In selecting reference books for the purpose, certain familiar
ones come at once to our minds. Beyond those there have been
suggested: Chase and Clow's "Stories of Industry," "Information
readers," Brown's "Manual of commerce," Boyd's "Triumphs and
wonders of the 19th century," Patton's "Resources of the United
States," Geographical readers, Youth's Companion geographical
series, Spofford's "Library of historic characters," Larned's
"History for ready reference," Ellis's "Youth's dictionary of
mythology," Macomber's "Our authors and great inventors,"
Baldwin's "Fifty famous stories," "Riverside natural history,"
Wright's "Seaside and wayside," bound volumes of the Great Round
World, and text-books on various subjects.
A dictionary catalog will be useful in teaching the child to look
up subjects for himself. If a separate catalog is provided for
children, the question arises whether it is wiser to follow
closely the A. L. A. headings or to modify them where they differ
from topics commonly asked for by children or used as headings in
text-books. This question suggests also the advisability of a
modified classification for a children's library.
Last and not least, children should have room and service adapted
to their needs, so that they may not constantly have to be put
aside in deference to the rightful demands of adult readers.
So far as the writer knows, the Public Library of Boston was the
first library to open a reference room expressly for children,
well equipped and separate from the children's reading room or
circulating department, and from the general reference department
for adults.