N S3 2L* 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 
 THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 
 SCHOOL LIBRARIES DIVISION 
 
 Albany, N. YOctober io, 1917 
 
 To Librarians and Principals of Public Secondary Schools: 
 
 There has been much discussion as to the relations that exist, 
 or should exist, between school libraries and public libraries, and 
 these discussions seem to have been carried on without very much 
 
 knowledge of the conditions that really exist. 
 
 The following facts are well worth serious consideration: 
 
 The number of secondary public schools in the State is. 749 
 
 The number of these located in cities or villages in which there is no 
 
 public library is . 201 
 
 The number of public libraries in the State is. 548 
 
 The number of branch libraries is. 105 
 
 The number of public libraries that are open every day and have paid 
 
 librarians is only . 197 
 
 The number of libraries that are not open every day but that have 
 
 paid librarians is ... 117 
 
 The number of libraries that are not open every day and that pay their 
 
 librarians $25 a year or less is. 32 
 
 The number of libraries that are not open every day and do not pay 
 their librarians any salary at all is. 70 
 
 There seems to be considerable confusion of thought as to the 
 province of the two classes of libraries. Many apparently think 
 they are undertaking, or should undertake, practically the same 
 work. There could be no more mistaken idea. The work of 
 the school library is, or ought to be, chiefly a teaching problem. 
 The pupils need to be trained to enjoy reading that which is worth 
 while, just as much as they need to be taught arithmetic, grammar 
 and other school subjects. This work can never be successfully 
 undertaken by the public libraries for at least two reasons. The 
 public libraries can not reach all the pupils, nor anywhere near all 
 of them. Replies to a questionnaire sent to principals of secondary 
 schools and to the librarians of public libraries indicate that the 
 public libraries do not reach more than one-half of the pupils 
 who attend the public schools. If the public libraries could bring 
 all the children to them they would be overwhelmed by the numbers. 
 In every way they lack facilities for the teaching work. 
 
 It is evident that neither the school library nor the public library 
 can ever hope to be in a condition to do the whole work of training 
 the children to enjoy good reading. Each should supplement the 
 work of the other, and both should work together in the utmost 
 
 Lei9r-Oi7-2500 (7-10221) 
 
2 
 
 harmony. It is unfortunately true that in some places the two 
 libraries have no more to do with each other than if only one of 
 them were in existence. 
 
 It is unfortunate that there are many villages where there is no 
 public library, others where there is a library but no trained libra¬ 
 rian, and many more in which the public library is small, poorly 
 supported, without trained librarians, and open only a few hours 
 a week. These conditions impose special burdens upon the school, 
 for children who are taught how to read but not what to read, 
 whose tastes are not cultivated, are about as likely to read that 
 which is worthless as that which is worth while. 
 
 In order to find out so far as practicable what conditions really 
 were, a questionnaire was sent to all the public libraries of the 
 State, and a similar one to each of the high school principals of 
 the State, so that we might have the ideas of both the school people 
 and the library people. 
 
 The questionnaire sent to the librarians of the public libraries 
 May 17, 1917, read as follows: 
 
 Close and cordial relations should exist between the public libraries of the 
 State and the school libraries. This division would like to know what the 
 conditions really are, and would be glad if you would report to us at your 
 earliest convenience. We are not now concerned with your relations to indi¬ 
 vidual pupils, but with your relations to schools as such. If you will kindly 
 answer the following questions you will enable us to secure much needed 
 information. If we can have this before June 10th, it will be especially 
 helpful. 
 
 1 Do you lend books to the schools in your vicinity; that is, to the schools 
 
 as institutions, distinct from the individual pupils? 
 
 2 If you do, to what extent and under what conditions? 
 
 3 Do you in any way aid the teachers in their use of .the school library? 
 
 If so, in what way and to what extent? 
 
 4 Do you ever visit the schools in your place or vicinity and talk to the chil¬ 
 
 dren about their reading, and their use of the school library and the 
 public library? 
 
 5 Do the principals or teachers ever ask you to do this? If so, to what 
 
 extent? 
 
 6 Do you ever invite the pupils to come to your library so that you may talk 
 
 to them about the use of the public library? If so, about how many 
 come? 
 
 7 About what proportion of the pupils in the public schools draw books from 
 
 your library regularly? 
 
