The San Francisco call., 1899-12-31

Clark's figures to the very quick we come
upon a live remainder TO prove the ef-
fciency of his management. The state
ments that appointments md promotions
are made for merit only. and that a strict
system Of civil service examination j. in
force. point the way 10 an easy under
standing OF the excellence OF Mr.. Clark's
work
The city of San Francisco may corgrat-
ulate itself that IL has so faithful public
servant and a board so wise as 20 appre-
ciate him at his true worth.
The figures OF Mr.. Clark's report afford
a striking exempliication Of some ideas
set forth by Mr.. TegSart. the librarian
OF the Mechanics Institute The books
OF the library number I'm all somewhat
over 1l7.000. OF this total 17eOO and some
hundreds are placed in branch libraries.
while OF the 100 900 'in the main library
10000 selected volumes are placed on open
shelves. The total home circulation n
the library Is $4,000. Now OF this 5Oo 10
and more books that were actually taken
out of the library. over 100000 came from
the branches. where only 1900 books were
kept. These figures include no books spe-
cially sent for 10 the main library. They
prove that 10000 books supported cir
culation of only $40 .O00 while II. 900 selected
books In the branches supported a circu-
lation of 200 Oo0. Nor Is this all OF tire
100000 books In the main library. 10 1O0
were selected and placed on shelves Just
how often these 1900 books go and
come cannot he definitely ascertained. but
during the month Of July " per cent II
the circulation Of the main library con-
sisted OF these books. and only a. per cont
was drawn from the On COO other volumts
on the shelves. Assuming as we fairly
may. that this months experience is not
far from the average. we shall find tiat
the 10000 on the closed shelves circulated
only to the extent Of 147 900. that the
10000 on the open shelves had n circulation
Of $4,000 and that the 17s0O in the
branches had a circulation Of 100000 In
other words the books in the main colIec-
tion went out on an average one and six
tenths times. the books on the open
shelves went ont nineteen and three
tenths times and the books I'm the
branches went out eleven times and
fraction. Or. 10 look at the matter from
another point Of view the 76 per cent on
the shelves produce only q per cent OF the
circulation. II Mr. Clark were 70 place
10000 more selected books on the accessi-
BILE shelves the circulation Of the books
In the main stack would probably be next
10 nothing
Now the expense of circulating the
books that go out Of the main stock is by
no means so small rs the proportionate
circulation. The 1850 volumes I'm the
branches cost about a dollar apiece 20
buy, keep and circulate At the same rate
the 10000 on the open shelves would cost
$4,000. and 500. $50 would be left for the
mass Of silent volumes on the dark
shelves. At this rate II costs 81, cents %
take book out OF branch. little over
; cents 10 take IL or the open shelves. and
almost 2l cents 10 get II out OF the main
collection.
II the reader has taken the trouble 70
follow this mathematical reasoning he Will
see that the books on the main shelves
cost more for maintenance and circula-
ton than all the rest Of the library and
achieve a third as much: that they cost
proportionately to their circulation AZ
least two or three times as much: that
they go out very little. and that in fine
keeping up the circulation Of the body OF
books is a weight on the library
Does IL pay, or would IL be better 70
select all the 'live" books in the stock
as completely as possible. offer them 70
the public and maintain the rest Of the
library as reference library for students
who could come to use e.?
The trustees have in mind making their
library useful TO scholars. Their noble
purchases Of great collections which can
he OF no possible use except 10 scientific
and historical investigators prove this.
and prove that they have the courage 20
use their money in this inconspicuous but
generous and useful way. Now a scholar