Evening star., 1922-10-05

| caDlnet Wnen h1DE ONO L NSaS Ue.
throned by the revolution in 1862.
actment of which the library trustees
urge as offering solution or the
problem of obtaining and retainine
icompetently trained persons IN the
library service This bill, the library
trustees state. gives just recognition
to the classification claims of libra.
rians among the scientific, technical
and profess ional people on the OASIS
of compare Bile education. training al"
Experience and compleXity of Wcr"
irequir.d.''
! The library trustc, : point out thu
compared with the salaries of librari
ans of other large municipalities. tht
salary of the chief librarian is ex-
tremely small and should be speedily
| increased The library trustees urge
his lin the light of Librarian B2"er-
mans standing among the foremost
progressive librarians of the country
in the light of his high professional
qualifications and in view OF ms
| eighteen years of devoted. effective
service in the library's upbuilding.
New Positions Necessary.
Seventeen new positions are re-
quired for the present establishment
and for general admission. No new
positions were granted in last year S
estimates, in spite Of the fact that an
average of ten persons were being
| employed from the substitute and
desk funds and it was necessary to
| close the library at pm. on Wed
nesdays.
| Eight additional assistants will be
| required for the Southeastern branch
and four each for the three high
| school libraries.
| Substantial increases are also asked
| for books. binding. substitutes. Sun
day and holiday funds, contingent ex-
penses and for repairs and improve
ments to the buildings.
! Owing to the higher cost of books
| and the stocking of the new branches
an increase of S17.500 is asked in the
estimates for books. 1t is pointed out
| that supplies and equipment are in
arrears and that the contingent fund
should be substantially enlarged.
Branch and School Libraries.
! The new branches are OF two
classes. The first includes the South
eastern branch in a separate build
ing and the second includes three new
| branches in high school buildings
The library trustees point out that
with the appropriations for service
for the remainder of the year the
Southeastern branch can be open
little more than half time. namely
fifty-one hours a week, instead OF
seventy-two. the customary minimum
! throughout the country, and that the
staff allowed will be much too small
to meet the demands that are sure to
come from the population of 10000
people which the branch will serve.
Eastern High School branch library
will be the first of series of branch
es to be opened in school buildings in
| accordance with the agreement be-
tween the board of education and the
| library board. 1t is expected that
this and all other branches in school
buildings will be opened all week
serve not simply school pupils. but
the general public of their neighbor-
hoods. In Junior high schools there
will be no separate school libraries.
Proper Library support.
The report points out that the libra
ry has never had sufficient funds tc
carry ON its work. 1T is not only
necessary to strengthen the present
Organization at every point. but also
the library now looks forward with
confident expectation to a great en-
!largement of its service through the
establishment of new branches. This
extension should be 50 rapid thai
within five or six years the Public
| Library will be able to extend its
| service to the entire population OF
| the District. instead Of serving only
a minor fraction of the population as
at present. Such development can be
in library support.
The trustees raise the question as
to what constitutes a proper basis OF
support of a public library in ar
Intelligent. progressive city. and
state that just as the question. OF
school systems has had the attention
of the National Education Associa.
ton, so the question of reasonable
support for municipal public libra
years, the earnest consideration OF
| the American Library Association
This national body Of nearly 5000
members, including Libraries as in.
stitution members. Librarians and
library. trustees. last January adopted
| through it's council a resolution de.
claring that 81 per capita of the
population of the community served
lis reasonable minimum annual
revenue for the library in com.
munity desiring to maintain a gooe
modern public library system with
trained librarians" but that "com.
munities desiring their libraries tc
supply these needs extensively ane
with the highest grade Of trained
service will find 1t necessary to pro-
vide a support much larger than the
minimum of 81 per capita" This
action of the council Of the American
Library Association was in June re.
affirmed by the trustees section OF
the association.
Libraries Of Other Cities.
In order to show that their demands
are neither unreasonable nor Utopiar
the library trustees quote the figures
of library expenditure of other cities
The city of Cleveland. the report
cites, spent in maintaining its public
library last year $1.0S per capita
Several smaller cities spent 81 OF
more per capita on their libraries
NOTABLY Brookline. Mass, S1.4S; New
ton, Mass, $1.25: Gary, Ind, $1.13
Pasadena, Calf, $1.16. and Mason City
Iowa, 81. Among cities above 100000
population several are now spendint
public libraries, including Boston. 8!
cents: Pittsburgh. SO cents; Seattle
SO cents; Portland. Ore, SO cents
Providence, Sc cents. and st. Paul. 81
cents. The average for all cities abov'
100000 population was SO cents
Washington spent last year IS cents