Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-11
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Reports of the Librarian and
Directors Are Encouraging.
Those of the Building, Reading Room and
Finance Committees Also Give Facts
and Figures of interest

annual report, says: There has been a
large amount of hard work done at the
library during the past year. The in
stitution has been generously support
ed and results are very satisfactory. At
the close of the library year, Nov. 30th,
there were in the library 114,S25 vol
umes, distributed as follows: Green Ii
brary, 247S7; intermediate department,
1924; circulating department, 5S,S14.
This is an increase for the year of 599
volumes in the Green library, 2727 in the
intermediate department, 2510 in the cir
culating department, or 1896 volumes in
all. Four hundred and ninety-three
papers and other periodicals are now
taken by the library, as against 4SS the
year before. There has been a great
increase in the use of the library dur
ing the past year-91555 representing
the home and reference uses Of the in
stitution, which were divided as fol-
lows Home, 210,045; reference, exclusive
of that of Sundays and holidays, 1922,
ass; Sunday use, 2416; holiday use $40.
The total use of volumes the year be-
fore was 2S5, ,6S2. Thus the increase in
the past year was 29,S76 volumes, divid-
ed as follows: Circulating department,
II, ,4S6; reference library on all days eX-
cepting Sundays and holidays, 12,057;
reference library on Sundays, 1856.
There was a loss of 124 volumes in the
use of the library on holidays; there
being one less holiday last year than
the year before.
OF the volumes given out in the cir
culating department last year, 1929
were taken out on cards, which teach
ers may use wholly for their own bene-
fit, but which, in fact, they largely use
in the immediate interests of their pu-
pills; and 1881 on cards which teachers
hold exclusively for the benefit of
scholars. 1t appears from these fig
ures that during the 40 weeks of the
school year. five days to the week, 1882
volumes were in use on the average,
daily, by the teachers and scholars un-
der the immediate supervision of teach
ers. The use is much larger, Of course,
in the colder than in the warmer por-
tions of the year. 1t is to be re-
marked that a large portion of the
books taken out for the teachers and
scholars are taken to their own and the
children's homes and are in use on Sat-
urdays and Sundays as well as during
the five days of the school week The
school use is not, of course, nearly the
whole use of the library by children;
for, in addition to their very large use
of books in making Investigations in
the library building, great numbers Use
their parents cards to get books to take
home, and 1891 volumes, an increase of
S65 over the previous year. were given
out last year on blue cards, which are
given to children under Is years of age
whose parents or teachers desire
should have home privileges The books
given out on blue cards are examined
by attendants in the library before they
are given out, to see that young chill
dren. so far as possible, get only books
suited to their ages and capacities.
The total increase of 29,875 volumes
in the use of the library during the past
year is the more remarkable as it fol-
lows an increase of 1928 volumes in
the three years Immediately preceding.
The increase in four years has, there
fore, been 109.503.
Two exhibitions We're given in the Ii
brary last year of material to the Ii
brary, and third made up partly of
such material. 1t is interesting to note
that the attendance at all of the exhi-
tions was very large. 1t may be re-
marked in this connection that much of
the instruction given in geography in
the public schools is by lantern slides,
and that many of these slides are pre-
pared from material in the library, IL
Illustrative of different countries by the
use of camera under our skylights,
and with the aid of a dark closet pro-
vided for photographers when the new
building was put up. Instructive ex-
hibitions are in preparation for the
current year.
The librarian reiterates his request
for an appropriation for delivery sta
tions in various portions Of the city, and
comments upon the success of those al
ready established at Greendale and
South Worcester; quoting at length from
the reports of the presidents for several
years back to show the attitude of the
directors on this question.
We wish to extend hearty thanks to
the friends who have so kindly remem-
bered us, especially to the libraries of
Harvard and Columbia universities, and
to the surgeon generals Office at Wash
ington; to the Massachusetts State Lii
brary, the Boston Public Library and
the Boston Athenaeum, for their kind
ness in the past year in lending to us
many books for the use of citizens of
Worcester. Numerous other institu-
tions have been equally kind, but we
have not had to avail ourselves of their
kindness so often as in the cases of the
institutions mentioned
The librarian reports the total receipts
of the library during the year as
$1554.77, of which 1854. 80 was a balance
from 1896, $708. 80 received from fines,
SIS. SO received from sales Of printed
catalogues and lists of editions, S13 80
received for books injured or lost, $11 re-
ceived as deposits and $107 95 from mis-
cellaneous sources. The sum of $764. SO
was paid to City Auditor John F. How
ell and SO in deposits were returned,
leaving balance in the librarians
hands of $7S0.S4.
The total increase in the number of
volumes by purchase is 5243; by gifts,
464; by binding periodicals, SAL; by
placing unbound volumes in the library,
3; missing volumes restored since last
report, 6; a total of 6257 The number of
volumes Withdrawn since the last report
is 38l and the number missing 40 max
ing the net increase for the year 1886.
The increase in the number of pam
IhletS is 408, the number of newspapers
subscribed for is 1873, the number of ma
gaz:nes subscribed for 310 The number
of days the circulating department was
open was 306 reference and reading
open, 365; volumes delivered for home
use, 210, ,045; for reference use, 1O2. .456. Of
which number 24,702 shows the use Of
portfolios and volumes in the art exhi-
bition; average daily use, 1921; largest
daily use, Feb. 13, 1862 smallest daily
use, July %, 361; books lost and paid for
%; lost and not paid for, II; worn out
and withdrawn, 800; notices to delin-
quents, 9146; volumes bound, $500;
names registered during the year, 2473;
total number of names registered,
rs, 255. On Sundays the number of per-
sons using the upper reading room was
2574 and the lower 6336, the average be-
ing III. The average number of vol
umes delivered per Sunday was 46. On
holidays the upper reading room was
used by 916 persons and the lower by
1861, an average of 325. The average
number of volumes used was 81.
DIRECTORS REPORT.