Public libraries barring children from using them

Most people have some sort of childhood memory about the library. Maybe it is of the crabby librarian who told you not to run or talk loudly. Hopefully, it is of the kind librarian who read you books and made you want to read on your own. In either case, the idea of letting kids in the library is still a pretty young idea (only some 150 years old). The first places that really tried to encourage kids to read were churches. In the 1850s many churches got it in their heads that offering kids the opportunity to read would be great outreach; it was also during this time that books for kids became more popular.
While some librarians strongly preached that public libraries could not continue to claim to be educational while barring children from using them, many librarians dragged their feet and fought bitterly to keep bookshelves closed off to kids. One strong critic of letting kids in the library was Melvil Dewey; for all the genius that he was, he really could be a major dick. Like many librarians, Dewey feared that kids would destroy the books.
There were many reasons why children were eventually let into the libraries, but one of the biggest reasons was that times had simply changed. Mothers were working jobs and kids were causing trouble on the street. So progressive reformers eventually were able to convince libraries to open their doors.
Opening doors gave women a place to became librarians. They were often hired to give a motherly feel to the library and to make kids feel more welcome. They were also meant to serve as the mother kids did not always have at home.
One thing male librarians rejoiced at was the fact that they could save money by hiring women; at the time, women who did the same job as men at the library earned less.

uit: Quiet, please : dispatches from a public librarian - Scott Douglas

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