Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-01
ABOUT LIBRARY BOOKS.
The Report Presented to the Board
 by Miss Sperry, Librarian.

nhe following report of the hbrar- ian, Miss Sperry, was read and V ap-l proved at the meeting of the board of agents Saturday:
 There are now 62,O75 volumes in the library, 1,561 having been worn out during the year and 3,35S added. Among the additions were 1,7S8 chil- dren's books, LILO of these being dis tributed among the deposit libraries in the schools.
 Reference books included Oriental Rugs, by Mumford; French Furniture in the 18th Century, by Lady Dilke: ,Solon's History of Old French Fai- ence; Lydekkers New Natural His tory, 6 volumes; Roses Modern Ma chine-Shop Practice; Roe's Ancient Golfers and Cupboards; Strong's Con- cordance of the Bible; Luff's Postage Stamps of the United States; Doug lass Fra Angelica; Williams's Mad anne de Pompadour, and the Encyclo- pedia Americana, IT volumes. To the important collection of local s history and genealogy, 27 volumes were added, making the total in that 4 department about 2,027. The musical collection was strengthened by the 4 purchase of some of the best works on musical technique, and by the addi- tion of a few volumes of songs and Instrumental works by modern compos- E CTS. Tn the department of useful arts, 173 volumes including bound maga- zines were acquired.
 Fiction and theS more popular books were sunplied, to some extent, by the Bodley Club service of the Booklovers library, S.91S volumes being circulated on a basis of 250.
 # / Reference was made in the report to the large number of people of for eign birth in the city and it was sug gested that some provision should be made at the library for them. A few French and German books were bought during the year, and a begin ming was also made in Italian litera- Iture.
 # The circulation of books during the 8year numbered 97.097 volumes, of yyhich somewhat more than one-third were children's books. 4,122 books were issued from the school deposit libraries, making the total circulation 701, ,219. record never before reached in the history of the library.
 Beginning in August, 1903, the tbi- ennial renewal of the readers cards was begun, and by the end of the year 6,0S0 persons had registered.
 The librarian called attention to the faet that & circulation of over 97,000 volumes is based upon constituency of 5.080 in a population 60O00 people, and that 2.143 of these readers are children under sixteen years of age. Doubtless these figures do not accur- ately represent the amount of reading done. as books taken home by one member of a family are often read by &T. 4o 3r1e, @1an4 %l1f brary does not reach the people as it ought. and that deposit and distribut- np stations are needed for the exten- Bion of it's influence.
 By reason of gift from the city, of bne thousand dollars. more than usual vas done this year for the school chill kiren. 1,798 Juvenile books were pur- ehased at a cost of $1, 100, and 1,110 volumes were distributed through six grades of the Barnard, Washington md Walsh schools. Tn selecting the books, the number and average age of hk pupils in each grade were taken Into account, the proportion of boys to kirls, and the number of children of foreign birth.- An examination was llso made of the course of study. The Hesira bility of varying the contents of
 he libraries so that exchanges could
 made from one building to another
 roduced an additional element of
 lnplexity, so that much time ana
 ought were required for carrying out
 e project.
 As for the results-the pupils are
 ported enthusiastic and the teachers
 Equally so. The latter say that chill
 ren who read great deal have facil- ty in expressing themselves, and make the best recitatfons. Many par
 nts who have not allowed their chill lren to take books from the public li- prary, now accept the recommendation