Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1916-06-09
The Past and Future.

That the public library in the small
community is becoming an institution
of ever increasing Importance is shown
by the attention it is now receiving
IN the library world. At the last an
nual meeting of the Ohio Library AS
socation, which your librarian attend
ed, there was special section devoted
to the consideration of the needs of
the small city and village libraries. On
the program of this section there ap-
+peared number of librarians of
smaller libraries. Your librarian, up
on invitation of the president, present
led paper on the topic. Publicity for
Village Librares," dealing almost en-
tirely with the publicity work of the
Wauseon library. This paper was
later published in The Library Jour
nal. At the meeting emphasis seemed
to be placed on the inevitable coming
to every rural community, some time,
Of the township and county library.
AS May 26th of the present year
marks the. tenth anniversary of the
opening of the Wauseon Public Lii
fbrarv it may be fitting to review
briefly the growth of the library dur
ing the ten years. The statistics show
that the library opened May 26, 1906,
with 1880 accessioned volumes, near
ly all of which had been turned over
to the new library by the old Citizens
Library Association. The first report
of the librarian covered the seven
months that the library was in oper-
alton in 1906. For those seven months
there was a circulation of 6658 vol
umes, a record never equalled until
the present year and showing the i'm
mediate interest that was aroused in
the community over the new library.
At that time there were 2264 acces-
stoned volumes in the library and 544
people holding borrowers cards. Dur
ing the seven months there had been
total of 1876 adults and 563 children,
who used the reading room, and 155
adults and children, together, who
used the reference room. The next
report, that for the year of 1907,
showed 1858 accessioned volumes in
the library, circulation of 10,016
volumes, $50 borrowers cards in
force at the end of the year, and a
daily average of five adult readers,
three child readers and four reference
workers. During this year. pupils in
the high school general history course
were sent to the library to do an
hours reading each week. In 1908
there were 1913 accessioned volumes,
circulation of 1882 volumes, $50
borrowers cards in force at the end
Of the year, and daily average of
at least six high school students who
used the reading and reference rooms.
The report for 1909 showed 3499 ac-
cessioned volumes, 594 borrowers
cards in force at the end of the year,
and a circulation of 1892 volumes,
but with an increase over the previous
year of II per cent. in the circulation
of books of non-fiction. During this
year the number of school students
using the reference room was double
that for 1908. The report for 1910
showed 1880 accessioned volumes, a
circulation of 5000 volumes, SIC bor-
rowers' cards in force at the end of
the year, and a total of 301 users of
the reading and reference rooms. In
1911 there were 4075 accessioned vol
umes, circulation Of 10000 volumes,
631 borrowers cards in force at the
end Of the year, and daily average
of ten people using the reading and
reference rooms. In 1912 there were
4311 accustomed volumes, 1856 vol
umes, circulated, $40 borrow
ers' cards in force at the end