The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-08
The report was accepted.
The Librarian, Mr.. S. M. Watson, reported
spbstantially as follows:

Si,146.e5
The report was accepted.
The Librarian, Mr.. S. M. Watson, reported
substantially as follows:
He spoke not only of the large circulation OF
books in the city during this, the eleventh year
of the existence of tbs library, but he enumer-
ated also large number of surrounding towns
that are patrons Of the Institution. The Mer-
camille Library Association added $3.50 volumes
to this library, including documents, etc, the
past year, and their 352 patrons. whose rights
in the institution expired April LIST, except %
life members Many of these Mercantile sub
scrlbers are continuing their patronage TO this
library. The Mercantile shelving has also been
added and quite relieves pressure on the doc
umept room. These books from the Mercantile
were shelved with very little extra assistance,
and ia such way as to avoid new catalogue.
Theclassified finding list 10 use in the library is
faulty. The dictionary style should bs en-
ployed, entering each book under its own name,
aathor's name, aud subject treated. There have
been 1873 copies of the finding lst sold the past
year at % cents q CODY, and disposed of by
exchange, leaving 434 on hand. The card cat.
alogue proposed has had to give place 10 a
shelf index, equally indispensable for the pres
ent. Some increase of assistance in the libra
~ would facilitate the finding and delivery of
books, and accommodate the public. The Ii
brsry has sent out for bone use the past year
60,772 volumes, or II ,160 above the number cir
suited against 3173, without counting period
icals.
There wers 279 subscribers at So per year, IA
non.residents az SO, q Girls High School libra
~ members at 81; also 246 life members, OF
whom 88 are original, 1873 Athen e um, % Mer-
camille and of these 1T use the library. There
are 1856 free cards of city officials In all 900
took books for home use the past year. There
were 449 books bound and rebound. There
have been added to the library 1888 books the
81 r-hy oh <
sciences, biography AZ. fiction 1913, history "a,
miscellany %, philosophy and mental science
IL, poetry and drama IA, reference1 IL, theology
10, travels and voyages %; by Sounding peri.
odicals 81, exchanges H. donations 276 aud 56S
pamphlets. Add to the Mercantile accession
and We have q total for the year Of 6.229, max
ing grand total in the library of % 131
The reading room is well patronzed, and
more accommodations needed there. The sys-
tenn Of shelving gives good satisfaction. The
periodicals regularly received ART 43 OF which 10
are English, French, 81 American. Tue liz
brsry IS outgrowing its present quarters and
Will seou need a building OF its own. A high
compliment is paid to the library assistants.
Fer one week the visitors 10 the library num-
bered l ,6o7, daily average of 28l, and ], 405
books were delivered, daily average OF 234
The report was accepted.
Hon. W. L. Putnam presented an admirable
report on the part of the directors as follows:
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
Public Library:
The reports of the treasurer an librarian are
suficisntly full in relation to the operations of
the library for the year just closed. to render it
unnecessary for The directors to add anything
upon that particular topic
The Institution has, however, now reached q
point in its history when it is proper to address
teRyou, aad through you the citizeus of Port
land, who must be regarded as the real benef-
Charles Of the library of which you are the nom.
inal ones, brief retrospect and comparison, in
order that sou and they may explicitly under
stand its successes, and at the same time its
defects, its capacities and its needs.
Ii was founded eleven years ago. it has re-
ceived 40 great pecuntary emoluments, its
whole annual income from all sources has been
pitiably small, while the other numerous de-
mandS upon our citizens, and of la'e the strin-
gency OF the times, have induced the directors
to the policy of prudeitly and quietly living
within its narrow income, till there shall arrive
in its proper season, the day OF asking for the
help the Institution deserves. Yet its friends
have been numerous and diligeut; and, with
the aid Of the Anthen8um and the Mercantile
Library Association, have gathered for 1t, in
some what heterogeneous and miscellaneous
methods, mass of books which now constitute
the foundation, and much of the superstracture
OF useful and extensive library.
