The Buffalo Library Children’s Room

After being elected the new president of the Buffalo Library in 1896, T. Guilford Smith suggested the addition of a reading room specifically for children to relieve the stress in the overcrowded adult reading areas.  He had just visited the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh and, impressed with the size and collections of their children’s room, he wished to take advantage of this new direction in public library services.  Few public libraries had departments with dedicated staff and collections aimed for the betterment of children’s lives, and Buffalo would now join this small number of progressive institutions in the entire U.S.

For its grand opening, the library sent out announcements to local schools and newspapers, as well as posted signs in the many other places that children might gather.  Opening June 29, 1896, attendance was initially low, roughly 40 to 75 children a day, but by October, with hundreds in attendance daily, the Children’s Room had to be moved to a larger space!  The demand for fairy tales, poetry and stories kept the staff busy, and the ever popular scrapbooks full of pictures were in continuous use, as they were so helpful in holding the attentions of “these restless little persons.”* By the end of the first year, the book collection had grown to over 7,000 volumes, and children were now allowed to borrow and take the books home.

The staff’s main goal was to inspire kids to read good books and develop a lifelong habit of learning.  The introduction of “Story Hour” on Sundays saw a steady increase in circulation numbers and the addition of new library patrons.  Soon, Saturday “Story Hours” had to be added and sometimes the hour was repeated during the day because of the large attendance. By 1905 the Children’s Room had its most successful year to date, circulating over 100,000 books and bringing in an average of 70 children to each “Story Hour.” The head of the department at the time, May Massee, a future children’s book editor, was sought after to speak to teachers and local clubs about the library’s services for kids and the growing realm of children’s book publishing.

May Massee, Department Head of the Children’s Room

*Sixty-first Annual Report of the Board of Managers of the Buffalo Library (February 1897)