Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-18
L|THG0W LIBRARY.
Reports Of the Officers Sub
mitted to the City.
The Trustees Ask for an Additional
Appropriation.
Circulation for the Year 1901 was
30,77s Volumes.

LII l.
gov library and reading room have
been placed in the hands of the city
auditor. The first is that Of the board
of trustees. This report renews the
call upon the city government for an
increase in the appropriation for the
library and presents some very good
reasons why this should be done. We
give this report in full:
Augusta, Maine. March Is, 1902.
To the City Government. Augusta.
Maine:
The trustees of the Lithgow Library
and Reading Room beg leave to sub
nit their annual report.
The library has continued to serve
, the public as well as possible with it's
present equipment. 1t needs a large
accession of books, much larger than
it is possible to purchase with the
means at our command.
Last year an effort was made to Sc
cure an additional appropriation of
$1,000 from the city in order that some
more urgent needs might be met. A
petition was presented representing a
large majority of the taxable property
of the city and asking that this aid be
granted. but much to our regret no as
sistance was rendered. The amount
asked for was not large and we should
be glad if the coming administration
would see fit to reconsider the matter
and make an extra appropriation the
coming year. If this extra appropria-
ton We're only $500, that. together with
the annual appropriation of $1,000
would be of great assistance. The
state authorizes our cities and towns
to make an appropriation for libraries
to the extent of one dollar for each of
its ratable polls in the year next pre-
cedng. Taking this as a basis the
city of Augusta could this year APP
prOpriate $2911 for this purpose
The condition on which Mr.. Carnegie
establishes libraries is that the city
shall bind itself to appropriate an
nually sum equal to 10 per cent. of
the gift; for instance, the gift of $780,
900 to Lewiston was made upon the
condition that the city should furnish
the site and appropriate $4,000 a year
for the maintenance Of the library so
established. The LithgOw library
represents more than $4,000. exclusive
of the books, all of which has been con-
tributed by private individuals, and a
very large proportion by nOn-residents,
and in effect has been a gift to the
citizens of Augusta, yet our city pays
! only $1,000 a year towards it's main
tenance.
1t is not necessary to argue upon the
benefit of a public library to a COM
munity. 1t has become one of the es-
tablished educational factors alongside
our churches and schools; but a IL
brary is effective only as it's shelves
are filled with good books and its
equipment maintained at high STAN
dard. The trustees Of our library in
| Augusta would therefore renew their
request. feeling that no appropriation
that our city could make would bring
in larger returns.
Just at the close of the year we were
informed of the legacy of $1,000 from
Hon. John l.. Cutler of Boston, Mass,
who had already contributed a like
amount. This makes a total of $4,000
! that has been given since the library
building was erected. In many cases
the income of the funds so given has
been expended in the purchase Of a
certain line Of books, in which have
been placed appropriate labels showing
that they have been purchased with
| the proceeds of that fund and thus Civ
| ing credit to the donor. In this way a
gife of $1,000 means a contribution OF
$50 in books each year so long as the
library exists. This is a form of dona.
ton to the public that carries large
annual returns.
/ With this is submitted the report OF
the librarian for the past year which
| will show in detail the work Of the
library. Respectfully submitted,
LESLIE c. CORNISH.