Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-07
Public Library.


The report of the board Of trustees
of the Free Public Library with
which is included the report Of the
librarian to the trustees) is a gratifying
record of large returns In public serv-
ice for the expenditure Of public funds.
Washington's municipal library was
operated last year (and in fact every
year since its establishmenD on far ar
has always had too few books. too
few and too poorly paid employees. and
too few agencies of distribution prop
erly to meet the needs Of citizens
constituency above the average in In
telligence Of American cities. In spite
of handicaps tending to stunt its
growth, our local library has made
a remarkable record during the last
service of the present librarian.
The record of the librarys work for
the past year makes a striking show
ing when compared with that OF ten
years ago. During that period the
from two (the central library and one
social settlement) to 1872. The book
stock has increased from 64,475 vol,
per of BOOKS eeas; on as Of H' the best in
dications of the work of public
library, has increased from 27s.17s
volumes to 1884 volumes. or los per
cent. In the same period the percent
age of fiction in that circulation has
been reduced from 81 to S.. That re-
suit has been accomplished by con-
stantly increasing the emphasis placed
on the study and reference ao,s Work tS 0s
development of the separate Industrial
arts division. which ministers to
large number Of business men. engin-
GERS and mechanics. The largest growth
in the iibrary's work for children.
One-thfrd of the library's circulation
is now Of chfldren's books; the increase
in that use In ten years has been from
fivefold. This use is made not only
through the children's room at the
central library and the Takoma Park
branch, but especially through the
From a school collection of $3.50 vol
umes, more than $4,000 volumes were
circulated into homes through 234
classrooms in eighty school buildings.
Other points in last years h1 9a rec
meetings and lectures in the assembly
room, with 15.394 auditors. and 277
meetings Of small organizations IN
study rooms; the circulation OF 1924
homes for use in teaching geography
or illustrating the reading Of historical.
literary or artistic subjects; and the
publication in the interest OF the de-
velopment of the study and extension
work of the library of a monthly list
of new accessions. an educational bull.
letin to promote the cooperation OF
school and library, q social service bul.
letin to promote Sociological stuay. anu
lecture and study courses. Thus tho
library has become not only an edu-
cationai institution that effectively
supplements All formaI scnooi w .Is
The record set forth by tho library
trustees makes q convincing showing
that this very large propo I'll ,,ts. IN
marked by q steadily improving quail
ity. has been accomplished without a
corresponding increase in the library's
financial resources. The trustees point
SressionaI appropriations for tho Ii
hrarv have increased but IS per cent
and the total library expenditures but
10 per cent, but that in the corre-
spending period the 9ook STOCK mas IN,
home circulation of books has in
creased in volume 1855 per cent. The
work done by the library has there
fore increased much moro than twice
ve-v recent years, untii 1915. for which
sonae relief IL afforded. there has been,
a tho trustees show, almost no in
crease Of maintenance and development
provision at all.
Tho trustees claim that the 1ibrary's
worst handicap has resulted from the
INADEQUATE scale of library salaries,
and especially the salaries paid to its
professional staff. all of which are fixed
BY Congress. In the last ten years the
average compensation of all employees
In the library increased $5L71Ffrom
t6S0.s5 to $e02.57. The avegsSN COM
pensatfon Of the professional stall lex
Guiding building empseyeA Apsssn-