Evening star., 1915-10-12
Growth Of Library's Usefulness.

Growth Of Library's Usefulness.
III the growth Of the nbrary's useful
ness, as measured by book circulation. had
been as slow and as feeble as the increase
Of library maintenance, there would be
I less ground Of complaint of inadequate
| support. But while the appropriations
for the library. originally based on an In
adequate foundation, have increased
especially of late years only slightly. the
| library's work and public usefulness have
| wonderfully expanded.
The record Of the library's work for
| the past year makes a striking show
ing when compared with that Of eleven
years ago, when the present librarian
began his period of service. During
that period the distribution agencies
have increased from (the central IL
brary and one social settlemen) to
166. The book stock has increased from
64,473 volumes to 1913 volumes. or
17S per cent. The home circulation Of
books, one of the best indications of
the work Of a public library, has in
creased from 27S,17S volumes to S02.99S
volumes. or 1873 per cent. In the same
period the percentage of fiction in that
circulation has been reduced from S4
to 50. That result has been accom-
plfshed by constantly increasing the
emphasis placed on the study and ref
erence work of the library. including
especially the development of the sepa-
rate fndustrial-arts division, (which min
listers to a large number of business
men, engineers and mechanics
The largest growth during the
eleven-year period was made In the Ii
brary's work for children. More than
one-third of the library's circulation is
now of children's books: the increase
In that use in eleven years has been
from 1928 volumes to 302.51O volumes,
or skiold. This use is made not only
through the children's room at the CEN
4 81 z-I.
branch. but especially through the Ii
orary's cooperation with the schools
From school collection of 10,943
volumes. more than 100000 volumes
were circulated into homes through 367
classrooms in los school buildings.
Other Points in the Record.
''Other points in last years library
record include the holding of ninety
seven public meetings and lectures in
the assembly room, with 1924 audi
tors. and PA meetings of small organi-
cations in study rooms; the circulation
Of 93,745 mounted pictures into schools
and homes for use in teaching geog-
raphy or illustrating the reading of
historical. literary or artistic subjects.
and the publication in the interest of
the development of the study and ex-
y
ly list of new accessions, an education
al bulletin to promote the co-opera-
ton of school and library. a social
service bulletin to promote sociological
study. and numerous reference lists
paralleling lecture and study courses.
Thus the library has become not only
an educational institution that effee-
lively supplements all formal school
work. but also a vital social aid in the
community.
Tn the eleven years from 1904, the
first full year the present central build
ing was occupied, the congressional
appropriations for library maintenance
have increased 95 per cent and the
total library expenditures 60 per cent;
but in the corresponding period the
book stock has increased in volume
ITS per cent and the home circulation
has Increased in volume 1SS per cent
The work done has increased much
more than twice fast as the means
provided for doing it, and in very re-
cent years. until the 1915 appropria-
tion. there has been almost no increase
of maintenance and development pro-
vision at ALL"