The Washington times., 1906-10-12
BOHERHAN WANTS
BRANCH LIBRARIES
Needs for Library Development AC-
centuated in Annual Report
to Trustees.

Iu Ms annual report Go tLa trustees
OF tra District Public Library. George
=. Bowsrman. librarian. accentuates
1le needs for library Development He
recommsads that the BILL which passed
tho Senate at TIDE last session, author
izIua ne construction Of the first Car
uegic branch bIildiHs at Takoma Park,
hs Isshed 90 uassa &c at the opening of
-He next session iu the House and
ra9t Ju appropriation for stocking the
building with books should be secured
Immediately thereafter.
-.It is true" says 3Ir. BoWermau.
-5llt. by the increase I'm this years ap-
Precipitation. The library has received
oac .upcrtant aud ten minor assistants.
an increase in the book fund of
$500. ANA one or Sl,H9 in tile courin-
gene fanG. yet it is also true that .ts
necessities SIN are very great This
years increase i1 appropriation has not
saade possible The opening o. a single
room additional to those already pa
use.
~Tb. definite needs for library de
veIopuent may be summarized as fol
lows.
II Practically only one floor of the
central library is occupied for public
use. The Chidren.s room is cTamped.
Proper development of both reference
ana circulation work is delayed by these
defects. and all must wait for increase
Of force and enlargement Of book funds.
- IL is unfortunate that necessity
stiIl further postrones the construction
Of the Carnegie branch buildings and
the development of this part of the
work. 4 bin authorizing the construc-
zion OF the first branch building at Ia
koma Park passed the Senate at the
last session and should be pushed TO
passage in the House with the opening
of the next session. With this branch
authorized. an Appropriation for stocking
IL with books should be secured
-n connection with the estimates for
the AeEc nscsI year, the librarian
points out Jhat in all but the raresJ
cases when congress has heretofore
added 10 the library salary list, It has
been ITOm tue loW-priced positions. in
gluded IN the estimates. with the result
lhaI tGe average salary paid a. the H.
br9TV force has been constantly going
down. IL has fallen from S550S in 1905
to S5ts56 in l9H-5, 60 Sai465 in 1866
and now stands at $2l962 for the en-
tire force
''lnssmuch AS the recent well deserved
increases in the teachers salaries holds
out hope for the betterment of the sal
ary conditions Ia this library" SAYS Mr..
BowCrman lit is perhaps not out of
place to make comparisons between tho
two services For the present year. the
lowest s,55 .Tv paid so the rank End file
OF The te4 hing force is $500 and the
highest salary paid TO a subordinate
tearher Is Si.050. The ordinary salary
paid 10 "a library assistant Is S36O and
the highest paid 10 OtHer than depart
meHt heads is Si2U Even some depart
ucnt heads get only $72o and. outside
of the librarian and assistant librarian
only three persons ia the library force
proper. receive more than S12e; ono Sl,500
and two $3.50 each.
.'aIea sureS of cO-opeTa ten on the part
Of he library with the public school sys-
tenn dUri1C the past wear have included
the establishment Of n teachers refer
ance lurary. open dai5e. inclu3ing sun
DAYS the publication OF monthly edU-
catfenal bulletin and the constant urg-
iEc of greater use of the textbook pTivi-
lcee by teachers.
During the wear 16,e3l volumes were
added to the library and I.I45 volumes /
We're Withdrawn as worn cut. On July |
I, the net slrength OF the collection was
81 .s5S volumes The years aCcessions /
We're 4,7ia greater tlsan In 1906. The ]
total cost of book purchases was $l3,- |
s7s.2l.