THE RELATION of the INDIANAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARY to the INDIANAPOLIS SCHOOLS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE THE LIBRARY The Indianapolis Public Library was established in 1873 for the citizens of Indianapolis, and is under the direction of the Board of School Commissioners. It is supported by a tax levy of four cents, which is a separate tax from that levied by the Board for school purposes. The library system includes a main building and nine branches, with delivery and deposit stations at points at a distance from the main building. The main building is the storehouse for its 130,000 books, and the center of the greater part of the routine work — all book-buying, classifying, cataloguing, binding and the heaviest part of the reference work. Two-thirds of the circulation of books for home use are from this main building. The branches are located in North Indianapolis, Haughville, corner of Prospect and Nelson streets, South Meridian street, West Indianapolis, Bright- wood, Irvington, corner McCarty and Chadwick streets, and corner Pennsylvania and Thirty-third streets. These branches are open from 12 130 to 8 p. m., except the Bona Thompson Library in Irvington, which is open from 9 a. m. to 9 p. m. during the college year and summer school of Butler College. Through August and September regular branch hours are observed here. Each branch is equipped with a permanent library for reference and circulation — an average of 2,500 books in each building; each branch has a good list ’bttS’T _____ of 1 periodicals that are bound and circulated as books as each volume is completed. The collections of books in the branches are constantly freshened by loans of the newer books from the main library. The branches are also delivery stations, through which, twice each week, books may be obtained from or returned to the main library, thus saving long trips down town. At the branches, at intervals, the story hour is held. The stories given are designed to awaken and stimulate the interest of the children in good literature. In the main library there are many features of particular interest to teachers and pupils ; free ac- cess to the books, or the assistance of attendants if preferred. A typewritten copy of the classification is posted on the ends of the bookcases in the general stack- room. A dictionary card catalogue that contains author, title and subject cards of all books in the library is in the reference room. The monthly bulletins of the new books and short lists of books on interesting and timely topics are sent to the school buildings as issued. CARDS In addition to a personal card, each teacher is entitled to a teacher’s card with which may be drawn six books for use in connection with school work. To renew a book, card and book number must be presented. To transfer, both cards and book must be brought to the library. WORK WITH CHILDREN The children’s room in the main building is one of the most important departments in the library. This is a minature library in itself, some of the books in each division of the classification may be found here — history, travel, poetry, useful arts and stories in abundance. In the children’s room the pupils from the grades are taken care of — reference work as well as cir- culating books is an important part of the daily routine. Bibliographies are prepared in this department and also in the school reference department. Lists already made of books on many subjects are to be had at the desk for the asking. The collections of pictures for use in connection with history, geography and nature work are issued from the children’s room. For special work in ornament and design some of the many beautiful plates in the art room may be borrowed for a short time — for use in the art room itself, these plates are all available. Copies of all school outlines are on file at the desk in the children’s room. The loan collections of books sent to the outlying school buildings are made up in the children’s room. Any principal of a school at a distance from library or branches may ask for fifty (or less) books to be used in connection with the work, or to be cir- culated from the building. Fiction and miscellaneous books — a little of everything — is included. The teachers in the building may make up this list, or it may be left to the library. These books are not intended as supplementary reading, but that the children of the upper grades, many of whom leave school at the end of the eighth year, may become acquainted with the library and the fact that books in unlimited quantities are theirs for the asking after they have passed beyond the realm of text books. SCHOOL REFERENCE DEPARTMENT Here is the connecting link in the library between the lower grades and high schools. Reference work is done in this department with the seventh and eighth grades and first and second years’ high school pupils, with the individual or with a group of students. If word is sent in a few days before the schools begin work on a given subject, the assistant will make up for the reserve shelf a good reference col- lection of books from the circulation department, which, in addition to cyclopaedias and magazine articles, will be held for use during the necessary period. Failure to send this notice means that even a generous supply of books will be well out in cir- culation before the school reference department has had an opportunity to learn that the reserve shelf will be needed. This department has charge of the special refer- ence libraries — a collection of eight or ten standard 3 0112 061921653 books on one subject, which may be loaned t teacher for from one to four weeks. The rene~ will be arranged by the library. Requests for th libraries must be sent to the school reference sistant two days before the school wagon goes the building from which the request comes. At least once during the year the school refere assistant visits each school building, talks to seventh year pupils and invites them to come to library and use this department. She tells t how they may get the greatest benefit from library, and teaches them how to use the books the circulating department in connection with addition to the books belonging in the regular erence room. These are some of the things the library is d^ for some of the citizens of Indianapolis. An tempt to give in detail an account of all thatf being done in every department for all the patr of the library would result in a volume of too bitious proportions for the writer to undert Come and see for yourself what the Public Libr[ may mean to you.