The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-02-13

Total Observation-Disclosures. .Seso1 W
The following Is the report OF the
librarian. Miss Flora Carr, to the
board OF directors. for the year
,nded December 81, 1913:
ON January I, 1913, there were
1878 volumes in the library: 1893
volumes have been added during
the year The two most important
additions to our reference collection
britannica Encyclopaedia and the
century Dictionary and Encyciopae-
dia.
The total number Of books
loaned for home use during the year
was 3i3.S9i. The children's cireula.
tinn was thirty-four per cent Of the
total circulation.
Registration For Year.
During the year we have regis.
tered zoo new adult readers and
217 new juvenile readers. OF this
number sixty-one have been from
the country or towns in the county.
There is slow but setady in
crease on the part OF the people In
the county in their use Of the IL
hrary Varouis means have been used
during the year to call their atten-
lion TO this privilege which they
may have. Placards with notices
Of library hours, book lists and
hand bills have been distributed
through the meetings which the
federated churches have held In the
:ountry school houses. At the Farm
rs Institute held In February,
of books for farmers and farmers
wives. Library notices and lists
-ere distributed. The librarian
vas asked 10 come to the meetings
and explain the conditions under
which people living out OF Mankato
may use the library. There has
been no exceptional use of the
library By the people outside of
Mankato. hut certainly a larger In.
terest is taFen by them than q year
ago: seventy-siX county borrowers
at !he beginning OF the year and
one hundred and thirty-seven at
the end; an increase of sixty-one
Reading and Reference Room.
Our magazine list has been in.
creased bv the addition OF the
following magazine: Boys Life,
Iarper's yaZaar. Manual Training
Magazine, Musician, National Geo
.'raphic Magazine and System. The
Chicago Daily Tribune has been
added TO the newspapers received.
The Ladies' Home Journal and
Worlds Work have been added to
the magazines which circulate. 49,
"A second magazine rack has been
purchased for the reading room and
gives us much more room I'm caring
for current magazines. Now shelly.
wing has been placed I'm the read.
ing has been placed in the read
so the problem of shelving the
tCund periodicals.
Lectures and Exhibits.
I'm January, Mr.. w. w. Frost
cf the Mankato state normal began
series OF lectures on the American
poets. These lectures continued
through March: six lectures In all
were given and n great deal of In.
terest was taken in them.
I'm July the library held an
exhibit Of unusual interest. Mr.. Gil.
hert Fletcher leaned collection of
his own drawings and etchings and
also n large collection OF original
drawings purchased by him from the
Saturday Evening Post The collec-
ion included drawings from mum.
her OF well known artists. such as
Dunn, Wyeth. Preston. Grueger.
slagg, McCutcheon and others.
Buildings and Grounds.
considerable repairing has been
necessary during the year; roof and
plumbing have been attended to n
number OF times In addition TO the
metal shelving and magazine rack
already mentioned. the next largest
expenditures for the building have
heen the purchase OF two electric |
fans, and combination bulletin
hoard and book rack. and a second |
book rack for the display OF new |
hooks. The thing demanding most
Immediate attention about the build.
i,e for the coming year Is a floor
covering for the stack and delivery
room and The repairing OF the floor
n the chi,dren's room.
The Reading Lists.
Special lists of Books for Farm
efs, Books on Business. and up-to.
date books on Live Subjects have