The Portland daily press., 1873-04-08

Portland Institute and Pubic Ai"r"
The annual meeting of the Portland Insti
tute and Public Library was held at tneir roon.s
~ forr o,c,ocl Yesterday afternoon, the presl-
dent. Hon. W. L, Putnam, IN the chair
| LIBRARIANS REPORT.
u.o,,, .t,o renort of the librarian, Mr.. E. A.
| -. 20 1e.rn that the circulation of books
d,r;rn ,be mast year has been very little larger
.hor the wear previous, showing 3373O volumes
,ssued to borrowers from April, 1872 to April,
1873, against 32,531 for the preceding year.
The issues would doubtless have been very
much larger but for the fear of infection during
the winter, which caused a marked falling off
in the issue of books For the same causes
the number of yearly subscribers has fallen
from $50 the previous year to 375 in the pres
ent year. The free list of teachers and mem
bers of the City Government has run up from
Ito to 1873, all but two of the teachers in the
public schools availing themselves of library
privileges free of charge The totol number of
volumes added the past year was 1245, Cos vol
umes being received from the library of the late
Hon. VIM. Willis, completing his bequest. OF
the remaining 546 volumes received and pur-
chased dnring the year but 127 were works of
fiction and the remainder, with scarcely an ex-
ception, were valuable and desirable books,
some of them very costly. Accompanying this
report is classified statement of books receiv-
ed in each department All these books have
been catalogued and entered in the accession
catalogue, and the Willis await only labels and
shelf numbers.
In the periodical department, Mature and
'The Engineer specialities have
been ad ed, and the committee have ordered
the extension of the list of Religious and Theo-
logical Review s, and ordered the denomination
al reviews of the leading sects throughout the
country. Experience has shown that $4,000
year will emily purchase the publications of the
day, without procuring the desirable publica-
tions of the past, and the librarian has only
purchased such books as would supply the
pressing demands of the public. Many scien-
tific works recommended last year have been
purchased and the others can be by using strict
economy in other departments. Shelf room
will be provided in the main library room by
removing the departments of religion and the
ology to the periodical room. Slips are already
prepared for supplement to the present cata-
logue, (which will be nearly as voluminous) and
only awaits funds to be printed. The report
closes with tribute 60 Mr.. Arthur H. Brown,
assistant librsrian, who in few months of
evening service had developed true love for
and appreciation of his duties.
LIBRARY ACCEssIoNs.
Fiction 127 vol; Freemasonry g.; Religious
magazines and newspapers "a; Secular do. 30;
Pub. Doc. 81; Miscellaneous 55; Geography 80;
Voyages and Travels %; Religion 20; History
IA; Poetry and the Drama 10; Reference Z;
Language and Literature 81 Science, Arts and
Mechanics Sc. Total 546. Mr.. Willis bequests
now amount to 2I3S volumes.
The number of volumes issued monthly va,
ries from 1856 in January, 1873, to 5,537 in
June, 1872. Number of new subscribers from
1s in july 1872, to 81 in January, 1873. There
are 16 members from the Girls Library Asso-
citation of the Portland High School, "a public
school teachers, 16 past librarians of the Girls
Library Association, 13 members of the City
Government and members of the police force
TREAsUTER's REPORT.
From the report of the treasurer Mr. E. A
tho