Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-19
GIANT STRIDES MADE
President Noyes' Report on
the Public Library.
INCREASE IN CIRCULATION
Twenty.three Per Cent Larger Than
the Previous Year.
LARGER, BETTER PAID FORCE
Need Pointed Out as Most Urgent
and Vital to Maintain Eff
fective Activity.
LARGER. BETTER PAID FORCE

Rapid progress is being made toward
! that ideal condition when the Library
of Congress and the Public Library shall
| perfectly supplement each other. the one
as the great national reference collec-
tion and the other the National
/ Capitals great circulating library.
The last Congress, like it's predeces-
sors, failed either to pass or to refuse
+. to pass the Takoma Park branch library
bill. The library trustees renew their
petition to Congress either to enact or
to kill promptly and surely this proposed
and mertorious legislation.
} Among the varied needs of the library,
, that of a larger and better paid force
! is most urgent and is indeed vital
, AS showing the giant strides forward
being made by the DISTRICTS fuDiic
Library. and the needs to increase further
it's usefulness and efficiency, these are
the significant statements made in the
! annual report of it's board of trustees.
/ written by President Theodore w. Moves
which was submitted to the Commission
ers today.
In spite of the drawback of library
! force inadequate in numbers snC so I'M
derpad as to be weakened again ana
again by the loss to better-paying libra
ries of experienced and competent en-
ployes,' the report states, the Pubic
Library has, during the year. notably IN
creased in public usefulness, both In re-
Iation to home circulation and to that
among readers at the library itself.
Effective Activity Increased.
The effective activity Of the library,
as measured by home circulation. in
creased % per cent over the previous
year.
The library has grown to nearly no.
900 volumes, the home circulation tor
books alone) to nearly $4,000, and the
adult attendance in the reading rooms to
nearly 100000. The percentage Of fiction
circulation has decreased in the last nVe
years from 81 per cent to 6s per cent IN
dicating a marked improvement In the
quality of the reading.
I'm the field occupied exclusively by
the Public Library, without competition
by the great national reference coliectlon
&. of the Library of Congress, especially
q notable advances have been made, as.
F. for example in the popular circulation of
= books and in the Open-Shelf, school ana
chidrens work.
"At the last session of Congress impor-
tant legislation, secured largely through
the labOrs of Mr.. Herbert Putnam. IL
brarian Of Congress and trustee Of the
Public Library, was enacted which has
facilitated the transfer to the Public LII
brary from the Library of Congress OF
circulating books both copyrighted and
uncopyrighted. This legislation Is sup
i. Elemental to that of 1904, under which
. many books have already been removed
to the Public Library.
= Rapid progress Is being made toward
:. that ideal condition when the Library OF
: Congress and the Public Library shall per-
= fectiy supplement- each other. the one as
the great national reference collection
" and the other as the National Capitals
: great circulating library.
Valuable accesSiOnS of books VIII
surely follow this legislation, increasing
g. the literary wealth of the library and
-, 10 mt
inadequate force and emphasizing the
need of its enlargement
Branch Libraries.
The last Congress, like its predecessors
failed either to pass or to refuse to pass
the Takoma Park branch library bill. The
Senate passed the bill; and very late in
; the session the House District committee
. reported it favorably. But the House
failed to act, and the measure died with
the adjournment. Since there has been no
direct and definite refusal by either House
or Senate, or by the District committee
or either House to approve this measure,
it becomes the duty Of the library trus-
tees. the Commissioners and the people
of Takoma Park to renew their Sisyphus
task of rolling this legislative stone up
hill, only. If the precedents control, to
see it roll down again. just before the
goal of enactment has been reached. The
library trustees renew their petition to
Congress either to enact or to kill prompt
~ and Surely this proposed and meritori-
--ous legislation. Mr. Carnegie's public
spirited branch, library offer should be
either accepted or rejected without further
, delay.
'I'he superintendent of public build-
ings and grounds has improved Mount
Vernon Square by inclosing the
the work will be continued by putting
III walks on all sides of the building
and it is hoped that through an aD-
preparation in the near future the de-
velopment of the library's park en-
vfrOnment as planned at the time of
the erection of the library building, will
be perfected
Since the date of this report tsep-
tember 3o) the superintendent Of
buildings and grounds has had the
cross walks, SO long needed, laid on all
sides of the building. These add great
y to the convenience of the users Of
had bubble drinking fountain in
stalled in the southeast corner Of
Mount Vernon Square.
Larger and Better Paid Force.
Among the varied needs Of the
library, that of a larger and better
paid force Is most urgent and is indeed
vital. The notable increases from year
to year in the number of boohs in the
library. in the number of readers at
home and within the walls of the IL
brary, and in all branches of the Ii
brary's useful activity. make steadily
charging demands upon the library
service. which have been met either by
no increases in the library force or by
additions which are comparatively in
significant For example. the work
Of the library, measured by home
circulation for this fiscal year In
creased by 90 per cent over the previous
year and only two additional employees
were provided. This inadequate force
Is also weakened by frequent changes
Of personnel. due largely to the in
Sufficient compensation paid. OF the
N l3V6-7 81 per cent in 1007-s and
binary growth OF the library in re-
Sources, in activity and in usefulness,
OF which we are naturally proud. in
wolves not only high credit, but an
Increasingly heavy burden, and the
small and almost stationary library
force grows constantly less able to
handle properly the expanding library
business
The trustees confirm the librarian 5
statement of the comparative over
whelming Importance OF the request
Tor this strengthening of the libra ry
force, and also to approve and reiter-
ate his contention that owing to the
newness of the library and the condi-
tions surrounding its extraordinarily
rapid growth. the usual standard OF es-
tirnat'ng just increase OF its appro-