Evening star., 1925-10-14

suggestions of books for discussion
lat a Women's club next Winter.
| The industrial division had year Of
usefulness. an increase of .50i in cir
! CulatiOn of books and magazines being
recorded and a noticeable increase in
| inquiries for practical assistance.
| Business literature, books on agricul-
ture and gardening. but most of all
popular books on science. had extreme
lily wide use.
| Need Cash to Reach Children.
DR.. Bowernan's statement stressed
| that the children's s department has de-
! Veioped as far as IL can with the pres
ent personnel. equipment and space
( available. having circulated 536. .906
/ volumes during the year. The statistics
Of the yearly expenditures of the Dis
/ trict of Columbia show that 1e.9 per
cent of the total funds of the District
We're spent for charities and correc-
tions, while only o. per cent was spent
/ on the libraries of the District. The
Childrens s librarian n believes that an In
I crease of expenditure for children .
reading would result in sma Her ex-
! penditures for charities and correc-
tions. Classroom library work has be-
come firmly esta blished with the
graded teachers. and as the junior
| high schools materialize the service
| is being carried over to them. The cir
culation of 1858 mounted pictures
Is the largest in the history of the
picture division, the division meeting
many requests for ma gazine, newspa
per and book illustrations and mate
rails for commercial purposes.
The librarys book collection now
numbers III, ,495 volumes. Accessions
during the past year numbered 26.422
volumes. of which 22.6g6 were pur-
chased at an average cost OF Sl.53.
! The staff of the catalog department
was increased temporarily to 13 to
accomplish the task Of shelf listing
cataloging and making ready for cir
culation 1900 books for the opening
Of the Mount Pleasant Branch.
High Standard Maintained.
An average of 5000 volumes
month is sent To the binding de-
partment many of them being prob
lens aside from their physical con-
dition. being old or inferior editions
out of date publications giving mis-
| information or unattractive and un-
used volumes that do not add TO the
value of the collection. Elimination
| is constantly but cautiously going on
to maintain the standard of the libra
ry resources. 1t was stated.
A large part of the libra rian's re-
| port was devoted to the needs of the
| library and plans for the extension
and development of library service in
I Washington. Besides the failure to
provide for the children at the Mount
! Pleasant Branch, appropriations were
denied which would have provided for
branch libraries in certain public
schools, notably the Eastern High
School and Bell and Deanwood
Schools. These branch libraries have
| long been sought by the library trus-
tees and school board in accordance
with the plan approved by successive
Boards of District Commissioners
insufficient appropriations also have
made necessary the closing of the
central building and branches every
| Wednesday at pm.
Ihe constant natural growth OF
every line of activity of the main
library during several years. in ad-
d1t1on to the work involved In the
purchase and cataloging of books for
new branches, has never been met bv
corresponding increase in staff
the report added.