Evening star., 1924-11-23

II known and as inevitably
4 used by the entire COM
munity as the post office. but
great. continuation school and an
agency for intellectual and spiritual
emancipation (Which Is the ideal of
public library work., has been de-
veloped here during the past 20 years
by DR.. George F. Bowerman, Wash
ington's public librarian.
The President Of the United States,
United States Senators and Repre-
sentatives. officers of the Federal and
District governments and of civic,
artistic. literary. scientific and educa-
tional organizations and representa-
tive citizens, are being invited by the
library trustees and the library staff
to attend reception at the central
library. December 3. in honor of DR..
Bowerman's service to the public.
The National Capital. which in
many respects Is a model for the rest
of the country. is not yet a model
with regard to its free Public Library
for two principal reasons: First, 1t
lacks adequate financial support, re-
ceiving only "a cents per capita Of
population. while the American
Library Association sets 81 per capita
as the minimum requirement for good
library service; and, second, the de-
mands upon 1t are different from those
on most local libraries.
!. y "
Right here 1t should be emphasize
that the army of Government en-
ployes in Washington, many of them
requiring scientific and technical
literature. such as workers in the
Washington navy yard, Bureau of
Standards and engineers of all sorts
engaged on Government projects. as
well as the numerous personnel of
the many national associations that
have established their headquarters
in Washington, look to the Public
Library to supply their needs-which
makes a drain on the library such as
is found in few other cities.
Most people throughout the country
have an idea that the famous Library
of Congress. a wonderful collection of
rare and even unique books, serves
the local community just the same
as a town library does. 1t must be
borne in mind that though the
reference department of the Library
of Congress is open to all corners
from any place. this great library Is
primarily for the use of Congress and
the privilege of general home use of
books is restricted by statute to men,
bers and certain employees of Con-
gress. the Supreme Court and certain
very limited number of other officials.
So the Public Library of the Dis
trict of Columbia must carry on"
for all those brought here by Con-
gress and Uncle Sans workshop,
lishment in all the world-as well as
meet the needs Of the local residents.
Inspired and encouraged by this
extraordinary call for service. DR..
Bowerman has not allowed himself
to be discouraged by the extreme diff
ficulty of getting anything like ade-
Quate appropriations, and under his
administration the library has had
remarkable expansion. When he first
came here, September l, 1904, a little
over a year after the library had oc-
cupied it's present central building, at
Seventh street and New York avenue,
the library had about $4,000 volumes,
a staff of 81 persons, an annual ap-
preparation of about $4,000. Its an
nual home circulation was 2I8,O00
volumes, S4 per cent of which was
fiction. The library work was con-
fined to the central library and one
station conducted by volunteers. A
small beginning had been made at
work for children, but there was no
work with schools or other outside
agencies.
In spite al the difficulties experi-
enced by voteless Washington in Sc
curing the appropriations needed for
carrying on the work of public insti-
tutions, the library's appropriations
for maintenance for the current year
are $4,000. Its collection now num-
bers nearly 100000 volumes and more
than $4,000 mounted pictures. also
pamphlets. maps and clippings, and
it circulated last year 1,136,000 vol
umes and 100 900 pictures. The per-
centage of fiction in the book circu
lation has been reduced in the 20
years from 81 to 81.
The library has two branches in
separate buildings, with third near
ing completion, but it operates
through total of 10 different
agencies. consisting, besides the
branches, of deposits in schools and
colleges, stations, home Libraries and
Summer camps. Nearly half of its
circulation is from its three children's
rnnms and through practically every