Library Work with Children

The history of library work with children is yet to be written. From the bequest made to West Cambridge by Dr. Ebenezer Learned, of money to purchase "such books as will best promote useful knowledge and the Christian virtues" to the present day of organized work with children --of the training of children's librarians, of cooperative evaluated lists of books, of methods of extension-- the development has been gradual, yet with a constantly broadening point of view.

A number of libraries have claimed the honor of being the first to establish children's work--a fact which in itself seems to show that the movement was general rather than sporadic. The library periodicals contain many interesting accounts of these beginnings, a number of which have been mentioned in the articles included in this volume.

Certain personalities stand out very clearly in the history of the early days, and many of the same ones are still closely associated with children's work in its later developments. The Library J