Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-12-12
LIBRARY MUST CUT EXPENSES
Continued from page ID

During the past year the~kD~ary has
been going into civic welfare work to
a more or less extent. 1t has been the
policy OF the trustees to encourage the
use OF the building for community
work, believing hat II all led to q
greater use of the library proper by
the people. As a result of this policy
h meeting % and the auditorium
have been used by the War Camp
Community Service for dances and so
cial gatherings and club meetings; the
Boy Scouts hold their meetings there
and other similar civic organizations
have come to make the library their
home.
But all this has added to the expense
of running the institution. There has
been the light, heat and janitor serv-
ice, to say nothing Of the wear and
tear on the building. While the truss
tees desire to do everything to further
this important civic work. they de-
clared last night hat 1t was hardly
fair to shoulder the entire burden on
the library when Other municipal
boards escape entirely.
1t was realized there should be
some place for these civic affairs to be
held and IL was the city's duty to pro-
vide for them, put the library trustees
felt that they could not afford to carry
the burden with the money they re-
ceive when the funds available for the
purchase of books Is so meager. The
outcome was the decision OF the board
to charge a fee of $3.50 a night for the
use OF the rooms in the library to cover
he light, e and janitor expenses.
There Is also a possibility of closing
the ranch library In the western part
of the city. While this branch has
grown in popularity. IL Is still an ex-
pensive proposition, costing on an
average of ten cents per volume TO
circulate books there. As long as funds
are short 1t was the opinion OF the
trustees that the efforts should be con-
centrated on the main library to make
1t as complete and efficient as possible.
This same argument was used in re-
gard to the request of the high school
that the library assign an assistant IL
brarian to the high school two or
three times n week to take charge of
a branch library there consisting of
some 500 books which the school has
built up. II Is the desire everywhere
to bring the schools n the public IL
brary closer together and to cooperate
in every possible way. but the library
trustees find themselves limited IN
what they can do.
Owing to the deficit there will be
but few new books bought for the next
month or W and by thus falling be-
hind much of the attractiveness of the
library Is lost.
The condition of the building is also
giving the trustees much concern. 1t
is doubtful II the $3.50 set aside for
repairs will be sufficient to do the nee
essary work the coming year. The
building is being so generally used for
community work not directly connect
ed with the library that this feature is
requiring more attention.
The librarians report for Novem-
Der is as follows:
Main Library: Circulation. 5,192:
largest daily circulation, SIS; smallest
daily circulation, 2o7; adult circula-
ton, 2.S08; adult fiction, 2,0S6; adult
non-hction. $50; adult foreign, So;
juvenile circulation, 1891; juvenile
fiction. 1,526; juvenile non-fiction,
S65.
Branch: Number of days open, s.;
circulation, PTS; largest daily circu-
lation. Sc: smallest daily circulation,
SO; adult non-fction, 5; adult foreign,
SO; adult non-hction, 8; adult foreign,
20: Juvenile circulation. 21S; Juvenile
fiction, 81; juvenile non-flction, 131.
Total circulation for November, g.
ATT.
Total number Of borrowers (adult.
new registration), So: total number of
borrowers Juvenile, new registration)
IT: membership cards issued to
adults. So; membership cards issued to
juveniles. IT; membership cards is
sued during November, 1873: number
of delinquent notices sent. 90: num-
Der of visits made. Z; number of re-
serves sent, 81; number of contagious
diseases reported, 3; daily readers.
654; reference questions asked. los
high school reference questions asked,
1913.
Report on books: number of vol
umes added, 226; number OF volumes
added by purchase. 226; number OF
volumes discarded (worn out), 1876.
Health Boar Meets Tomorrow
A meeting of the Board OF Health
will be held at city hall tomorrow