Evening star., 1913-11-19
The Public Library's Needs.

In submitting their estimates TO tue
District Commissioners the trustees of
the Public Library makes a showing of
wide usefulness which calls for a larger
expenditure for library maintenance. They
demonstrate that the library has in
creased in size and in public value
al remarkable rate while the scale of
compensation for all classes of library
workers has remained for some years al
most stationary. They show that as a con-
sequence of this financial condition the
library force is constantly shifting. as its
members are compelled to leave for other
positions in which they can receive ade
quate salaries No more striking proof
of the insufficiency of the funds allotted
for library maintenance can be afforded
than the statement that in the fiscal year
1907 the library lost by designations o3 per
cent of its entire force, - per cent in
1905. y; per cent in 1909. 26 per cent III
lala - 1-3 per cent in 1911. 20 per cent
N 1912 and - per cent in 1913. In these
conditions il is most difficult to build up
effective library force competent to
meet the requirements of the public. and
4 is remarkable tribute to the officials
"f the library that they have been able
TO hold SO many of the capable workers
against the encouragement of annual
disappointments III the matter of appro-
priations for library upkeep.
The measure of a librarys value is the
public's utilization of its facilities In
the nine years from 1904. the first full
wear the present central building was
occupied. the book stock of the library
has Increased IA: per cent in volumes
while the home circulation has increased
l - per cent in volumes. The latest fig
ures show circulation of 6S627S vol
umes. practically two volumes a year for
each person in the District of Columbia.
This. however. is only a part of the
Hbrarys function for the education and
intellectual development of the COM
munity. 1t is most effective supple
ment of the public school system of the
District The book collection has been
used at an increasing rate for refer
ence, while the library building has been
employed almost constantly for lectures,
meetings, demonstrations and exhibits
that have contributed immeasurably to
the public's advantage. The library has
been of direct and valuable aid to all
classes. especially those engaged in in
dustriai pursuits As to- the book
circulation, itself the most gratifying
token of increasing usefulness lies in the
fact that during the years of the occu-
patton of the central building the cir
culation of fiction has decreased from 81
per cent to IS per cent, a most whole
some indication of the influence of the
library in cultivating taste and beneficial
reading.
The trustees of the library show to the
Commissioners three striking facts with
reference to the librarys maintenance as
compared with that of other Libraries of
its class-frst, that il is inadequate in the
aggregate amount of appropriation; sec
ond. in the per capita library expenditures
and third. in the percentage of total
municipal expenditure applied to library
purposes. A most striking fact in this
connection is that Washington's library
expenditure during the past fiscal year
was eight-tenths of / per cent. or just
one-half of the average library expendi-
ture of all American cities.
In view Of these facts and figures the
trustees appeal to the Commissioners for
liberal estimate and a strong recon-
mendation to Congress in support of it
has a particular force in view Of the
statement previously made that the Com
missioners design to submit to Congress
a budget framed in the interest of the
social advancement of the community
with particular reference to public edu-
cation This would seem to be the oppor-
tune time. then, for an effort to bring
Washington, in respect to its library
maintenance. up to the point of Amer
lean average and. without regard for
what other cities are doing. up to the
point demanded by its great public use
fulness.