quest of the teacher. These collections should contain beside 

 the specimens and labels, brief notes giving necessary informa- 

 tion and a bibliography of the subject treated for the benefit 

 of the teacher. If possible, a special instructor should be in 

 charge of these collections, visit the schools and direct their 

 management, devise means for making them thoroughly use- 

 ful and, if necessary, conduct classes 'for either teachers or 

 children. The territory thus supplied by the central museum, 

 w^ith illustrations and objective material for work in geogra- 

 phy or elementary science would be limited only by the funds 

 and resources of the Museum. 



In the Museum library and reading room, both teachers and 

 children will find valuable aid along the lines of school work. 

 Books without specimens give imperfect ideas of life and 

 things as many of you can testify from your own experience. 

 But books and pictures with specimens make a complete work- 

 ing outfit for scholar or teacher. The Museum library supple- 

 ments the school text-books in a way that the public library 

 can not do, since it can not properly specialize in any one or 

 two departments. The range of books, beginning at simple 

 nature readers for little children would ascend through the 

 scale of attractive, helpful books, adapted to the varying 

 needs of children of school age to the more technical works 

 which furnish much needed aid to the busy teacher. 



Much, of course, depends upon the adaptability of the lib- 

 rarian to her work and the opportunities she finds for interest- 

 ing and helping visitors to her department. Arranging book- 

 lists to accompany exhibits and loan collections, hunting up 

 material for work on special topics which the teacher or stu- 

 dent is too unpracticed or too busy to do for himself — these 

 are but two suggestions for the pleasant burden of helpful- 

 ness which must rest upon the shoulders of the museum lib- 

 rarian. 



Turning from books to nature, the Museum encounters an- 



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