Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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28 THE GOLDEN-ROD that one should learn one book from cover to cover, but that one should read widely, getting the viewpoints of several authors and then forming one’s own opin- ion. That is why the library is so im- portant as a laboratory or workshop. The pupils get library slips to come into the library for study periods because they have definite work to do assigned by some teacher, in English, history, French, science, geography, or music apprecia- tion. They know that the library is the place to gather the material, and they do so. There is another important phase of the work of the high school library. It is the task of the librarian to teach the student how to use the library. This knowledge once gained will be of untold value after high school days. For this reason lessons in the use of library re- sources are given usually through the English classes. Classes in history, geography, and other subjects, the nature of which calls for considerable reference work are given instruction in special ref- erence books suited to their needs. Pupils asking where a book on a particular sub- ject is kept, are encouraged to use the card catalogue. In this way they get more confidence in themselves, and they learn to use the library. Thus the modem high school library serves a three-fold purpose, that is, to provide “information, recreation, and in- spiration.” Violet Johnson, Feb., 1929. THROUGH THE YEARS WITH THE Q. H. S. LIBRARY Previous to September, 1917, the library, so called, was an unorganized col- lection of books housed in the school office, presided over by the school clerk, and added to annually but meagerly from the interest of the Rock Island Fund. In 1917, however, the courts decreed that the net income of the Adams Temple and School Fund, originally used in support of Adams Academy, could be used for the enrichment of the curriculum in the High School. The first move toward making use of these funds was “the equipping of an adequate school library and the engagement of a trained libra- rian.” With the opening of school in the fall of 1917 the thousand books constituting the library were moved to more commo- dious though inadequate quarters in the balcony of the school auditorium and Miss Anna Bates, now of the Hartford Public High School, was installed as librarian. During Miss Bates’ two years in Quincy one thousand volumes from current fiction to reference books were added to the collection, so were three daily papers and fifteen magazines. Miss Bates reports the average period attend- ance in the library as having been 18, and the average daily circulation of books as 30. But her work was not confined to interesting pupils in the library and act- ing as custodian of books. Lessons were given in the use and make-up of books, followed by library problems, and by means of class visits to the Thomas Crane Library, instruction in the resources of that library. With the coming of Miss Edith Coul- man, our present librarian, and her assist- ant, Miss Hazel Vaughan, in 1919 and the reorganization of the school on a definite morning and afternoon basis, the library was moved to a large room on the first floor where the work begun by Miss Bates was admirably and efficient- ly carried on. Here the attendance and circulation increased, partly as a result of increased registration in the school, but more because of the growing interest in libraries and books. Naturally, with the removal of the school to its present location, the facilities of the library were increased and im- proved. Because the ninth year pupils were to remain in the old building, now Central Junior High School, the refer- ence books of primary value to them were left behind as a nucleus for the

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 27 | Our Library i2s A H THE SCHOOL LIBRARY MOVEMENT There is an old saying that all roads lead to Rome. The modem equivalent in our high school would be “All roads lead to the library.” This may seem strange, perhaps, to people who went to school when school libraries were un- heard of or, at least, small and struggling. The beginnings of high school libraries were weak and insignificant. In New York, in 1835, a law was passed making it possible for the tax payers in any school district to vote a tax not exceed- ing $20.00 for the purpose of buying books which were to be called the district library. The district clerk was to be the librarian. These so-called libraries were a pathetic failure. The books were kept at the home of the district clerk; there was no trained librarian, no efficient charging system; and, as a result, the books were lost and scattered. Then in 1838 the State of New York appropriated $55,000 to be used for school district libraries. The books in these libraries were “not to be children’s books, or light and frivolous tales and romances, but works conveying solid in- formation which will excite a thirst for knowledge, and also gratify it, as far as such a library can. Undoubtedly, it wasn’t very far! Those old-time libra- ries were usually only collections of stale, uninteresting books kept in the principal’s office. How different is the school library of today! Nowadays the library is