vi, 126 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / This thesis explores the intersection of artistry, professionalism, and maternalism in the storytelling revival that occurred in the United States from 1890-1920, influencing a variety of child-centered reform movements. Though storytelling was practiced by men and women alike, it was portrayed as a maternal skill. However, storytelling's perceived multiplicity of uses led it to be interpreted in diverse ways. Such interpretations--particularly potent in the home, school, and library-displayed tensions inherent in the public role of these institutions, particularly in their approach to "child-centeredness." In the school, teachers embraced the nurturing potential of storytelling, arguing that it allowed them to teach more effectively. In the library, however, such an approach was rejected as antithetical to the efficient nature of the institution. The way these institutions conceived of storytelling shows that nurturing imperatives, though pervasive in childcentered reform in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, was not the only way to conceive of child-centeredness. / Committee in Charge: Dr. Jack Maddex, Chair; Dr. James Mohr; Dr. Ellen Herman