Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-07-09
DEVELOPMENT OF
CITY LIBRARY
Interesting Statistics Contained III
the Report for the Last
Fiscal Year.

The oath annual report of the Whining
ton Institute Free Library. which has
just been issued, gives some interesting
information,
The financial report shows balance IN
the general fund at the beginning OF the
year, March |, 1917, of &20.'6.76; re-
ceipts, S33. 5M 81, including f20, $500
from City Council: disbursements, $3l =
046. %. leaving n balance of ~ ,5Sa .9o.
In the building fund there was a balance
at the beginning OF the year OF 81, 81 ~ ::
receipts, SlS5, SOL 66; expenditures, III
Guiding investments of STAGES %, 500
$50 L. leaving IA balance of SS,S55.32;
fund for purchase of site, balance, ST.
0S3.46: receipts. s226. 646o4; expcndi-
lures, s23I. 1905. leaving a balance Of
ST $50 %: fund for the removal of graves,
balance S9OSi7: receipts, SIG, 1865;
expenditures. i6.M1.3j. balance. $3.50
- The library owns securities aggregat-
ing s279.O0O
The annual report of Librarian A. l..
Barley saws.
The ship uilding problem of United
States has caused 3 great demand Tor
books on this subject We have. there
fore. added largely To a collection already
excellent and have not hcsitated to dupll-
cate even such expensive books as iolms
Practical Shipbmollng
At all times posters relating To the
various national campaigns have been dis
PLAYED on orr bulletin boards and copies
of all posters have been kept for historical
purposes.
In September there was held n national
campaign for funds 10 supply library
buildings and books for our soldiers and
sailors It is gratifying to report that in
Delaware the sum raised was sl3. l725S.
Our local campaign for books in the sum
mer of 1917 for the camp libraries brought
IN over 5000 volumes. Practically All Of
these went to the Camp Meade Library
which was organized by the librarian Of
this library during leave Of absence
granted hv the board of managers
On March l 1917 there were SG.52S
volumes on the shelves Of the library.
During the wear there were added 5,1SS
volumes $50 volumes were worn out
and discarded being replaced by new
copies of the same books. while 500 vol
umeS for various reasons were discarded
absolutely Tho net increase. therefore,
WINS 3.G36 volumes, and the number in
the library on the 2Sth az February. 1918,
was 90. l61 volumes The net registration
II the end Of the wear was 1889 an IN
crease Of 923 over last wear
The total number Of books issued for
home use was 300 9Nl. an increase of Az,
1914 This increase was pnportIonately
distributed over nearly all classes Of books
fiction and Juvenile books of course, ac-
counting for larger part in actual mum
bcrS
There have been three designations
from the staff Miss Dorothy l.. Hawkins
resigned to take course 1T the New York
State Library School Miss Elizabeth
krIsc from the circulation department,
Miss Dorothy Doanc. Librarian OF Rock
ford Branch Miss Abby G. Mack was
appointed As assistant IN the circulation
department; Miss Helen h Holman,
apprentice: Miss Grace I Lloyd, Lihrari-
an OF Rockford Branch
During the wear l3S volumes have been
added to the duplicate pay collection and
o. volumes transferred 70 the main
library, leaving 3nu volumes IN the col
lection The gifts for the year include the
following $40 bound volumes 1000
pamphlets lbs leaflets p numbers Of
periodicals. and 10 pictures