, 1873-06-10
Information for tie Mayor, Coun-
oil, and People.
The Grand Work Accomplish
ed III q Year.
Over Ten Thousand Volumes Will Soon
Be on the Shelves.
Tho New Library Building
Financial Statement.

Library her 1eayo tn l,oravit1, nreaont to your
honoreh]o ho7v THAR f1rat ANIMAL ranort. The
act Of the General Assembly Of tho State, passed
March 7, 1872, BY virtue OF which tho Public
Library haa boon established [Beo. y, requires
that tho Board shall mako, on or boforo tho
ronort ~ y tn tx ~ omnc1 ~ eae s..tn@ tI tho oond
1epoft 70 eno oty oonhcl, stating s4o oonal- M
lion Of their trust on tho first day OF juno tho
various gums OF money received from tho
Library fund, azd from other sourcos; and how
such moneys have boon oxpondod and for
- ..s...saa ~. ,,,,,,1,os - I,o,. ,ad
"uat p1poeoa ,n' "u'Do. ~ H. 'aa
periodlcalh on hana tno nunocr aoooo W puf-
ohaao, gift, or otherwise during the yoar tho
numher lost or missing tho number Of visitors
sa .,,o ona l,ina ~ aucl boota
hna INC 8eoolai ano n.ilu VI o.'n oooH1'
with other statistics, information, and sugges-
tlonn as they may doom of general interest"
...t,t. ohoz. na,nad havo comn,1ed FIR tin MIR.
s'@tuso Aoo'o u"'A9u' ,"'o compass ~ ~.
poeo tho Statistics IN oets1l' "n'oh arc nere"'tn
presented in tho form OF reports from the stand-
ing committees Of the Board, md statements
prepared by tho Secretary OF tho Board showing
in detail The progross tho undersigned havo
been making in regard to the trust assigned thom
by your Befoct0u.
mood little information as to tho widely pub.
lishod fact that
TIE nEADrNa-nooa
OF tho Library WAS opened to tile people on tho
first Official communication, It ia only proper
TINT the public record should show what has
been officially done. The undersigned, thcre-
fore, bog 1eave to state that as soon as tic Board
Of April, 1872, passed by your body, establish
the rooms now occupied As temporary quarters,
the Board mndo the necessary preparations to
open public roading-room. Accordingly, D cat
alogue was prepared OF some Of tho loading pub
LEGATIONS in Europe and Notwithstanding OF
periodical, rnngaziue,, md newspaper Issues
With which to furnish tile visitors.
TIE COST INCURRED
was equal to Nh annual ratio OF about $4,000,
in mahing which they wero nssistod by
the Comptroller, 1Ir. Durley, in anticipation OF
the receipt of moneys to be collect
ed from tho tax Of 1879, to 10
50. apsrt p; under IT. tho a, Inv aa 81 Library !' fund,
OF this Board. As soon, therefore, Is tho rooms
provided were turned over to this Board, and at
as oasly q day as the same could DO donc, tho
reading room was thrown open, aud tho 1st day
of January, 1878, will always 10 remembered ia
the annals OF our city az day from, which will
date broador intellectual culture Of tho masseH
Of our population.
BTAT1sT1oAL.
etatistico OF tlao Library, prepared by tho soo-
rotary, Mr. W1ckersham, will show that since
tho opening OF tho roadfng-room the total
number Of visitors has bcon 80, 0,038-that the
number has reached duly average OF @ 93l
visitors; tho weekly average has been 2,91o,
and tie monthly number or average has boon
l0,007 up to tho 1st day OF june.
The whole number Of issues Of periodicals to
eeaders has been ~ SSsSsi tho namoor @ o. daily
!ssuos mas been 20 weakly 1asuea, l,oi5; nnd
monthly iesues, 6, 797.
It should bo noted as fact in favor Of tho sno-
sess attending this movement, 80 far, that the
work has moro than realizod tho expectations OF
tho moat aangutne advocates OF the Free Library
in large cties as On educational institution. In
40 single instance, within tho knowledge Of tho
Board, has citizen visited the roading-rooms
since the opening without some expression Of
hia -..-.----
It tho msnifest benoacenoe Of which this mt
it's supplying to thousands Of tho young and
9a Of eo in the city tho a 0pphspy ha
fortune, or by penury and indulgence. 10 whole
classes 1t nffords opportunity and means OF en-
Ploying idle tmo In the qualification Of the most
[audiols Inelinattons. And tho Essential eharao ar
its blessings Gro distributed among tho
very classes who, thrown upon the
world without other counsellors or friends than
t99oso Of books, are easily led aside into haunts
reputation, contracting habits Of crimo and ig-
ton. ~ MAMA " <|''O ~NN '''
TIE LIBRARY PROPER
has not yot been oponcd to tho general public,
It ia open to any visitors, however, who desire
to soc the progress the Board is making in the
accumulation Of books. The "tank" is esti-
mated o. equal to capacity OF holding $4,000
volumes with tho shelves as now arranged.
THE au,1nEn OF VOLUMES
now on the shelves has reao4ed total Of 6, ,852.
This shows a. inoreass sinco the 1st Of January
Of some 4, 900 volumes. We have large num-