The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-01-12
Miss Flora F. Carr, public librarian

vsR
Miss Flora F. Carr, public librarian
submitted her annual report to the
directors on Tuesday evening. II
reads as follows:
TO the Board of Directors-Gentle.
men;--- I have the honor to submit
the eighteenth annual report of the
Mankato public library for the year
ended December 81, 1911.
The total number of books circula
ted by means of all agencies was
43,774, an increase of 1880 over 1910
OF this number 1922 were adult
non-fiction; 1875 adult fiction; 7,70O
Juvenile non-fction and 6,047 juvenile
fiction. In addition to the privilege
of drawing out as many books OF
non-fiction at one time as an adult
reader may wish, he has been given
during the last few months the added
privilege of drawing out two books
of fiction at a time. A more generous
policy regarding the number OF books
taken out by reader has been max
ing Roadway in libraries all over the
country for several years. The num-
Der of libraries restricting the num-
Der of non-fiction books reader may
take at one time is now much small.
Ter than it was few years ago.
While there are many libraries yet
which limit the number of books OF
fiction taken out at one time, there
is scarcely library whose rules are
not circumvented at times. We be-
lieve that the removal of this restric.
ton Is in geenral a good thing and
the privilege appeals particularly to
those people who come to select for
various members of the family and
who find it difficult to make selec-
tons which they may be sure have
never been read before.
Increase In Borrowers.
During the year 996 new borrowers
have been registered which brings the
total registration up to 1882, although
we can not claim Give registra.
ton" of this number, as no account
has been taken of readers no longer
using the library. A new registration
was begun in October Four-hundred
and forty-nine readers have been re-
registered. The numerical file is now
kept on cards instead of in a book,
and by doing this it will probably
make re-registrations unnecessary for
many years, IS any number taken
from the file for any reason may be
Siven to new reader
Reading and Reference.
The library has been open for
reading and reference work 345 days
with an attendance of 12,943 adult
readers and 1884 juvenile readers.
The total Sunday afternoon attend
ance, was 1,137, making a total of
1897 readers. Sixty magazines are
subscribed for and four come to us
as gifts. Fifteen newspapers are
received regularly. Good use is made
of the periodicals and reference books
but no record is kept of the various
activities that come under the head
Of reference work" Material for
club work, school work and debates
is looked up in advance throughout
the year, and the students from the
various educational institutions do a
great deal of their work in the
library.
u.s.. Total Number Of Volumes.
The total number Of volumes in
the library at the beginning of the
year was IL IT'S. Nine-hundred and
thirty-siE volumes have been added
by purchase and by gift; five-hun-
dred and ninety-eight volumes have
been discarded and withdrawn, which
makes net gain of three-hundred
ard slxty-five Volumes, making the
total number of volumes in the H.
brary 1910. OF the books missing
IN the 1910 inventory forty-siX have
been recorded as lost Seventy-six
books were found missing in the 1911
inventory but already fourteen have
been recovered and others will prob
ably appear before any final records
are made. The new variorum edition
of Shakespeare's works is one of the
important additions to the adult
collection this year. The new volumes
Of Hastings Dictionary of the Bible
and Rand & McNally's Commercial
Atlas have been added to the refer
ence collection.
The Rural Extension.
In the late spring the library did
away with the fees heretofore requir-
ed OF non-residents, making the library
free to all residents of Blue Earth
county. Notices that the privileges
of the library had been extended to
all county residents were placed in
local and county papers and other.
wise advertised. The response to this
has been gratifying but we hope that
during the coming year we may in
crease the interest still more.
Deposit stations have been kept at
the same places this year as last ex-
cept in the case of Tinkcomville ::
there have been no books there since
the spring. In addition to the deposit
stations at the knitting mills, West
Mankato school, fire station, rest
room, Emmanuel hospital and Y. NJ.
z. A, there have been cases of books
left in the city hall for the use of city
officials; also in the o. G.. Olson
grocery store for the convenience O,
patrons living in Dukes addition.
Reading Lists and Exhibits.
The printed lists which the library
has issued from time to time have
been popular. This has been especially
true of the lists For a Girls Pleas
ure" and For a Boys Pleasure and
Profit" prepared by Miss van Buren,,
requests for these lists have come
from many libraries. The book lists,
The Worlds Best Books and "The
Blue List of Fiction" sent free by
the Globe-Wernicke company of Gin.
HoW's THIS.