A History of Libraries in Schools

Jennifer J. CrispinDoctoral Student, University of Missouri

How did libraries end up in schools? Who are some key people in school library history? What are some key events in school library history? What were the roles and expectations for

administrators, teachers, teacher-librarians, and public librarians?

What does our history say about the future?

Libraries in Schools

In the first half of the 19th Century, several education pioneers attempted to promote libraries in schools

Governor De Witt Clinton of New York Governor William Marcy of New York Horace Mann of Massachusetts

In the beginning of the 19th Century, these men and other education pioneers traveled to Europe to learn more about educational methods in practice there.

Johann Pestalozzi

Pestalozzi

Johann Pestalozzi (1746-1827) was a Swiss educational reformer who forwarded a child-centered educational method relying on direct experience and activity.

Wilhelm von Humboldt

Von Humboldt

Promoted the idea of bildung, or self-formation

Took Pestalozzi’s ideas to Prussia Served as Head of the Section for Religion

and Education in the Ministry of the Interior (February 1809 to June 1810)

Three Key States

Politicians and educators in three key states promoted the idea of libraries in schools– New York– Massachusetts– Michigan

New York

1827: Governor De Witt Clinton proposed the idea of a small library of books in schools

1835: State legislature passes law allowing voters to levy taxes for school libraries– Few districts take advantage of new law

United States Deposit Fund

1838: Incoming Governor William Marcy recommends state use part of U.S. Deposit Fund for school district libraries

$55,000 would be set aside for three years Districts would raise matching money

Libraries Grow…

By 1841: 422,000 volumes in funded school libraries

By 1853: More than 1.6 million volumes…

…Then Decline

Volumes disappear Money goes to other purposes By 1875, districts report only 831,000

volumes Superintendent recommends 1838 law be

repealed

Massachusetts

1837: Horace Mann becomes Secretary of State Board of Education, the first board of education in the states

School district library bill passes the same year– Districts can raise $30 to start school library– Then spend $10 to maintain library

Progress?

By 1839, only 50 of the 3,000 school districts in Massachusetts had libraries

A total of 10,000 volumes (At the same time, only 15 town libraries

total)

Mann’s Lectures

1840- “On District-School Libraries”– Discussing with teachers his ideas for school

libraries– Purpose of going to school was learning to read– Library was for poor as well as rich– School’s function was to improve reading taste

Funding

1841- Resolution provides $15 per school for libraries

By 1849, there are more than 91,000 volumes in Massachusetts public school libraries

BUT In 1850, the school library funding law is

abolished

Public Libraries

… in favor of a law establishing public libraries.

Public libraries became so popular that they eclipsed school libraries

But Mann’s efforts in establishing school libraries helped create a library culture in Massachusetts

Michigan

1837- Michigan School Law allowed districts to raise taxes of no more than $10 a year to establish school libraries

Those districts could use money collected from breaches of peace laws and exemptions from military service for libraries

By 1840, state law directed that all of this money should go to libraries

1843, it became duty of State Superintendent of Schools to “publish a list of books suitable for school libraries” (Cecil and Heaps, 1940)

1859, towns can begin dividing money between school and public libraries

1876

By 1876, nineteen states had passed laws for the development of school libraries, but the movement was fizzling out

(Missouri passed an act in 1853 allowing voters to raise taxes for school libraries. Only 14 counties were known to have participated.)

1876

Considered beginning of modern library movement

American Library Association is founded at Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia (October 6)