Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1917-08-24
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ANNUAL REPORT
I.-TIEE5TING REPORT ISSUED
BY THE LIBRARIAN
MAKES A fine SHOWING
MUCH INTEREST HAS BEEN DIS
PLAYED DURING PAST YEAR
IN THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

The annual report of the Hot
Springs Carnegie Library for the year
ending July 1st, 1917, is as follows:
To the Honorable Board of Direct
ors of the Public Library, Hot Springs
South Dakota:
l am pleased to submit the follow
ing report of the Hot Springs Public
Library for the year ending July 1st,
1917.
The past year has been one of ex-
ceptional growth and development in
the history of our library. Our
splendid, modern building has be-
come of increasing value to the COM
munity with each passing month.
Our collection Of books, though not
large, is very representative of all
branches of literature, and has been
carefully chosen to answer as nearly
possible all the variety of needs of
our patrons. 1t is our hope that in
the choice of books we may have
studied the needs of our readers to
such an extent that each new book
may prove of definite value to them.
The following statistics will give
some idea of the progres which has
been made:
KEGlSTRATlON DEPARTMENT
$50 people, or about 1870 of the
population, have cards in force at the
present time. 1t is gratifying to
know that the library proves it's he'll
fulness to such large percentage OF
the townspeople. ia new borrow
ers have been registered during the
past year over and above the 67
withdrawals.
CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT
7490 volumes were loaned for home
use during the year. This is moro
than twice the number of books in
the entire library. This, of course,
does not incluGe the large number Of
books read in the reading room.
REFERENCE DEPARTMENT
Our magazines have become of
striking Importance to us during the
past year. Never, has there been
such demand for accurate, reliable
information on world movements as
during the present war. We have
80 periodicals on file representing
nearly every type of magazine which
is of any value to our readers, in
Guiding those containing conserva-
tive literature, reviews of current
topics, fiction, fashion, religion, trav-
ell and sports.
We are making special effort to
answer all calls for material on any
subject whether we have it in the Ii
brary or not. We realize the great
value of government publications and
are gathering together as rapidly as
we are able those most suited to the
needs of this community. The South
Dakota Free Library Commission has
been of inestimable help in sending
material and books to us upon our re-
quest.
A file of the Hot Springs Weekly
Star and the Hot Springs Times-Her-
aid is kept for future reference. We
have the complete files of many i'm
portant periodicals which are very
useful in research work. The Cen
tury and Harper's magazines for the
years 1915 and 1916 are bound and
loaned as books.
We have many calls upon our
splendid little reference room. With
four sets Of encyclopedias, our new
Webster Dictionary and other refer
ence books, we are enabled to answer
most of the needs of the students and
other patrons. The three women's s
clubs depend largely upon us for ma
terial. They do much to stimulate
interest in the reference room and in
crease the calls for books of history,
poetry, sociology, arts and drama.
Though the high school possesses a
good library we are able to supple
ment to a great extent the work done
there.
CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT
One of the most important depart
ments in the library is the Juvenile
department. 2469 books, or about
31ct of all the books circulated.
were children's books. This gives
some idea of the extent to which the
library is used by the boys and girls.
Special efforts have been directed
toward making the children's room
attractive with pictures and gay pos
ters. One advantage of our location
is that we have large attendance OF
childlen after school hours. The
r,a,,azines for children, containing
Boy Scout articles, interesting stories
and arts and crafts ideas are eargerly
followed. Many children too young
to read get the library habit from
coming in to look at picture books
We earnestly desire to cooperate
with the teachers and parents as an
educational factor in the life of the
child.
During the summer months Story
Hour has been conducted IN the ciut
rooms at the library on Friday after.
Moons. The children have shown g
great deal of interest and the Houl
has been very well attended.