The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-06-25
MANY new CARDS ARE ISSUED
People of AL 7Jationalities in City Are
Securing Benefits From Gilbert M.
Simmons Library-Nearly $4,000 Use
Reading Room During the Year.

The fourteenth annual report of the
Gilbert NJ. Simmons Library has been
submitted to the officials of the city
| by Miss Cora NJ Frantz, the librarian,
and it shows that the year just closed
has been the busiest in the history of
the library and that during the year
more people have availed themselves
of library privileges than ever before
During the year there were 1,744 per
sons applied for borrowers cards an
average of 145 monthly and SO great
has been the demand that the librarian
has suggested that reading room
with circulating department be es-
ltablished somewhere in the western
part Of the city before the end Of an
other year. Miss Franz declares that
with the present growth Of the city it
will be only short time before a per
manent branch Of the library will be
necessary.
Circulation of books in the library
has set new high record during the
year, the total number Of books in cir
culation being 124,368, an increase of
IL, 225 over the previous year. The in
crease IN circulation was found to be
very large during the winter months.
Many people are of the opinion that
the library is largely for the circula-
ton of fiction, but the report for the
year shows that forty-one percent Of
Ia n II{s4s
were nou-hetson.
| Circulation Of hooks among the
foreign speaking people Of the city has
tseen a decided increase during the
year. This has been due largely to
the addition of many volumes of this
class. The library now has collections
of books in German, Scandinavian,
Dutch, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian,
Armenian, Italian and Yiddish, the last
named being loaned to the library by
the Wisconsin Library Commission.
These Libraries are increasing in popu-
larity just as rapidly as the members
Eof the various nationalities learn that
that the books are to be secured.
The total number of volumes in the
library at the close Of the year is
E26,11 There were 1,76n volumes add
ed during the year and 575 Withdrawn
making net increase Of ], 135. In adj
dition to this there are more than 1000
volumes in the school duplicate collec-
tion.
The work of circulating books
through the schools has been most sue
cessful this year and 2,578 were dis
tributed through fortythree rooms in
the public schools and twelve rooms in
the parochial schools. These books cir
Iculated 22,992 times.
The children's room at the library
continues to be popular feature of
the library work and during the year
there We're $50 new cards issued for
use in this department. The total
number of borrowers cards in force at
the end of the year was SAP, this
showing that more than thirty per cent
Of all the people of the city are reg
ular patrons Of the library. During
the year there were $500 persons Wis
tied the reading room in the library.
The amount received from fines and
rentals during the year amounted to
$135.07.
The report Of the librarian is de
cidedly favorable one and it shows
that there has been a great advance
in the benefits to the community from
the conduct of the library.