Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1915-05-07

culatlon shows that 6196, or 81 LIS per
cent. of the books circulated were
adult fiction. while the adult non-fic-
ton numbered only 796 books, or 8
40 per cent. Of the young peoples
and children's books circulated the fic-
ton numbered 1865, or 20 33-100 per
cent. while the non-fiction numbered
1910, or II 1925 per cent.-nearly
twice the circulation of adult non-fic-
ton. The preponoerance of adult fc-
ton is of course natural to a popular
library where the majority of the Dor
rowers are women readers of fiction.
1t IS also interesting to note that
while the number of matured men
who use the library is comparatively
small, a large percentage of these
men desire books other than fiction.
Unfortunately, the Wauseon library,
in common with other libraries, lacks
books that are really desired by many
men, that is. practical books on the
sciences, useful arts, trades and pro-
fessions. But the books of this
character that are published for the
layman, rather than the professional
circulation of Juvenil ~non-fiction re-
presents to a large extent books used
for supplementary reading by the pub
lie school grades below the high
school.
The circulation of books Of adult
non-fction during the year by class
es was as follows: Literature, 1856;
sociology, including economics and
political science, III; travel, 80, his
tory, II; biography. So; general work
such as dictionaries, encyclopedias and
magazines, ST; natural sciences, So;
religion, 43; fine arts, 81; philosophy,
SO; useful arts, 16: and p~hiloiogy, 8.
The circulation of Juvenile non-iction
was as follows: Social sciences, in
Guiding mostly fairy tales. 3A5; his
tory, 359; travel, 245; natural sciences
IA; biography, 118; literature, ia;
fine arts, 55; useful arts, 43; religion
80; philosophy. 2; and general work,
1. The total circulation of all books,
which reached its highest mark N
By months it was as follows: jan
uarv. 494; February, 1898; March
115O; April, 974; May. 81; June, TIT:
1927; October, 1885; November, 1908
and December. 1472.
READING AND REFERENCE
After the circulating of books a
public library probably best serves its
purpose through it's reading and refer
ence rooms. And in many respects
it is through it's reference room that
a library is destined to nave its most
permanent influence upon a communi-
ty, for here are gathered together the
most valuable books that the library
possesses and possible nowhere else
in the community, tfere ire diction-
aries and encyclopedias on nearly
every phase of human knowledge and
bound periodicals that are made in
stantly available to public use by
means of indexes published monthly.
During 1914 the Wauseon Public
Library was visited by a total of 471S
people for reading and reference
work during the 264 days that it was
open for such purposes. In Other
words. there was a daily average of
nearly IS visitors per day. Of these,
1912, or seven per day, were adult
readers; 1144, or four per day, were
child readers; 259, or nearly one per
day, were adults doing reference
work; and 1403, were young people
and children doing reference work,
practically all for school purposes.
The daily average for school refer
ence work during the nine months of
the school year was nearly seven
while in a single day as many as 80
I visiting students were recorded.
The relation between the local Ii
brary and the public school is a very
close one. but, in common with many
: other libraries, our library is not
rerimtted the opportunity of serving
, the adult public as it is capable OF
doing. It is the practice of libraries
to number among the adult readers
!, those students who are in the upper
-. classes of the high school and of the
: 1912 adult readers recorded in u Ii
| brary for the past year by far the
: greater number were students. Oh
matured adults that used the reading
, and reference rooms nearly all were
{ either club women or teachers in the
schools. There were only twelve o.
:, fifteen men accustomed from tint
r to time to visit these rooms. Will
very few exceptions the adult refer
: ence work was done entirely by clul
| women and teachers. During thu
! year, also, there were several Delt;
| club women who used the reference
> room. Of the men using the readin.
t room several were travelling men, wht
. invariably expressed appreciation fo
r the opportunity of a place to reaC
: while staying in town over night.
COOPERATION WITH PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
: AS has just been said, a great par