Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-07
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
MIR. Bowerman's PirstAnnual
Report as Librarian.
WORK WITH SCHOOLS
LARGER APPROPRIATIONS NEED
ED TO BROADEN SCOPE.
No Provision Has Yet Been Made to
Accept Mr.. Carnegie's Donation
Of Branch Buildings.


With the annual report of the trustees of
the District Public Library. recently sub
mitted to the Commissioners. was included
that of the librarian, Mr. George F. Bower
man. addressed to the library trustees. This
is Mr.. Bowerman's first report, as he took
charge of the local institution on Septem-
Der 1, 1904. His report is. in part, as fol-
lows:
Home Circulation of Books.
"In municipality so we'll equipped with
reference libraries as Washington the Pub
lie Library certainly finds it's first and most
important work to be that OF circulating
books into the homes of the people. Until
branches and delivery stations are estao-
lished in all parts Of the District, until
every school building is made practically
branch library for circulating books to
school children. and until vacation school
libraries and home Libraries are planted
widely throughout the District, the Public
Library is not likely to send out more than
one-ffth as many books as might be cir
culated through system which should In
elude all such agencies. There are frequent
demands for the establishment of some at
least of these agencies, and it is believed
that all of them. if established, would soon
be fully utilized. With a more adequate
supply of books. an increased force, and
more extended hours of opening, the circu-
lation of the central library may be still
further increased. This statement, too. is
based upon demands only partly satisfied.
The figures presented for the year. though
an advance over previous years, are there
fore only a fraction of what should be
shown as the home circulation of the Pub
lie Library of the District of Columbia.
The total home circulation from the CEN
trail library was $40 1871 volumes With the
addition of 26S4 circulated from the Neigh
borhood House and S2l from the high
schools the grand total is 353,493. A COM
parison of this total with that of last year
CTS, 1889 shows an increase of 75,3os vol
umes, or gain Of 81 per cent.
Fiction Percentage Reduced.
at is a pleasure to report that the per-
centage of fiction in the entire circulation
dropped from 1871, reported in 19O3-'o4,
to Ills Analysis of the circulation tables
and comparison with those of last year
show that of the great increase in the total
circulation, very little was in the form of
fiction. The comparison shows that the cir
culation of English prose fiction was in
10000 1872, 1928; and in 1904-'05, POI, 1873; of
Juvenile fiction in 1903-'04. 1881; and IN
19O4-'05, 40, $40. So the absolute increase
in fiction was less than $4,000 out of total
increase OF nearly $4,000. 1t also appears
from the tables that during the four months
Of January, February. March and April
when the circulation was heaviest, the f1c-
ton percentage was under 6S, and IN Janu-
ary 1t was under 81. These, of course, are
the months when the most serious reading
is done.
"Washington is not considered manu-
featuring city. hence it might be supposed
hat he J1Ya md
be small This is not found to be the case.
In common with other libraries, this library
made arrangements for purchasing all th1
books in the new American Library Asso-
citation catalogue as soon as it was issued
last October. The books in the class or
useful arts were selected for first purchase.
and at the same time all books In the cata-
logue prepared by the committee or the So
ciety for the Promotion of Engineering Ed
ucation were also purchased. All of these
books have had a very large use by me-
chanics and electricians, and especially by
many Of the employees in the United states
class has brought to the library as regular
readers and borrowers many men who
never before entered it's doors.
A Readers Assistant.
beginning in the autumn the library ex-
poets to be able to assign one member Of
its staff during the busiest hours to the
duty of assisting readers in the circulating
department. Many readers come to the Ii
brary who do not fully understand the use
of the card catalogue, but who wish to
learn IL some instruction can be given them.
Others need the help that is usually given
in the reference department, but as they
wish the books for home use they refuse to
visit the reading room. Still others want
advice or suggestions as to what to read
With the greatly increased circulation sim
ply the physical labor OF charging and dis
charging books has often been more than
could be accomplished, so that many calls
for assistance have perforce been unsatis-
fed. To meet this need this readers as
sistant will be in attendance when such
calls are most numerous.
Attention is called to the fact that 9,4S6
non-f ton cards were issued, as against 9f6
in 19o3-'O4 Heretofore non-fction cards
were restricted to teachers ana students;
they are now freely issued to any card
holder. The Textbook privilege formerly
confined to teachers is now extended to any
applicant who gives a sufficient reason for
taking out more than two books at a time
new rule permitting registration by max
ing a deposit has been adopted. In a city
like Washington, which has large tran
silent population. this has proved an
ceptable feature. This privilege has been
most often exercised by persons so new
to the city that they had not yet formed
acquaintances whom they would be willing
to ask to become guarantors. Within few
days or weeks such persons almost always
in the usual way. This, of course
Is not the case with the actors and other
birds of passage, who have been among
our borrowers during the past year.
Work With Children and Schools.
More and more the work Of the public
library Is coming to be recognized as an
integral part of the system of public edu-
cation. AS this opinion gains ground the
work of the chiIdren's department assumes
greater importance and the need for CO.
ordinating the work of school and library
becomes evident. The work of the chill
dren's department is progressing as rapid
ly as possible in small quarters and with
an INADEQUATE force A beginning only has
been made at work for schools.
'It must be frankly admitted that NEST
of the work of the library with the public
schools is In prospect: but there is every
expectation of entering into the closest CO.
operative relations with the schools as fast
as funds for necessary books and assist
ants will permit. The superintendent of
schools and the teachers are ready to well
come the cooperation. OF course, most of
the visitors to the children's room are school
children and teachers. To them much help