Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-01
Library Economy and Efficiency.

ord assigns the reasons which caused the
appropriations committee to mutilate the
Commissioners estimates in relation TO
schools. police and Public Library.
In the case of the 1ast-named. important
arm of the local educational establish
ment. the bill passed by the House not
only denies altogether the much-needed
additional appropriations for the central
library but also cuts the appropriation
for the new Takoma Park branch to such
point that ii will result. it is stated. in
closing the branch at least three days
week. i'm reducing by ~ per cent the sal
airy of the branch librarian now en-
ployed in discharSing altogether the chill
dren's librarian. and in further Gripping
the branch through failure to provide
funds for the purchase of books and con-
tingent expenses
In his effort to- Justify an appropria-
ton which will stunt the further growth
of the Washington Public Library, Mr..
Bur.Ssun quotes the maintenance figures
of the public library of Baltimore to the
disadvantage of our own library. Mr..
BurIeson states that Baltimore had Tin
1870 not only a central library, out
twelve branches and two stations. where
as Washington had but the central IL
brary; that Baltimore's population is
fearIy twice that of Washington; that
he Baltimore library had 276S49 vol
umes to 1lo136 volumes at present in
the Washington library, but that the
Baltimore library spent S76.511 in 1910,
Whereas the Washington library spent
S66.5S3 in the same year.
Accepting the figures comparing Wash
inston with Baltimore. as quoted. there
are others to be considered that are
more significant. The chief purpose of
the Baltimore as of the Washington Ii
brary is to get books into the homes OF
IT'S citizens. Benefited readers are the
test of lbrarys usefulness and success
In 1910 the Baltimore institution, with its
central library and twelve branches and
two stations and with its 276,S49 volumes,
circulated into the homes of its citizens
u total of 610,4OS volumes. That is, with
a total expenditure of x76,571, it cost Bal
timore III. cents per volume to get its
books used-to carry out its fundamental
purpose. In 1910 the Washington library
circulated fn3, 301 volumes at total eX-
pendfture of $50, $50 That is here it cost
but IL cents per volume to get the books
of the Public Library into the homes of
readers. In 1910 the Washington library
had III OF volumes to 2I6, $40 in the Bal
timore library. That is. Baltimore had
more than double the investment in books
that the Washington library had, and this
inves ment yielded less than half the re-
turn, for the Baltimore books were only
used for home reading an average of
Two and twO-tenths times each per year,
whereas the home use of the Washington
books averaged five times each
The fact that Washington, with it's
single central building. had a home cir
culation of only 1.107 volumes less than
Baltimore, with its main library and
twelve branches. would appear to be sig
nificant, not as Mr.. Burleson seems 20
think of less economical administration,
but of more economical and very much
more efficient administration. This opin-
ion is substantiated by independent
opinion, very much TO the purpose A
little more than a year ago committee
On library facilities appointed by the
Educational Society of Baltimore pub
ished a report on the public library of
that city. This committee, composed of
or. Hans Froelicher professor in the
Woman's College of Baltimore and a
member of the city school board and
other teachers and citizens of Baltimore,
N its report said:
The committee finds, however, that
the library has failed TO make adequate
use OF Its opportunities to serve the peo-
PIE. Although it outranks all but four
Of the thirty-three largest cities in the
country III value of its property all but
I'VE in the number OF its branches, and
all but nine in the number of its bound
volumes, il is outranked by nineteen in
its total registration of borrowers by
twenty-eight in the percentage of its
population registered as borrowers. by
fourteen in its home circulation and by
twenty-seven in its circulation per
capita"
The large service rendered locally by
the Washington Public Library in the cir
Gulation of books through the public
schools should not be overlooked. On this
point this committee said of the Balti-
more library:
The committee calls your special at
tention to the absence of any systematic
relation between the Pratt Library and
the schools of the city of Baltimore. Pub
lie libraries in other cities have
exerted a strong influence upon school
children in regard to the choice of books
and in supplying the specific needs OF
schools.
Speaking generally of the Baltimore
library the Baltimore committee said:
s~'It has found that the Enoch
Pratt Library has failed to relate itself
properly to the public in general and &c
special parts OF the population in particu-
ar It's usefulness is disproportionately
small as comrared with it's possibilities
even with II present equipment Pro
gteSsiSe libraries elsewhere-in Pitts
barSh. Buffalo. Brooklyn, Washington
ta'' ii--iue s'cfsiStc.lj, intelligent ana .. >
tenatiC Efforts TO come into touch WITH
AL sections Of the population. from school
children and children under school age
o." ldhorers mechanics, students and In
Stuui0rs of many kinds . The
committee is strongly convinced that a re.
90 S.ti'izo OI zoe wnoie system is ae-
sfrtbic. II the Pratt Library is TO give the
greatest service To the greatest number
IL will be noted that this Baltimor,
committee specifically Classics the Wash
ington library progressive" If tn,
House subcommittee has any doubt Oh
this point. The Star suggests that i
CLEAN the opinion of the service rendered
by tie Washington library frornthe loca
board of education. school officers ans
teachers, citizens associations and ind
vidual users of the library. A WHIT OF
the part OF the. members of the sufcom
mittee to the central library and the Ia
koma branch, and even a slight first ant
study of the work done. will afford DON
vincing proof not only of its utility, blu
of its extent 2pd value as compared wsti