The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-04-27
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The Annual Report of This Useful Insti-
tution-What 1t Contains and
How 1t Is Patronized.

The annual report OF the PORTLAND
Public Library has been made to the
trustees. 1t is as follows:
To the Trustees of the Portland Public
Library:
Gentlemen Il have the honor to pre-
sent the following report on the growth
and work of the library for the wear end
inc March 81, 1893.
The library has very materially grown
within the year, the accessions number
ing 1912 volumes. Of this number. 9O4
have been added by purchase and ex-
change, ITO by gift, and 23S by binding
periodicals.
While the number of booksEpurchased
is unusually large, an exceptionally small
number of gifts has been received, a
considerable number of volumes has
been condemned as unfit for use, and a
large lot of duplicate periodicals has
been exchanged, so the net gain is not
what, at first thought, might be expect
ed The number of volumes withdrawn
is 293, making the net increase 1919, and
the total number of bound volumes in
the library at the present time, 37,607.
AT the beginning of the year, the libra
ry contained 1917 pamphlets; 594 have
since been received, but 700 unbound
magazines,) have been withdrawn, leav-
ing now in the library 1851. One hum
bred and siXty-five charts have been re-
ceived from the United States coast and
geodetic survey.
Many of the accessions are works of
great interest and value. Among them
NAV be mentioned, a new edition of APP
pleton's encyclopaedia, dictionaries of the
Russian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, and
Dano-Norweigia languages, 40 volumes
of qualifications of the Harleian society,
81 volumes of the Challenger geological
reports. 26 volumes of the Natural History
of New York, Barrie's ARMY and Navy
of the United States" purchased with
income of the Clapp bequest), Lubke' S
History of Sculpture and Symonds'
s'Life of Nich@langelo."
OF the accessions, 231 volumes are pur-
chases of the Sawyer fund. Most of these
are books on natural science, recon-
mended by Mr.. Joseph P. Thompson.
We are deeply indebted to Mr.. Thomp-
son for the thought and time which he
has given to the work of enlarging and
enriching this department of the library.
There is need that the same systematic
work be done in other departments.
1t has been the aim of the book com
mittee to place in the library those books
for which there has been demand. and
to supply any known deficiency. A list
has been kept of works called for, which
the library did not possess, and these, as
we'll as books recommended for purchase,
have in most cases been supplied.
The matter of filling out our periodical
sets has received some attention, and a
good beginning made in this line of work
BY purchase and exchange, the sets OF
i%+a11tc, Ninotoanfh (Nont11,.xj
and Fortnightly and Contemporary Re
views have been completed. The library
contains many other full sets of valuable
periodicals, and many partial sets which
should be completed at the earliest pos
sible day. Poo1e's Index brings to light
the wealth of literature stored up il
periodicals, but it is available only witt
the periodicals themselves at hand. III
libraries all over the country, great effor
is being made to supply deficiencies il
this department, and the older publica.
lions are becoming more scarce and more
valuable each year. 1t is particularly de
sirable that we complete our sets of the
English Quarterly Reviews. We lack
vols. 1-52 of the British Quarterly, vols
1-19 of the Westminster, vols. 157 and 15s
of the Edinburgh, vols. Is, IA, 20 and q
of the North British, and vols. 6, u and
40 of the Quarterly Review. Donation;
from our citizens who may chance to
have any of these would be gratefully re
ceived.
The library regularly receives Is cur
rent periodicals and newspapers, IA o.
which are gifts. The subscription lis
was revised at the beginning of the year
a few publications were discontinued anC
eight new ones subscribed for. Thost
added to the list are, American Journa
of Folk Lore, First Maine Bugle
Overland Monthly, Portfolio, Punch
also extra copies of the Nortl
American Review and New Englan,
Magazine for circulation. Duplicat
copies of most of the popular maya
zines are received. and they are in con
slant demand.
1,042 new cards have been issued dur
ing the year, making the total number
issued since the opening of the library
9,759.
$685. books have been delivered fo
home use, the daily average circulation
being 298 The largest number sent Out
In one day was SIG, the smallest, Sc.
The number of books used in the read
ing room, not including periodicals, die
tionaries and cyclopaedias, is "a, 400, ;
@aily average of 81.
These figures do not show an increased
circulation, but observation points to the
fact that, more than in past years, oul
books are being used for PURPOSES of ref
erence and study, rather than for mere
casual reading, consequently they are re
tanned the full limit of time allowed 10y
the regulations, and not SO rapidly circu
lated from hand to hand. While thi
usage somewhat lowers the record of on
circulation, the educational work of thu
library is being advanced.
Respectfully submitted,
= ALICE G. FURBISH,'
Assistant in Charge.
GENERAL SUMMARY.