Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-01
Smaller Agencies Aid.

quately supported.
Smaller Agencies Aid.
| Besides the central library and the Ia
koma branch, many smaller agencies are
helping i'm the distribution of books. These
include eight deposit stations conducted
by volunteers. thirteen playground sta
| lions, twenty-five home libraries. six pub
lie high school libraries and collections
loaned to seventy-eight public grammar
schools and four private schools. Al
| though the circulation from many of
these agencies is small. each one helps to
extend the library's usefulness. Distribu-
| ton through the public schools offers SO
effective a method of reaching many peo-
pie who cannot now use the library that
Librarian Bowerman is strongly urging
| the establishment of small school branches
| in rooms set apart for this purpose in
public school buildings in certain Sec
| tons of the city.
Total Circulation, 65O,OOO.
The total circulation of books and
magazines, including the central library,
Takoma branch and other agencies. ex-
ceeded 10000 in addition to over $4,000
mounted pictures The circulation at Ia
koma Park was more than $4,000 for the
| first full year of the branch's activity. A
comparison Of Washington with twenty
| six cities having over 100000 population
shows that 1t costs the Public Library of
| the District an average of il cents Tor
every volume circulated. Only two OF the
other cities had a lower cost per volume.
and the average cost per volume for all
these cities was 1917 cents, as compared
with II cents in Washington.
In the work of the central library there
has been a slow but steady increase In
the registration of new borrowers, the
circulation of books and magazines and
the accessions Of new books. The num-
Der Of books in the library is now about
10000, an increase Of over 10000 in the
year.
Improvement of Quality.
Every possible effort has been made
not only to increase the number of books
circulated but to improve the quality of
reading. The percentage Of fiction drawn
continues to decrease and at present is
only about So per cent of the total. More
and more interest is being shown by the
public in serious reading, either for cul-
ture or for information
The increased work Of the industrial de-
partment made 1t necessary during the
year to move this department into a large
room on the ground floor, twice the size
Of the room previously occupied. Five
years of experience has shown the great
utility of this department to students and
cheering, or Industrial pursuits. In the
larger room the department has more
book space and accommodation for more
readers, and is better equipped than
ever before for meeting the practical
needs of practical men.
Work With Children.
In the work with children the library
has had one Of the best years in it's his
chi IN
ever before and many improvements
were made in supplying their needs. A
great deal of the best work with children
must be done outside of the central IL
brary. as many children are prevented
by distance from going there for books.
The children's department, therefore. has
to depend very largely on outside
agencies. such as the school stations,
Fairgrounds and home libraries.
Much of the most important work Of the
library, which does not appear in the
statistical records of circulation. is done
in the reference department, and the past
year has seen many improvements in this
service. An important new plan was de-
vised by the librarian for the treatment
of important pamphlet material, especial
ly on political and sociological subjects,
where the latest and best material is
often not to be found in books. By a
very simple adaptation and extension of
a vertical filing system previously en-
ployed at the library it is possible to keep
| all this important material classified and
| filed at the expense of very little time
and to have 1t available at a moment s
notice.
Picture Collection.
The picture collection has again proved
| itself an important feature Of the library &
| work with schools and study clubs and for
| exhibition purposes. More than $4,000
| mounted pictures were circulated during
| the year. The collection was put to es-
pecially good use for exhibition purposes
| in connection with the lecture courses
given last winter and again this season
| by the Washington Society of the Fine
| Arts.
The lecture hall and the study rooms
| have again been put to good use for free
public lectures and for smaller meetings
| of study clubs. A combination stereopti-
con and Kaleidoscope and luminare
| screen were installed in the lecture hall.
| This equipment is placed at the disposal
| of organizations conducting lectures there
| 1t is also planned by the librarian to have
| it used in giving instruction to school
| children in the use of the library, as well
| as to illustrate travel talks and occasional
| story hours given the younger children.
Change in Binding.
| A change was made during the year
, in regard to the library's binding. For
] several years all the binding and repair
work has been done by contract in the
/ library's own bindery by an expert bind
err. Since July 1 the work has been done
by direct employment under the direction
of the librarian.
| In addition to the many multigraphed
| reading and reference lists issued on sub
jects of general interest, the library has
! issued during the year In printed form its
annual report, 1911-12 and two impOr-
| tant reference lists on the fine arts and
| on contemporary American artists. The
| first of these was prepared to accompany
| the Washington Society of the Fine Arts
lecture courses. and the second in con-
| necton with the exhibition Of cOtempo-
| rary American art held at the COrcoran
Gallery. Copies of these may be obtained
on request at the library.
Library Of Congress.
At the Library of Congress the most
notable event of the year in the augmen-
tation of the collections was the founda-
ton Of department Of Judaica through
the gift of Jacob H. Schiff Of the Deinard
| collection.
Other additions of Importance were the
library formed by DIR. Henry Darlington
\ Bolton, a unique collection in the litera-
lated topics. and the Napoleonic library
Cd hU he lot lot II re.