Evening star., 1923-10-12
LIBRARIAN PLEADS
FOR BRANCH NEEDS
Employees and Funds Urged
by BoWerman for School
I Equipment.

More employees and more funds with
which to equip branch libraries in
neighborhood schools are cited as
outstanding needs of the Free Public
Library by DR.. George F. Bowerms n.
chief librarian. in his annual report
10 the commissioners. DR.. Bower
mans summary of library conditions
IS supplemental to the report of the
trustees. made public yesterday.
THE condition of a desperately in
Sufficient staff has not been relieved"
said DR.. Bowerman. Indeed, 1t was
made worse by the cutting a year
ego OF $500 from the appropriation
Tor substitutes in the face of an
force needed to do present work and
the extra work incident to prepara-
tion of books for new branches.
This compelled a, further draft
on the Hbrary's receipts from fines,
which, in turn, meant that fewer
books could be purchased.
1t has not been possible to get
away from the bad habit of closing
every Wednesday,. at 8 pm. For the
coming year another $500 was clipped
from the appropriation for service.
this time from the funds for Sunday
and holiday opening, with the result
that the library must close aItOgether r
Nu summer Sundays and on more
holidays and must shorten its sun
day and holiday hours to to pm
IN the face of a recognized need for
longer hours and for the opening of
the branches on holidays"
Book Funds Needed.
DR.: Bowerman recalled to the COM
nissioners that, although a library
room Is available in the new Eastern
iligh School, 1t must go unused until
funds are made available for books,
service and other supplies.
1t has been Planned to have library
rooms in the new Macfarland and
Langley Junior High Schools. now
Tearing completion, but the public
library has no funds with which to
equip them.
In addition to the large home use
OF books, DR.. Bowerman reported that
the reference service of the library
ttons during the year. Scores OF
students used the library as a gath
ring place for material for school
debates.
The children's department of the
library renders unique service. OF
this work the librarian says:
The new southeastern branch, with
its pleasant children's room, opening
up reading opportunities for about
10000 children hitherto deprived
of such privilege, and presaging
branches in other sections of the city
IS step forward for Washington
The circulation of over half million
Volumes to the children of Washing
ton for the current year, therefore
only indicates what the response
would be in Mount Pleasant, George
town, the northeastern and south.
western sections of the city and the
suburbs of the District were library
facilities, including children's rooms
generally available.
With the erection and opening OF
the southeastern branch library ac.
complished, and with the site pur-
chased and the plans in progress for
the Mount Pleasant branch, a sub
stantial new beginning has been made
toward the development Of the system
of separate branch libraries, to in
clude not less than the seven provid-
ed for in the 1917 program. That
program called for branches in Ia
Roma Park (opened in November
191D. In the southeast (opened in
December, 1920, in Mount Pleasant
tto be opened, it is hoped, on January
J. 1920, in the northeast. in the south
west, in Georgetown and in the vicin-
ity of Dupont Circle.
washington is far behind other CON-
parable American cities in branch L.
brary development, and it is nigh time
that strenuous efforts should be put
forth to bring 1t up to date. The
ture, book circulation and branch
library provision in American cities
above 100000 population shows that
these thirty-one cities includinG one
city. having no branches, one city
having only ono branch and Wash
ington with its two branches) have
an average Of fif. cen branch libraries
of which an average of eight are in
separate buildings. This table shows
Cincinnati (slightly larger than