recognized as the “heart of the school,” indispensable to teachers and students. To the library, every period of the school day, comes a crowd of students intent on many differ- ent things. To the librarian all during the day come many perplexed and anxious pupils, asking questions, on every subject under the sun. They are given the de- sired information, if at all possible. To the library come many who ask no ques- tions but quietly take a book, perhaps a book of poems, and sit down in a corner to read. To the library come people who just like to be .where there is. such a pleasant feeling. Why are modern school libraries so different? Why do pupils know that if they ask for help they usually get it? Why do people like to visit there? The answer is simple. When educators be- gan to realize how important is a good school library, they hastened to improve the old system, trying to establish in each high school a library with modem equip- ment and a variety of books. Millions were spent on good books, not only en- cyclopedias and dictionaries but books on all kinds of subjects, chemistry, biology, forestry, biography, travel, poetry and fiction. No heavy books “of solid in- formation” but light, airy books to tempt the fancy of the scholar and give him the love of books. But that is not all. They realized that a trained librarian was necessary, not a part-time teacher, for she has enough to do, but a person whose duty it would be to manage the library and teach the hun- dred and one little things that teachers don't have time for. The modern idea of education is not

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THE GOLDEN-ROD 29 library to be developed there. The regu- lar program in the new building made it possible to resume the co-operative les- sons with the Thomas Crane Library, lessons which had, through the unavoid- able complex program of some years, been grudgingly but necessarily discon- tinued. By way of comparison it is interest- ing to note that from a four-year high school with a library circulation of 7,778 books in 1920, we are now a three-year school with almost five thousand books, and a circulation in 1926-7 of 16,064. On March 6, 1928, the circulation was 227 and is recorded as the largest circu- lation of the present school year. S. F. D. WE GO A-L1BRARYING William McCombs, J.’28 The affairs in Miss Dawes’ C7 divi- sion were in a very sad state. The day had started pleasantly enough; everyone had done his homework; the weather was bright and cheery; everyone seemed hap- py, even Howard Deacon wore a smile. Then out of a clear sky came the ques- tion, “How many can use the library intelligently?” Out of that senior class of thirty-odd pupils only two or three could answer in the affirmative. The shock was hard felt by Miss Dawes; her smile faded, causing her face to take on a grave aspect. That very day she and Miss Coulman met and decided what measures would be advisable to take to adjust this delin- quency. This plan was not long in ob- livion, however, for the very next day after our class had been duly opened, Miss Dawes announced that on the fol- lowing day we would meet in the school library. The next day dawned “bright and fair,” but still this serious delinquency hovered over us like a black cloud. At the appointed hour we were all at the library with pens, pencils, and notebooks. Miss Coulman, realizing how sadly our education had been neglected, wasted no time for minor details. First we had the Dewey Decimal System dictated to us; then it was explained how each book is lettered and numbered according to au- thor, subject, and title. A light began to show through that black. We were be- ginning to see what that maze of num- bers meant when the bell warned us of the end of the period. That black cloud did not look so threatening on the second day of our pilgrimage. After we had each been assigned a special problem in some phase of the Dewey System, we found, much to our surprise, that even among all those books we could pick out any book we wished by this wonderful system. There were still many important factors lacking in our knowledge of the use of a library at that time, but after a third and a fourth day of explanation, plan- making, and examinations, it was decided by our genial instructor that if we ever should visit the public library we would not be a disgrace to our institution of learning. But she was taking no chances. The Tuesday following our Thanks- giving vacation our class was transferred to the Thomas Crane Public Library. There, for reasons unknown, we were divided into two groups, one headed by Mr. Hill, and other by Miss Coulman. Due to the fact that my name began with the letter M instead of A, I found my- self starting on my tour with Miss Coul- man’s group We started on the balcony in the alcove where we met with all the books numbered from 000-800, which in- cluded Religion, Science, Drama, Fine Arts, and many other classes. After our aerial explorations we descended to the first floor where we encountered books dealing with the lives of men from Adam to Coolidge. Opposite these stacks were an equal number of books classed as fic- tion. We did not linger long among these books, but left the alcove and en- tered the main portion of the library. Here we just met books of travel and