Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-05


People,
Reading and Reference Room.
The hopes for the continued usefulness
of the reading ROOM which were expressed
In the report for last year, have been at
tanned to a good degree. The attendance
has been large, and on the study s,dc OF
the room a great deal of serious work has
been done which cannot be shown In any
table. Notifications have been made of con-
siderable consequence, and in some Ce-
partments students have come with regu-
larity to carry on work for which this room
furnished more complete ia ciiities than they
could easily obtain elsewhere in the Dis
trict. Such serious work should be de-
veloped and encouraged, even before the
special study rooms opened; for 1t
seems probable that here can be provided
opportunities for study and research that
cannot be had otherwise in Washington.
The largest number of visitors on any one
day was 2S5 on the 10th of April, and the
smallest Go on the 14th of October. The
total number of visitors accounted for was
43, T99.
Thus, there was an average monthly at
tendance of 1879. and daily attendance
of 1S5 (The reading room was closed to
the public for two months, while being dec
orated)
there were called for from the stacks and
used in the room during the year 1850, a
monthly use of 49,. and daily use of Is.
The school use of the reading room has
been encouraging, Notwithstanding its
enforced closing at time when 1t would
have been most useful. This patronage
must continually grow greater, for stu
dents in the colleges as well as pupils in
the high and grammar schools Will ind
increasingly that here is their best study
room. The teachers themselves should
know the resources of the library and its
power to satisfy their reasonable de-
nIands; they should feel at liberty to sug-
gest for purchase books which may be of
real utility in their work, and which, on
account of cost or variety the school Ii
braries cannot be expected to provide.
That so large and varied an assortment
of reference works is here easily access
sble and that the collection is so COM
plete in the departments covered by 1t
and fresh in the material provided has
been frequently remarked and apprecl-
atively commented upon by readers. 1t Is
hoped that this reputation, thus early ac-
Quired. may be retained, as the collection
of reference books is made of increasing
value to students and inquirers.
Special Gifts to the Library.
The largest gift to the library during
the year was a special trust fund of
81 900, a permanent endowment from the
Womans Archaeological Society of this
city. The gift is in the form of bonds
drawing 8 per cent interest, and the do
nors request that the income from this
fund be used for the purchase of books
and periodicals upon anthropology.- The
directors of the society have also trans
ferred all the. books in their library to
the public library. The only other money
donation was 500 interest on the Henry
Pastor memorial fund from Mr.. James T.
Dubois.
The Choral Society of Washington has
deposited it's whole collection OF music
for reference and use by musicians who
may desire to take them. The United
States patent Office transferred 25S books
under the late act of Congress, and the
Department of Commerce and Labor sent
Il volumes under the same act. The
Chemical Society of Washington has do
mated Al books from it's collection Per-
sons giving 80 volumes or more are Mrs
Fila Longfellow, &c: Mr.. George B. Nc
Clellan, so; Mrs. w. Z. Waters 100; U. S.
superintendent of documents, 81; Mrs
John T. Armes, "a; W. C. Dodge, 113; Jane
j. Willetts, 1o1; j. D. Morgan, so; Henry
j. Gensler, 204; Evening Star Newspaper
Company, 213. The number of donors of
miscellaneous books is 131; number of
volumes given, $50; pamphlets, 1,944,
and periodicals, 2,o91.
Library Stations.
No provision having been made by law
for the establishment of branch libraries,
the duty of making the central library as
complete as possible, before taking up other
work. has made it impracticable to do much
more than look over tue field and see what
is needed. 1t was thought feasible In De-
cember, 1908. to make an experiment in
establishing a station for the circulation
of books in connection with the Neighbour
hood House. No. 456 N street southwest.
The difficulty in doing this work arises
from the fact that the force in the main
library is barely sufficient to do its own
work, hence persons cannot be assigned for
such duty. In the case of the Neighbour
hood House Mrs. Bertha B. Shaw, a trained
librarian, offered to give her services GER
tain hours each week, and 1t was decided to
make a trial. Some 800 books from the
library were sent down from time to time
and exchanges made weekly. The house has
NJ &c
in connection with the books of the Public
Library and the methods in use in the IL
brary were adopted as to all new books,
cataloguing. shelf listing and the issue of
the books, as we'll as the arrangement for
granting readers cards through applica-
ton at the house. OF course, the circula-
ton of books has been limited. but the re-
port from those interested in the work
shows that the results have been benef fetal
to the whole section around the Neighbor
hood House. The room has been kept open
for circulating books each Saturday from
2 to 5 pm. for the children. and from 1:3O
to pm. for adults on Monday.
The managers of the house state that in
October they Will have persons qualified to
manage the details as Is done in the library
and if these assistants are furnished it
will not be difficult to continue the work.
Preliminary plans have been made by
which the fire stations of the District fire.
department shall be supplied with travel
ing Libraries. for which they have asked
the library, and which have been most sue
cessfully conducted by other public libra
ries as a part of their branch system. 1t is
hoped that each of the twenty-six stations
in the District Will be furnished with a set
of such books as they desire, which can be
circulated from station to station through
out the year. The interest displayed by
Chief William T. Belt in the formation of
such system and the praise with which it
has been received elsewhere are encourage
ment to the adoption here of a larger
branch library system which shall include
firehouses and police stations, missions and
hospitals. ~
Requests have been received from all the
high schools of the city for the purchase of
special collections of books to be deposited
in the schools as may be required. The
collections desired include several copies of
works needed in connection with the
courses of studies pursued, and are COM
posed largely of history. Suggestions have
also been made as to the need in the man.
ual training schools for and in the same
manner. All these supplies of books can
be furnished without great expense to the
library.
Additions to the Library.
Among the additions to the library has
been the securing from Mr.. James T. Hood
his special collection of maps of the Dis
trict of Columbia and the site of Washing
ton from the establishment of the capital
here to the present time. They number
1876 in all, many of them quite rare. Among
the list is q map formerly belonging to