Evening star., 1912-11-17
Cripples Central Library.

The present appropriation for the Ia
koma branch makes no provision for con-
tngent fund, book purchases or binding
expenses. 1t involves a draft Of over $500
for the Takoma branch on the main IL
brary's contingent fund, and further Grip
pies the central library by compelling it's
already inadequate book appropriation
(S7,50O) and binding appropriation t$",ooOl
to be spread over the Takoma branch,
making it impossible to do justice to the
needs of either. The provision for service
at Takoma is inadequate both as TO num-
bers and as to pay. Three library assist
ants are necessary to run the branch ac-
cording to the original schedule of hours
C. to pm. daily except Saturday. when
. am. to 8 p.mo. With the stan provided
it has been practicable to open the branch
but three days week. with an extra
person or two borrowed from the main Ii
brary, and on the other days the Takoma
staff, including the janitor, works at the
main library.
When the Takoma branch was opened
we had there lin addition to the ]anltor
$500 three paid employees as follows:
Branch librarian, $500; childrens libra
rian, 5000, and assistant, $3.50 The use or
the branch has been such that not only
were the services of these three paid
people found to be necessary, but We
would have been seriously crippled had
we not also had the unpaid service
rendered by two apprentices. The liora-
rian states that two persons are not SuIIl-
cient to keep the Takoma library open
daily for these reasons: 1t IS necessary
to have two experienced (paid) persons on
duty whenever the library is open. one
! at the main desk and one in the children's s
room, and especially so In the evening,
when the attendance and demands are
greatest. To have but two paid en-
ployes and to keep the library open every
evening until O'Clock would either mean
that both employees would have to work
until . every night. or II the nprary
continues the more humane policy or not
requiring them to work more than every
other evening then there would be but
one paid person present every evening,
which would produce most unsatisfactory
results
Had we asked Mr. Carnegie for $4,000
to build a. branch and told him that we
could not open it more than three Gays q
| week would he have given us the money
Branch Library Policy.
Appropriation of less than $4,000 per
annum for the maintenance OF the Ia
koma branch involves not only q possible
| violation of our obligation to Carnegie,
| the Gripping of the branch and an un-
expected additional drain on the re-
sources of the central library. but will
also from the fact of threatening this
drain, bring to u standstill the campaigns
| for other branch libraries in Congress
| Heights, Tenleytown. Brookland and
! other progressive lfbrary-SeeklnS sections
| of the suburbs: for under present con-
| ditiors of main library maintenance 1t is
! absolutely essential that there shall be
| Increases in the support of the now in
| adequately maintained central library,
/ and if instead of liberal increase in
/ the lbrarys maintenance. its resources
are actually reduced by throwing upon it
| part of the expense OF maintaining addi-
! tional branches the main llbraryS eff
/, cheney will be crippled and every propo-
| sition of an additional branch becomes a
menace to it's welfare.
The Takoma branch library, opened dur
| ing the year, has made very creditable
| record of use of its resources and is
highly appreciated by the community.
| Noting the public benefits derived from
!, tho branch library, the citizens associa-
| tions of three suburbs-Brookland. Ten
| leytown and Congress Heishts-have dur
| ing the year presented strong pleas for
branch libraries The two latter offered
/ free sites and Congress Heights secured
! the introduction in tho Senate OF a bill
! authorizing the erection OF $4,000
| branch library building.
| View of the Trustees.
! The library trustees in response to a
request from the Commissioners for their