The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-11
CITY NEWS.
THE LIBRARY
AND EXPENSES
FIGURES SHOWING EXCEPTION
AL SERVICE By LIBRARY.
Expense for This Is Low Comparative
ly-Figures of Other Large Libra
ries Placed Beside Those of Minne-
lis-Salary List Is Low Instead Of
High

Minneapolis library patrons and
taxpayers are interested in the ques-
ton that has been raised and ag1tated
by the library board frequently of late
in connection with library salaries. 1t
has been frequently stated that the eff
was inspired by the opinion held that
administration expenses and particu-
larly salaries were unduly large.
A comparative study of some of the
principal libraries of the country does
not afford much support for that idea,
for among those ranking high in eff
ficiency and in successful administra-
ton almost without exception salary
lists show a large percentage of expen-
ditures, while other administrative eX-
penses are equal or more in proper
ton than the Minneapolis library. The
work of the Milwaukee library, per-
haps, approximates more nearly in
other.
The figures in Minneapolis on the
points under consideration are: Total
expenditure, s63,316.03; salaries, $685.
460.76; books, $13,609.37; with a Ii
brary of 136,359 books to handle and
a circulation of 522,079. Milwaukee
from an expenditure, shown in it's last
report, of only $51,419.O2, spent on
salaries $S2,224.57; books $10,Ss3.51.
The circulation was 512,035 and 1884,
4OS volumes. This library had a spe-
cial additional fund for the purchase
of books. worcester, Mass; with an N
| income of s53,551.60 spent $22,410.69
for salaries and $1O,16S.69 for books;
practically the same number Of books
were cared for, 137,2S7, but the c;rcu-
| lation, 218,S67, was only about half as
much. Buffalo to care for it's 191, ITO
volumes and circulation of 1904 ,424
expended sSS,477.5S of which $44,935
| co &1Q 727 ~
books.
Detroit has circulation but slightly
in excess of Minneapolis, 534,933, al
tho owning 179,47O books. It's small
er income of $45,547 yielded $27,996
for salaries and but s6,S72.54 for
| books.
Los Angeles Figures.
Los Angeles figures furnish consid-
cradle food for thought. Its library
is comparatively small, S1,3O5 vol
umes, but by the expenditure Of $15,-
006 for books, which would give a
very large supply of fresh books, the
circulation reached 576,141,. far out OF
proportion to the size of the library
Its salary list of $18,019.29 was nearly
43 per cent of it's expenditures of $42,.
110.36. Cleveland with a circulation
of but 882,574 spent $57,6O5 in sala.
ries, more than double the Minneapo
lis figures, and $14, 277 on. books, no
SO per cent more. The Cleveland Ii
brary has 1S5,O01 volumes and dis
bursed s172,o6o.2o. $4,000 Of tn
disbursements are for certain fixet
charges.
The Chicago library has suffered
from municipal financing, and it's ex
penditures of $14,352 for. books is gu
:. of1a1l proportion for its disbursement
of $231,62S, OF which $135,7o7 wa
paid for salaries to keep up a Ibrar.
of 279,6S6 volumes with a circulation
of 2,230,580.
The Brooklyn salary list Of $81, 200,
II is just a little less than half of it
= income and it expended about one
fourth for books. This library has n
: central buildir g, all the work bein
! done thru branches and stations; tn
E circulation is 1,306,655.
A Model Library.
In Boston the salary list of $3.50
e 011.62 swallows up considerably owe
|, so per cent of the total income an
e this is a model library. New book
e cost $34,852.31 much smaller pro
e portion than in the Minneapolis Ii
: brary and thee REGULATION of 1,489,03
f is relatively small for the S35,904 vol
: umes.
). The correct basis for judging the eS
+. penses Of library administration is tn
7. work it does for the public. This i
= public libraries is generally show
/, with a fair degree of accuracy by tn
!; circulation reports. OF the librarie
ranking with it in the country Mime
apolis is scarcely surpassed in it's hig
circulation percentage by any, and it
e salary percentage is as low as any, fe'
q equalling it in that respect. All this
\. emphasized by the fact that owing t
the large collection Of valuable ather
" aeum books that do not circulate,
il large amount of work done at the L
3 brary cannot be represented in figure
:, for there is no way of placing a clos
n estimate on the use of the books b
= those having access to the shelves an
n this is large number. In this respec
n the library is in the front rank,
t DR.. Hosmers opinion this work bein
d of equal volume with the circulation
10