Library Work with Children

In Short

Alice Isabel Hazeltine gathers forty years of papers, conference addresses, and professional essays documenting the birth and evolution of children’s librarianship in the United States. Written by leading practitioners between 1876 and 1913, the collection tracks how public libraries shifted from excluding young readers to constructing dedicated children's rooms, organizing reading clubs, managing discipline, and launching neighborhood outreach. It details practical mechanics—from index cataloging and reference instruction to storytelling and home library distribution in low-income tenements. The volume preserves the foundational debate over whether libraries exist to instill civic discipline, support public schools, or nurture a lifelong love of literature.

The Story

The volume charts the forty-year transformation of American public libraries as they open their doors to children. In the late nineteenth century, most municipal institutions exclude readers under fourteen or sixteen years old. Early advocates like William Isaac Fletcher argue that this policy backfires, forcing unsupervised youth toward cheap newsstand serials and sensational fiction. As public demand grows, pioneering librarians begin dismantling age barriers, carving out physical reading spaces for younger patrons, and building curated collections.

The movement expands rapidly from isolated experiments to structured citywide systems. Caroline Maria Hewins records early efforts in Hartford to direct boys and girls away from dime novels toward history, poetry, and nature studies. In New York, Emily S. Hanaway and her committee launch free children's rooms on sheer faith, operating out of borrowed church parlors and seeking book donations from local publishing houses. Soon, major urban systems in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Brooklyn, and Chicago integrate children's departments into their core operations, appointing specialized supervisors and allocating over a third of their total circulation to young readers.

As attendance climbs, the texts document new administrative, pedagogical, and disciplinary challenges. Librarians detail methods for managing crowded rooms, creating subject card indexes, and teaching high school students how to use reference tools independently. To engage rowdy street gangs, workers form specialized reading groups, luring boys off the pavement with tales of animal adventures, sea voyages, and historical battles. Storytelling emerges as a vital tool to guide reading choices, leading to debates over whether libraries should employ dedicated storytellers or instruct public school teachers to incorporate oral literature into their own classrooms.

Outside library walls, outreach efforts extend into the poorest neighborhoods. Through "home libraries," small collections of twenty books housed in tenement apartments rotate among small groups of children under the guidance of volunteer visitors. Meanwhile, institutions like the Brooklyn Children's Museum combine scientific models, natural history displays, and dedicated reading rooms to serve urban youth with little access to the countryside.

Despite this rapid expansion, the movement faces internal criticism. Skeptics like Caroline Matthews warn that over-emphasizing work with children risks unbalancing whole municipal systems, starving adult collections, and misallocating public funds. Yet proponents demonstrate that library membership serves as a fundamental civic force. By cultivating orderly habits, encouraging thoughtful debate in youth clubs, and introducing non-English-speaking immigrant children to local history without stripping away their heritage, the library establishes itself as a essential institution for preparing young people for active citizenship.

How It Unfolds

Opening the doors to youth Early professional papers confront strict age limitations that barred readers under fourteen from entering public institutions. Advocates show that excluding children leaves them reliant on trashy commercial serials, forcing libraries to drop age limits and offer open shelves.

Building dedicated spaces and tools Librarians establish independent children’s reading rooms and craft specialized reference tools to navigate unindexed collections. Supervisors compile detailed book lists, catalog juvenile non-fiction by topic, and coordinate directly with local school principals.

Navigating discipline and rowdy groups Institutions manage overcrowded evening hours and restless youth by replacing rigid rules with clear expectations and consistent personal relationships. Troublemakers are redirected into small, focused reading clubs centered on popular subjects like railroading, arctic exploration, and foreign lands.

Extending reach into the community Pioneers push library work beyond central buildings into immigrant neighborhoods, summer camps, and tenements. Through home libraries, volunteer visitors bring small boxes of books into private homes, while institutions like the Brooklyn Children's Museum integrate natural history models with reading rooms.

Debating professional limits and civic duty Librarians debate whether storytelling belongs in public halls or public school classrooms, weighing the costs of special programs against direct service. The volume closes by framing library access as an essential civic force that prepares diverse youth for informed citizenship.

The People

• Caroline Maria Hewins: A trailblazing Hartford librarian who champions children's reading. She works tirelessly to guide young patrons away from sensational "trash" toward history, biography, and nature, compiling pioneering recommended book lists to shape reading tastes.
• William Isaac Fletcher: An early voice against age discrimination in public libraries. He argues that excluding children under fourteen drives them directly to cheap newsstand publications, destroying their capacity for higher literature before they ever cross the threshold.
• Annie Carroll Moore: A prominent supervisor who organizes children's departments in Pratt Institute and New York Public Library. She views the library as a vital civic force that must adapt to its neighborhood and inspire mutual respect between children and staff.
• Caroline Matthews: A non-professional observer on the Boston Public Library examining committee. She critiques the movement, arguing that an exaggerated focus on children threatens to throw the broader work of public libraries out of balance.
• The Young Readers: Working-class children, street gangs, and young immigrants who crowd the reading rooms. Initially seeking shelter, excitement, or a place to gather, they gradually develop reading endurance, debate skills, and research habits.

In Its Own Voice

"A slight examination of the literature found in a majority of homes and most prominent in the shops is enough to show what this means, and to explain the fact, that the young persons first admitted to the public library at fourteen years of age come to it with a well-developed taste for trash..."

— William Isaac Fletcher reflects on the damaging consequences of excluding young children from public libraries.

"A more gloomy committee has been seldom seen. 'Have you a room for a library?' was asked. 'No.' 'Any money?' 'No.' 'Any books?' 'No.' 'Absurd! How do you expect to start such a work?' 'On faith.'"

— Emily S. Hanaway recalls the precarious origins of the Children's Library in New York.

"I think most of us at Crunden do not like to feel that our branch and others like it are melting pots; at any rate of a heat so fierce that it will melt away the national characteristics of each little stranger..."

— A branch assistant describes how neighborhood libraries welcome immigrant youth while respecting their diverse cultural origins.

What It's Really About

Beneath its discussion of shelf space, card catalogs, and story hours, the book examines the duty of public institutions in a democratic society. It asks whether public libraries exist primarily to preserve scholarly collections for adults or to actively shape the character and intellect of young citizens. The contributors wrestle with how to balance moral guidance with child autonomy, debating whether rowdy behavior should be met with strict exclusion or creative engagement. The collection highlights the tension between institutional efficiency and personal outreach, questioning whether public money is best spent on quiet reference halls or dynamic community programs. Ultimately, the book argues that free access to good books is an essential foundation for self-education, civic responsibility, and social harmony across diverse urban populations.

Why Read It Today

This collection offers a vivid window into the early days of a now-familiar institution, revealing how much effort it took to make public libraries welcoming to children. Readers interested in social history, education, or archival studies will appreciate the authentic voices of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century professionals grappling with rapid urbanization and immigration. The prose is clear, direct, and free of modern jargon, offering pragmatic insights into human behavior, community organizing, and public service that remain surprisingly relevant today.

The text carries a few dated elements typical of its era. Historical references to early children's authors like Alger and Optic may be unfamiliar to general readers, and occasional Victorian-era attitudes regarding gender roles or minor class condescension appear in descriptions of working-class youth. However, these period touches only enhance its historical authenticity. The genuine enthusiasm of these early librarians—their willingness to launch programs out of church parlors with no budget, or to spend hours indexing books by hand—gives the book a warm, grounded energy. It leaves the reader with a renewed appreciation for public reading spaces and the dedicated individuals who built them.