Summary

The opinion is widespread throughout the country, that while 37 States have passed laws requiring that physical education should be included in the school curricula, the greatest handicap retarding the work at this time is still the lack of sufficient play space. In fact it was pointed out in a survey of the status of physical education in city public schools published by the United States Office of Education in 1929, that 20 per cent of the cities having a population of 30,000 to 100,000 had made no provision for playgrounds for the elementary schools and that scarcely 50 per cent of the high schools throughout the country were provided with school playground or separate athletic fields.

In recognition of this need of play space, the present study points out the fact that laws have been passed in 8 States requiring that certain areas be provided for school playgrounds. Rules and regulations have been made by State boards of education in 20 States requiring certain areas for school sites. Definite areas have been suggested as standards for city and rural schools of various enrollments by 36 State departments of education.

Areas required by law vary from 1 to 6 acres. Areas required by rules and regulations of the State boards of education vary in the elementary schools from 1 to 6 acres, and in the high, junior high, and senior high schools from 2 to 10 acres. Areas recommended by State boards of education vary in the elementary schools from 1 to 12, in junior high schools from 1 to 10 acres, and in senior high schools from 1 to 20.

Furthermore, the study shows the gradual development of standards in the matter of determining the space necessary for school playgrounds for elementary, high, junior high, and rural schools. It shows the need for a well-planned layout of school playgrounds into special plots suitable for the children of the various ages and grades. It shows the tendency to plan sufficient areas, not only for the required program in physical education and recess activities, but also for the after-school games and sports.

It points out the fact that municipal recreation boards and city planning associations are cooperating with city boards of education in securing and planning large areas for school and municipal recreation.

In general, inadequate school grounds found to-day are considered. a lack of foresight on the part of the former school boards and school administrators. Large school playgrounds are recognized as an essential part of the school equipment.

Selected Bibliography

Denver Planning Commission, Denver, Colo. Preliminary report on a major recreational facilities plan. Prepared for the commission by S. R. De Boer; McCrary, Culley, and Carhart, consultants. Denver, The Commission, 1929. 13 p. map. 8°.

Hughes, Charles E. Why we want playgrounds. New York, Playground and Recreation Association of America, 315 Fourth Avenue, New York.

Lee, Joseph. Play and playgrounds. New York, Playground and Recreation Association of America, 315 Fourth Avenue.

Nash, Jay B. The organization and administration of playgrounds and recreation. New York, A. S. Barnes & Co., 1927. xii, 547 p. illus., front., tables, diagrs. 8°.

Playground and Recreation Association of America. Play areas: Their design and equipment. New York, A. S. Barnes & Co., 1928. 206 p. illus. tables, diagrs.

4°.

Play space for schools. New York, Playground and Recreation Association of America, 1930. 7 p. 8°. (Mimeographed Circular No. 91.) Ready, M. M. Games and equipment for rural schools. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1927. 16 p. illus., diagrs. (U. S. Bureau of Education. Physical Education Series, No. 8.)

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1930

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C.

Price 5 cents

CONTENTS: Foreword-Equal library privileges for farm and city, by Bertine Weston-The rural school with and without county library service, by May Dexter Henshall-Virgin field for county library service to schools, by Ruth Underwood-Book service to schools, by Anne M. Mulheron-Joy of reading for rural children, by Margaret E. Wright-New way versus old in school library service, by Gratia A. Countryman-County libraries and rural schools in New Jersey, by Sarah Byrd Askew-County library service of the Julius Rosenwald Fund, by Jackson E. Towne.

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FOREWORD

HIS pamphlet contains abstracts of eight articles belonging to a series of papers on school and county library cooperation

which began in SCHOOL LIFE, a publication of the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Education, in December, 1928. In producing the series of articles the office has had the cooperation of the American Library Association. The demand for the foregoing has far exceeded the supply of available issues of SCHOOL LIFE in which they appear. For this reason abstracts of representative articles of the series have been assembled in pamphlet form.

Five of the eight articles which describe the services extended to schools by county libraries located in five different States, were written by members of the staffs of the respective libraries. Two articles, written by State library officials, show how county libraries are serving schools in California and New Jersey-States in which

'For full text of articles consult the following issues of SCHOOL LIFE: Vol. 14, pp. 66-67, December, 1928; pp. 84-87, January, 1929; pp. 121-23, March, 1929; pp. 144-46, April, 1929. Vol. 15, pp. 12-14, September, 1929; pp. 56-57, November, 1929; pp. 121-23, March, 1930; and pp. 183-85, June, 1930.

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county library development has been brought about through an intensive program on the part of the State library in each of the foregoing States. The author of the last article, who tells of the activities of the Rosenwald Fund in the establishment of demonstration county libraries in the Southern States, is consultant to the fund.

A unique service to schools, described in one of the articles, is the development of a county school curriculum through the cooperative efforts of county school and library officials and teachers. This curriculum is conspicuous for its lists of "tested out" reference books. A knowledge of the stipulations under which grants from the Rosenwald Fund for demonstration county libraries may be secured and the number and character of the libraries that have been set up by the aid of the fund will be of interest to the people of the South who are anxious to see county libraries developed.

#TED STATES OF AMERICA

EQUAL LIBRARY PRIVILEGES FOR FARM AND CITY

The public library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Ind., strives to extend to children in the rural schools the same privileges that are extended to children in the city schools.

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By BERTINE WESTON

Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Ind.

HE PUBLIC LIBRARY of Fort Wayne and Allen County strives to supply the people outside the city of Fort Wayne equally with those within the city with books which they may use and enjoy. The county department of the library is maintained by a levy made by the county commissioners for furnishing books and magazines to residents of Allen County.

It is the aim of the county department to extend to every child in the rural schools the same privileges that are extended to the city children. At the beginning of each school year the teachers in the county are requested to report the number of pupils and grades in their schools and the nature of the books desired for home and for classroom use. In ordering books for the county schools the county department uses the Indiana State course of study as a basis, and after the grades and number of pupils in each school are known collections are made up with reference to the teachers' special requests. Each semester these books are changed, so that twice a year each public school in the county receives two well-balanced collections of books, which average from one and a half to two books per pupil.

Children enjoy stories librarian tells.-During the school year as many of the rural schools as possible are visited and stories are told to the children. It is a time of rejoicing when the children of a rural school see the library car drive up with the story-teller. In one school, Jefferson No. 9, the story-teller had promised that the next time she came she would tell them the story of Raggylug. She made the promise on a visit in the spring when she had not time to tell the story, because she was due at one of the branches for the regular monthly story hour. This fall an out-of-town visitor wished to see some of the work done in the county schools and a special trip was made into the county. The story-teller who is the assistant in charge of schools, went with the county librarian on this trip. As the