Evening star., 1900-10-02

| Of the departments. and accessible to them
only SO far as the fraction contained in
their own library is concerned, would, If
collected in the Washington Public Library
be open to all the clerks, and great body
or government employees would enjoy privi-
leges of which they are now entirely de-
/ prived. The establishment Of such q gen.
eral departmental library, open also to the
public, would save the government the ex-
pensive duplication Of books in numerous
small collections, and would also econo-
mize in the room space devoted to depart
mental library purposes.
Use of Duplicate Publications.
There is also a possibility Of securing
the use for circulating purposes of some OF
the duplicates, copyrighted or uncopyright-
ed, In the Library of Congress. The crea-
ton of circulating department Of the lat
ter library has been forciby urged in Con-
gress, but has met with determined opposi-
ton. A compromise between those con-
hicting views OF the true functions of the
Library of Congress should result in the
popular circulating use of many of these
books through their loan to the Washing
ton Public Library.
The relations of nation and capital make
the Washington Public Library as much a
government institution in principle as the
Library of Congress: By continuing to de-
velop the latter exclusively along It's nat
ural lines as great reference library for
scholars and students. and by rendering
available for public use it's circulating books
through the medium Of the Washington
Public Library as the national local lending
library, the nation will waste no fraction of
its library resources, and instead of permit
ting thousands of miscellaneous volumes,
copyrighted or uncopyrighted, to decay un-
used on the shelves, they will all be rem
dered most fully available, both for refer
ence and circulating purposes. for the bene-
mt of the people of the republic
Report of Treasurer and Librarian.
With their report the trustees forwarded
that Of Mr.. Weston Flint, the treasurer and
librarian of the library, containing a de-
tailed statement Of the receipts and dis
bursements during the fiscal year ended
June 30, 1900, together with a report Of the
work of the library during that period.
For current expenses, salaries the sum of
$3.50 was appropriated and expended, and
the contingent fund as appropriated was
$500, which amount was also expended
July 1, 1899. the book fund showed bal
ance on hand of $90315, and gifts during
the past year amounting to $221.24 in
creased 1T to $1,124.39, Of which 81 ,1O1 O6
was expended. leaving balance of S2333
The sum of 500 was received as interest on
the Henry Pastor fund. and of this amount
$9639 was expended. leaving a balance of
1851. OF money collected at the delivery
desk there was balance on hand July /.
! 1s99 of $369s4. For fines there was re-
ceived during the year $7s3. u: for finding
lists $500; duplicate collection, $327. .s5:
boo books Ks lost and injured, s20.5O; reserves.
poo oU, anu relSSueQ cdrQS, ~ cents, a total
| Of 81. 1.544.36: OF this sum there was ex-
| pended for books $1O1 II and for assistants
at delivery desk $2S3.17, a total EXPENDITURES
| OF 1884 %, which left balance of 81 16O N
/, In connection with this Mr. Flint states
that the amounts appropriated for salaries
| and for contingent expenses are audited
and paid by, the District government, the
| others. special funds. gifss of money and
other small items. being the only moneys
disbursed by the treasurer Of the board OF
| trustees.
| During the past year there were donated
26SS volumes, 315 pamphlets and 291 num-
| bers of periodicals, by 227 donors Mr.. B.
!, a. Warner donated the sum of $1OO and
! Mr.. James T. Du Bois the same amount.
| interest accruing from the Henry Pastor
memorial fund. Other donations were. Mr
George w. Dyer, two engractngs of Cen
Grant; BrOOklne (Mass.) Public library
school reference collections and class cards.
Philadelphia Free Library, two collections
| of forms, etc., and Messrs. AckRrman e
| Ross, five plans of the new library build
| ing.
Explaining that his report as librarian ia
the first for a complete year since the or
ganization of the library, Mr.. Flint states
that the estimates made in the last report
| have been fully realized, but 1t has been
| impossible, with the small library limited
appropriations and insufficient force to sup-
ply the public as fully as it would naturally
expect, This difficulty, he explains can be
completed and sufficient appropriations are
given to meet the ordinary demands of so
i large a reading public as exists here
1.-THE library, says Mr.. Flint, shows its
necessity and value and its use to the public
by the circulation Of tts books. On the LIST