Evening star., 1914-10-12
Annual Report of Dr.. George
+ F. BoWerman Submitted to
Commissioners,
PLEA FOR AN INCREASE
OF BRANCH AGENCIES
Notes Progress in Development, But
Says Books Are Too Few and
Employees Poorly Paid.

The board Of trustees of the Pub
lie Library. in forwarding to the Dis
trict Commissioners its annual report,
which was published in part in The
Star of yesterday. also sent to the
Commissioners the annual report of DIR.
George F. Bowerman, the librarian,
covering the tenth year of his service
in that position.
DR.. Bowerman reviews in his report
the work accomplished by the library
during the year. and declares that de-
spite the handicaps of too few books.
too few and too poorly paid employees.
and too few and too poor distribution
points, development has not been at a
standstill, and that the record of the
library 1or the year is one, he believes,
tnat shows large returns in service for
tho expenditure of public funds.
His report Is in part as follows:
The library's constituency embraces
not only the 353.37S persons who live
IN the District of Columbia, but many
families residing in Maryland and Vir-
xinia, members of which have regular
business or employment in the District
To serve this widely scattered popula-
ton the library should have a complete
system OF branch libraries, the larger
ones occupying separate buildings and
the smaller ones housed in public
schools and other suitable institutions.
wanting fully developed library sys-
tenn. such as can be found, for example
IN city like Cleveland. the Washing
ton library has utilized 1876 agencies
Tor the distribution of books into
homes. including those supported and
administered by the library and vol
untary agencies to which books have
been sent for circulation
List of the Agencies.
The aRenciaa mead u-aro a. -,,
Ing: The Central Library, the Takoma
Park Branch Library, six social settle.
ments. conducted by volunteers: two
stations. conducted by persons paid by
the cooperating institutions; the Chill
-drens Hospital Circulation to nurses).
.ne district building, seven public
nigh school libraries. two stations, con-
Quoted by volunteers; three stations in
grammar school buildings, conducted
at the expense Of parents associations:
seventy-nine grammar schools and one
parochial school, three private schools.
the Carnegie Library of Howard Uni
sers,ty. rs three school Fairgrounds.
camps. two Sunday schools and two
missions. In addition to the foregoing,
withdrawn books were sent as per-
manent transfers to eighteen charitable
>dren and adults.
Through these agencies 713,634 vol
umes were circulated for home use.
This is an increase of 1886 volumes,
previous year of 6S6,27S volumes. To
make the record of home circulation
complete, should be added S4,924
mounted pictures. This was an In
pictures lent in 1912-13.
'1t has never been found practicable
to keep complete attendance records
Of all persons who enter the library
A,Sslr oh ha OF
accurate records of attendance at the
Central Library have been kept on one
secular day each week. A computa-
tion from these figures indicates that
the total attendance for the 30S week
days the library was open was 800.
The attendance on fifty Sundays is
estimated at 1880, making the total
estimated attendance at the main Ii
brary $4,000.
Net Registration, 45,o5.
The net registration at the close of
the year was 45,s54. These figures do
not include numerous persons who fire.
ouent the reading rooms, but do not
draw books for home use, nor a large
number of children. not registered as
borrowers, who secured for home read
ing 100000 library books through pub
lie schools, Fairgrounds and home IL
braries.
'.Near the close Of the year rules were
Announced covering the circulation OF
books by parcel post on the deposit OF
81 TO cover postage. This privilege is
being largely used by readers absent
on their vacations. Plans have been
partially made for systematizing and
extending this service in the hope that
to a slight extent borrowers living at
a distance from the Central Library
may find relief from the difficulties
arising from lack of branch ii ibraries.
The percentage of fiction circulated
for the entire library system showed a
further drop of 2 per cent from last
year. In the last ten years the proper
tion of fiction circulated decreased 2s
per cent. failing from S4 per cent in
1904 TO Sc per cent in 1914.
A comparison of the figures of chill
dren's books circulated, 234,296 vol
umes. with the total circulation of 49,
634 volumes. shows that 33 per cent of
the library's circulation is of children's 8
books 1t is interesting also to note
that whereas the total circulation of
the library Gncluding children's books)
increased in ten years from 27S,17S VOL
umes $500 to 113.634 volumes, or a
little more than two and half times,
the circulation of juvenile books in
creased during the same period from
"RVY lAY