Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-31
BOOK READERS INCREASING
Library Report Shows $4,000 More
Volumes Taken Out This Year.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOOD PATRONS
Many New Hooks and Periodicals Are
Added Dhrine the Year, Inciud-
ing some in Foreign
Languages.

Iiiss Edith Tobitt. librarian, presented
her annual report for 1903 at the January
meeting of the library board. The report
showed a general Increase in all depart
ments such as would naturally come with
tho increased growth OF the city. All lines
Of work were discussed very fully.
AS books represent the stock OF the
public library naturally most attention was
given 70 this department. Six thousand
four hundred and twenty-four books were
added OF which one-third were duplicates.
These purchases represented a large col
lection relating to useful arts, some books
Of architecture and many books in foreign
languages as we'll as history, literature.
fine arts, "a works on all subjects con-
tanned in a popular library.
The use OF books for home circulation in
CREASED 12,O09 volumes over 1908. This is
probably due to the groWth of the city.
Borrowers are allowed two cards, one on
which may be drawn fiction or any book
and the other only books which are not
fiction, a fiction finding list was dis
tributed, free of charge, to patrons. Lists
OF books IND foreign languages and many
special lists have made known to the
public the contents Of the library. or all
the books Issued the circulation of fiction
was but GO per cent, a very low average.
Generally libraries are credited with is
suing almost all fiction. The figures prove
the fallaey of this statement.
The question Is frequently asked II It
is yet time to observe the benefit of the
great attention given to work among the
children in libraries The great increase in
the use Of books In the adult department
is recognized as a result of this careful
training of the children.
The summer vacation club for boys and
girls had a membership of seventy. AL
most oil OF the members read the required
number OF books. The story hour held
once each week has had a large attend
ance. The Morse stories were told the
first part Of the year and later the stories
of Charlemagne and his Paladine. A col
lection of books for the young people just
leaving the ehildren's, room has been gath
cred together for the Use of the boys and
girls who are not yet ready to independ-
emily select their books from the adult
department.. r
Books were issued to the public schools,
the parochfal schools, the school for the
deaf and many private schools. The cir
c~ulation Is entirely without membership
cards, the books being issued according
to a special plan adopted by each school.
The high school students have represented
the largest percentage of reference room
visitors. Outside of the required reading,
they have had assistance in the making of
class programs, the selection of plays and
dialogues and the preparation of the work
for the debates. High school students from
Benson. South Omaha and Bellevue have
also used the library in connection with
their debates. The largest photography of
the year was the one prepared on the sub
ject of French art for the Omaha Society
OF Fine Arts. This brought into use all OF
the material on the study of French art