Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-18
INSTITUTE FRIt LIBRARY.
Interesting Reports Submitted at the
Annual Meeting Lao EveninE---oitioers

The annual mcetlig Of the board Of
directors Of the Wilmington Institute
held Tuesday night at which the first
report of the Institute Free Library was
made by Arthur W. Tyler, the librarian.
The reports of the various committees
were read and showed the library to be
in fiourishing condition The officers
elected are as follows; President, w.
p. Taylor; Secretary, Frederick Robin
son; Treasurer, Joseph A. Richardson.
The finance committee, comprising
Walter ID. Bush, William Z. Bancroft
and Vincent q. Hazard, made their re-
port Of finances, showing the receipts
for the yearto be $12, $50; property COM
mittee expenditures, s2,956; library
committee expenditures, $500; total
expenditures $l2,556.
Enos Il. Doan, chairman of the library
committee, submitted his report of the
condition Of the library, in which he
said the ch,fnges made necessary by the
transference and complete reclassihca-
ton of the books have prolonged the
work Of reorganization. The report
adds, however, that the work is drawing
to close, and with the exception Of the
United States government publication,
the new classification is complete; the
details of the methods practicable to
meet the demands of the public, have,
for the most part been satisfactorily de-
termined.
Speaking of the advantages of the
library, the repbrt says that hundreds
of school childfan throughout the city
have awaited themselves of an oppor-
tunity to consult the free library, and
the number for books to home use by
the Young Peoples Department has
been large, t45373 volumes). The
young peoples reading, nlso, has been
wholesome fiction and has constituted
1913 per centof the home circulation.
The committee in the course of its re-
port says: "Ihe committee know of no
other public library in which about SO
per cent OF the total circulation has been
works of fiction, nor in which the more
substantial works have been So little
used" The report is a comprehensive
review OF tine entire work OF the library
since its reorganization.
Tho report Of Librarian A. w. Tyler
shows the circulation of hooks for the
| year ending March 3lst 70 be t5S, $40
volumes; aud for the thirteen months
and three weeks since the opening Of
the library the list includes 159,S63 vol.
umes, the books were loaned to T,454
borrowers, an average of nineteen each.
The circulation of the library by months
was as fbllows: April, 1894, 11,367
May, 10,750; June, 10,230; July, 1O,1l6
August, 1866; September, 1926
October, 1868; November, 1902
December, 17,f5l; January, 3,4G3
February, 1879; March, 1896. Thi!
gives daily average of 450. Tn,
smallest days circulation was 149, OF
the Both of May, 1894; the largest wa
1,ll3, onIthe 10Th Of March, 1895.
In the course Of his report the librarian
says: How most successfully TO edu
cate our borrowers TO proper appre.
citation Of the literary feast afforded b,
our shelves is problem not easy o
] solution, but is one which we must ad
dress ourselves with patient assiduity.'
The library was opened with 1865;
registered card holders, and the tota
registration to date is 1854, of which
BOB are from outside the city limits
The number OF teachers cards is AZ
An inventory of the actual state of TIT
shelves at this time, shows the follow
ing: Volumes on hand January Isl
1894, 1860, received by purchase, 3,7le
binding periodicals, 1888; gift, 81; publ,
documents, 1852; Emerson donation, 1874
grand total, 24,32S. Those who hav
contributed books during the year are
Mrs Susan ii. Emerson and her sste
of New York; Samuel Bancroft, Jr,
aud Mrs. Henry b. Jadd. The librarian
carefully reviews the work of the librar
and points ont with clearness and ex
actncss the condition OF the Free Librar
at the present time.
The property committee, including
Wilmer Palmer and Lindley Q. Ken
reported that they had attended to a.
matters properly belonging to the com
mittee during the past year and stat
that the property has been kept in goo
condition. The total expense INQUIRE
is $5,400,35. As soon as the old librar
room is vacated by No. 8 School,
VIII be converted into stores and renteI
for satisfactory sum. The board vii
then be in receipt of all revenues tina
/ can be reasonably expected from tn
rental of lis property.
The report of w. +. Taylor, presidel
: of the institute, suggested greater d,
gree of cooperation between the librar
and the publ; schools as means
5 educating the reading public up to a flu
realization Of the advantages of the frc
I library The report says that the draugh
ing school is in line with the full il
terest with institute work and the opel
ing of the school to young women WI
g move in accord with the spirit OF Il
times. The report concludes by saying
4 ut is again our pleasure to exter
, thanks to our sSjclpte manager, Wi
liam p. Bancroft, for his intrinsic libe
i ality during the past year, desire
4 express my appreciation of your un
/ form courtesy and kindness during n
n term of office and Of the good VOL
i, done by the variou committees, office
/ and the librarian and assistants
e The report sparklcd with lsnowled.
! regarding the workings Of the FRI
i Library and were replete with intcres
4 ing suggestions and cold, hard facts.
, -
4 GREAT MENTION
f Mrs. Mary 4. Kelley OF This City secur