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Anne Carroll Moore (July 12, 1871 – January 20, 1961) was an American educator, writer and advocate for children's libraries. She was named Annie after an aunt, and officially changed her name to Anne in her fifties, to avoid confusion with Annie E. Moore, another woman who was also publishing material about juvenile libraries at that time. From 1906 to 1941, she headed children's library services for the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
system. Moore wrote the novel ''Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story'', one of two runners-up for the 1925
Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...
.


Early life and education 1871–1894

Moore was born in
Limerick, Maine Limerick (pronounced "LIM-rick") is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. The population was 3,188 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History This was ter ...
. She had seven older brothers and was the only surviving daughter of Luther Sanborn and Sarah Barker Moore.Lundin, A. (1996). "Anne Carroll Moore: 'I have spun out a long thread. In Suzanne E. Hildebrand, ''Reclaiming the American Library Past: writing the women in Norwood, New Jersey'', Stamford, Conn.: Ablex Publishing Company, pp. 187–204. She described her childhood as a happy one and wrote about growing up in ''My Roads to Childhood''. Moore began her formal education at the Limerick Academy in Maine. She then attended a two-year college, The Bradford Academy in Massachusetts. She was very close to her father and hoped to follow in his footsteps as a lawyer, despite the biases of her era. The death of both her parents and a sister-in-law made her plans to become a lawyer unattainable. Her brother suggested that she consider the emerging profession of
librarian A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...
, so Moore applied to the
Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...
Library in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, where she was accepted into the one-year program (1895) under Mary Wright Plummer.


Early career 1895–1913

In 1896, Moore graduated from Pratt, and accepted an offer to organize a children's room at that same institute, partly due to a paper which Lutie E. Stearns had presented at the 1894 meeting of the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
(ALA), "Report on the Reading of the Young". Up to this point children had usually been considered a nuisance in library settings, and often were excluded from libraries until they were at least 14 years of age. As part of her research into the proposed children's room, Moore visited
kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
s (also a new concept at the time), toured various ethnic neighborhoods in the area, and even questioned children whom she encountered on the street. Moore then set out to create a welcoming space for children with child-sized furniture, open stacks, cozy reading nooks, story times, puppet shows, summer programming, quality juvenile literature and perhaps most importantly, librarians committed to working with children.Walter, V. A. (2004, November). "The Same, But Different". ''School Library Journal'', p. 54. When Moore opened the children's room it drew a line of children circling the block awaiting entry. In 1900, she attended a meeting of the
American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...
(ALA) and helped to organize the Club of Children's Librarians. She served as the Club's first chair. This club later became the ALA Children's Services Division (now the
Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association. ALSC has over 4,000 members, including children, experts in children's literature, publishers, faculty members, and other adults. The Associa ...
). Moore remained at the Pratt library for ten years. In 1906, she moved to the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
, having accepted the position of Superintendent of the Department of Work with Children, which Director
John Shaw Billings John Shaw Billings (April 12, 1838 – March 11, 1913) was an American librarian, building designer, and surgeon who modernized the Library of the Surgeon General's Office in the United States Army. His work with Andrew Carnegie led to the de ...
had offered to her. This rather unwieldy title placed her in charge of children's programming at all NYPL branches as well as overseeing the Central Children's Room, which opened in 1911. Moore also developed a training program for children's services staff: the "Qualification Test for the Children's Librarian Grade".Brand, Barbara Elizabeth (1983). "Sex-Typing in Education For Librarianship: 1870–1920". Heim, p. 43. This six-month program included practical training, readings and discussion. She organized hundreds of story times, compiled a list of 2500 Standard Titles in Children's Literature, and she lobbied for and received permission to loan books to children. The children were required to sign a ledger promising to treat books respectfully, and to return them; "When I write my name in this book I promise to take good care of the books I use in the Library and at home, and to obey the rules of the Library." She also initiated a policy of inclusion, celebrating the ethnic diversity of her patrons through story times, poetry readings and books that celebrated the various backgrounds of recent immigrants to the city. She believed her job was to provide, "to the children of foreign parentage a feeling of pride in the beautiful things of the country his parents have left." By 1913, children's books accounted for a third of all the volumes borrowed from the New York Public Library's branches.


