The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-14
MILAN REPORTS
ON LIBRARY WORK
Number of Borrowers Have
Increased as Have Sum
day Readers

At the regular meeting of the Birmng-
ham library board in the central library
at the city hall yesterday afternoon the
following report was submitted by Carl
II. Milan. director:
Total number of volumes November 80.
29,lS9; volumes added in December, Si7
total volumes in library December 81,
29,536; volumes cataloged in Decembei
SS6: books circulated in December. adult
772S, juvenile 2659. total l0,ss2; new regis
trations, 2ss; total registration December
81, 1880; receipts from fines, SlvO.4S; re-
ceipts from rent collection, S55 .4S.
A staff meeting was held in December
at which the director outlined some of
his policies and told what he expected
of his assistants. This was the first of
what will probably become a regular
monthly meeting.
The office work has included, first,
the completion of the first $1,000 book list
second, the preparation not quite finished
of $1,000 list of technical books; third the
purchase of some books. from one to ten
at one time, for special purposes; fourth,
the selection of about $50 books for chit
sren for main library and branches.
Acting under instructions OF the board,
q good deal of time has been spent r
publicity. The object in this has been
not only to let the people know that
mas IL libfdIN SySlcll, Will
central library and branches in GER
tain places, but also to put into the
publicity certain pulling qualities that
will bring men and women to the Ii
brary.
The publicity efforts have included:
l. Newspaper articles in all papers, both
news stories and contributed articles.
2. Posters, which have been put III
the Young Mems Christian association
and Young Women's Christian associa
tion lunch rooms, machinists' hall, Bir-
mingham college, one hotel; many are
vet to be placed as soon as we have
time to take them out.
3. A special poster, prepared for tho
Young Women's Christian association
lunch room.
A. Cards in the Tidewater cars, thanks
to Mr.. Sparrow.
5. These same cards in one factory, one
hotel, the Young Mems Christian associa-
tion and in the city hall. In the Empire
hotel the poster was put up at our rr-
quest. for the Ad club luncheon and the
Rotary club luncheon, but the man in
charge of the dining room says it viii
stay up all the time.
G. The post card notice sent to 1000 busi-
ness men on January I.
T. An announcement of our material on
the currency law. which was laid be-
side the plates at the Ad club luncheon,
when Mr.. Harding talked on that sub
ject. This announcement was also used
at the Rotary club luncheon on the fol-
lowing day.
s. An improvised bulletin board on which
we have posted lists, etc.
9. A new and other interesting books
shelf.
10. A letter to the president of the Mar
ket association about our material on
markets.
II. Regular printed card notices OF
books to people supposed to be interested
in those books.
Considerable time has been used in
calling people to receive suggestions
about books to be purchased, and work
to be done by the library. These have
included people identified with the schools.
the Young Mems Christian association,
labor unions as we'll as business and
professional men. Visits have also been
made to the branches.
The results of the publicity work up
to date are. of course. not largely ap
parent. Some results. however have
been noticed, as follows:
The number of new borrowers January
to 10. 1914, is 16S. AT this rate there
will be this month. 4S9; the number of
new borrowers in January, 1918. was 305
The average number of Sunday readers
Miss Chapman says, has been about 60;
last Sunday there were about $50.
Additional shelving has been built at
Woodlawn. and some necessary changes
in the shelves at Avondale
An apprentice has been engaged at
Ensley and the library opened through
the supper hour and on Sundays from
to O'Clock, p. m.
Miss Theresa B. Hood of Talladega, a
graduate of the Atlanta Library school.
who has been assistant in the New York
Public library. was elected general assist
ant to fill the place of Miss M. E. Bin
ford, who left a few weeks ago.
]. W. Donnellv and d. NJ. Lewis were
reelected president and vice president
of the board.
All the members of the board were
present with one exception and much
business was transacted. A committee
from Camp Hardee, Confederate veterans
presented request that the several mag
a7ines published In behalf of the Con-
federate soldier be kept on file at the
library. On motion the request was
unanimously granted.
1t was decided that the working mem
employed at the big dam at Ocampo be
allowed the privilege of using a certain
rumber of books each month.