Evening star., 1922-10-05
Annual Report Shows an In
creased Use of the Book
Collection.
ESTIMATES FOR SUPPORT
MUST RUN THE GAUNTLET
Southeast Branch Soon to Be Open
ed-Mount Pleasant Branch
Next to Be Built.

The development of the Public
Library system. its achievements. the
extension of it's service, with the sup
port required for it's enlarging work.
are covered in the report of the board
of trustees. filed with the District
Commissioners today.
The report. signed by Theodore w.
Noyes, president of the library board
points out the increase in the use
Of the present library plant, which
circulated from the main library and
the Takoma Park branch over a mil
lion volumes last year; and the def1-
mite progress that has been made to-
ward securing additional branches for
extending the library's usefulness.
THE southeastern branch. with site
purchased by municipal approprla-
tion and with building donated by
the Carnegie Corporation. is now
nearly completed" the report states,
and utilized for the benefit of the
10000 Washingtonians in that sec
ton of the city.
Mount Pleasant Branch Next.
"For the Mount Pleasant branch.
the next to be built. in accordance
with the librarians plan as approved
by the trustees, the promise of $780,
900 for the building has been made
by the Carnegie Corporation and an
option at a reasonable price upon
most desirable site has been secured,
and a municipal appropriation by
Congress to purchase this site is con-
f1dently anticipated"
Extension through library branches
in new school buildings is making
practical and encouraging headway.
The new Eastern High School library
is to be opened" it is announced. in
February. 1923, and two other school
libraries - in the Macfarland and
the Langley junior high schools-are
promised for September, 1923. The
board Of education and the board OF
trustees, through the superintendent
of schools and the public Librarian,
are laboring earnestly and effectively
to develop the proposed system OF
public school branch Libraries. whose
necessity and great public usefulness
are manifest.
Running the Gauntlet.
Library development" the report
continues, "is retarded by. the fact
IHdI lIe lTuSlceS Slo" iieS ok AioA a.
needs and of appropriations and leg
islation to meet them do not get to
Congress for consideration in their
original shape, but only in mutilated
form after running the gantlet of
cutting and slashing by Commission
ers and the bureau Of the budget. Too
often appropriation committees have
rri ~
appropriative proposals except those
which have been approved and sub
mitted through the Commissioners.
and recently the bureau of the
budget. and too often it has resulted
from this policy that when subcom-
mittee hearings have been granted
the trustees they have enjoyed only
tending inadequate proposals. which
they have not made, in shape they
can neither explain nor defend.
Since the library, by the organic
act of 1896, is declared to be a sup
plement of the educational system of
the District. the trustees urge that
their estimates of library needs in
respect to items and amounts should
go to Congress for possible considera-
ton along with the estimates as al
tered by Commissioners and bureau
of the budget, just as the estimates OF
the board of education in respect to
the public educational system (of
which the library is supplement)
are, under the provisions of the law.
thus forwarded"
The two primary needs and aims
which the trustees would like to take
in full to Congress are: One. strength
enihg of the Central Library, (a) by
increase Of pay of the force. (b) by
increasing the numbers of the force
and (c) by adequate new book acces-
sions, and two, extension of scope
of library's usefulness, (a) throug h
branch libraries and (b) through
library stations and branches in
school buildings.
Increased Appropriation Required.
The growth of the library service
and it's development through branches
have made it necessary to ask for
large increases in the appropriations.
CONTINUED on Page 2. Column g.