The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-25
LIBRARY BOARD
GETS ALEMON
Councils Special Appropria-
ton for Extra Expenses
Goes GIimmering.
INFORMATION SUPPRESSED
BOARD NOW FINDS ITSELF in FL
NANclAL STRAITS.

John D. Spencer. president OF the library
board. in his annual report TO the mayor
filed yesterday, tells how the American"
administration has handicapped the board
and made 1T impossible for the library
TO be run efficiently for at least another
year.
Here Is the way Mr.. Spencer puts it:
THE new library law increasing the tax
levy to one-third Of mill as minimum
would have provided for our needs IN
the immediate future, were it not that
we were handicapped by an Overdraft aris-
ing under the following circumstance;
Early in the year 1907 the board of d.
Eectors of the library applied to the city
council for special appropriation to as
sist in covering the necessary expenses
arising from a recent occupancy OF the
new building-fueL. engineers wages. add
ed assistance, etc.-tWO items of which
alone. $3.50 for fuel and $500 for engineers
wages, reduce by 20 the amount avail
able for the purchase of books. The sum
of 1000 was granted for immediate use
by unanimous vote of the council. Rely
ing on this addition to the regular library
fund. we apportiOned the library expenses
on that basis. only TO find at the. end
OF the year that the sum had never been,
and apparently could not be, placed to the
library account. the appropriation having
ney. The payment of the Overdraft which
must be met out of this years appropria-
ton will necessarily cripple the work OF
the library for the coming year unless
some relief is afforded
Board Kept In Ignorance.
No reason is given by any of the city
officials why the opinion OF the city at
torney was never made public. Not even
the library board was made aware of the
Fact that its resources would be 500 less
than expected and thus given a chance
TO reduce expenditures for the balance OF
the year. When the bills from the board
were presented to the auditor and finance
committee of the council they were al
lou nd fha r-a r-a MT
drawn on shat fund. At the end of the
year the board thought that 1t was square
with the world. but the city auditor when
questioned showed that there was S2.OJg
owing to cover the overdrafT.
In orders to make up this Overdraft the
board is compelled to ask the council TO
raise the tax levy this year for library
purposes from one-third to One-half mill
The resolution referred to was introduced
by Councilman w. Mont Ferry, chairman
of the library and finance committee OF
the council. The opinion of the city at
torney does not seem to be on file and
there is nothing to show that Mr.. Ferry
ever told the library board of the con-
ditiOn which confronted II.
The number of books loaned during the
year amounted to 1878. of this num-
her. fiction leads with 7610 and Juvenile
works come next with A.144. There were
only seven Italian books loaned, which is
the least number in the list
Reference Books in Demand.
On January L 1871, there were ZS,4bb
books I'm the library. and on January l,
1908 this had been increased to 81. 4S1.
The report says that the reference
books in the reading room have been used
twice as much as any previous year and
that the circulation Increased over the
previous year 23000.
In seven of the schools of the city the
library keeps fifty juvenile works which
are used extensively.
The schools selected are In the outlaying
portions.
In regard to the children's department,
the report has the following to say:
THE children's department is a very at
tractive part of the library and after
school hours is one of the busiest places
in the building. The story hour every
Saturday morning at $50. has been a new
feature in that department and very
popular one with the children. The idea
is to interest the children in the best
books by telling them stories along the
line of the reading desired. There is a
CRYING need in this department. If In no
other for funds for books to supply the
demand for this most important work with
the children During the year we have
been able TO expend on this department
from the library fund only $50 a month |
on books. an amount hardly more than
sufficient TO cover the wear and tear.
The report Is signed by Mr.. Spencer and
DR.. Charles G. Plummer, secretary of
the board