Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-09
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

The Directors, RepOrt-MOre ApPro-
 priatiOns Needed-The Library,s Use-
 fulness.
 The directors of the free public library will give their second annual report to the board of councilmen next Monday evening. Most encouraging work is shown by it. At the close of the library year, September 30, 8,463 volumes were in the library ,an increase of ?, 706 volumes, and of this number 816 were given. Number of members 7,970, an increase of 2,955. The circulation amounted to 138, ,54 volumes, over twenty times, or the average for each book in the library. In the case or works of fiction the issue was natural ly greater than the average and made much rebinding necessary. Only two other hbra- ries in New England exceed this circulation. Attendance in the reading room was large throughout the year. About thirty newspa- pers and eighty five other periodicals were on fls
 The needs of the library require at least $15, 900 annually. With it's present resources the library will not be able to meet the de- mands upon it. Middletown received $S0, GOO for it's public library; Bridgeport building and lot valued at $100, GOO; Waterbury, $2o0,- 900; Hartford has lately been offered $275, ,- 900 on condition that $125, 900 should be raised. Our library ought to receive similar donations from some of our citizens. Endow- ment funds of $200, GOO are desired.
 The receipts were $11 ,435. This includes appropriations of SIC, 900, balance on hand of $761.21, advertising in catalogue $110 and fines of $490.26. The expenditures for books were $2,281.0 .03, periodicals $467, binding $952 75, salaries $3, 340.97, rent $1 ,608.08, fuel S914 and light $914. 34, furniture and repairs $142-40, printing, stationery, etc., $61. 32, insurance $50, express and postage $49 69, catalogue $201.40, miscellaneous SITS 5s; total SIC, ,239. 50; balance on hand $1, ,196.
 Stetson shows: Circulation of books by months-October 13, ,180, November 13, ,081, December 12, ,516, January 12,699, February B, 143, March 13, ,593, April Il IA, May 10,- ore, June 9,446, July 9,964, August 9,945, September g, ,787. The classification of the per cent. of circulation is as follows: Phi losophy and religion .78, social and political 1.26, useful arts 1. fine and recreation arts 1, literature and miscellany 2.69, juvenile fiction 24 8, adult fiction 8.75, travel s. 57, biography 9 IS, history 3.24.
 There is still great necessity for meeting the demand for popular books. Many are en out. Largest daily issues March IT, 1000; smallest, March 13, 8, both dates the week of the great storm. On the latter day the library was open only few minutes. Largest weekly issue, February 1918, WAS 3, 3,514-one-half the whole library; smallest, January 1924, 1920.
 The Lowell city library received from the city annually about $15 1000, Springfield s15,- 900, Woeester $20, ,000, New Haven $10,000. The Lowell library has B, 164 volumes, Springfield 64,716, Worcester 70,350 and New Haven S,463. Lowell expended for books and periodicals S424.75, Springfield $9,41S.48, Worcester ST, ,690.25 and New Ha- ven &, ,281. .03. Lowell issued for home read ing 100,887 volumes, Springfield 145, 164, Worcester 137, ,015 and New Haven 13S, ,574. Several blind persons are using books sent by the Perkins institution.
 Much regard to the needs of the public has been used in the selection of books and larger appropriations would enable the direc- tors to greatly enhance the usefulness of the library. Leaving out the large circulation of fiction the number of solid books issued was 22, ,793,