Evening star., 1922-12-10
LIBRARY IS HANDICAPPED
BY SHORTAGE OF FUNDS
Present and Future Needs Not Adequate-
ly Provided for in Budget Sent
to Congress.

tenance. The condition in the Public
Library of the National Capital will be
particularly considered.
Estimates for Library.
So much for the needs of the Public
Library. Now lets see what the Presi-
dent recommended in the way of sup
port 10 meet these needs in transmit
tlng the report Of the budget bureau
All that is new. or an increase for
the library, recommends hv the
budget bureau is $4,000 for A site
for new branch library in the
Mount Pleasant-Columbia Heights
section. and a staff for the new
southeast section branch library.
Request was made for seventeen, as
sistants for this main library and
the Commissioners in their report
laid emphasis on this need. These
seventeen additional workers were
deemed necessary to prevent a break
down under the existing demand and
to meet new demand for super
vision over the new branches. The
budget bureau did not provide for
single additional entploye or for anl
increases in salaries
As a nlat;@r of fact. there have beer
no Increases in salaries for the Ii
brary force for six or eight years
The entire force Of educational work
@rs is hoping and praying for the
rerlassifiration bill to be passed.
The Senate the other day passed
the Capper hill increasing salaries rf
school teachers and reorSaniZing the
educational system. In that bill :,
minimum is provided Of $500 for"
school Librarians, and these salaries
run up to s260d. There are very few
workers in the Public Library wh"
get s1.4no.
Severe Test Of Loyalty.
Here Is an illustration of the espri
de corps in the Public Library. There
IS Limitation in The current appr"-
prja tion that the assistant librarian
in charge of tho southeast branch
library cannot b" paid more than
$1,000. although his library serves
10000 persons. T" get Il sufficiently
strong and capable person 10 take
charge of this branch. the librarian.
Dr. George T.. Bowerman. had TO ask
one of his very efficient assistants 10
take d reduction in salary from Sl.5oo
to s12G6 ard assume the harder 1ob,
with more responsibility and an at
tendant decrease of $500. The woman
selected took the reduction "for the
good of the service"
The Public Library needs moro
money for everything that goes into
library work. 1t is sadly in need or
money for new books Books cost
more than ever before in tho history
uf libraries. The Public Library is
now getting s1..a00. and asked for
double that amount and got n"t one
red cent increase. That much is
needed for the southeast branch
alone. There is a library serving
$4,000 persons. which had I" open
with only soon books. and those not
all new All that could he spent on
new books was 5000 and the rest was
made up by taking a few from me
main library. getting few from the
Library of Congress and anywhere
else possible
Cooperating With schools.
1t should here be noticed that the
Public Library is cooperating with the
schools and that there was circula-
ton Of 90 ma hooks through the schools
in the last fiscal year. when books wer'
sent into go ciassrooms IN l12 SCHOOLS.
Again. money is needed To have old
hooks rebound. The report of the Dis
trict Commissioners covering this says:
1T is wastefui To hold out Of Use 800"
volumes because of lack OF funds TO have
them properly repaired or rebound. as
the library is now compelled to do
Books are more expensive than ever
before. thus requiring a Larger amount
tt money IMAM ~ uUa cqdiN0
ale.lt number of volumes. But larger
use means that more books wear out
More books desired by the public than
ever before are being published. The
stocking of new branch libraries pres
ents I. formidable problem TO be met
from an insufficient book fund.
General supplies Needed.
In the matter of general supplies the
library is deplorably handicapped. They
need typewriters and necessary printing.
For example, it was necessary to dis
continue the printing of the monthly list
of new books. The two old delivery
cars are practically falling to pieces
and they are costing more for repairs
than would keep new ones running, but
there is no appropriation for new cars
The people of Washington are get
ting very much better service than they
have any right to expect for the salar-
les that are being paid to the Public
Library staff" DIR. Bower1nan says. i'll
cllampioning the cause of his workers
He protests that they are a fine corps
of efficient employees, and are going
along uncomplainingly, although terribly
handicapped