Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-07-10
EXCELLENT CONDITION OF CITY LIBRARY.
By Edith Rablin, Librarian.

To the Board of directors of the It. B..
Scott Free Library.
GENTLEMEN: Herewith is sub
United the annual report of the L. B.
Scott Free Library for the year end
ing June 30. 1903.
The past year has been very salts
factory one in many respects. espe-
cially in the interest shown by the
citizens in their use of the library as
source of information, and notice
able change, for the better, in the
class.of literature read by the students
of our schools.
Selection Of Books.
In supplying periodicals for the
reading tables and the purchase of
new books, we have made the effort
to meet the needs of all classes OF
citizens. In the selection of current
fiction we have aimed to place "the
best" on our shelves but the in
crease in the demand for the new
fiction calls for a larger supply than
we have been able to purchase here
to-fore and it would seem that some
thing must be done to meet the
demand.
General reading lists of Zone
hundred good books" and "lives of in
teresting people" have been issued TO
aid our patrons in the selection OF
books.
Work With Schools.
One of the great problems in library
work is to interest the child in the
library. The best results, in this
branch of the work, are gained
through the support and cooperation
of the schools. That we have succeeded,
in a measure, in creating an interest
among the children and older
students is shown by the increase in
reference work and the circulation OF
the books in the children's room.
Nearly every boy and girl from the
second grade to the high school, holds
library card and makes good use OF
it.
Much credit is due the superinten-
dent Of our schools and the teachers
for the interest taken in the work
and circulation of the books.
The east and west sides eight
grades have been taught the position
of the books on the shelves, and to
use the card catalogue. A contest was
given in which they were requested
to furnish author, title and call num-
Der taken from the catalogue card.
With but one or two exceptions the
work was very we'll done. Some Of
the pupils of the lower grades have
also had some help along in this
line.
Pictures have been mounted and
loaned to the teachers to illustrate
lessons in history and geography.
Reading lists on current topics have
been posted in the library, by some
of the teachers, to create an interest
in periodicals and the habit of COM
ing to the library to read. The
printed catalogue cards ordered, from
the Carnegie library of Pittsburg, for
the childrens room and the one
hundred dollars (Sl00) worth Of dupli-
cate looks TO be purchased in August
will help very materially in the work
done in the children's department..
Order, cleanliness and care of the
books is the rule. We find, as rule,
that the children are more careful of
the books than most of the adult
patrons.
Statistics
Total number of books in the
library July lst 1902, 5059.
Number of books added by pur
chase, 293.
Number of books added from other
sources, Is.
Number of bound magazines, 49.
Number of books with drawn, lis.
Total number of books in the Ii
lrary July, l, 1903, 529S.
Number of volumes purchased tt
date, 5S4S.
Circulation by classes e. q Total.