The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-07
IT'S DOING PRETTY WELL
Splendid Showing of Butte'S Public
Library.
FACTS GIVEN IN FIGURES
The Patronage is Increasing and
the Splendid Institution is Be-
coming More Popular and
More Help uI Every Day.

BUTTE, Jan. 6.-With the close of the
old year the library finished the third
quarter of it's existence as free public in
stitution and the statistics which have
been compiled by Librarian Davies for
that period are full of interest. The fig
ures show that there has been a steadily
increasing patronage of the big store
house of knowledge and information
from the day that it was thrown open to
the public, and in less than a year the
library has reached a degree of popularity
with all classes that was not expected
nine months ago by even it's most san
guine friends. That it is fully appreciated
and widely used is shown by the fact that
during the past nine months there has
been a total issue of books of over 81 900
volumes, figure which Librarian Davies
did not dare to expect could be reached in
mining camp when he first took charge
of the library here, and which has caused
him great deal of qualification.
The figures which have been prepared
by Mr.. Davies, and which are given be-
low, are of particular interest for the rea-
son that eastern people generally look
upon Butte as nothing more than a rough
and uncouth mining camp, while other
sections of Montana have in the past gone
out OF their way to assert that there was
no taste Tor literature, art or anything
else of an elevating nature in Butte. The
elect of the library on the literary
lie OF Butte in the comparatively short
time that it has been opened has been
such that Butte has attained literary
standing that any city could we'll feel
proud of. The following literary societies
have either been organized since the
library was opened or have been greatly
stimulated by it: Homer club, Tuesday
Evening club, Butte Physical Culture
club, Atlas club, Socialist club, Senior
Literary and Debating society, Mrs.
Haberly's Art class, Chautauqua circles
and various other clubs which are con-
nected with churches and social organi-
cations.
The class of books that are read in
Butte testifies TO the elevated lasts of the
patrons of the library and is a subject for
general congratulation. For instance. the
percentage of fiction used is less than 90
per cent, and IN this exceedingly small
percentage the literary societies above
named are prominent factor The per-
centage of fiction used in other large
Libraries throughout the country, accord
ing TO their last reports, was as follows:
Buffalo, 40; Baltimore, rs; Los Angeles,
over so; Portland, 70; St. Joe, S2%: st.
Louis, 60; Scranton, Pa, so.
The figures now at band show that over
100000 books will have been issued from
the library with the completion of its first
full year on March 81, which is a remarka-
libraries, issued by the department of
education for 1891, which is the last
volume at hand, shows that in that year
there were only AZ Libraries in the United
States which issued over 100000 books. OF
these 81 were in cities of over 100000 in
habitants; we're in cities between $1,000
and 10000 population; 1 city was over
1900; l was over 5000 and the
last one had population of
1000. which is larger than the population
of Silver Bow county by the last census.
total years issue of 100000 books in
Butte means about four books for every
resident of the county, which is equiva-
lent to turning over the entire stock of
the library six times.
As for the cost of maintenance the
Butte library will compare very favorably
with that of any city in the country as is
concluslvely shown by the reports of other
libraries. In many eastern cities more
money is spent annually on libraries
much smaller than that possessed by this
city, and where the issue of books is
naturally much smaller.
The following shows the number of the
llbrary's patrons:
BOOK BORROWERS
Number OF cards in use April /, 1894 l256
Added April TO Dec. 81, 1894. ........... 1851
Less number cancelled April to Dec. 81. -
1871. ............ OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. "a
Number In use Dec. 81, 1891. ............ 2.7a3
CONTENTS or LIBRARY DEC. 81, 1891.
Number of books in library April ], 1891 15.4s5
Net additions April TO Dec. 81, ls94..... I,G4s
Iotal................ ................... I7,l33
CLASSIFIED CONTENTS DEC. 81, 1894
General and miscellaneous ................ 1.0-4
!, liLn9sophy ''''.'..''..'.'.'........ S14
Social Science and phiioiogy ...... a9, ii
Natural science. 1900
App!lel science 1000
Literary, history and miscellany .......... Sc,
IOetry ana drama. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. GA +
nose nct9n 3,a4
rDcl,s.,osa los;
Total. ........................I 7.iaa |
No. of books in circulation Jan /, 1895 49,. i'I5g
No. over due Jan. l, lS9j................. A.
Three days over due. ..................7
-Four days over due .....................I
Five days over due .......................2
Six days over due. .......................4
lotdi.... ........................42 40
The following tables show the CLASH
ned issue during the past nine months and
the issue by months:
CLASSES. : i ! ! |
Genr1 & miscellaneous 5I4I % Io6' II $40 Is "A
.........,. 'a67l os2I I9g. - |
Theology .............l 44lI 346I - rs |
Social science .......1 lO5s| I5g7i D 655 a "a |
Natural science .....l $50. ISL Ih3Ii 90 |
Applied science ...... SG. 500 1'4oS . >, |
Fine arts. ............. 374 76 no 1 "a |
Literary miscellaney i.24S 5q5' ISI o-J |
Poetry and drama. 53S 473' luIIl 40 !
prose fiction ..........3 30 9a5 g-G. al OH a =
History and travel. 4GI3 2S5a. COS no ~ |
Total. .......... A.. 654 80 So g. 49I 100 %
ISSUE BY MONTHS.
...... ILE=ZZIE