Children's Literature: A Forthcoming
Exhibition of An Unusual Collection
 

JOHN R. T. ETTLINGER
 

liCAUSE this issue of Library Cohimns is primarily con¬
cerned with literature for children and because there will
not be another issue until autumn, we are taking this op¬
portunity to tell the Friends about a large exhibition of recrea¬
tional books for young people which will be held in Butler Li¬
brary this summer. Butler is, to be sure, a library for adults and
not for children, and certainly Columbia's collections of past and
present books for children are far from being fully representative
of this enchanting and rewarding field. Nevertheless we can show
a wide variety of children's literature of all periods.

The books have made their home here in many ways. Only the
School of Library Service Library has acquired children's books
for their own sake, because they were for children. There are two
groups of such books in the S.L.S. Library. One is a working col¬
lection representative of today's tastes, which, nevertheless, in¬
cludes many old friends in new disguises. This collection is de¬
signed for student use to help train future children's librarians.
The other is the "Children's Historical Collection," comprising
books which have appealed to past generations of children; many
of its volumes bear evidences of their affectionate but none too
gentle handling.

Perhaps the locked stacks of a rare book library may seem an
unkind place for books meant for children, but Special Collec¬
tions has many contributions to make to the exhibit. \Miile only
recreational books will be included—the literature of pleasure
rather than of teaching—the Plimpton Library of educational
books will be represented. One of the rarer books to be shown is a

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