Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-13
FINANCIAL NEED
OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
URGED IN REPORT
Trustees Tell District Com
misSioners Maintenance
Fund Is Inadequate.
OTHER CITIES LEAD
IN FIGURES SHOWN
Larger Central Building, More
Branches, Books and Larger
staff Aims.

SO hkl4b IL may W CAPdAAu
service now being given the community
was urged in the annual report of the
board OF trustees presented to the Dis
trict Commissioners by Theodore w.
Moves, president of the library trustees,
and made public last night.
The most pressing needs, as described
in the report Of DR.. George r. Bower
man. librarian which accompanied that
of the trustees, are enlarged quarters
for the central building. more branches,
larger funds for books and binding and
q larger staff.
Improvement is shown all along the
line, in the quality of the work" the
report said especially in the increase
In purposeful reading resulting from
activities of the readers advisers; In the
steadily rising use of the improved
facilities for the study of local material
furnished by the Washington division;
in the increase in intelligent demands
made on the reference and research de-
partmentS, and in the enthusiastic re-
Spouse of parents and teachers. both as
groups and individuals, to the service OF
the children's department and the d.
vision Of pedagogy and child study"
"It is especially gratifying to the
trustees that legislation established
q subbranch on Conduit road and per-
nnits the opening of one at Woodbridge
during the current year." the report
continued; that site was purchased
for a major branch in northeast Wash
ington; and that the bill authorizing
two million dollar library expansion
program passed the House and was
fayorably reported to the Senate by the
senate committee on the District OF
Columbia, though it failed OF passage
owing to the congestion during the last
days Of Congress.
Comuarisons Are Noted.
The library. it is pointed out, still
falls below the standard maintained IN
other cities having q population OF
7OO. 900. however, with but three major
branches and I'VE suhbranches (includ-
ing the Woodbridge branch to be opened
in rented quarters next month"; whereas
the average in 80 cities Is 1871 In 2
comparative table of libraries in cities
If the above population for 1927-2e,
washington stands twenty fourth IN
respect to maintenance provisionh
Moreover. the share Of the Pubic LIZ
rsrv in the municipal budget Is out 90
ner cent, less than two-thirds OF the
average Of all cities.
I'm canvassing methods Tor the en-
4areement of the central building. Wnlcn
occupies space on Mount vernon
square. a Federal reservation under the
klIneryision of the once Of Pubic
Buildings and Public Parks OF the ma
tional Capital" the report stated, It
was discovered that there was opposi-
ton on the part of the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission 70
the endorsement OF the Dullellng IoWar ~
the north" After the appearance o!
the president of the library board ana
the librarian before the commission Tor
a discussion of the problem, the com
mission directed its consulting arcnl-
tect, Mr.. william T. Partridge, to
sketch plans for the enlargement OF
the central library by extensions to the
east and west. and voted to recon-
mend to the library trustees ana the
librarian the development OF plans
based on the sketch plan and perspec-
tive of Mr.. Partridge" -,
From the central library and all
branches 1851 621 volumes and 1884,
624 pictures were circulated into WASH
ington homes, ofices and schools DUR
ing the year. The number OF borrowers
nos. totals 1880, of whom 24,591 were
new registrants. Under the amended
law. which permits residents OF adjacent
counties in Maryland and Virginia TO
register with the library upon the pay.
Yner1t Of 50 each, % persons were ADDED
to the list of borrowers.
sIs,1S7 in Collections.
During the fiscal year the library
collected $l9.1S7.21 in fines, fees, ETC.,
which represents a small decrease from
the receipts OF 1923, due TO the reduc-
ton of the fines collected from children
from 2 cents a day to l cent day.
DR.. Bowerman said: 1T Is appropriate
20 mention, that. as required by the
amended library law, moneys coLecteo
as fees fines etc, are not now expeno-
able for library maintenance, but, since
the close of the fiscal year 1927, nave
been turned over to the collector Of
taxes Of the District OF Columbia 1or
deposit in the Treasury"
Numerous opportunities to encourage
further individual reading ana STUDY
came to the readers advisers from per
sens who received their mental stimulus
through motion pictures, grand opera,
day or night schools, Community In
stitute or National Geographic Society
lectures, mission study classes and
other recreational and educational
sources" DR.. Bowerman said. de.
velopment in group work characterized
the advisory service OF the past year :
and many instructors and leaders
brought their classes to the library Tor
stlitN. small coTlecUions of books were
sent to the Council of Social Agencies,
the district Fairgrounds ONCE and the
washington Child Research Center Tor
star study. Similar collections went
out to teachers for the study groups
OF LEe QdICnO~bCoSAlCA nSoO~Ao"ASAAS.
The readers advisers prepare book
lists at the request Of individuals TO
All their particular needs, as well as the
more formal type of list, such as that
on child study and parent education,
compiled for the American Library As
ISOLATION in cooperation with the
National Congress Of Parents and
Teachers.
In the reference department OF the
central library the number of questions
received by telephone increased 1913 per
cent over that of the previous years.
1r l.41a of the 9.046 questions recorded
by the department.
The Washingtoniana division COM
pleted its first year in its own quarters,
ACCOMPLISHING excellent results, accord
ing TO the report. This division took
part in the inaugural committee ex-
hibit. furnished material to be used by
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission in the preparation OF
q moving picture Of the history OF
Washington, and published revised
edition of the list of books about wash
lngton.
Division Name Changed.
The name of the former industrial
division was changed to technology oil
vision. as more nearly descriptive OF the
varied work undertaken by this divis'
ion. whose work with Federal Govern
nent and District Of Columbia depart.
Continued on Twenty-hfths Page0
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