The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-04
n EEDS BUILDING
FOR LIBRARY USE
Board Says State Must Event
ually Put Up Separate
Structure.
ANNUAL y. al. REPORT Is ISSUED
List Of Copyrights and Mono
graph on Seal Included
in Publication.
ANNUAL REPORT is ISSUED


In the not distant future 1t Will be
necessary for. Virginia to erect
separate building devoted entirely to
the use of the state Library. This
tatement is made IN the annual re-
port of the State Library Board to
the Governor. made public yesterday.
After calling attention to the use
being mac of the third floor part
of the Library Building Annex, as u
newspaper and periodical reading
room, Chairman Armistcad C.. Gordon
says that Iii the course OF few
years this room Will havo TO be used
as the only reading room OF the libra
ry. since II Will be necessary TO con-
vert the present reading room into
an additional stack room. Nor vii!
IL be-" asserts Mr.. Gordon, "a very
great number of years before the Ii
brary. II tho treasures arc to be prop
eriY displayed and rendered available.
will need additional quarters. MS At
now needs additional shelving Since
It does not seem to be feasible to
have second annex added TO the
present library building. it will ba nee
essary for the library to have new
building devoted entirely to library
uses"
Increasing Patronage.
The report states that tho number
of visitors to the library the past year
was 1890. an increase of % per cent.
over the preceding yenr: the number
of books served readers In the read
i,pr it,Nr <1f
10 per cent and the number lent for
home use was 1862, growth OF
per cent. These figures, however, fail
to give an adequate conception OF the
real use made of the library, for the
reason that the reference books are
OH open shelves, where they are con-
suited without let or: hindrance, no
record being kept, In addition. stu
dents are allowed the use of the stack
room and the manuscript room.
Though the popular use. Of tho libra
ry." says thc/report. grows yearNby
year. its use for purposes of research
also increases, The main function
OF the library Is still that which
Thomas Jefferson. Its virtual founder.
designed II to be"
The receipts from all sources during
the year were s4,916.7I and the OK
penditures s4,a26.O6. The amount re-
ccived from tile Secretary of the Com
! monwcalth for tho sale OF publica tions
was s3,s7l.62. which was s46S.33 In
excess of tho amount from the Same
| source the preceding year. However.
the collections thus made were main
| ly for sales or the Supreme Court re-
ports before the reduction of tho price
| from $3.50 10 $3.50 went into effect.
| The Library Board fears that the re-
duction Will result disadvaptaScously
to the found of the library. and hopes
that the II Xt Legislature will either
restore the former price or find some
new source OF income for the library.
Additional Fsurcs.
The number of travelling librarics Is
now 2l1--eighty- ono fcneral collcc-
lions, lo5 school collections. and five
special collections. This is an increase
of twelve over the preceding year.
| During the year 1913 books and
| pamphlets were added to the library,
considerably more thnn In any other
year since the board took charge, Most
| of these came by gift or exchange, as
| the board could sec Its way clear to
| spend the money for the purchase Of
| only 90 books.
By far the most important gift OF
| the year was that of the library OF the
late John Dunlop. containing 2.971
| books.
The cataloguing Is now about two
iHlrOS cOmpletcu.t Inc NuDllC ca W Cd tu
| loguc numbers S1.a70. Along with the
! cataloguing goes the duplication of
| the finding lists. which give informa
| ton to the people away from Rich
mond as to what the library contains.
Detailed reports Of the years work
| are made by state librarian II. II.
| Mcliwnine. lie pays n good deal of
attention to Tho subjects of Legislative
reference lists for the use of the
| States lawmakers and, to exchanges
| with other libraries. l
New Features.
III lieu of special reports from the
| department of autobiography and from
| the department of archives and history,
| similar TO those which have for the
past two years been printed as parts
of the State Library report. this year
| there is printed list of the titles Of
| books entered for copyright in the
! United States District Court OF Nlr-
ginia from 1890 to 1874. "This list"
says the report which has long been
n dcsidera tum of Virginia biblioGraph-
ers, has been furnished Tho board by
J. II. Witty, of Richmond, who copied
the titles from, the originals. long since
lost. The list is very valua bic" M
The board also publishes mono
graph upon tho seals of Virginia. writ
t ten By former Assistant State Librarian
Edward S. Evans When, Mr.. Evans
left tho service of tho library. on Au-.
gust 5. 1907. he was cngagcd In tho
preparation OF this work and has
only recently been able to bring 1t so
| nearly to completion that 1t may be
published as 81 part Of the annual re-
port, IT Is regarded ms of considern Bile
| historical interest and value.