Clara Whitehill Hunt facts for kids

Clara Whitehill Hunt (born June 25, 1871 – died January 10, 1958) was an important American librarian, teacher, and author. She worked hard to make sure children had great library services. She believed that good books could really help kids grow and learn.

Clara's Early Life and Her Path to Libraries

Clara Whitehill Hunt was born in Utica, New York in 1871. Her parents, Edwin and Mary M. Brown Hunt, were from Sudbury, Massachusetts. Clara grew up on a farm.

She went to Utica Free Academy for school. Her father taught science at the same school. Clara finished high school in 1889 and started working as a teacher.

Becoming a Librarian

After teaching for a while, Clara became a principal at Utica Public School. She often visited the library and saw how important it was for children and teachers. Meeting a trained librarian, Miss Louise Cutler, inspired Clara to become one too.

In 1896, Clara went to the New York State Library School in Albany, New York. After two years, she got a job in Philadelphia. There, she helped open the new Children's Room at the Old Apprentices Library.

Next, she worked at the Newark Public Library. She learned many different library tasks. Clara was especially good at working with children. This became her main focus. In 1901, she took charge of the children's room in Newark.

Leading Children's Library Services

A few years later, in 1903, Clara moved to the Brooklyn Public Library. She became the Superintendent of Work with Children. She stayed in this important role for 37 years, until 1940.

As more library branches opened, Clara helped design their children's rooms. She also designed staff rooms, which she enjoyed. One of her most famous designs was the children's room at the Central Library.

In 1914, Clara helped open the first children's library in the Brooklyn system. It was called the Stone Avenue Branch. This special library had smaller furniture, big windows, decorations, a fireplace, and classrooms.

Training Librarians and Writing Books

Clara also trained new children's librarians. She placed them in the libraries she helped design. These informal trainings became official courses in 1914. Later, many schools added these courses to their programs.

Besides training librarians and designing rooms, Clara gave talks at library schools. She also edited magazines and wrote books. She is known for five children's books:

• 1915- What Shall We Read to the Children?
• 1916- About Harriet
• 1918- The Little House in the Woods
• 1924- Peggy's Playhouse
• 1932- The Little House in the Green Valley

Clara said she wrote What Shall We Read to the Children? because many mothers asked her for book ideas. About Harriet was inspired by a young friend who lived in the city.

Clara had strong ideas about what makes a good children's book. She did not allow comic books in her collections. She encouraged American publishers to create high-quality picture books, like those made in Europe. Because of her, the Houghton Mifflin Company started publishing great picture books by E. Boyd Smith.

In 1922, Clara wrote in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

"A long continued diet of mediocre reading will weaken a child's mental powers and ruin his appetite for good books...Of course, some strong-brained children break away from a trash reading period, just as they emerge unhurt from the diseases of childhood."

She meant that reading low-quality books can make it harder for kids to enjoy good ones.

The Newbery Award

Among her many achievements, Clara presented the very first American Library Association Newbery Award in 1922. She was also the chairperson for the first Newbery Committee from 1921-1922.

Clara gave this award to Hendrik Willem van Loon for his book, The Story of Mankind. This yearly award honors the best children's author of the previous year. It is named after John Newbery, an old London bookseller. He was one of the first people to focus on books just for children.

Clara's Legacy

Clara retired from her library work in 1939. She had spent most of her career helping children through libraries. She moved to Sudbury, Massachusetts, where she passed away on January 11, 1958.

Clara left a lasting mark at the Brooklyn Public Library. It is called The Clara Whitehill Hunt Collection of Children's Literature. This collection has 13,000 books, pamphlets, and magazines. They date from 1741 up to the 1950s. It includes the Old Juvenile collection, with 4,500 items from 1741 to the early 1900s. You can view the Hunt Collection by making an appointment.