Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-01-21
BOASTFUL ABOUT LIBRARY.
Matter Which Demands the Atten'
ton of Cultured New England.

Among libraries in minor cities OF
the United States, few If any haEN
stood more strongly for individual
ideas and policies than that of Peoria.
This distinction it owes partly to the
fact that for years it has had the
dignity and stability of age. and
partly to the strong and distinct in
dividuality of its librarian. L. S. Will
cox. It's annual report is therefore
usually a document of general interest
among librarians, and this year it
fully maintains its reputation for
positive and significant statement OF
fact and opinion. The organization
Of the library goes back to 1855. being
but three years younger than the
Boston Public Library. For q years
it has been maintained as municipal
institution and receives now an annual
appropriation of $4,000 from the city.
1t has q stock of 433 volumes and
adds from 1000 to 5000 new books
annually. Its registry of borrowers
numbers S,526 persons the largest in
its history, and it reports for the year
just closed circulation Of 19l,600
volumes for home reading. AS the
population Of the city is estimated &c
resident of the city is a little more
than three volumes, or about Is to
each family. The average issue to
each registered borrower is about %.
To the library profession at large
the chief significance of these figures
just now lies in the light they may
throw on the working of the closed
stack system in a popular library. OF
the important public libraries in this
country, Peoria stands almost alone In
maintaining, not as a matter Of physi-
cal necessity, but as matter OF
principle, this system (though even
there it is modified to the extent OF
placing about one thousand and seven
hundred select books on open shelves).
AS to the effect on popular use, a COM
parlson of the figures presented above
with similar statistics from other
representative libraries would seem
to be decidedly in favor Of Peoria.
Thus, out of list of 30 city libraries
examined by the writer to determine
the per capita issue of books. but two
are found 10 have so largo a relative
issue as this. On the question Of cost
Of administration. a matter that has
been urged strongly as an argument
IN favor OF open access. tne following
tables presented by Mr.. Wilcox to-
show the number of volumes issued Of
the various libraries for each member
of the library staff would seem to
show again to the advantage Of the
Peoria system. Thus.
The Louisville Public Library cir
culates per annum for each at
tcndent Observation-Disclosures. 2,4S
TIVE Hostor Public Library ...... 434S
The Worcester Public Library 500. 1881
The Syracuse Public Library ........ 1861
The Chicago Public Library ......... S.35,
The p,7ooklyr Public Library .. II s.
The Washington Public Library 49,. II ,665
The Detroit Public LibratJr ...... 49, a9
The Los Angeles Public Library - 1878
The Peoria Public Library .......... 23.7lt
But 1t is the bearing on the morals
of the community that Mr.. Wilcox
emphasizes most strongly. The calm
ness with which librarians report
losses by theft year after year run
ming up into thousands of volumes
excites his sarcastic comment Con-
ditions which make easy such thefts,
he says. make directly for the demora-
iization Of the younger and weaker
members Of the community, persons
for whose welfare the library should
have peculiar care-New York
Evening Post