Evening journal., 1888-06-12
INSTITUTE LIBRARY.


The annual report of the Institute
Library is ready for distribution to-
day. It is a compact little pamphlet
of thirty neatly printed pages, giving
in detail the great work done last year
in carrying on the affairs Of this
important institution. We look upon
the Institute Library as one OF the
chief among the many elements OF
Wilmington's greatness and attractive.
ness. The foremost names Of the
community are carried upon the pages
of this report, and these names appear
nowhere ia the current records of our
city with more credit 10
themselves or with more iDfluence
and effect upon the welfare OF
the community than in this little
book. In this connection they stand
purely for a labor of love, and the
forces which they represent and
which they are thus generously help
ing to impel are only second TO those
of our schools, both public and
private, In the great work of eduoat.
ing, improving and strengenthing the
community. No one can measure Q in
figures or words the good that the
Institute Library has done and we be-
lieve that the growth of its uses and
influence are keeping pace with the
rapid progress of the city.
The officers of the library now are
Mr.. Thomas X Porter, president, Mr..
Mark NJ. Cleaver, secretary, and Joseph
A. Richardson, Esq, treasurer. 1t is
needless to say that the affairs Of the
institution are conducted with the
utmost economy, and yet $s,556.02
were collected into its treasury from a
variety OF sources, chiefly from rents
and dues, during the current year
Just ended. or this amount all but
$736.12 was expended. IL should be
noted that the very efficient service
which the librarian, Mrs. EaryA. Rssag,
and her two assistants, give to the
library cost last year only $l,061. The
largest item Of cost was $1063 82
for interest on the building, The
library had altogether 663 members
last year, which was gain Of twenty
during the year. It's shelves contained
6.4s4 volumns, of which 366 had been
added during the year. The total cir
culation of books was 38, 119. Its files
carried sixteen daily newspapers, thir-
ty-three weeklies and forty monthlies.
all the magazines and best illustrated
Journals Of tpp 'ei'N 'ho ~ IN
this number,
In addition to keeping all these
books and newspapers in constant use,
the managers last year conducted a
school of mechanical drawing, in
which practical instructors from the
shops Of the city taught 122 young
men and boys in the rudiments Of
drawing. Excellent work was done
in this department and, although the
expense Of it was only 1896. it is GER
tain that the foundation has been laid
already for one IF the most useful edu
rational institution be city. This
is department Sght TO be
well supported and he wise
and proper for Council i >an-
nually a small sum Of the u. y
money to this purpose.
The greatest task now exacting The
attention of the directors Of the viii
mington Institute is to raise sos, 00C
for the purpose OF paying Off the deb
OF the structure, which is S21 900, anC
for making needed improvements
Over one-third Of the amount desired
has bsen raised, but the remaining
two-thirds are not in sight yet
Thousands OF dollars have been left b,
beuuest to other institutions in thil
city. especially to the homes for th'
helpless and infirm. 1t is to b
hoped that some one will soone
or later appreciate the necessity o
providing more generously for tn
needs of the many helpless and more o
less inirm minds. If our schools ant
libraries were more efficaeioug therl
WOu1O Dc less Lccu VI BDueS ant
nurseries for the INDECENT and helpless
At present the annual cost of thl
privilege of using the Institute Librhr
is g., a very small sum indeed when i
is compared with the actual none,
value of the thousands Of books an
the hundreds of newspapers and mage
zines which 1t places in the hands Z
the subscriber. But small as thi
charge is, it is doubtful that the librsr
will ever attain its fullest and de
served measure of success unit
it is made free. One wa,
to make it cost less is to increase th'
number of it's subscribers. If it ha
1.200 instead OF 600 subscribers, th
annual cost could DO reduced at ono
70 g.. and 1900 subscribers woul
represent only one person out Of fift
ia the community. Il is commo
duty thss of contributing to this c
that psaiseworthy object. A duty this
rh0uld be Ear more common than it