Four Respects

Moore developed a set of standards that she called "The Four Respects": #''Respect for children''. She wanted children to be treated as individuals and to be treated seriously. #''Respect for children's books''. Moore was adamant that books for children should be well-written, factually accurate and should not mix fact and fantasy. #''Respect for fellow workers''. She insisted that the children's library be viewed as an integral and equal part of the complete library. #''Respect for the professional standing of children's librarians''. Moore felt that the profession must recognize children's librarianship as a professional specialty.


Librarian, book reviewer, lecturer, writer 1918–1941

In 1918, Moore delivered a series of lectures to a group of New York publishers and booksellers, promoting the need for quality writing for children. It was the norm of the day that children's books were primarily vehicles for morality lessons, and Moore felt they should be more than this; she stressed the importance of providing access to well written books for the young.Bader, B. (1997, September–October). "Only the Best: the hits and misses of Anne Carroll Moore". ''The Horn Book Magazine'', pp. 520–29. In 1921, Moore gave a series of lectures and toured the libraries of England and France for the ALA. During this tour, she met
Walter de la Mare Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for his psychological horror short fi ...
, L. Leslie Brooke, and
Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Heelis (; 28 July 186622 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( ), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' ...
. She is credited with introducing all three to the American public. She also wrote children's books, the most famous entitled ''Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story'' in which the main character was based on a puppet she used in her story times. This story was one of two runners-up for the 1925 Newbery Medal. She wrote of her own childhood in ''My Roads to Childhood''.Grotzinger, L. A. (1983). "Biographical Research on Women Librarians: Its Paucity, Perils and Pleasures". Heim, p. 165. During this period, Moore began to regularly review children's books, writing for '' The Bookman'' for six years. Moore eventually went on to become a highly influential children's book reviewer. From 1924 to 1930, she was the children's book reviewer for the ''
New York Herald Tribune The ''New York Herald Tribune'' was a newspaper published between 1924 and 1966. It was created in 1924 when Ogden Mills Reid of the '' New York Tribune'' acquired the '' New York Herald''. It was regarded as a "writer's newspaper" and compet ...
''. In 1927, her column "The Children's Bookshop" became a regular twice-monthly feature. By 1936, her reviews were also appearing in ''
The Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietors of t ...
''. With a few notable exceptions (e.g.
E. B. White Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was an American writer. He was the author of several highly popular books for children, including ''Stuart Little'' (1945), ''Charlotte's Web'' (1952), and '' The Trumpet of the Swan'' ...
's ''
Stuart Little ''Stuart Little'' is a 1945 American children's novel by E. B. White. It was White's first children's book, and became recognized as a classic in children's literature. ''Stuart Little'' was illustrated by the artist Garth Williams, also his f ...
'' and ''
Charlotte's Web ''Charlotte's Web'' is a book of children's literature by American author E. B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams. It was published on October 15, 1952, by Harper & Brothers. It tells the story of a livestock pig named Wilbur and his frie ...
''), her stamp of approval or disapproval was often widely accepted as final judgment on a book. Her own confidence in her ability as book reviewer is evident in the stamp she kept in her desk: Not Recommended for Purchase by Expert. By all accounts, she was not afraid to use it. She despised ''
Goodnight Moon ''Goodnight Moon'' is an American Children's literature, children's book written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. It was published on September 3, 1947, and is a highly acclaimed bedtime story. This book is the second in ...
'' by
Margaret Wise Brown Margaret Wise Brown (May 23, 1910 – November 13, 1952) was an American writer of children's books, including ''Goodnight Moon'' (1947) and ''The Runaway Bunny'' (1942), both illustrated by Clement Hurd. She has been called "the laureate of the ...
, published in 1947, seriously impacting sales of the now popular book. For many years, the book was excluded from the New York Public Library. Moore was forced to retire in 1941, at the age of 70. Initially refusing to cede control to her successor, Frances Clarke Sayers, Moore continued to attend meetings of the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...
. She remained active, writing and teaching for most of her remaining years. She died on 20 January 1961, aged 89.


