Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-04-13
ANNUAL. MEETING OF THE CLEVE-
LAND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

L
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
We published yeIterday an account of the
proceedings Of the Cleveland Library AssO-
citation, with the reports Of several of its
committees. We append the report of the
Board of Directors, which was too lengthy
for insertion in yesterday mornings paper
REPORT OF TIE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
In compliance with the requirements ofths |
Constitution, the Board of Directors OF the |
Cleveland Library Association herewith sub |
NIT TO the members their annualreport.
To those members Of the last Board upon
whom Won bestowed the compliment Of re-
election it was particularly gratifying to be
thus favored with an opportunity for testing
the plans and alterations they had inaugu-
rated Those plans and alterations have
been fairly tried during the past year, and
although adding. somewhat to the current
expenses, they have rendered the rooms so
much more convenient and attractive that
the effort necessary to enable the Assoeia-
ton to meet these expenses, has not been in
creased.
FsrIy IN the year the Board came to the
conclusion that it would not be advisable to
start new ventures, with the exception Of hav-
| ing prepared and published a catalogue
of the Library This conclusion was FORM
ed upon the probability that the demands
upon the liberaIity of onr citizens
growing out of the war would crowd out such
| as did not require immediate attention And
we we're appreheDsive that an effort to obtain
contributions necessary to carry out any i'm
portant plan in such an unreasonable time
might call out an expression Of disapproba-
tion that would injure the popularity Of
the association. Our effort, therefore, has
been. mainly, to make more productive the
sources from whence its revenue is derived
The plan adopted during the previous year.
of dividing the Board into committees to can =
vsss the city, for the purpose Of selling GER
tiAcstes Of membership, was adopted soon
after the annual meeting, and carried out
with very favorable results. The effort at
once nut the association into a condition
financially, which would justify our taking
the necessary steps TO have q catalogue pre-
pared for publication. Having sscertained
that Mr.. 7. II. Reardon was qualified and
willing to perform such labor, We entered in
to an agreement with him, whereby ha was
To receive ninety dollars on the completion
of the work. Unfortunately he was called
ont of the city soon after he had commenced
the task. The delay occasioned by Mr
l Reardon's being unable to comply with the
contract deprives US of the pleasure OF plsc.
ing before you this evening i've hundred
copies of printed catalogue OF the Library
We have, however, the gratlhcatlon OF De
| ing aOIs = IurO4 ~ - - uark hal
been prepared, and is now in the hands o.
the publishers and will probably b'
: delivered to the subscribers on thu
: irst ef June next. The author of the book
: Mr.. ]. A. Spencer, with whom we entered in
e to an arrangement similar to the one agreed
/ + IL -.
T | credit for the pains he has taken to make tn
o work thorough and accurate. The expens
= attending the preparation audpublishing tn
= book has been provided for. Mr.. Spence
/, has been paid in full for his services. Sub
scribers for q sufficient number of copies, a
| a pr ce not to exceed two dollars per copy
have been obtained, to pay the cost of pub
fishing, which will amount to four hundre
dollars. We do not think we over estimat
the importance of having published csta
8 logue Of the Library, in expressing the opin
ion that no single expedient has been adopted
since the formation OF A-~AaiatiOn, bette
.aIonIotad TO increase its usefulness, Or
]. --.s--A vtsIms and advantages more fOrci
: bly, upon the attention Of our citizens. Th
convenience of having at hand in your home
and Offices the means fer sscertaining whethe
the Library contains the volume you may de
sire, and the saving Of the books by lessen
ing the handling Of them, are among the ad
vantages derived from having a catalogue
It has been we'll said, that Library withou
q catalogue was like an ocean without a com
rass and without chart.
There is to be published in connection
with the catalogue brief history Of the As
q sOoiation, which Mr.. George Wiley hs
. kindly consented to prepare.
The members have probably observed ths
a Directors Room has been fitted up an
furnished during the past year. In forms
years the Directors have had no room be
! longing to the Association in which the
could hold their meetings, but have bee
compellsd to meet in such as they could OBJ
Z tain from time to time. The inconvenienc
!. we had suffered from this want induced u
to prepare the one we now have. The ex
? penss of furnishing it, with the exception 0
the cost of the chsirs,Wss borne by the indi
viduaI members Of the Board. A desk, wit
proper receptacles for holding the srehive
. of the Association, has been placed in thi
room. Through the want of some such de
pository in former years, its records, witt
. the exception Of what are contained in tn
Seorstary's book, have not been preserved
It is important that those now in existeno
s should be collected together and placed il
this depository, and care should be taken t
preserve those hereafter created, and eacl
q
ity in preserving and handing over to it
successor such records, as in regard to an,
f other property, belonging to the Associa
tion.
A nucleus of q museum Of war relics, an
G of natural, scientific, and literary curiosities
has been recently added to the Association
We infer from the first article of the Consti
4 tuition that this was one of the methods o
difusing knowledge its trainers proposed t
, establish: It has been under discussion fo
a Humber of years, and different plans hsv
bsen suggested, but none have ever been pu
in operation. Want of room, materials AM
I funds have proved the great obstacle in at
/ tempting to establish such branch. Tn
= remaining materials of the museum lstely
8 held in connection with the Northern Obi
Sanitary Fair seemed to present favorable
opportunity for forming this nucleus. 1
seemed also to the Board that the times Wer
= so peculiarly favorable for collecting snl
adding to such q nucleus, that it would b
unwise not to take advantage of them. In
, teresting war relics and other curiosities ar
now being gathered up by thousands of sol
diers and citizens in the Southern States
I No source has proved so prolific in supplying
/ the Europeans with materials for their muse
ums, and books for their public libraries, q
their wars. A circular sent to the soldier
who are from this vicinity, stating what tn
,, Association is trying to accomplish, and re
questing their aid, would secure many valu
able donations,
We think it would be well to solicit mod
t els of machinery, and of inventions of ever
description, to be exhibited in this depart
ment, for the benefit of our mechanics an
manufacturers. The probability of making
t it a source of revenue TO the Association, b.
I rendering it sufficiently attractive to justifl
8 charging an admission fee, is another fes
! | tura 1zortb oF conVidsration 4 small nam