The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-08

proportional to the amount expended
for books.
The report shows that the total ex-
penditures Of the year were $63,316.03,
of which salaries were $26, 460.76, or
Al per cent; $13,609.37 was expended
for books and periodicals, the Ath-
eneaum fund furnishing $6,674 of this
amount. The. percentage for books
was q. Taking libraries in which
conditions are similar to those in Min
neapolis, DR.. Hosmer pointed out that
the expenses Of administration were
really low here. He pronounced a
large expense for administration in
evitable, but thought this could be re-
duced in Minneapolis under a differ
ent organization.
The circulation for the year was
522,O79. a slight falling off, due chief
ly to changes in the branches and sta
lions. The reference use of the library,
which is it's most valuable function,
is SO per cent Of the whole, and does
not appear at all in the circulation
records. -
The public was reminded that the
library is in reality a great co-opera-
tive scheme for furnishing people
books. This is being done SO we'll
that a private library Is not a neces-
sity in Minneapolis, only a luxury or
convenience. The library has or is
Wiling 10 procure dny useful DOOh III
| the English language, meeting its
| patrons more than half way in it's dis
position to satisfy their reasonable
desires. --a
Librarians Farewell Report.
have the honor to submit herewith the
report Of the librarian for the fiscal year
ending Dec. 81, 19O3 the fourteenth an
nual report since the library was opened.
We have a balance to our credit OF
| $40, 5O3.41.
! Our total expenditures, including $6,674
applied by the Athenaeum to the pur-
| chase Of books and periodicals, amounts
| to $63,316.03 Out Of this sum $26, 460 7.
was paid to employees, or Al per cent with
a fraction, while $13, 609.37 was spent fo
books and periodicals, or 81 per cent. A
last year. SO this year, the salary accoun
compares favoraby with the salary &C
counts Of institutions generally Of thu
same grade with ours According to the
latest reports, the annual expenditures fo
salaries as compared with the total ex
penditures IS at
Worcester, Mass, Al per cent with
fraction.
Toronto Al per cent with fraction.
Buffalo, N. Y, so per cent.
San Francisco, SIS per cent.
Springfield, Mass, Sc per cent.
Milwaukee. 60 per cent.
bet. oft, 81 per cent
In the libraries mentioned the. condi
tiOns approximate to our own and a com
parison is fair. 1t is inevitable that, il
q library the expenditure for administra
ton should be large. I believe that il
our case, had the organization been diff
ferent, the expenditure for salaries nigh
have been smaller.
Use of the Library.
Our circulation for the year, as re
ported by Miss Josephine Cloud and b,
the managers Of branches and stations
amounts to 522,079, the slight diminutiol
from the circulation of last year beinl
easily account for by the unfortunate oc
currences at our East Side branch G an
. at our principal stations, d and F. Il
January DR.. Victor Nilsson resigned hi
position as head of branch G. In Septem
Der it was found necessary to discontinue
it is to be hoped temporarily, station Z
at Washington and Hennepin avenues, TO
want Of a suitable place. Early In tn
year occurred the death of George Saun
. ders, manager Of station F, an intereste
and efficient helper whom we shall lon
miss. Our new station M, established i
, September on trial at Marshall street an
Twenty-second avenue NE, as yet doe
not make up for what we have lost. Be
sides our branches. and stations we hay
distributed books thru thirty-five schools
The large use of our noncirculating ma
!, terial, by far the most important part
! our collections, to be consulted only /
our reading and reference rooms, ha
b continued, fully SO per cent Of the servic
rendered by the library to the public be
. ing Of this kind.
, A Great Cooperative Scheme.
e I feel like emphasizing what I hav
: once before said:
The public library should be regarde
! as a great cooperative scheme for SUP
, plying the community with Literature
, Books and magazines are scarcely les
, necessary than bread. We furnish thel
so fully that in Minneapolis the privat
|. citizen hardly needs to buy them.
Y his home be roomy and permanent h
may have his private library; but it
4 a luxury, not necessity. We can prc
, vide for legitimate wants, tho not for fad
Every good book in the English languas
) of general interest the public library pos
sesses. or has been willing to buy if Pre-
: curable SO, too, every important period
ical. 1t has been ready to, duplicate large
r ly If the demand for a book were grea
, besides books of general interest in Ems
= lish, the library has been ready to bu
! largely foreign books and books of tecf
2 nical character. This mass of literatul
is held at the citizens call. The pro