The Monthly Bulletin of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for
October, 1901, includes an account of summer playground work
which was begun three years before. Playground libraries as an
introduction to regular library agencies are described by Miss
Meredyth Woodward.
Meredyth Woodward, now Mrs. J. Philip Anshutz, was born in
Waterloo, N. Y., in 1869, and was educated in the schools of
Tecumseh, Michigan. She took special work in the State Normal
School at Oswego, N. Y., and later studied in the Law Froebel
Kindergarten Training School at Toledo, Ohio, and in the Chicago
Kindergarten College. After teaching in this institution she
became Principal of the San Jose Normal School in California.
After this she studied in the Leland Stanford University. She
took charge of the Home Library Work in the Carnegie Library of
Pittsburgh in 1901, where she remained until 1904, part of the
time acting as assistant in the Training School for Children's
Librarians.
The work of supplying the summer playgrounds with books, begun as
an experiment three years ago, was continued this summer as a
part of the work done by the Children's department of the Library
for the children of this city. During the initial summer, five
playgrounds were supplied, the total circulation being about
1,600. Last year the needs of seven playgrounds were met, with a
result of 1,833 in circulation, while the present year nine
playgrounds have given a circulation of 3,637 volumes, and this
during one day in each of six weeks. At a joint meeting of the
Library workers with the Kindergartners who had charge of the
playgrounds, it was decided to set apart this day as Library day,
and as high as 117 volumes have been issued in a single
playground on that day, while one week every available book was
issued in spite of a drenching rain outside.
Through the courtesy of the school directors and principals, the
library was enabled to place the books, take registrations, and
fill out cards, several days before the day for circulation. Thus
much valuable time was gained, and the work begun and carried out
more systematically. Boxes of books carefully selected from the
best juvenile literature, comprising attractive stories of
history, biography, travel, nature, poetry and useful arts, as
well as fiction, picture books and the ever popular fairy tales,
were sent to each playground. Each kindergartner also received
for her special use a list of stories bearing on the thought she
wished to emphasize each week, with the books containing these
stories. Charging stations were improvised out of desks, tables,
or chairs, in some vacant room, or corner of a hallway. Walls
dismantled for the summer cleaning were made more attractive by
gay flags, or picture bulletins illustrating the books to be
circulated.
One morning spent at a playground on Library day would be enough
to convince the most sceptical that the children fully
appreciated their opportunities. As one of the kindergartners
remarked, "You'd think they had never seen a book before." They
swarmed about the windows and doors of the circulating room, and
at one school, when the impetuous but good-natured line became
too eager, they were restrained by the commanding voice of the
policeman to "Back up." Even the charms of an exciting game of
base-ball had no power over a wonted devotee, when pitted against
the attractions of an interesting book. Kindergartners from five
playgrounds agreed that by far the largest attendance was on
Library day, many of the older children coming on that day only.
They felt "too old to play," but never too old to read.
The signature of one of the parents, with that of the child's,
entitled him to draw books. One little tot begged hard to have a
"ticket," and be allowed to take books home, insisting with many
emphatic nods that she could write her name. On trial only a few
meaningless scratches resulted, and the tears that filled her
eyes at her failure were banished only when the librarian
promised that she might come each week, and look at the picture
books. Another child asked for a card for his little friend who
had rheumatism, and couldn't come to the playground. A mother of
the neighborhood took a card that she might draw out picture
books, and books of rhymes and jingles for the little one at
home. The "little mothers" invariably saved a place on their
cards for a book to please the baby brother or sister tugging at
their skirts, or, it might be, for some older member at home.
Very often the whole family read the books. One boy waited till
nearly noon on Library day for his father to finish the "Boys of
'76." Another said he wished he might take three books, because
there were four boys at home, and he would like to have enough
"to pretty near go 'round." In another family three of the
children were drawing books. Still the older sister had to come
down to get a book for herself, saying the others never gave her
a chance to read theirs.
In these miniature libraries not only do the children become
familiar with library regulations, but more judicious and
intelligent in the selection of books. At first they choose a
book because it has an attractive cover, large print, "lots of
talk" (conversation), or because it is small and soon read. "I
tell you, them skinny books are the daisies," said one, while the
opinion of another was, "These ain't so bad if they'd only put
more pictures in to tell what they're about." Later they select a
book because the title tells of interesting subject matter, or
because a playmate has recommended it as "grand," "dandy," or "a
peach." A popular book often has as high as ten or fifteen
reserves on it, the Librarian being greeted in the morning with a
chorus of, "Teacher please save me"--this or that book. So, from
having no idea of choice, the children finally have such a
definite idea of what they want, and why they want it, that,
unless the particular book is forthcoming, they "guess they don't
want any book to-day." One small girl took out "Little Women,"
and wanted "Little Men" on the same card. When she understood
that only one book of fiction could be taken on one card, she
inveigled her little sister into taking it on her card. Then she
tucked the books under her arm, remarking, with a sigh of
satisfaction, "Now, we'll have 'em both in our family." In
striking contrast to the excitement attending the selection of
books is the lull that follows. Here and there are interested
groups looking at the pictures-- delightful foretaste of what is
to follow in the text--or comparing the merits of the different
books. Some have already made an absorbed beginning in the story
which will be finished at home, on the door step, or by the
evening lamp, when the more active games of the day are over. Nor
are these absorbing books always fiction. The statistics show
that stories of travel, lives of great men, and books on natural
history were fully as popular as the fiction. The fiction per
cent of last year was reduced from 60 per cent to 52 per cent
this year.
And so the work for the season has closed, leaving many a young
reader not only trained but enthusiastic to enjoy regular library
privileges. The general verdict of the children was that they
were "Sorry it was over." Four lads from the South Side begged
that they might get books from the Main Library, and one boy
presented his card the very day after the playground closed.
Nearly all the branches have gained new adherents from their
respective districts.
On the whole we feel well pleased with the season's work,
although, as is natural, the work done by the two new Branches
was not so successful as that elsewhere owing to the fact that
the work was new to the district. When compared with that done in
the districts where it has been carried on for three years, it
gives a striking example of the growth and development which has
taken place since the beginning. As a result of the work, at the
West End Branch alone, fifty-two children from the Riverside
playground have taken out library cards. The children are better
trained in library usages, and more intelligent as to what they
want, often counting from one year to the next upon getting a
certain book. Out of this enthusiasm there naturally result the
Home Library groups and clubs which furnish books during the
winter. One notable outgrowth of last summer's playground was
the Duquesne School Club, whereby the children of the Point were
enabled to get books through the winter. This has since been
superseded by the introduction of the School-Duplicates, and now
the children hold elections for their various officers, while the
wide-awake principal has gotten out a neat little catalogue of
the books in their collection.
Unemployed and uninterested children are fallow ground for the
seeds of mischief and crime. The half-day playgrounds do wonders
toward solving the problem of the vacation child. Do not the
interesting, wholesome, juvenile books made so accessible to the
children also play a large part in this good work?