TRAVELLING LIBRARIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1611, 30 November 1912, Page 5

TRAVELLING LIBRARIES.

SUCCESS S AT CLYDE QUAY.

"Ifs just'splendid!" said Mr. W. T. Grundy, headmaster of the Clyde Quay School, when asked how•• the new library scheme was getting on. The scheme is one adopted in American schools, whereby the free public libraries, assisted by the municipalities and school authorities, supplied boxes of . books to each of the schools of a .character to suit the ages of those in the various standards. The principle in the rough is that if there are 60 students in a class.a box of 60 books is secured, and at'the rate of one book a week it takes the class 60 weeks to get through . that lot. When they are done with them -that box of books is sent on to another school, and .either a fresh one or one from another: school'is obtained to take their place. 111-. H. Baillie (Public Librarian) was impressed with this scheriie, and suggested its adoption in Wellington on his return from America over fy.year ago. After some deliberation it was decided to experiment, and the Clyde Quay School Committee being first in with an application was selected as the medium. '

"Yes, it is' an entire success, and must, be beneficial to tlie scholars, for not only were a very fine lot of books. selected, but the teachers were given the privilege of selecting others which they deemed suitable. It has been going now for six months, and the' scholars are as keen as ever. They look well after the books— I have noticed that if a book goes out with a brown' paper cover it invariably comcs back with it on, showing that the boys and girls are exercising l care in looking after the books. The pain to the scholar, of course, is the wide variety of. suitable literature, the scheme opans 'out, which could hardly be secured to State school children by any other means. In former years we had our own school libraries, but one lot of books amongst 700 or 800 children did hot go far, and owing to the expense we could not keep on freshening it up with new jiurchases. TJhe new. idea offers a very sensible and economical way of securing good literature for tho. •children, and I am suro it will be a great success when it is extended to the other I schools in Wellington."