The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-08


The above estimate does not include
Beveral thousand dollars expense for op.
Grating the elevator and for the gas bills
which amount to pretty figure every
year. A glance at the above figures
shows that OF over $12 600 paid out for
salaries the librarian and assistant Ii
brarian receive one-fourth of the whole
amount, There are twenty employees
in the city library with 30, 900 volumes,
while the Aston library, New York, with
100000 volumes until recently bad
five employees, while it only requires
? half dozen employees to handle the
millions OF volumes in the congressional
library at Washington. The Inflated"
circulation figures of the Los Angeles
library will not stand the test of analy-
sis or inspection. 1t is also q striking
illuatration of the Encouragement on
the part OF President Dobinson, whose
will has been unauestioned in library
affairs for years, that of s23. S27.70 asked
for only IS. 700 is devoted to the pur-
chase of new books. while So, 500 is pro-
posed to be frittered away ON postage,
printing blanks, stationery, etc. This
is very much on the principle of an
Asbantee queen with gorgeous pearl
necklace, who struts about in ebon nu-
dity.
The detail Of the management of the
library is also open to just criticism. No
one objects to the employment OF young
women in the library or the enlarge
ment OF woman's sphere of usefulness,
but the Taxpayers do object to support
ing drones In this public hive while
poorly paid girls do all OF the work.
This is just where the shoe pinches.
hn
her assistant receives 500 per month,
yet there are several attendants who re-
ceive barely $40 per month, and who
work hard for this pittance. Further
more. when Miss Kelso, the librarian, is
absent, her salary runs on as usual, yet
IL any Of the working girls are away sick
they lose their pay, small as it is. Miss
Kelso is permitted to take a months
holiday, and the girls who work get only
one or two weeks rest. There 10 q reg
, lister in the library in which the en-
, ployees are required to show to the min
ute the time that they arrive or depart.
The librarian and one or two OF her staff
are not required to register, hence the
directors are unaware of the time they
spend outside of the library. Miss Kelso
can arrive at o. m. and omit at p. M,
while the poorly paid girls often remain
from 8 "a. m. until $3.50 p. IN. The Ii
brarian will shortly take a months va
cation and will receive her IS per day
v during her abeeEce, that is provided the
city auditor does not call q halt. There
have been cases where the hard worked
{ underlinge IN tine library have been sick,
Jand for every day absent they are
locked their psltry 20 cents per diem.
As matter OF fact the librarian does
but little work except to draw salary.
In justice to the assistant librarian il
should be said that she is both compe-
tent and Woodworking, as the new
catalogue indicates. 1t is equally true
that the Los Angeles library can be
operated by small and efficient force of
employees, properly paid. for $4,000
per annum, and still buy new books. In
order to accomplish this result, how
ever, it will be necessary to remove Mr..
Dohinson and secure a librarian who
will work. An insidious move to block
any reform in the matter OF the high sal.
aried Librarian was attempted when the
charter committee OF the chamber of
commerce and Citizens' league was
gerrymanded into recommending that
the salary of $3.50 per month for the
librarian be placed in the city charter.
This was prompted by the fact that the
councilmanic charter revision committee
had just adopted stipulation providing
the librarian's salary should not exceed
1925 per month.