The recent war has shown clearly the im portance of morale in military affairs and every well-considered scheme for the social readjust ments which are following the war has in cluded the development of peace-time morale. The library cultivates civic morale through its recreational reading as well as through its pro fessedly educational books. Even the business library has this for one of its aims. The good library of this type usually includes recreational books as a welfare project.
Official Connection of Library and Public Many legal decisions in the United States, England, Canada, Scandinavia and elsewhere have officially recognized the li brary as an educational institution. It is on this basis that the library chiefly bases its claims to tax exemption and to direct tax support. In virtually every civilized country the control of libraries is vested in the official department which directs public education.
In the United States the connection between the public library and popular education is usu ally made by the State Library Commission or by making the library activities of the State a duty of the State Education Department (as in New York and Utah).
Since popular education in the United States most nearly follows a democratic ideal. it is natural that the connection of public education and public library is closer than in any other country. Canada (especially in the province of Ontario) and most European countries include both school and library under their ministries of education. In Norway and Denmark there is a general tendency to consider both school and library essential in popular education. England is beginning to show a similar dis position — an example followed in varying de grees by many of her colonies. In Italy, the connection, though theoretically recognized, is not practically realized to any great extent. France and Germany, with their rigid courses of elementary and secondary training, dis courage rather than encourage individual re search for those below the university and make little attempt to establish or use public libraries for direct educational purposes. Several prov inces of India (notably Baroda and the Pun jab) have established library systems for the purpose of popular education.
Specific Educational Activities of the Pub lic Library.—The main lines of direct educa tional activity in vogue in American libraries are noted below. They are characteristic of the work of nearly all of the better public li braries of the country, though the emphasis on different activities will vary in different places.
These are also in the main the same as those of other countries in which the public library is recognized as a part of the public educa tional system.
(a) Work with The school li brary, definitely planned as an auxiliary to the school course, is rapidly assuming a place of its own. Its limited purpose will always more or less limit its independent development. The public library can and usually does supplement the school library in various ways. Instruc tion in the use of books and libraries is often given in the public library. Books which the school library cannot afford or which it needs only occasionally are purchased by the public library and books and space are reserved in reading-rooms for the use of individual pupils as well as entire classes. Reference lists are compiled for the use of teachers and pupils and the attention of teachers is called to re cent material of use in school work. School collections of pamphlets, clippings, maps, pic tures and lantern slides are supplemented by loans from the local public library collection. Material is made accessible at the public library at hours when the school library cannot con veniently be kept open. Much of the tech nical routine of cataloging, classification, book purchase, etc., is frequently done through the public library. In some cases, especially in small places, school and Public library unite to employ a competent librarian who serves both. In others, branches of the public library, for gene -1 public use, are maintained in public school buildings. This interrelation of the two types of libraries tends to make habitual the use of the library after the pupil has left school. In a rather large number of cases, the public library selects the school librarian and admin isters the school library subject to the general consent of the school authorities.
(b) Work with The children's room of the public library also supplements the work of the school. The and the collection of children's literature enable the child to read voluntarily along the lines of his individual tastes. A wider range of subjects and a greater freedom of treatment than the school can give are usually open to the chil dren's librarian. This is especially, important in connection with elementary schools and the tendency of teacher, school librarian and chil dren's librarian to work together in this direc tion is increasing.