Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-13
REPORT OF LIBRARIAN
Details of Public Library's De-
veIopment.
SERVICE MUCH IMPROVED
Mr.. Bowerman Pays Tribute to His
Staff of Assistants.
RECOMMENDS HIGHER SALARIES
Striking Comparison Of Library Work
ers' Pay With That of Other
RECOMMENDS HIGHER sALAR1E;

glasses.
Mr.. George F. Bowerman. librarian of the
District Public Library, has submit ted to
the trustees of that institution his report
covering the year ended June 30. 1t forms
a part of the one submitted to the Commits
sioners by the library trustees. The report
shows large cumulative gains over the pre-
v;ous year in all branches of library work,
paralleling the similar large gains shown in
the last annual report It's also believed
that the library has taken several strides
forward in extensive work, or improve
ments in the quality of its service. These
| results says Mr.. Bowerman, have bee ]
i possible partly because of the intelligence,
devotion and self-sacritice of an enthu-
siastic staff and in spite of the inadequacy
of it's numbers.
The progressive application Of the same
methods that made it possible last year to
report a reduction in the percentage or
fiction circulation from S3.I per cent il
|. 1:O5-0i to us per cent in 19o4-'l5 has stu!
further reduced the percentage of fiction
circulated to is per cent last year In otheI'
words, only about ine-third Of the great in
crease of the total circulation of the last
two years has been in the form Of fiction.
1.-The means taken to bring about tn $ re-
display and advertise the resources of the
library that books other than fiction VIII
he made approximately as conspicuous as
fiction. This library, although continuing
to display an abundance of new ana Stan:i
ard fiction on open shelves. has also con-
tinued the plan of placing in rotation o.
open shelves the various classes of the col
lection During the year all classes of nom
fiction works except history ana few
foreign books have at some time been avail
! able for free access during considerable
period New non-fiction accessions, regular
lyly listed in Saturday editions OF the local
newspapers, are likewise displayed on open
shelves.
THE past year showed still further in
crease in the extent and quality OF the
work of the children's department.
1T is pleasure to report the removal or
the age limit so that now any child who can
satisfactorily fill out an application blank
may become a borrower.
Schools and Settlement Stations.
Measures of cooperation on the part of
the library with the public school system
during the past year have included the es-
| tablishment of teachers reference
library, open daily. including Sundays; the
publication of a monthly bulletin, and the
constant urging of greater use of the ten
book privilege by the teachers.
I'm view of the postponement Of the es-
Establishment of branch libraries, the extern
sion of the system of library stations in So
inexpensive means of distributing books to
persons. mostly children living in crowded
districts remote from the central library
and for the most part unable to afford car
fare with which to come to it. The close
of the year five of these stations in
operation and the books ordered for a
sixth. Probably not one of these stations
ever has more than BOO library books at a
time; one station was open only about five
months and one less than two months; only
one of them has been open as much as five
and one-haf hours a week, and all have
been conducted by volunteers. In spite OF
all these drawbacks, there was total home
circulation of s,265 from these stations.
The Book Stock.
During the year 16,O31 volumes were
added to the library and 4, 745 volumes were
withdrawn as worn out. On July l the net
strength of the collection was S4.66S vol
| umes. The years accessions were 4,71O
greater than in 19O4-OJ OF these additions
| 1909 came by purchase, 2,737 by gift and
1875 by binding periodicals. The total cost
of book purchases was S13 S1S21. This was
paid from the following funds: Five thou
sand dollars from the regular appropria-
ton, $S,4S1.51 from the accumulated desk
fund and 1896 10 by the exchange of old
books and periodicals.
1.-The library received gifts during the
year the following articles: Five thousand
| four hundred and fifty bound and 505 I'M
| bound volumes, 3, 1893 pamphlets, 4,167 num-
| bers of periodicals., 3 maps, broadsdes and
| 1873 pieces of music.
| In spite of the fact that no one has yet
come forward to establish an endowment
| fund for the purchase of material about
| the District of Columbia, the library has ac-
| qured considerable additions to the collec-
| ton through gifts and purchases. Many of
| the rarer items sought by the library, how
| ever were bought by private collectors, as
the librarys regular book funds are too
| meager to be used to pay advanced prices.
If the District Public Library is to build
| Ill e yo1 &c
| itself and of the municipality, some such
special fund explicitly devoted to the pur-
| pose should be established. The plan is
| commended to the attention of the local
historical and commercial organizations.
Recommendations.
| although it is true that by the increase
| in this years appropriation the library re-
| ceives one important and ten minor assist
ants, an increase in the book fund of 50 500
and one of $1,000 in the contingent fund, yet
it is also true that its necessities are still
! very great. Appropriations have always
| been so far in arrears of needs and of
| growth in the use of the library and the
| past two years have seen such rapid strides
| in that use, that this years increase in ap-
| preparation has not made possible the open
ing of a single room additional to those al
ready in use or added one new department
| of work.
IF it could be expected that the circula-
| further increase, the added appropriation
would help toward making the chronic over
| burden of work a little less serious. But, OF
course, it is expected and hoped that the
work of the library will grow and broaden.
| The library ought at once to be enabled TO
| occupy the whole of it's central building, to
| do its full amount of work possible and to
improve the quality of that work. This can
not be accomplished by adding a few low
| priced assistants to the staff and by slight
| additions to book and other appropriations
| THE pay of the rank and file Of the IL
library staff, doing. educational work.. will
| bear a pitiable comparison with the sala-
| ries paid to the federal government en-
ployes whether subordinate clerical assist
| ants or elevator men, messengers, etc. The
| last session of Congress saw increased sala-
| ries for the school teachers, the policemen
and the firemen of the District. is it too
| much to expect that the library branch of
| the District service, solely devoted to the
enlightenment and the happiness of the
| people, shall this year have more generous
and equitable treatment at the hands of
| Congress?
| Definite Needs.
| 'The definite needs for library develop
! ment are not essentially different from thoye