The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-11-07
Honolulu Library Association.

Honolulu Library Association.
At the meeting Of the Trustees of the
Honolulu Library and Reading Room
Association, held Thursday evening, the
report for the year ending September
Both was presented and read 1t re-
ferred to the transfer of the Library
from Fort street to the new premises
on Hotel street. 1t was found, on going
through the books belonging to the in
stitutiOn, that the losses in conducting a
circulating library for five years were
surprisingly small, and that the missing
books were nearly all of small value and
easy to replace. The first work under
taken in the new building was to classify
the library, which was successfully done
| There are eight general classes and
| twenty-six subdivisions. The plan of
catalogue upon cards had been con-
tinued, without change either in form or
arrangement. The additions to the IL
brary during the year have been l ,024,
OF which 846 have been by gift and 178
! by purchase. This brings the total
number of volumes up to 1900, which
| includes what is known as the Cart
| wright Collection. This collection forms
valuable reference library, and con-
| tains large amount of interesting mat
ter relating to Polynesian and Hawaiian
affairs, not easy to obtain elsewhere.
By the will of the late Queen Dowager
| Emma the library receives at once its
| first bequest, and the largest and most
valuable contribution of books yet made
at any one time. BY the terms of Her
late Maiesty's will, her entire private
library becomes the property of this
association. The collection consists of
between 500 and 600 volumes, and en-
braces many works of great interest and
value. This brings the addition in
books this year up to over 800 volumes.
The librarians records show that during
the year 216 persons have awaited them
selves, to greater or less extent, of the
privileges of the circulating department,
the total issue of books amounting to
1880.
The 1000 books constituting the library
at the present time are distributed among
the different classes as follows:
No. of Vols.
History; Biography, Voyages and
Arts@Tsefui and Ornaments los 1913
General Literature, Poetry, Drama and
Bound Periodicals ........... 769
Mental and Moral Science, Govern
ment, Social Science and Education 81
Natural Science, including Medicine,
Religion and Theology .... 362
Reference Department. .-.......-.. 545
IOSal .....-...-. ..--..-....--. 1000
1t viii be seen from the above that,
although the library is in many respects
a very good one for its size, it is in some
particulars very i'll assorted, especially
with reference to the wants of the read
ing public of the present day No
feature of the intellectual life of our own
time is more marked and conspicuous
than the importance which is being at
tached to the natural sciences, theoreti-
cal and applied, and TO the useful and
ornamental arts. Yet in the whole of
our art department, comprising archi- !
lecture, agriculture, engineering, domes-
tic and household arts, the so-caIled fine |
arts and decoration, we have only 1O5 |
volumes, and large part of these are |
bound volumes of agricultural iourn ais, |
most of which possess but little interest |
for this time and place; while our sci
aT1ff fia IL
badly off, is very small in proportion to |
the whole library and entirely made
quate to present requirements. No
blame attaches to any one for this state
of things, which is due simply to the
fact that a majority of our books, being
by gift and not by purchase,
the ideas and inclinations of
the donors rather than the wants of the
institution or the judgment of its officers.
Notwithstanding these drawbacks, the
general character of our books may be
as very good, and in some
respects especially valuable. In view of
the above mentioned facts, it is recon-
mended that such funds as may be
available for the purchase of books dur
ing the coming year be devoted mainly
70 strengthening those departments
which are now most deficient
Large quantities of unbound periodi-
:als of various kinds were received dur
ng the year. The reading room is at
he present time supplied with forty
Eight newspapers and periodicals, of
which five are published in this country,
hirty-six are from the United States,
our from Great Britain, and three from .
he British Colonies OF the above
otal, thirty-five are subscribed and paid
or by the Association and thirteen are
by various individuals.
Open Air Concert.