It
is a scandal that anyone in library school should not have heard of Anne
Carroll Moore. This woman dedicated her life to children and children's
services. She established "the basic underlying principles of library
service to children" (Spain). For her, the children were always the
first priority. "The librarian should look upon herself as a hostess
with children as her distinguished guests," she said in an interview
(Ferris). She found children much more interesting company than adults.
In her own words, "I never tire of watching in library or bookshop
a boy or girl discovering for himself or herself the book which is his or
hers for the moment...Socially they seem to me much more interesting than
most grown people" (Ferris). Moore visited libraries in Sweden, Norway,
Denmark, England, France, Belgium, and Holland during her lifetime, communicating
about and improving on Children's Services. She was not immediately drawn to librarianship; she didn't seem to know it existed as an option. "It was a puzzle to know what to do in the '90s if one did not want to teach or become a missionary" (Moore). Powerful words are often used to describe her: "keen criticism," "unfailing sensitivity," "courageous," and "fearless." As in, "She fiercely defended the right of every child to mental and spiritual freedom, delighting in the vitality of their imagination" (Williams), or, "a person of endless vitality" (Holbrook).
Career
1896 - Graduated from the Library School of the Pratt Institute.
1896-1906 - Children's Librarian of the Pratt Institute Free Library.
1906-1941 - Superintendent of Work with Children in the New York Public Library.