May Hill Arbuthnot: Connecting Children and Libraries

Running Head: May Hill Arbuthnot: Connecting Children and Libraries

May Hill Arbuthnot: Connecting Children and Libraries Tiffany Sonnier Wayne State University

May Hill Arbuthnot: Connecting Children and Libraries

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Consider, first, that one of the primary functions of the library is to provide a community space for people to interact around information. Similarly, we apply this same foundation to children’s libraries, in which one form of information is the children’s book. May Hill Arbuthnot contributed to library studies as she paved the way in which literacy was taught to children and provided leadership in urging adults ensure that good books were made accessible to children. Ms. Hill was dedicated to improving children’s literature and promoting childhood literacy. She was a writer, lecturer and educator, and her reviews on children’s literature could be used in children’s literature classes and library schools.

May Hill Arbuthnot was born August 27, 1884, in Mason City, Iowa. Her parents were both avid readers, so she grew up absorbed in the written word. In 1913, she received a primary education certificate from the University of Chicago. At that time, she began her career at the Superior State College as a training teacher. She was a strong believer in the value of re-school education. After earning her graduate degree from Columbia University in 1924, she went on to establish the first nursery training school in Cleveland, and the state of Ohio, which later became the department of elementary education at Western Reserve University. She continued to teach and train both professionals and parents in the development of children and children’s literacy until her retirement in 1950.

In 1940 and 1946, she co-authored the Basic Reader Series with William S. Gray.

Developed for early readers, this popular series was later known as the “Dick and Jane” series.

At that time, the series was criticized as not having any real literary merit. However, as Zena Sutherland discussed (1980), “While [Arbuthnot] was concerned with function, with how books were introduced to children…she was even more concerned with the goals of reading enjoyment and of giving children the best in world literature – well written books that stirred the

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imagination and awoke sympathy for others and understanding of self” (p. 31). Ms. Arbuthnot was dedicated to bringing children and books together, and to inspire a lifelong love of literature.

Furthermore, when asked what librarians could do to nurture enjoyment of poetry in children, she answered, “Librarians have one great advantage. They have the books” (“Helping Children Enjoy Poetry,” 1962). She further discussed that libraries should create displays to showcase books of poetry and to include poetry in story hour.

Perhaps her greatest contribution to children’s literature and librarianship is evidenced in her work, Children and Books, written in 1947. This work made clear her belief that good books can assist children in meeting their developmental needs; from picture books, to nonsense poems and fairy tales, children’s stories offer life lessons in morals and manners, and she further argued that these stories should be taken seriously. As Dennis Dooley explained, Children and Books offered helpful criteria for evaluating literature that not only children would crave, but that were also examples of quality literature (“May Hill Arbuthnot,” n.d.) Children and Books is now the textbook used in children’s literature classes and librarian classes specializing in children services.

In 1969, Ms. Arbuthnot’s publisher, Scott, Foresman, established the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. This is an annual selection, now funded and administered by the American Library Association in conjunction with the Association for Library Service to Children, of an outstanding author, critic, librarian, historian, or teacher of children’s literature.

The lecture series interacts with those who make a unique contribution, and showcases the trends, in children’s literature. This award commemorates her work as a spokeswoman and advocate for good children’s literature. It is even more apt to be awarded by the ALA/ALSC since librarians viewed her work as a guide in organizing children’s library programs. Ms.

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Arbuthnot’s philosophy that librarians should influence children to make worthwhile and joyous use of books showcases her leadership in LIS. It is imperative that we recognize children as an important aspect of the community space that is created by libraries. Additionally, the use of children’s books promotes a better understanding among people. She stressed the importance of early childhood education, literacy, and a lifelong love for literature. Her leadership inspired the education of librarians to create higher standards in the selection of children’s literature. Perhaps she is most celebrated by the children’s and youth service librarians of today. Even if her name had never been attributed to an award, she would still stand out as a leader among children’s literature enthusiasts and librarians for emphasizing the need to make available a generous selection of good books for children.

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References Dooley, D. (n.d.). May Hill Arbuthnot, Associate Professor Emerita of Education, Western Reserve University, 1884–1969. Retrieved from http://www.clevelandartsprize.org/awardees/may_hill_arbuthnot.html.

Helping Children Enjoy Poetry. (1962). Wilson Library Bulletin, 36, 377.

Miller, M. (2003). Arbuthnot, May Hill. Pioneers and Leaders in Library Services to Youth: A Biographical Dictionary. Wesport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. Monaghan, C. (2006). A Pioneer in the Field of Children’s Literature. In S. Israel & E. Monaghan (Eds.), Shaping the Reading Field: The Impact of Early Reading Pioneers, Scientific Research, and Progressive Ideas (199-216). Chicago, IL: International Reading Association.

Sutherland, Z. (1980). Arbuthnot. Notable American Women: The Modern Period: A Biographical Dictionary. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.