The leading editorial in The Library Journal for May,1887,says:
"The plan of providing good reading for very little children begins at the beginning,and the work of the Children's Library Association,outlined in a paper in this number,may prove to be the start of a movement of great social importance."This interesting personal account was written by Miss Emily S.
Hanaway,principal of the primary department of Grammar School No.28,in New York City,to whom came the thought,"Why not give the children reading-rooms?",and through whose efforts the Association was organized.
Emily S.Hanaway was married in 1891to the Reverend Peter Stryker.She died in 1915in her eightieth year.Her library was ultimately forced to close its doors,but its influence remains.
For several years it had caused me much pain to find that many of the children in our school were either without suitable reading or were reading books of a most injurious kind.The more Ipondered the matter the more I became convinced that much of the poison infused into the mind of a child begins at a very early age.As soon as a child takes interest in pictures the taste begins to be formed.Give him only common comic or sensational ones,and he will seize them and look no higher.On the other hand,give him finely-wrought sketches and paintings,tell him to be very careful how he handles them,and he will despise the trash of the present day.Place in his hand clear print,and he will never want the vile copy of a sensational paper often thrown in at our doors.Place in his hand Babyland,tell him that he is an annual subscriber,and the importance of having his name printed on the copy will induce him to do as a little relative of mine has frequently done.He will run after the postman and ask him how long before the next number will arrive.
Upon one occasion we endeavored to find out what sort of books our school-children were reading,and asked them to bring a few for us to examine.Some of them,having been directed in their reading by discreet,faithful parents,brought such periodicals as St.Nicholas,Chatterbox,Harper's Young People,etc.,while others brought the vilest kind of literature,and one little fellow brought a large copy of the "Annual Report of the Croton Aqueduct."In the summer of 1885,while seated in a room where the National Association of Teachers had assembled,a thought,as if some one had leaned over my shoulder and suggested it,came suddenly into my mind:"Why not give the children reading-rooms?"There was no getting rid of the thought.All that afternoon and evening it followed me.After the meeting,in the evening,I asked Prof.E.
E.White,of Ohio,if he thought such an undertaking could be carried out.He answered,"Yes;but it is gigantic."I came home fully persuaded that it must be tried;but where should I begin?
As soon as school opened in September,it occurred to me that almost opposite our school-building there was a day-nursery,the lady in charge of which appeared to be a very earnest worker.She said she would be very glad to help,as she had a small library at that time,which her children used in the nursery.
On visiting the publishers,generous donations were promised from Treat,Scribner,Taintor &Merrill,Barnes,and others.These were sent to the nursery.A few years before,a former principal in our school,Miss Victoria Graham,had worked with great energy to have a library in P.D.,G.S.28,and the proceeds of an entertainment given in 1872in the Academy of Music had furnished two or three hundred books.Miss Graham died the same year,and as we had no regular librarian,many of the books were lost.
About sixty were left.These also were sent to the nursery,and our children went over every week to draw books.This was the first attempt.But we felt that it was but a small beginning,and that if we wished to bring in all creeds we must free the public mind from suspicion,and have a representation from every denomination,Protestant,Roman Catholic,and Hebrew.
Accordingly,we planned that when a committee should be organized,every religious faith should be represented among those who were to choose the books.As we wished to have many of these rooms throughout the city,and as our friends at the day-nursery,under their arrangements,could not have a committee,we thought it would do no harm to start anew.So we conferred with the various clergymen of all denominations,in a neighborhood well known to us,and received great encouragement.
Dr.Mendez became a member of our organization committee,and has been present at very many of our business meetings.
We then visited the persons named by these gentlemen,for our organization committee,and when we had found eleven willing to serve,a kind friend in West 22d St.,Mrs.Hanford Smith,gave us the use of her parlors for our meeting.A more gloomy committee has been seldom seen."Have you a room for a library?"was asked.
