Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-17
LIBRARIANS REPORT
Exhibit Of Affairs Of Washington
Public Library.
FIGURES SHOWING THE CIRCULATION
Permanent Fund for Purchase of
Technical Periodicals.
Ii S r O E DON TON
IST OF DONATIONS

submitted to the District Commissioners
yesterday, was that of Mr.. Weston Flint
the librarian of the institution.
In his report Mr.. Flint explains that the
act of Congress making the first appropria-
ton for the maintenance of the library was
not approved until June 30, 1898, the day
before the beginning of the fiscal year
hence considerable time was necessary to
secure a building, have it properly remod-
cled and prepared for library use. The
building was turned over to the trustees
October l, and its further preparation in
Guiding shelving and other arrangements
and the moving of the Washington City
Free Library, transferred to this library
by gift, took a few weeks longer, so that
the building was not opened to the public
for registration until December is. 1898.
The regular issue of books began January
~, 1899, so that the statements and tables
in connection with this report are for less
than six months of actual library work
that is, from January 10, 1899, to June
80, 1899.
Test of Value.
LAS the test of the real value of a
library" said Mr.. Flint, lis its use to the
public, it is interesting TO note the rapid
and constant growth in circulation since
the first day of opening in January, with
less than 900 books on the shelves, and
many of these not new. and others cOnsd-
erably The need Of a public library
is shown in the fact that during the twenty
days after the opening IF the library. with
but u small registration, J,243 books We're
taken out for home reading. The daily is
sue increased so rapidly that during the
month of March the number was l1,706.'
During the six months covered by Mr..
Fint'S report the circulation of the libra
~ amounted to 57,734 volumes, divided into
the following classes
1922; history and travel PIG; social sci
cncc, 434 natural science, 10; useful arts,
269; recreation and fine arts 40S; litera-
ture, 2,911; English fiction, 47,977.
In explanation of these figures Mr.. Flint
states that no account was taken of pc
riodiCals, or of books issued in the refer
encc room, which would add probably ten
per cent to The daily issue The total issue
of 57,I34 books for less than six months
Is at the rate of almost 122 900 volumes q
year; and taking the number of books in
the library for the period it was open as
an average 1900 volumes, the whole libra
~ would be issued at the rate Of over ten
times year: and, taking the number Of
registered borrowers as an average Of 300
for the six months open, then each person
registered drew out on an average at the
rate Of tWentyseVeu books a year, equal
to having every registered borrower take
out book a little more than once every
fourteen days during the year; that is,
each reader on average had a book out
every day the entire year.
Respecting the Circulation.
The largest circulation on any one day
was 696 volumes, Saturday, April g, and
the smallest, twenty-ttree volumes, Feb
ruary 10, the time of the blizzard. The
average daily circulation for the different
months varied from 2S51k to AL Volumes or
for the whole period little more than 1893
volumes day. An indication of the eager
ness with which books were taken out by
readers is seen IN the present condition of
the book stacks devoted to fiction. When
the library was opened every shelf in that
section was completely filled, but now at
no time are there over twO-fifths of these
shelves that contain books, and on some
days the proportion Is even less. The nee
essary result of this condition of affairs
is that very large number of books de-
sired by readers cannot be found on the
shelves after repeated calls, and this diff
Guilty can only be remedied by large In
crease in the number of new books placed
in the library, more especially by providing
several copies of popular works to supply
the constant demands of borrowers, who
naturally expect that the books they de-
sire can be found upon application.
Duplicate Collection.
On account of the constant call for new
books, especially fiction, of which there
were but one or two Of each in the library,
1t was decided during the latter part of
April to purchase a small duplicate collec-
ton of the most popular works, securing as
many copies as were demanded for the use
OF which the reader pays 10 cents per week
for the privilege of receiving the book de-
sired at an early date. rather than wait
until the regular copies can be returned.
These duplicate books are thus issued until
the amount received for their use is equal
to the cost, when they are placed on the
regular shelves, and if there is still a de-
mand for them, other copies OF the same
books are purchased. BY this means a
q
books when first published at nominal
cost, and the library receives the book after
few weeks at little or no cost, thus CIV
ing all readers additional opportunities to
read these new works. Some of the books
in the collection where there were dozen
copies of work, have been in such de-
on file besides the dozen copies already out
When the funds for purchases are complete
1t may not be advisable to use this method
but with the limited means for procuring
new and popular books, the scheme seems
to work fairly well.
Reading and Reference Room.
Speaking of the reading and reference
room, Mr.. Flint says that since it was
opened the attendance has been steadily In
creasing, especially in the use of period
tcals, of which there is a fair supply by
purchase, and quite good collection of
technical and scientific periodicals furnish
ed from the interest on the Henry Pastor
memorial fund, through the Hberality of
Mr. James t. Dubois, a member Of the
board of trustees.
One of the things most needed in the
library, says Mr.. Flint, is a properly ar
ranged reading room for the children, but
this has not yet been possible, though par
tial preparations have been made for it,
and it is hoped that at least some part of
the work may be commenced during the
coming year. A large part of the daily cir
culation goes to the children, most of them
belonging to the public schools, and this
close Connection With the school work WILL
1t is hoped, be a very important factor in
education. The interest taken by many
TEACHERS of the different schools in looking
after the reading of their pupils and in d.
recting them to the library has been of
great service to the children and great as
sistance in our own work in the library
If We had complete facilities for supplying
the childrens needs, and the cooperation of
all the teachers, which will be given with
out a doubt, there, would be a decided in
crease in the educational power of the
schools, and the literary culture of the
youth of our city. The National Educa-
tionaa Association has issued circular
in which the Importance of close relation
between the schools and the library is
clearly stated in the following:
The school and the Library.
''There should he mora eardia1 re}atiopS