Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-29
TEN PER CENT MORE READ
DURING YEAR
LIBRARIAN LuMMIS FILES HIS
ANNUAL REPORT
Open Door Policy for Patrons Inau-
gurated and New Economies
Practiced in Indestruc-
tIbIe Binding

report OF the Los Angeles pubic library,
filed yesterday.
1t shows a gratifying growth in the
usefulness and activity of the institution,
which ranks high among the public
Libraries Of the country in number of vol
umes per capita, in circulation per cap
ita and in the economics Of this circula-
ton.
In spite of the heavy drain Of the last
two years, due to moving and hitting UP
the new quarters and other necessary
expenses the circulation has increased
37,35S over last year, with the exception
of the school department. which was last
year turned over to the public school
library, where the books are still serving
the same public equally well.
For 1908 the largest appropriation Tor
new books in the whole history Of the
library has been made-$18,000. This Will
stand for nearly 10000 new volumes. The
sum of $4,000 is also set aside for new
binding, which is more than twice the
average for the last ten years, and will
bring the library up to much better
usefulness in the standard books.
The fiction department has made gain
of more than 10 per cent in circulation
during the year, and even the branches,
which have been the worst sufferers by
the enforced economics, show hand
some gain. They have just been made
systematic department and will be fur
nished with a large number of new books,
while II per cent increase in their OPEN
ing hours will be inaugurated at once.
According to latest accessible reports,
only the city of Springfield, Mass, sur
passes Los Angeles in proportion OF
branch service to population. The COM
parative table is printed in the appendix.
Los Angeles is twice as well supplied
with branches as Minneapolis In propor-
tion to population; more than twice as
well supplied as Cincinnati, Boston and
New York; nearly three times as well
supplied as Detroit and Philadelphia;
more than four times as well supplied as
Buffalo, Newark, Chicago, Providence or
Milwaukee.
The duplicate fiction list has not only
paid for itself, but has added to the
general circulation of novels some 4OO
copies more than could otherwise have
been purchased.
The list of magazines, weeklies and
dailies has been much increased over last
year and at a large economy in cost.
Fiction Popular
The two most important reforms of the
year have been in registration and In
binding; the total economy in the two
being over $4,000.
Under the old red tape to secure a
borrowers card, 1t was necessary to be
on the current city assessment roll or TO
be guaranteed by some one who was.
In November the reform was made oper-
ative by which anyone in the city direc-
tory or anyone who Is guaranteed py
anyone in the city directory can secure
borrowers card in two minutes instead
Of two days The public promptly took
advantage of this letting down of the
bars; and the registration for November
was the largest in the history of the
library. BY the way, there are now over
80, 900 card holders registered.
In binding, a reform has been instituted
which makes an economy of over S6O00
a year. Three binders now are in daily
competition, and the books of the library
are being rebound with indestructible
bindings which will last five to ten times
as long as the ordinary commercial bind
ing hitherto used.
The immediate advantage of this to the
public is that the standard books OF the
library will not be withdrawn from cir
culation one-half so much on account Of
the need of rebinding.
Years Reforms
This was the first library in the United
States to establish a training class; and
the twentieth training class is now at
work The examinations grow more
severe each year, and are now of STAN
dard which would be considered hard In
Harvard university.
Librarian Charles r. Lummis says that
the young women of the library are ex-
pected to have the education of school
teachers; that they work more hours a
day, more days a week, more weeks a
wear than our teachers, and that they are
on the average only about half as well
paid. This year has seen the largest
advance in the pay of the library girls
ever made in the history of the library
though this library still ranks only sew
enteenth among the leading public librar-
les of the country in proportion OF its
payroll to its total income. AT the same
time the seventeen departments of the
library have been given fuller organizaT
tion.
According to statistics secured by the
librarian this fall from the leading public
libraries of the country the Los Angeles
library ranks seventh or eighth in aver
age circulation; about sixth in this year $
appropriation for books. 1t is exceeded
now only by New York, Boston, Cleve-
land, st. Louis and .Cincinnati-and sec
ond in circulation per volume.
First Training Class
The autograph collection on uniform
stationery for binding-a unique collection
by this library--is progressing. Aslarge
signed sketches on this paper, and a
great many authors, statesmen, church,
men and other distinguished people have
contributed autograph pages signed.
1t may surprise a good many people
to learn that there are twenty-five librar-
les In the city of Los Angeles, outside the
public library, and with total of nearly
9S, 900 volumes; not to mention sixty libra
ries in Southern California, outside of
Los Angeles, with more than 100000 vol
umes. A handsome proportion of these
outside libraries are manned" by grad
yates of the Los Angeles public library.
The library is visited by more than 5000
people per day. Men are In the majority
In the reading room use. but women do
the larger part of the card holding, which
chiefly refers to fiction.
The report reiterates the need of a
public library building, such as Is owned
by every other city OF this size in Amer
lea.
Thirty-fifth Birthday
The library passed its thirty-fifth birth
day ON December z, 1907 For more than
one-third ofAa century it has received
from a large number of the best citizens
unselfish devotion of time and money,
and has given to whole community the
best 1t could and in proportion which
NAV be fairly compared with any other