Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-01-09

tne institution since 1t came under Munic
ipal Control.
To the Hon. the Trustees of the Pub
Tic Library:
GENTLEMEN: / have the honor
to submit for your consideration
and information the following re.
port of the condition and status Of
the Public Library of this city:
Acting under the provisions Of
chapter 1S4 of the Statutes of Cal.
ifOrnia for the years 1874, being
an Act of the Legislature entitled
IAN Act to provide for the estab.
lishment of a Public Library in the
city of Los Angeles" approved
March 4th, 1874, the Mayor and
Council of the city Of Los Angeles
by an ordinance approved March
9Th, 1878, established a Public
Library in this city and, on the
28th day of March, 1873, elected
nine persons to be Regents, who,
together with the Mayor and Treas
urer Of said city, who were by Law
made ex-officio Regents, consti-
tuted Board of Regents or Trus.
tees of the said Public Library and
assumed control of its affairs.
The said Board having by pur-
chase acquired the possession and
ownership of the books, property
and effects of the late Los Angeles
Library Association, the Public
Library became its immediate sue
cessor, with facilities for serving
the public greatly increased.
REVENUES.
Under the provisions Of the act
quoted, a tax of one mill on the
dollar assessed was laid in the tax.
roll of 1889, to constitute a Pub
lie Library Fund, and upon that
prospective fund, all warrants for
purchases Of books and current ex.
penses were drawn. Such warrants,
drawn to this date by order of the
late Board of Regents, aggregate
the sum of two thousand eight
hundred and ninety.six and % 100
dollars (S2,S98.28), leaving an un-
expended balance in the City
Treasury to the credit of the said
fund of over two thousand seven
hundred dollars ($2,7O0) for the
current expenses and book-purcha-
ses of the presentyear. The Library
has an additional source of revenue
arising from the small sum, twen.
ty.five cents per month, which,
under our regulations, is charged
to each borrower for the extra priv
ilege of taking books away from
the rooms. This accumulation of
dues constitutes q special Contin-
gent Expense Fund, and is uaed
under the direction and approval
of the Board in the payment of
subscriptions to periodicals, pur-
chase of new books, and any and
all incidental expenses in and
about the business of the Library,
such as the purchase of wood, paw
ment of janitor, etc., etc., every
Item of receipts and expenditures
at the rooms being daily entered
on the cash book and balance
struck and carried forward at the
end of every month. 70 this Fund
is added all moneys paid for fines
and loss Or damage of books, and
old newspapers sold, etc. The bal
ance on hand in this fund on the
first day of this month was $48 so.
Since the recent improvement in
our rooms and the purchase of
some new books, the list of bor-
rowers has considerably increased
and the revenue from that source
will soon, I think, aggregate $50
per month.
THE LIBRARY PROPERTY
Consists OF 1850 volumes of books
OF all sorts, sizes and conditions,
though mostly in good condition,
(as we have adopted the policy of
rebinding those of any real value
as soon as they begin to go to
pieces,) and are worth, probably,
at low cash value, $2,500; furni-
ture, gas fixtures and shelving of
the value of about $3.50 making an
of about $3,250 in value.
On this property there is an incur
ance in the London and Liverpool
and Globe Insurance Company OF
81, 600 at two per cent. per annum,
in April next. Our gen.
eral rel ding room is supplied with
fourteen leading reviews and mag.
azines and the principal American
illustrated newspapers. The news
paper room is supplied with
seven daily, six semi
weekly and about twenty-five
weekly newspapers. The ladies'
parlor has ten leading magazines
and three OF four illustrated papers.
It is pleasant and Attractive
room, twenty-three feet square,
fronting on Main street, neatly
though not extravagantly furn-
ished, and affords the ladies of the
city and their escorts, as well as
lady tourists, a quiet and respecta-
BILE place of resort, where they may
spend an hour or more in intellect
ual improvement Snd culture, or
meet an appointment or wait for u
car. At any rate, whatever the
motive, they already show their
appreciation of it by the numbers
who daily visitit. Immediately in
the rear of this room and across O
narrow hall Is q room of similar
size, with u sky-light and venti.
lator, which is used as a book-room
and q general reading room.
Adjoining and in the rear of this
room, and connected with IL by a
door and by three very large
windows, is the newspaper room,
20 feet wide and 28 feet long. This
room is splendidly lighted by four
windows opening into an adjoining
court and balcony, to which 1t con-
meets by an outer side door, giving
visitors the benefit and advantage
of a. beautiful fountain of water In
the center of miniature lawn OF