Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-13
REPORT TRUSTEES
Affairs Of Public Library the
Past Fiscal Year.
ANNUAL STATEMENT
NEW BU1ID1Fa CONTAINS 5000
JUVENILE BOOKS.
Expenditure of $4,000 Appropriated
by Congress Of
$3.50 for Next Year.

w. Noyes, the president, and the annual
statement OF Mr.. Weston Flint, the libra
rlan, for the last fiscal year were submitted
to the District Commissioners today. The
report of the trustees deals largely with the
progress Of work on the new library build
ing In Mount Vernon square, which was
dedicated with such interesting ceremonies
last week, and statement of the various
causes OF delay which prevented the COM
pletion of the structure within the contract
time. The report of the librarian deals
with conditions at the old library and the
plans for the operation Of the new build
ing and is quite interesting.
After describing the new building and its
equipment the trustees come to the subject
of books, saying:
The most urgent present need of the
library is that Of books and this condition
Will continue until 100000 volumes are on
the snelVes and endowment provision is
made for special collections of books and
newspapers like those supplied by Joshua
Bates and William c. Todd in the Boston
Public Library.
The library is already the recipient of
Henry Pastor fund for the purchase of
scientific periodicals, but its need of news
papers and current popular periodicals and
OF BOOKS of all sorts to strengthen the gen.
eral collection continues to extend an ur-
gent 1nvltatin to all beneficent and we'll
Not only by donations of money and
books will the residents of Washington
show their interest in the library and their
enthusiasm In promoting it's growth, but
also by heartily asserting as tax payers TO
the assignment of the necessary amount of
the District revenues to it's needs In books
and administrative equipment.
The sum of $4,000 was appropriated by
the urgent deficiency bill the last session
of Congress for the purchase of books fol-
the library. This money has been and is
being expended rapidly as is consistent
with the intelligent purchase Of the best
available books, and these volumes have
been and are being catalogued. There is
no book appropriation for the current year.
The trustees urge that the estimate OF
S1o,OoO for the purchase of books next yeal
be approved by Congress.
Activity of the Library.
Notwithstanding disadvantages under
which the library labored in it's crowded
quarters in the rented building last year it
made an excellent record in respect to the
activity and usefulness Of its books The
total issue for the year was 1915 vol
umes. or an average Of 1926 volumes per
month. The total increase of issue over
that Of the previous year was 25551; the
monthly increase 2,13O. The average num-
Der of books in the library during the year
was 2s,lsS. The circulation was thus equa!
to more than five times the whole library.
The librarians report" the trustees con-
tinue. again diseusses and urges full de
velopment of the chifdren's library, the
most important branch of the Public Lbrary's
exclusive work. The new building will be
equipped with juvenile library Of about
1000 volumes. An attractive reading room
for the children is provided. Ample pro-
vision is made for the future enlargement
whenever necessary Of the Juvenile depar;-
ment. These and other library ia ciities
are to be utilized fully for The benefit of
the schools. The board of education and
the teachers are to be in close touch with
the library and to cooperate with the
librarian and the trustees in working out
that systematic and wise school use of the
books which will most promote the chill
dren's welfare"
Capacity Of the Shelves.
1t is stated by the trustees that the new
building from the outset can shelve 177,47O
volumes, emitting from the calculation port
able cases or book presses. The book stack
(three tiers will accommodate 1853, 700 vol
umes; public reading room, ITO; children's
room, $500; open-shelf room, $3.50; total,
177,47O. The completion of the book stack
to the the full five tiers will give room for
1Oo,e00 volumes more. enabling the library
to shelve total of 2S3, go books.
The trustees again call attention to their
estimates for the coming fiscal year, and
cite the lowness of salaries paid Tie library
force in the District as compared with other
cities. Speaking of Washington's ..orary
development, the report says:
1.-THE vigor and enthusiasm of Washing
tons self-congratulations upon Its notable
library development since the early eos,
when the movement for tax-sustained
library took a start, are intensified by the
contrast Of conditions then and now.
I'm 1894 Washington's semi-public libra
ries contained more than a million books
all apparently carefully guarded from and
rendered of the smallest possible use to the
mass of the people There were nearly
100000 volumes in the scattered depart
mental libraries, each collection accessible
only to fraction of the government clerks,
and closed to them early in the afternoon.
The vast wealth Of reading matter in the
Congressional Library was not available for
circulating use was not accessible on Sun
day or In the evening, and was thus prac-
tically out of reach Of the workngmen and
school children. Fffty-two libraries in the
District each contained not less than a
thousand volumes, and not one of them
was a free lending collection, with a read
ing room open at night for the benefit of the
general public.
Improvements Noted.
''Washington's book resources of fen
years ago have been rendered accessible
and new facilities have been acquired. The
great national reference Library of Con-
gress has been thrown open at night and
on Sunday. It Is not even now a cIrcu-
lating collection, but the Washington Public
Library has been created to supply the
lack. and to cooperate with 1t, as numer-
GUS circulating collections in London CO.
operate with the British Museum and in
Paris with the National Library. Here.
however, the relation-will be closer and
more productive Of good results. for, owing
to the peculiar status Of the national capi-
tai, the government controls the municipal
no less completely than the national IL
brary, and can sc. develop the former as to
cover perfectly the field of usefulness de-
liberately untouched by the latter
'Washington's most urgent legislative
need Of today to promote library develop-
ment is the enactment OF law which shah
render available for icircula ting use In the
public library duplicate miscellaneous vol
umes of copyrighted books, now held idle
and useless and decayipg on the shelves of
the Library of Congress. The wise and
economical development of the nations Ii
brary resources for the highest benefit of
the people of the republic will inevitably
lead, sooner or clater, to this legislative
provision. The nations reference books
have been thrown open to the people on
Sunday, as well as onaweek days, at night
as well as by day. It's books suit able for
Observation-Disclosures ties, under the copyright
laws-will not forever be denied to the pub
lic."
Librarian'e Report.
In the report Of Mr.. Flint, the librarian.
the daily circulation of books is given in
,5ato; rrl,o total p1Ir1hpr Of bool,c ;,...u,