Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-10
SEEK A SITE FOR LIBRARY
Board Decides to Advertise for Proposals
from People Owning Property.
MUST HAVE FRONTAGE OF HUNDRED FEET
Annual Report of President ROhrer
shows Finances TO He In Good
Condition, with More Funds
for Current Year.


The trustees OF the public library decided
after considerable discussion at their
monthly meeting yesterday afternoon TO
advertise for propositions from property
owners for a site for the new Carnegie
library building. II was decided that no
propositions would be considered In which
the property offered did not have a 'front.'
age Of at least 100 feet and a depth of 1875
feet. At the same time the board init
mated, and the advertisements will con-
tain a clause to the effect, that the larger
the property offered the greater the con-
sheraton 1t will receive at the hands OF
the board. All property offered the board
must have a clear title. as the trustees will
not consider any other. Advertisements
will be placed in all the daily papers hav-
Ing a circulation in the city. and bids
must be in the hands Of the president OF
the board within three weeks after the
date Of the first publication Of the notice.
While discussing the best method OF Sc
curing a suitable site for the new library
buildings the members Of the board re-
Trained from expressing their preferences.
Rev. Father Smyth and Trustee Baird
thought that the board ought to enter into
correspondence with architects, with a
view Of securing their assistance in Sc
ANtAihB a 5hlAdbAt ellNs buA Nulb the OIuGI
members of the board deemed premature.
The opinion OF the majority was that 1t
was time enough to secure the services Of
architects after the board had received
propositions for a site, and Father Smyth's
motion was voted down.
change Meeting Hour.
In view of the fact that the board would
have considerable business to transact at
q zzzzt.- N..u- .-.at -
tion OF the new building, at the suggestion
OF Trustee Bender, It was decided to hold
the regular monthly meetings in the even
ing at 1880 o'clock instead OF in the after
noon until October 1. Trustee Burke OPP
posed the proposition to hold the meet
ings in the evening during the winter
months. The reason given by Mr.. Bender
for his suggestion was that the afternoons
did not give sufficient time for the trans
action Of the business before the board I'M
.css the session was extended beyond the
hour of 6 o'clock, the time for supper.
President Rohrer submitted his annual
report, a large portion OF which was de-
voted to a recital of the history OF the eff
forts of the board to obtain a donation
from Nj. Carnegie and its success in Sc
curing the $40, 900 for a new library build
ing. Regarding the finances of the library
for 1909, It showed that on December 81,
1901, there vas a balance OF 81, 1853. SO; that
the county treasurer collected SO, SOC. So and
$29G.53 was turned in by the librarian,
making { total revenue fof the year of S.
963.01. The expenditures we're $4,248.6 5,
leaving a balance to begin 1903 with ST.
1866. The larger items Of expense were:
Rent, 800; salaries. $1,000; books pur-
chased, $407.77; periodicals, S2O4.75, and
binding. $!7s O5. Mr.. Rohrer called atten-
tion to the fact that the disbursements for
1902 exceeded those OF 1901 only by 2S
cents.
More Funds for Current Year.
The fact that the board was only per-
mitted to levy a tax of l mill during 1902
for the maintenance of the library, Presi-
dent Rohrer stated in his report. necessi-
tated a most conservative policy by the
board in Its expenditures. For 1903 the
tax levy is IL mills. The number of books
in the circulating department of the IL
brary on December 81, 1902, Was 1850
beirg an increase of 426 over the same
date the year previous. During 1902 81, 1884
books were circulated among the patrons
of the library and the weekday visitors
to the rooms numbered 6,O29 and on Sun.
days 1907.
Regarding the decrease in the number Of
books circulated during 1902, as compared
with the previous year, President Rohre,
ascribed 1t to the fact that patrons dc
more OF their reading in the library thar
before and that this was equally true o
I the children, who literally patronize tn,
room recently opened for their espeeia
i benefit.
| TIL monthly report of the finance com
e mittee showed a balance OF $~1,411.32 in tn
E library fund on February l.. The librarian
r report for January showed 1888 registers
: book-takers and 4sl42 books taken out dur
ing the month. The board decided to sub
scribe to a membership in the Iowa Stat
: Historical society. For the first time 4
8 many months every aiember OF the boar
e was present at the meeting.
: WOMEN W0oDMEN GATHERING