service. If to the librarian's expert knowledge of the book the teacher will add her expert knowledge of the child, the combination should surely bring about the ideal, "the best reading for the largest number at the least cost."

The list, as finally made up, was submitted to State Superintendent Skinner and City Superintendent H. P. Emerson, and received their approval. With their approval also the state funds appropriated for school libraries were devoted to the purchase of purely reference-books, to be the property of the schools, thus making it possible for each school gradually to build up a good school reference library, relying entirely upon the public library for miscellaneous books.

The most difficult problem was the assignment of the proper books to the proper grades in the various schools. Many errors were made at the start, especially in giving children books too old for them. Two full years of constant observation and experiment have served to correct some mistakes and to emphasize the fact that no definite rule for grade and age can be made. Each particular school, each separate class, must

be studied with the teacher's help, before intelligent assignment of books can be made. For example, a class of children from a poor community where books are scarce, or one of foreign parentage, will require simpler books than one of equal age and equal school grade from a community where books abound in the homes. This fact greatly lessens the value of printed graded lists, which can only show safe books and assign them to approximate ages.

For keeping track of the books the simplest possible system of charging was devised to be kept by the teacher. An alphabetic list of the books by their titles, with spaces for the names of the pupils drawing them and for the date of drawing and date of return, was sent with the books. All the compilation of statistics from these records was made each month by assistants from the library. The library requires these statistics for the very simple reason that appropriations of money are dependent upon demonstrable results; and definite figures, obtained from trustworthy records of use, are the only results which can be shown.

Not only was the work of the teachers made as light as possible, but the responsibility also. Rules for the use of the books were of the teacher's making. Each teacher was given to understand that the books were for use, and for use in the way she thought best, except that they were not to be used as rewards or punishments; that they might be read in school, in the class, by the teacher, or taken home, but that the child should no more be deprived of his library book on account of some breach of discipline than of his text-book for a similar reason. The bad boy needs the good book most. Reasonable care of the books was required, but no more than of school property, and if loss or damage occurred, there was no money liability for the teacher.

The experiment was successful from the start. It pleased principals, teachers, and children alike, and, while the success varied with the interest and ability of the teachers, none wished to return to the old way. The usefulness of the books is in no way confined to the children who attend school. The public library in this way gains a welcome where it was unknown, or little understood. The contact of teachers and children in this unofficial way is good for both, and many most interesting and even touching stories of the effect of the books in the homes are told by the teachers.

Twelve schools have since been added, making twenty-two in all, with 359 class-room libraries. The number of volumes sent out in September, 1899, at the commencement of the school year, was 15,248. During the year additions and changes were made to the number of 5,005, making a total of 20,253 volumes. The libraries are changed once during the year by shifting from room to room, or from school to school, different libraries of the same grade. Assistants from the public library visit each class-room twice each month, and the number of additions and

changes gives some idea of the flexibility of the list. The circulation for home use from September 1, 1899, to June 1, 1900, was 169, 193. A table follows showing the circulation by months and the classification of the books drawn:

SCHOOL CIRCULATION

SEPTEMBER, 1899, TO MAY, 1900

Thus far, less than half of the schools in the city have been reached, and the story is not told as if we had already attained, but criticism and discussion are invited that present methods may be improved, or better ones suggested.

The growth of the work has been as rapid as the supply of money and of trained, intelligent workers would permit. Neither library assistants nor teachers could safely go too fast. The ideal, however, is the closest federation of the two institutions; that federation to work toward the development of each individual child along the line of his own strongest inclination and greatest ability.

DISCUSSION

REUBEN POST HALLECK, Louisville, Ky. I wish it were possible in Louisville to do some of the things which the Buffalo library and other libraries are doing for their students. I trust it will not be long before these privileges are ours, and I hope, while our progress is slow, that it will be sure. President Eliot's maxim ought to be every pupil's motto. Pupils who go out from the public schools and do not know what to do with their time are a personal disgrace to their teachers. A reading, thinking student will not feel bored, no matter what his surroundings may be. If pupils are taught to love to read, it will not be long before the dawn of better things.

H. L. ELMENDORF.-The work of the Buffalo library for the schools in general has been a recent movement. While the library was opened in 1837 and was very publicspirited, its privileges were given only to its best pupils until a very recent period.

R. C. METCALF, Boston, Mass.-For many years I have felt that a school library was a necessity, and I have acted on this theory since 1879, and my object is to teach children to love to read. Sets rather than single books will do this. In my work in 1879 I set aside one hour each week for a discussion of the works of certain authors, and