Evening journal., 1912-04-17
rrnnAnu
LIDKHkI
WORK OF YEAR
53O6 Volumes Added, Bring
Ing Total Up to
1852
INCREASE OF 9O2l
CIRCULATION REPORTED

At the monthly meeting of the
Board of Managers OF the Institute
Free Library last night the librarian
presented the eighteenth annual re-
port of the library for the year end
ing February 20. 1912. The report in
part follows:
In examining closely the statis-
tics for the fiscal year one IS impress
ed with the fact that they show a
quiet, but steady, increase "a the use
fulness of the library. The increase
IN circulation. while greater than the
year before, is not phenomenal. The
records of the Juvenile Department
indicate practically that The same
amount of work was done as during
the preceding year. In fact, owing 10
its cramped quarters little more tnan
the present record can evar be OBJ
tained. While no statistics are kept
of the numbers using the Reference
Department, yet We know from daily
observation that the number has In
creased In fact. nearly all the sta
tistics show increased activities.
While the increase is not great. wo
feel. nevertheless, that the library Is
much more efficient educational insti-
tuition than It was year ago. The va
rious departments are better known
than they were then. They are not
only better known, but they are more
efficient The library stan has never
been so well fitted to cope with the
difficulties OF library work as IL is at
the present time. The resources OF
the library both for recreation and
for serious study are greater than
A,f fa f.1u of n
library committee to make this
good working library library
which can TO a large degree meet
the needs of all the citizens in the
city has been the am OF the library
committee Il has never been plan
ned to make it complete along any
one line.
Contents and Accessions.
During the year there we're added
to the library, including pub
lie documents, not accessioned,
b.3O6 volumes. Doducting 2,-
726 withdrawn, a. net increase of D.
$50 volumes, makes total number of
volumes in the library 1862. In the
children's department 1914 volumes
were adder and SOC Withdrawn, while
in fiction 1866 volumes we're added
and 1913 withdrawn.
"The number of borrowers regis
tered during the year was = $751; The
total registration OF 1000 includes
1875 public school pupils. DIG teach
ers and 1901 out-of-toYn borrowers
"The net registration Of 1000
shows an increase Of 315 during the
year. the largest that the library has
ever had
"The total circulation for the year
was 261 Ala. an increase of 3,O2l ovvs
that the previous year The in-
crease is about what ought 10 he eV-
pected when we consider that the IL
brary has opened no branches, or es-
lablished no deposit stations during
the year. The circulation from the
central library is as large as the cir
culation Of libraries of other cities OF
the same size II is very nearly as
large as the circulation Of some CEN
trail libraries Of much larger cities
AS long ns practically the entire in
g come Of the libarary is required for
the support Of the central library Il
1 will he idle to look for any large in
crease in the circulation.
The books circulated show in
creases in practically all classes
Since aumer of stores throughout
the city have established small cir.
culating libraries, charging &c a day
for the use of books, Il seems rea-
sonable to suppose that these circu.
.iatine libraries decrease the circula.
tion Of fiction at the central library
particularly in the duplicate pay col
lection
ChiIdren's Room.
For the first time a determined ef
fort has been made TO keep an aocu
rate record Of the attendance in TN
Childrens Room. The record show
yearly attendance OF 4647S chill
dren, an average OF 149 day Thu
figures given are probably consider
ably under the actual number o
children who came TO the room II
no part of the library Is the need
new building felt more keenly thar
In the Juvenile Department With IA
children coming to the library prac
tically between the hours Of threl
and five md seven and eight. l. car
readily he s. en- that the room at man.
times is decidedly crowded Their
are seats foi &c children and az time
moro than 60 are in tho room "a on
time This overcrowding of tn
room. together with the fact that WI
10 give the proper service makes
impossible 10 give the children tn
proper supervision and aid in select
ing books. or in answering referenc
questions.
"Tbe only innovation in the chill
drens room was the establishment o
q duplicate pay collection for the us
Of those mothers who earnestly desir
cd TO borrow only clean books from
the library. II was decided. with th'
approval of the Superintendent o
Schools that the books i'm the Mar,
williams Memorial Collection
could be used for this purpose. Abou
25 Of the best Of these books have
been made available for this purposl
and there has been some slight de
mand for them. The demand. how
ever has not been sufficient to war
rant the expenditure of any monel
for such a collection.
Foreign Books.
For the first time a record wa
kept OF the number Of foreign book
used during the year. The numbe
was 2,95S. The languages includel
French, German, Italian and Polish
In January of the present year som
Hungarian books were bought and
- Is planed before long TO add book
Mn Yiddish
The Polish and Italian books seer
10 be very popular.
Rockford Granch.
The total circulation for the Yea
was ll.21S volumes, an increase I
2.S03 volumes over the nrecedin
wear Thic fc fho 1,~-.-4 -t..--, =.