It seems a notable fact that courses of lectures,which have had a prominent part in the work of the Children's Museum,were also an important factor in the earlier educational work connected with the library;and also that a "Library fund,"established sixty or more years ago,still provides all books and periodicals for the Children's Museum Library,with the addition of a small annual gift from the state of New York,the cost of maintenance being assumed by the city of New York.
The establishment of the Children's Museum came about in this wise.After a serious fire in the Washington street building,and the subsequent sale of its site,the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences secured an indefinite lease of a fine old mansion located in Bedford Park,which had been recently acquired by the city.The collections of birds,minerals,and other natural history objects were placed on exhibition for a few years in this old mansion,and the library,which now numbered several thousand volumes,was stored in the same building.On the completion of the first section of the new Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences,in 1897,the major part of the natural history collections were installed in the new museum.
At length the idea occurred to one of the curators that the old building could be utilized to advantage by establishing a museum which should be especially devoted to the education and enjoyment of young people.The first beginnings were made by the purchase of natural history charts,botanical and zoological models,and several series of vivid German lithographs,representing historical events ranging from the Battle of Marathon to the Franco-German War.Some collections of shells,minerals,birds and insects were added,and the small inception.of the Children's Museum was opened to the public Dec.16,1899,in a few rooms which had been fitted up for the purpose.A large part of the Brooklyn Institute Library,which had been stored in the building,and which was no longer useful here,was sent to other libraries in the South,leaving such books as were suitable to form the nucleus of the Children's Museum Library as well as the Library of the Central Museum.
With such modest beginnings the Children's Museum has developed within ten years,until the present building has become entirely inadequate for present needs.The collections now fill eleven exhibition rooms and adjacent halls;the lecture room is frequently overcrowded,the lecture being sometimes repeated again and again;and the space set apart for the library has long been taxed to its utmost.There are no reserve shelves for books,and when new books are added the least-used books are necessarily taken out and placed in temporary storage in a dark office on another floor.In busy times after school hours and on holidays,the reading room is frequently filled to overflowing,many of the children being obliged to stand,or perhaps turn away for lack of even standing room.
The number of visitors is steadily increasing,and numbered 14,637in the month of February,1910;just about one-third of this number,or 4,925,made use of the library during the month.
A new building is therefore urgently needed,and it is ardently hoped that a new fireproof building which is adequate for the purpose may soon be provided,to relieve the great stress now so apparent in many parts of the building,as well as to preserve its interesting collections and valuable library.
It seems evident that an institution which stands primarily for earnest endeavor to awaken an interest in Nature,is really necessary,especially in cities where many children live so closely crowded together that they hardly know what wild flowers are,and whose familiarity with birds is confined principally to the English sparrow.
Moreover,the nature study of the public school course,though good as far as it goes,is too often perfunctory,either from lack of interest or enthusiasm on the part of teachers,it being an added subject to an already crowded curriculum.Another seeming drawback is that the nature work is attempted during the first few years only,and then is dropped entirely for the remainder of the elementary course.A comparatively small number of children continue their studies in high schools;and even so,the study of botany and zoology is made so largely systematic and structural that any desire of becoming acquainted with the birds and flowers and trees is frequently eliminated.
Although entirely independent of the Board of Education it is along just such lines that the Children's Museum is able to make a place for itself in supplementing the work of the school.Its aims have been defined by the curator to be as follows:
1.To employ objects attractive and interesting to children,and at the same time helpful to teachers,in every branch of nature study.2.To secure an arrangement at once pleasing to the eye and expressive of a fundamental truth.3.To avoid confusion from the use of too many specimens and the consequent crowding in cases.
4.To label with brief deions expressed in simple language and printed in clear,readable type.
In addition to the common species of birds,insects,and animals,there are many groups that have special attraction for children.
For instance,among the "Birds we read about"are the flamingo,cassowary,condor,and quetzal;the eagle owl is contrasted with the pygmy owl,and the peacock,lyre bird,albatross,swan,and pelican are displayed.