The Librarians report shows that 1--WE own
25,l3l bound volumes, max ng our libra ~ By far
the largest u The stale; unless all the libraries
at Bowdoin College, which together contain
about 81, 600 volumes. are TO be counted as one,
This number of volumes, if all had been Oh
| tsined under such circumstances rs would have
permitted iudIcious selection, would have been
sufficient for all actual needs of public libra
| ry at Portland. Oar library has many excel
lent features, our collection of public documents
| of the United States is unusually full largely
aided by the industry and special sptness ofour
| HbrarlaD, We have most valuable collection OF
| current pamphlets and local newspapers; our
reference library has of late years considerably
| increased and contains some very costly works |;
| the contents of the periodical room are suffi
| ceDtiy large and desirable to excite the desires
OF persons highly cnltuted in the best serial liz
erstufe; AID the Willis collection is of inesti-
| mable local value. statistical table which
has been prepared by the librarian shows a
steady growth. The number of bound books
| 10 the library 10 1875 was about 16 600, while
| now it is %, l3l. During the same period the
| annual circulation has appreciated from 81 092
| volumes to 0,772 me snwhlls our expenses aye
been oulg slightly increased, our Librarian and
assistants have been dilgent under small COM
| pensation, AMI the public has borne with US
| patiently.
But Ia an Institution of such rapid growth as
this, We might anticipate defects quite a, pa
| tent as its successes.
| For reasons already stated, the library lacs
| symmetry. Probably two thousand volumes,
ranging from che cheapest to the most expen-
sive, and costing in all from $1,000 to $4,000,
would fill the void, which ought not to exist in
any library Intended for general use. Again,
during the pass year, we could afford the pnr-
chase OF only 339 books, costing $4985 so; while
fair judgment is that 1000 volumes, costing
an average of So to 50, or in all $25OO, are re-
| CURED annually to supply the demaod of read
ers and keep up the proper standard. And
Hnallv. have not tina finds with which IN
prepare asd publish suitable finding lists, or to
| employ sufficient number of persons, at fair
salaries, for properly serving our patrons Ii
| is just to ourselves that we should explain some
OF these tailngs by making comparison with
| other similar institutions. Out total expendi'
| lures last year, in connection with the library,
were 50 767 80; of which for salaries were ST. :
1861. 40; for books and all other expenditures,
| 81, 40O.10 We received from the city the an
nual appropriation of $1100
The CITY OF Lawrence furnishes the fairesi
comparison with us of all the cities or towns
whose library reports are at baud. The public
| library OF that City contained Nov. 30th, 1873,
1892 volumes. The city appropriated for 's
support for the year closing that date, Sc 800
the revenues from all sources were Sl0,S95 81
cluded for salaries $4,000, and for purchase Of
books $2,26789
OF course with such revenues its circulation
| was free, and therefore much larger than ours
| 1ub toWn Vi SSuluCy, MASS, WIN population
of about ten thousand appropriates for its pub
lie library about $4,000 annually, and while the
amount there paid for salaries is substantially
| the same as with us, yet the circulation is one
| third less than ours. The public library O
| Brookline, Mass, with an annual municipa
appropriation of 81 900, and the aid of income
| from other sources, paid 81 800 for salaries, apC
for books 81 ,543 II and yet circulated one-titl
less than this library
These instances are average examples Of thu
whole OF Massachusetts, and of all other local.
ties maintaining the educational institutions
known as public Libraries.
| As already stated, the policy Of the director
has been to carry along this institution as bes
could be done without for the present callin
for any large amount of pecuniary aid-ye
meanwhile keeping it useful, vigorous and il
| lit condition for the season when the publ
shall both fully adopt and nurture it, Therefor
this report is not written in any spirit of apolC
| gy, nor desire Of complaining; but for the s0
| purpose of laying the facts it contains befor
our citizens, in order that they may appreciate
and reflect upon them, and in due time develo
such results as will do proper credit to our city
Meanwhile, if the directors by The annual crcu
lation of thousands of books, most of them in
structive, and none of them, they hope, pos
lively injurious, can fill the voids in the mind
OF only few young men, which otherwise vii
inevitably swallow up the perniciOus and de
structive Ieadinganow everywhere publicly ez
posed in needless open violation of law. bot
divine and human, they will receive suficen
| compensation for whatever time and tboug b