 8 State what you think it is feasible for your library to do to make the use of 
 
 the school library of greater value. 
 
 Only 136 of the 548 libraries in the State reported, and many 
 of those that reported answered only a part of the questions asked. 
 A summary of replies with some comments will be of interest. 
 
3 
 
 jj 
 
 
 i 
 
 X n A, y ^~<o 
 
 
 Question i There were 63 answers in the affirmative and 73 
 in the negative; that is, rather more than one-half of the libraries 
 that reported do not concern themselves with the schools to any 
 considerable extent. This seems extremely unfortunate. 
 
 Qtiestion 2 There was naturally a variety of replies to this ques¬ 
 tion. Some said that their supply of books was not sufficient to 
 enable them to attempt this work. Some lent books to schools 
 with no time limit. Others lent grade libraries. Some lent to 
 teachers only. Others lent books to schools on request. Some 
 others lent only under special conditions. Evidently no general 
 plan has been worked out and accepted. 
 
 Question j Seventy-six report that they do nothing; 47 help 
 in one way or another. Among the statements made are the fol¬ 
 lowing : “ Can not undertake additional responsibility.” “ Aid in 
 
 selecting books for purchase.” “ Prepare special lists on history 
 and other subjects.” 
 
 Question 4 Ninety-seven report that they do nothing; 31 attempt 
 to help. Those who have done nothing say: “ Such work would 
 
 create such a demand for children’s books that it could not be met.” 
 “ Have never been invited.” “ Such work would not be appre¬ 
 ciated.” “ It is the business of the teachers to do such work.” 
 “ Would be glad to do such work if invited.” 
 
 Question 5 One hundred and six libraries report that they have 
 never been invited by the principals or the teachers to speak to the 
 children on library matters, which indicates an astonishing lack 
 of interest in library work on part of teachers. May this condition 
 not be due to the fact that until recently little attention to training 
 children to enjoy good reading has been given in most of our normal 
 schools and training classes? Only 20 libraries reported that they 
 had ever been invited to speak to the school children. 
 
 Question 6 Eighty-four librarians say that they have never 
 invited the pupils in school to come to their libraries that they might 
 talk to them about the use of the public library; 47 have given 
 such invitations with varying results. 
 
 Question 7 The following facts came out in response to this 
 
 question: 
 
 25% or fewer. 18 
 
 From 25% to 50%. 37 
 
 From 50% to 75%. 24 
 
 From 75% to 90%. 7 
 
 Unable to give facts. 20 
 
 Indefinite replies. 13 
 

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 Question 8 The following statements were made in reply to this 
 question: “ Our library needs strengthening before we can do 
 
 much for the school library.” “ The school library has more money, 
 more books, and in most ways is better provided than we.” “ Would 
 like to help but have not enough books.” “ Would be glad to aid 
 in classifying, cataloging and arranging if we had help enough, 
 but that is impossible under present conditions.” “ Advise as to 
 purchase.” “ Cooperation with principals and teachers.” “ Should 
 visit schools more.” “ Should be glad to have classes visit us, and 
 glad to confer with teachers.” “ More cooperation between 
 teachers and librarians.” “A short course on the use of books 
 given by a trained librarian to each of the teachers training classes, 
 and also to high school pupils.” “ Cooperate in the purchase of 
 books, and instruct teachers in the care of the school library.” 
 “ Give talks to teachers and pupils.” 
 
 The questions sent to principals of high schools were 
 
 1 About what proportion of your pupils regularly draw books from the 
 
 public library? 
 
 2 Has the librarian of the public library in your place shown any interest in 
 
 your school library? If so, how? 
 
 3 Have you ever asked her assistance? 
 
 4 Does the librarian of the public library ever meet your pupils either at 
 
 school or at the public library, and discuss library matters with them? 
 If either has been done, to what extent have the pupils responded? Have 
 you ever invited the librarian to do either? 
 
 5 Have you a satisfactory high school librarian? 
 
 6 State what you think it is feasible for you, your school authorities, or the 
 
 librarian of the public library to do to make the library work in your 
 school of greater value. 
 
