The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-11-20
PUBLIC LIBRARY PATRONAGE.
1T is SOMEWHAT LARGER NOW THAT PUBLIC Is USED TO
NEW LOCATION.


Whether the Mankato public library
is receiving a greater or less number of
patrons since its location was transferred
to the new Carnegie building on South
Broad street and how the change has
affected the various classes of patronage
is a question that has often been asked
but to which it appears rather difficult
at this early day to return any really
satisfactory answer. However, a careful
examination of the library records
throws some light on the immediate re-
suits of the move, though it is by no
means certain that when the ultimate
effects are known there will not be a
different tale to tell.
So far there seems to be very little
room for doubt that if the library had
been retained in the old place upstairs
at 1872 South Front street and other fac
tors were the same there would be a
larger patronage for the last four months
used touse the library great deal because
it was right in the very heart of the city's
commercial section now are rather in
clined to let the point drop at each in
stance rather than go all the way from
Front street up to Broad and back again.
This decrease, however, is just about
made up for by the great numbers of
school children and older students at
tracted by the novelty of the beautiful
new building and the comfortable rooms
in which they can sit and read. There
is one other factor, however, that must
not be left out of account. This is the
very large amount of money that has
been spent for new books since March
l last and especially since the move was
made to the present quarters. Nothing
attracts people to a library like
new books. Now even with the unusual
purchase of books the patronage at the
library does not seem to be any greater
than it would have been in the old quar-
tiers, Judging from the figures of previ-
Gus years, without the special attrac
ton of an extra large installment of new
books In other words the effect of the
move of the library by itself has so far
been to decrease the patronage, but this
factor working towards a decrease has
been almost equally counterbalanced by
the strong drawing card of new books.
As far back as the records of the num-
bers of people visiting the library and the
number of books issued have been kept
a tolerably steady and healthy increase
from year to year has been shown. For
the year beginning March /, 1895, the
total number of books issued together
with the total number of visitors at the
reading rooms, is shown by the record
to be 29,263. The corresponding totals
for the successive years up to and in
Guiding the year beginning March l, 1902,
are: 33,l4l, 37,44l, 1902, 1926, 49,
679, 1866, 44,705. The decrease for
the two years just preceding March l,
1902, was caused by a great shortage of
library funds, almost no books being
purchased and many people staying away
because they could not get anything new
to read. During the last year named
there were a great number of purchases
of new reading matter and the last of
the above series of figures shows the
result.
Let us now compare the visitors and
books issued during the last four months
with the corresponding months of last
year. The library move it will be re-
membered was made during the last few
days of June, 1908. The total number
showing visitors and books issued during
the month of July, 1908, substantially
the first month in the new quarters, is
2,702. The corresponding total for July
1902 is 1852 The total for June, 1908,
substantially the month just before the
move is 1862. A great falling off i'm
mediately after the move is clearly
shown. Furthermore the total for July,
1908, is very little larger than for the
same month of the previous year, ex-
ceeding it only by 8, when it should be
about 200 greater in proportion to the or
binary healthy increase of the library
patronage. For August, 1908, this total
is 5000; for August, 1902, $3.50. Sue
ceeding months, however, show that the
people have gradually gotten used to
the new location and come around in
greater numbers. The total for Sep
TENDER, 1908, is 1855; for September,
1902, 1886; for October, 1908,
4,069, for October, 1902, 81
S77. The figures for the last two
months named of these respective years
show the first signs of growing appre-
citation of the library whether that in
crease is due to the commodiousness and
comfort of the new quarters just coming
into actual public knowledge or is merely
the result of the acquisition of the new
books.
The total amount expended for new
books, magazines and binding since
March l, 1903, is $l,l63.75. Most OF
this money had been spent since the Ii
brary moved to the new quarters. 1t is
since this time for the most part that
the knowledge that new books had been