The Washington times., 1901-10-28
CARNEGIE LIBRARY FUNDS
DR.. Billings Report as to the Con-
troll of the Money.
Information as to the Volumes Re
Gently Donated to the New York
Institutions-Rcnd Visitors, and
Something of Books Circulated.

| NEW YORK. oct. 27.-The monthly bull
letin of the New York Public Library.
Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations.
| which has just come to hand, is repiete
with interesting information not only Of
I a technical nature, but of kind to be
! appreciated by the public in general. 1t
contains, besides the report for Septem-
| Der, the report of the director for the
| fiscal year 1901, and several tables ac-
| company this report.
| In September there were received at the
| library by purchase. gift and exchange
| / 1,240 volumes and 13,554 pamphlets. and
| 3,lO3 volumes and 1SlS pamphlets were
| cataiogued. The following table shows
| the number of readers and the number of
volumes consulted in both branches of the
| library and the number Of visitors to
the print department at the LenoX dur
| ing the month:
Lenox. Astor
Number of readers and Visions. sos 7,Ilg
| Number OF readers. .----.:.-...- I'.oz ,'.l2S
I Number of readers. desk applicants. f0' b,O0'
| Number OF voiumes consulted by oo,
desk applicants. S,lsl 26,O5
Sag SaRber OF Visitor: to print czt. sos IS
| The most popular books of the month
were, in non-fction, Haeckels Riddle
| of the Universe" Maeterlinck's Life of
| the Bee" and '+Tribulations of a Prin-
cess" adult fiction, Ghu-ehills Crisis
Runkles Helmet of Navarro" and Gro
Iy's 'Tarry Thou TIL / Come; juvenile
fiction, Grimm's Fairy Tales" Ander-
sens Fairy Tales and Stratemeyer's
Young Volunteer in Cuba
The circulation statistics show that the
total circulation for the month was 49,
las, with 120 49l for home use. There were
1,Sl9 new registrations and q, ,695 readers
in the reading room, of whom l5,i2l
were minors. OF the various branches of
the library, the Ottendorfer leads in point
of circulation with 13. 715 volumes. while
she Thirty-fourth Street branch, with
5,72I is at the foot of the list
The report Of the director, Dr. ]. S. Bill
nigs, for the fiscal year ended June 80
1871, is worthy of mention. The chief in
cldents of the year were the completion
of a contract with the city and Andrew
Carnegie for the provision Of branch cir
cUlating Libraries. and the consolidation
with the New York Free Circulating Ii
brary. thus ensuring a broad and COM
prchenSive library system for the city
The circulating department OF the New
York Public Library. which was estab-
lisheu in the course of the year comprises
eleven branches and a travelling library
section. From March / to June 30, 1901,
there We're circulated for home use by
means Of this department 5Si2O0 volumes,
ana Iftre were duueQ b,iS4 volumes, max
i"s the total number of volumes in the
circulation department on July l. 1891.
4 1873. An interesting and useful part of
the work of circulation is done by the
travelling libraries.
On June "A public school reading rooms
were opened ia four schools-No. 90 at 230
East Eighty-eighth Street; No. 80, at 163d
Street and Eagle Avenue; No l60 at Riv-
ington and SFiffolk Streets. and No. 3, at
AIS West Twenty eighth Street These
reading rooms form a part of the circu-
Iauon department. and it Is believed that
they VIII become an important part of the
work of the library.
OF the Carnegie library gift and the
contract with the city Dr. Billings has
I this to say, which shows that the money
is so tied up that no Tammany official
can lay hands on a cent of it, and that
the control is absolutely in the hands Of
the Public Library trustees:
This contract sets forth the offer of
Mr.. Carnegie and the enabling act of the
Legislature, and provides that the city
SHAH proceed to acquire not more than
forty-two library sites in the boroughs of
Manhattan. the Bronx. and Richmond
upon which sites the trustees of the New
York Public Library are to erect library
buildings from funds provided by Mr.
Carnegie The city grants and lets to
the New York Public Library all such
sites and buildings. to have and TO hold
so long as free branch public libraries
are maintained therein. and the city fur
ther agrees adequately to provide in its
annual budget and tax levy for the cost
and maintenance of these from the time
the libraries are opened, to an amount
not less than 10 per cent Of the sum spent
by Mr. Carnegie.
The trustees Of the New York Public
Library are to erect library buildings from
funds provided by Mr. Carnegie. All
sites selected must be approved by the
New York Public Library which shall
furnish the plans for the buildings and
shall appoint direct, control and remove
all persons employed within the said
buildings respectively and in the care OF
the same. The city will provide for the
repair of the several buildings located on
sites owned by or furnished by the city.
and will furnish supply of water. The
library is to furnish a detailed report OF
its transactions annually to the city