 The answers to the questions are as follows: 
 
 Question i There is evidence in the answers to this question 
 that many of the principals have very little interest in the reading 
 done by their pupils. Only 466 of the 749 principals made any 
 report, a little more than 62 per cent. Perhaps it is not unreason¬ 
 able to suppose that the others did not report because they could 
 not make a creditable showing. 
 
 From 1% to 25%. 46 
 
 From 25% to 50%. 77 
 
 From 50% to 92^6%. 75 
 
 Had no knowledge. 14 
 
 Indefinite replies. 20 
 
 It will be noted that nearly one-half of the principals who re¬ 
 ported failed to reply to this question. This is largely accounted 
 
5 . 
 
 for by the fact that there are many secondary schools in places 
 where there is no public library at all. 
 
 Question 2 One hundred and forty-one replied in the affirma¬ 
 tive, 81 in the negative. The following are among the comments 
 made: “ There is no trained librarian in the public library.” “ The 
 library is managed by volunteers.” “ The library is kept open 
 only a very small part of the time.” 
 
 It seems to be the opinion of a majority of the principals of the 
 public secondary schools that many of the librarians of the public 
 libraries have little or no interest in the public school pupils or the 
 school libraries. It could hardly be expected that the libraries that 
 were served by volunteer librarians or those who received a salary 
 of $25 a year or less, would be disposed to take upon themselves 
 any extra burdens. There are over a hundred such libraries. In 
 many cases the conditions are such that the librarian can not be 
 anything more than a clerk. This remark probably applies to more 
 than one-half of the public libraries of the State; it is no reflec¬ 
 tion upon the librarian, but shows that the communities can not 
 properly support a public library, or at least do not do so. 
 
 Question 3 One hundred and nine answer in the affirmative, 
 99 in the negative, showing that nearly one-half of the principals 
 of our high schools are making no effort to cooperate with the 
 librarians of the public libraries. This is a most unfortunate con¬ 
 dition. 
 
 Question 4 One hundred and thirty-eight answered in the nega¬ 
 tive and 60 in the affirmative. Another painful evidence of a lack 
 of cooperation. 
 
 Question 5 Eight reported that there were no high school 
 librarians in their schools, 6 that their librarians were fairly satis¬ 
 factory, 73 that they were not satisfactory, and 197 that they had 
 satisfactory high school librarians, which may indicate that they 
 were easily satisfied. A few had the grace to say that there was 
 need of having more time given to library work. The fact that the 
 majority of the high school principals were satisfied with the library 
 work done is by far the most discouraging feature of the reports 
 that have come from either the principals or the librarians. 
 
 Question 6 Among the many replies were the following: “The 
 library should be made a vital part of the school and a trained 
 librarian employed.” “ The school librarian should give more time 
 to library work.” “ There should be greater facilities for library 
 
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 work.” “ The school libraries should be larger and better.” 
 
 “ Teacher-librarians should be required to attend library institutes.” 
 
 “ There should be more hours of library service.” “ The library 
 room should be made more easily accessible.” “ There is great 
 need of more books in libraries.” “ The library should be open i 
 every afternoon.” “A school should have one teacher who has 1 
 had library training.” “ Teachers should be required to be familiar 
 with children’s books.” “ The school authorities should grant more 
 money for library work.” “ There should be better cooperation 2 
 between school and public libraries.” 
 
 There are many things in the reports quoted that on their face 
 look discouraging, but if one reads between the lines he will find 
 much to cheer him. In many places there is excellent work and 
 fine cooperation. Human nature is pretty much the same the 
 world over, and what has been accomplished in many places in 
 the State may be brought about generally when conditions are made 
 favorable. I am sure that the outlook for satisfactory library work 
 in the near future was never so bright as it is at present. All 
 that seems necessary is that teachers and librarians should come 
 to know each other better, understand each other’s purposes more 
 thoroughly, and aid each other all that they can, as they have a 
 common purpose. So far as is known, in every instance in which 
 school and public library local representatives have come together 
 satisfactory results have been secured. It is hoped that every one 
 interested in the educational work of the State will aid in the work 
 of cooperation to the utmost of his ability. The new town school 
 law promises better conditions in regard to libraries in rural com- J 
 munities. The town school boards are generally manifesting much 
 interest in this matter. 
 
 Copies of this report will be sent to every public library in the 
 State, and to the principal of every public secondary school. 
 
 Sherman Williams 
 Chief of School Libraries Division