Publications

* ''My Roads to Childhood'' (1920) * '' Nicholas: A Manhattan Christmas Story'', illustrated by Jay Van Everen (1924) – Newbery Medal runner-up"Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922–Present"
.
Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association. ALSC has over 4,000 members, including children, experts in children's literature, publishers, faculty members, and other adults. The Associa ...
(ALSC). American Library Association (ALA).  
"The John Newbery Medal"
ALSC. ALA. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
* ''The Three Owls'' (1924) * ''Three Owls (Volume II)'' (1924) * ''Cross-Roads to Childhood'' (1925) * ''Nicholas and the Golden Goose'', illus. Van Everen (1932) – sequel novel * ''Reading for Pleasure'' (1932) * ''A Century of
Kate Greenaway Catherine Greenaway (17 March 18466 November 1901) was an English Victorian artist and writer, known for her children's book illustrations. She received her education in graphic design and art between 1858 and 1871 from the Finsbury School of ...
'' (1934) * ''The Choice of a Hobby'' (1935) * ''New Roads to Childhood'' (1946) * '' Joseph A. Altsheler and American History'' (1961)


Mentors and mentees

Moore credited two women as her most influential mentors, Mary Wright Plummer (the library director at Pratt) and Caroline Hewins, both pioneers in the development of specialized children's library services. Throughout her career, Moore surrounded herself with talented librarians, storytellers and writers. She mentored in turn many significant authors of children's literature, including Margaret McElderry, children's editor and publisher; Eleanor Estes, winner of the 1952 Newbery Medal and three-time runner-up; Claire Huchet Bishop, author of '' The Five Chinese Brothers''; Marcia Brown, winner of three
Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...
s for illustration; and Ruth Hill Viguers, editor of ''The Horn Book''. Several librarians published books that developed from their story times at the New York Public Library Children's Room during Moore's tenure, including Mary Gould Davis, Anna Cogswell Tyler and Pura Belpré. Moore hired Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican Librarian in New York City, in 1929. Because the Central Children's Room of the New York Public Library was privately funded, Moore was allowed greater freedom in her hiring practices. She believed in hiring employees that would relate to the communities to which they would be serving. Frances Clarke Sayers, her successor described them as, "young women with unusual gifts, aptitudes, manifold backgrounds, and varied educational experiences." In 1937, Moore hired Augusta Baker, a young African-American librarian, for the Harlem branch at 135th Street. Augusta Baker later became head of children's services at the New York Public Library in 1961. Moore became good friends with fellow library pioneer Valfrid Palmgren, sent by the Swedish government in 1907 to study public libraries in the United States. Moore later visited the Stockholm Children's Library which Palmgren founded and wrote about it in ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
''. Palmquist referred to Moore as an inspiration and the two kept in contact until Moore's death.


Children's Book Week

With Franklin K. Mathieus, chief librarian for the
Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
and
Frederic G. Melcher Frederic Gershom Melcher (April 12, 1879 – March 9, 1963) was an American publisher, bookseller, editor, and a major contributor to the library science field and book industry. He is particularly known for his contributions to the children's b ...
, editor of ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...
'', Moore founded "Children's Book Week" in 1918.


Awards and recognition

In 1932, Moore received from the Pratt Institute a special award, the Diploma of Honour. In 1940, she was twice awarded the
Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or '), also termed Doctor of Literature in some countries, is a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. In the United States, at universities such as Drew University, the degree ...
from the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine, United States. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universitie ...
. In 1955, she received an Honorary Doctorate from the Pratt Institute. In 1960, the year before her death, she was awarded the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal "for her pioneer work in children's library services". Anne Carroll Moore is recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century librarianship in the United States.Kniffel, L., P. Sullivan, and F. McCormick (1999, December). "100 of the most important leaders we had in the 20th century". ''
American Libraries ''American Libraries'' is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association (ALA). About ''American Libraries'' was first published in 1970 as a continuation of the long-running ''ALA Bulletin,'' which had served as the Association’ ...
'', p. 38.
She was dubbed the "Grande Dame of Children's Services";Cummins, J. (1999, July). "Moore than Meets the Eye". ''School Library Journal'', pp. 26–30. a pioneer in the newly emerging specialty of children's literature, librarianship, and publishing.McElderry, M. K. (1992, March). "Remarkable Women: Anne Carroll Moore & Company". ''School Library Journal'', p. 156.


Notes


References


Sources

* Heim, Kathleen M., ed. (1983). ''The Status of Women In Librarianship: Historical, Sociological and Economic Issues''. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. ix, 483 pp. * Miller, Laura (2016)
"Anne Carroll Moore, the New York Librarian Who Changed Children's Literature Forever"
''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'', August 5, 2016.


External links

* : Some library catalogs may confuse records of works by these two women. * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Annie 1871 births 1961 deaths American children's writers American illustrators American librarians American literary critics American women academics American women illustrators American women librarians American women literary critics New York Public Library people Newbery Honor winners People from Limerick, Maine Pratt Institute alumni Pratt Institute faculty