The herald., 1897-05-09
CITY LIBRARY
Los Angeles Has Reason to
Boast of 1t
COMPARATIVE CALCULATIONS
THE LOCAL INSTITUTION LEADS
THE WHOLE COUNTRY
COMPARATIVE CALCULATIONS
Its Peculiar Advantages and Peculiar
Needs-Chance for Far-Seeing
Man With Money

If one were to ask what Is the greatest
single advantage possessed by Los An
geles, it would be difficult to make an
arbitrary. indisputable reply.
The answer would depend largely upon
the point of view. and more than one
might easily be correct, so considered.
1t will be very generally admitted,
however. that in its magnificent and well
managed public library Los Angeles
has an advantage possessed by no other
city in the country of the same size
There are larger cities and larger libra
ries, but there are no cities where the
per capita circulation of books is so large
and there is probably no city of the
same size possessing a public library
containing so many volumes, we'll Sc
lected and we'll proportioned to the
proper needs of the community.
1t is like carrying Goals to New Castle
to recapitulate the advantages and the
splendid record Of the Los Angeles pub
liz; library to those who have kept them
selves informed as to its progress and
status but they should be made public
at frequent intervals, that strangers
may know and citizens appreciate them
The kernel of the library situation is
contained in the statement that the pub
lie library contains something less than
10000 volumes, or one-half book for
each inhabitant, if one could figure it
that way; while the total circulat tion for
the last fiscal year was more than 556, 900,
an increase over the preceding year of
nearly 5000 volumes. Nearly six vol
umes annually are taken out for every
man, woman and child in the city, of
whatever age, color or condition of SER
vitude.
COMPARATIVE CIRCULATION
Boston, which claims to be the center
of intelligence and learning, cannot be-
gin to show as good a comparative rec
ord. The public library in that city in
the last year reported circulating $4,000
volumes, about so per cent more than
Los Angeles. Boston has a population
five times as large as that of Los Ange-
les, and appropriates $175,000 for its pub
lie library, while this city spends less
than $4,000. The combined libraries of
New York city circulate less than twice
as many books in a year as Los An
geles. st. Louis does not circulate as
many books by more than 100000.
1t is really wonderful how so much
is accomplished with SO small an amount
of money available. The eastern libra
ries having so much larger appropria-
tions, are able to establish branch libra
ries and delivery stations to buy more
valuable books and a greater number
yet their comparative circulation does
not even approach that of the Los An
geles library.
What does all this imply? 1t means
that the inhabitants Of Los Angeles
are an intelligent, reading people, who
are eager to seize upon such advantages
as are available and who would use
them to a still greater extent were the
facilities also extended.
INCREASE
The increase in circulation has been
most remarkable as it Is, as statistics
show. In March, 1890, when the city
had a popula ton of $4,000, the total cir
cuia ton was II, ,436. In March, 1897, with
population of 100000, the circulation
was over $4,000. The population had in
creased 100 per cent and the circula-
tion near 400 per cent.
A comparison with one OF the western
libraries may not be out of place here.
The city library of Denver, which cor
responds to the city library here, circula-
ted 1851 books last month (April, 1S9O.
The Los Angeles city library circulated
$4,000 volumes last month. 1t should be
said that there are two Libraries in Den
yer, the public library, circulating about
the same number of books as the city
library So that Los Angeles, with
population one-third less than that of
Denver, circulates 25 per cent more
books.