第93章 THE QUESTION OF DISCIPLINE(2)

I finally resorted to the plan of taking the young man away and letting the young ladies be without their guard.This has resulted most satisfactorily.The order has been much better,and while I cannot say that we are free from disorder,nothing like the state of things that before existed now obtains.The manager of the Settlement House overheard a gang of these very bad boys consulting on the street a few nights ago,something in this wise:'Come,boys,let's go to the library for some fun!'Another boy said,'Who's there?'The reply was,'Oh!only Miss Y----;don't let's bother her,'and the raid was not made.Of course we have done everything ordinary and extraordinary that we know about in the way of trying to interest the boys and having a large number of assistants to be among them and watch them,but nothing has succeeded so well as to put the girls alone in the place and let things take their course."The experience of another librarian also furnishes much food for thought.She writes:"I could almost say I am glad that others have trouble with that imp of darkness,the small boy.Much as Ilove him,there are times when extermination seems the only solution of the difficulty.However,our children's room is a paradise to what it was a year ago,and so I hope.The only thing is to know each boy as well as possible,something of his home and school,if he will tell you about them.The assistants make a point of getting acquainted when only a few children are in.This winter I wrote to the parents of several of the leaders,telling them I could not allow the children in the library unless the parents would agree to assist me with the discipline.This meant that about six boys have not come back to us.I was sorry,but after giving the lads a year's trial I decided there was no use in ****** others suffer for their misdeeds.A severe punishment is to forbid the boys a 'story hour.'They love this and will not miss an evening unless compelled to remain away.To give some of the worst boys a share in the responsibility of caring for the room often creates a feeling of ownership which is wholesome.Our devices are as numerous and unique as the boys themselves.Some of them would seem absurd to an outsider.The unexpected always happens;firmness,sympathy and ingenuity are the virtues required and occasionally the added dignity of a policeman,who makes himself quite conspicuous,once in a while."Another reply is a follows:"Miss C----has turned over your inquiry concerning unruly boys to me to answer.I protested that every boy that made a disturbance was to me a special problem--and very difficult;and I can't tell what we do with unruly boys as a class.I remember I had a theory that children were very susceptible to courtesy and gentleness,and I meant to control the department by teaching the youngsters SELF control and a proper respect for the rights of the others who wanted to study in peace and quiet.I never went back on my theory;but occasionally,of a Saturday afternoon,when there were a hundred children or more and several teachers in the room and I was trying to answer six questions a minute,I did have to call in our impressive janitor.He sat near the gate and looked over the crowd and when he scowled the obstreperous twelve-year-olds made themselves less conspicuous.A policeman sometimes wandered in,but I disliked to have to resort to the use of muscular energy.Ilearned the names of the most troublesome boys and gradually collected quite a bit of information about them,their addresses,where they went to school,their favorite authors,who they seemed 'chummy'with,etc.,and when they found I didn't intend to be needlessly disagreeable and wasn't always watching for mischief,but credited them with honor and friendly feelings,Ithink some of them underwent a change of heart.I made a point of bowing to them on the street,talking to them and especially getting them to talk about their books;had them help me hang the bulletins and pictures,straighten up the books etc.Twice an evil spirit entered into about a dozen of the boys and my patience being kin to the prehistoric kind that 'cometh quickly to an end,'after a certain point,I gave their names to the librarian,who wrote to their parents.That settled things for a while and they got out of the habit of talking so much.A serious conversation with one boy ended with the request that he stay from the library altogether for a month and when he came back he would begin a new slate.Once,within a week,he came in,or started to,when I caught his eye.Then he beckoned to another boy and I think a transaction of some kind took place so that he got his book exchanged.But he saw I meant what I said.The day after the month was up he appeared,we exchanged a friendly smile and I had no more trouble with him."We deem the question of banishment a serious one.Unruly boys are often just the ones that need the influence of the library most in counteracting the ofttimes baneful influence of a sordid home life.It is a good thing,morally,to get hold of such boys at an early age and to win their interest in and attendance at the library rather than at places of low resort.To withhold a boy's card may also be considered a doubtful punishment--driving the young omnivorous reader to the patronage of the "underground travelling library"with its secret stations and patrons.Before suspension or expulsion is resorted to,the librarian should clearly distinguish between thoughtless exuberance of spirits and downright maliciousness."If we only had a boys'room,"plaintively writes one sympathetic librarian,"where we could get them together without disturbing their elders and could thus let them bubble over with their 'animal spirits'without infringing on other people,I believe we could win them for good."A number of librarians,however,report no difficulty in dealing with the young folks.Some state that the children easily fall into the general spirit of the place and are quiet and studious.