The Portland daily press., 1878-04-02
ANIMAL Meeting of the Portland Institut,
and RuhIic LihrarYs


and Public Library.
The annual meeting of the Portland Institute
| and Public Library was held yesterday after.
noon at the Library rooms The Librarian
presented his annual report as follows:
1t gives me great pleasure to report that
during the past year, great progress has been
made in systematizlng library work 10 the ia
ternal arrangement of the books.
The catalogue has been finished and de.
livered to subscribers at small additional
cost for salaries, paid for extra work, and at a
cost for printing and binding of $174.20
Deduct 5000 received from sale of catalogues
and you have a net cost Of $Ss IS for the 500
copies remaining unsold.
The new cases have been put in the library
rooms at cost of only $120.
Under the present system Of numbering the
books, the delivery is greatly facilitated.
During the year the new method OF delivery
has worked well and great improvement is
apparent in the ease of finding books, and in
the neatness of the library rooms.
The total number of the books added the
past year is 577 volumes, IS pamphlets, and
volumes. Binding of periodicals 70. This
number is about 500 volumes less than the
number added last year, owing to the extraord-
nary expenditures called for in other depart
ments, which obliged the committee on books
to reduce the amount expended for books
much below the usual expenditure. The
amount paid for books this year was $776 As
less than last year. In the coming year, the
committee will doubtless be able to make the
usual expenditure for books.
The total number eff volumes circulated this
year was 1872 against AZ TAI last year. As
during April and May only few cases were
catalogued, we may safely say that at least 5000
volumes more would have been issued, which
shows that the popularity of the library, judg-
ed by its issues, keeps up the general average
OF increase, from year TO year of 1000 volumes.
A report was circulated last year, through the
public prints. that the library had lost in nine
years about 200 volumes In my last report
was unable to contradict this rumor. I am now
ahe to report that the total losses to date are
less than 900 volumes in ten years of active
circulation, which number will be further re-
duced by further search and examination.
This loss includes all books now out, withdrawn
from circulation and destroyed The total
number of volumes 10 the library is 1892 The
record of volumes used at the reading-room
shows in nine months total of 3, 1877 volumes.
exclusive of periodicals, of which no record is
kept.
In concluding my eleventh year of active Ii
brary work, and my tenth as librarian, con-
graduate the directors and members on its won
derful success and growth in usefulness. 1
thank all for the kindness shown, and regret
that other duties compel me to quit service
which has been SO pleasant and grateful to me.
The growth of the library has raised up a small
corps of faithful assistants who, versed in the
details of library work, can carry out success
fully the administration under your direction.
l feel that the goal to which our labors have
been directed, the establishing of free public
library, is not far distant; nearer by many years
that it seemed on the 18th of May, 1867. when
you selected me as librarian to assist you in Or
ganiziGg and collecting this library.
The Treasurer, Mr.. Noyes then presented
the following report: