Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-10
LIBRARY TRUSTEES
SEEK MORE FUNDS
Situation Acute and DiSCred'
liable to National Capital,
Board Says in Note.

able to the National Capital" the board
of Library trustees has submitted to
the District Commissioners estimates
totaling $767,7S5 for the maintenance
and extension of the system for the
fiscal year 1893, adopted at recent
meeting of the board.
DR.. George F. Bowerman, librarian, In
transmitting the estimates, stressed the
need for increased personal services, rec
ommending an expenditure OF S377 $50
an increase of $72,785 over the 1882
augmentation This item, however, IN
ciudes SLABS for the personnel OF the
new Northeastern Branch for six
month period to complete the year, only
one-half of which is included in the
1892 appropriation and cannot. there
fore, be regarded as expenditure tor
new personnel.
Budget Below Average.
Pointing out that the Library'S por-
ton of the Districts budget is far under
the average of American cities, the
trustees reminded the Commissioners
that only by relatively large increases
can the situation they had described De
remedied.
"The Library situation this year is
acute" DR.. Bowernan states. ADDED
to constantly increasing arrears in per-
sonnet (the gain in personnel in recent
years has been chiefly for new brancheSl
the Library lost this year the time of
seven employees by the enactment OF
the Saturday half holiday law and at
the same time gained is per cent in
circulation. Circulation figures are an
index to corresponding gains all along
the line in clerical detail and in ref
erence and advisory service. The new
positions asked for represent only those
urgently needed to relieve the pressure
and to keep the central building ana
major branches open from am. TO y
pm. on Saturdays so as 10 give the
Government employees opportunity to
carry on study and reading during their
free hours"
$247,00O for New Projects.
To carry forward the library's ex-
tension program the estimates carry a
total of $4,000 for new projects. These
new projects are the 1888 items on the
15-year and Swear programs requested
by the district Commissioners. One of
the most important Of these items of
homecoming Expenditures is the build
ing for the Georgetown branch, for
which Sl50,000 is asked. They include
in addition to the Georgetown branch
building, the plans and specifications
for the enlargement of the central
building; a site and plans and Specifi-
cations for q utility and storage
building In the vicinity Of the central
library; and the equipment Of branch
library to be opened in the auditorium
floox of the Metropolitan Methodist
Episcopal Church building in the NUM-
cipal Center, the ground floor of which
is now used by the library for business
Offices.
The central library building is
greatly overcrowded both in space for
the public and for administrative Of
fees. The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has approved the
use Of park ground for two additional
wings which will double the size of the
present building. The cost Of the two
wings, including equipment, is estimated
at $500, 900. It Is proposed to erect one
wing in each of two successive years
and the estimate submitted, 10000, is
for the preparation Of plans and specif1-
cations.
Storage Building Needed.
A storage and utility building in the
vicinity OF the central library Is greatly
needed. Utilization of space for such
purposes in the enlarged central build
ing would be uneconomical and would
greatly reduce the space which should
active demand, to administrative offices
and to the public. The sum Of $4,000
is asked for the preparation Of plans
for such storage and utility building.
The 1888 estimate for books is $4,000
less than the appropriation for S932,
when the amount of $84 500 covered the
basic appropriation of 500 for books
and periodicals for the existing system
and $4,000 for the book collection Of
the new Northeastern branch. The
$50 500 carried in the estimate for 1888
covers a base of $54, 500; $4,000 for
the Northeastern branch, and $4,000
for the collection Of the proposed
municipal center annex branch.
The item for binding is increased to
$4,000 from $4,000. With the in
crease in book purchases and in circu-
lation, and the wear and tear Of each
succeeding year, constantly enlarging
number of books are in need OF repair
and binding. This condition makes 1t
imperative to augment the binding fund
to keep these books available for public
use and to prevent deterioration from
limited storage space.
wouId Repair Buildings.
AS five out of the ten buildings in the
library system are over 40 years old, the
sum of $500 has been added to the
estimate for maintenance OF buildings
TO bring them INTO better state OF Te-
pair and to replace certain major items
Of equipment. DR.. Bowern1an states in
his covering letter to the Commissioners
that this sum is needed ito meet the
situation CT the chronic state OF diSre-
pair into which the library buildings
have fallen" In addition, for 1888
there will be full year of maintenance
for the Northeastern branch, plus fun
year Of maintenance for the Municipal
Center Annex branch.
Altogether, $50, 100 Is asked for main
tenance, or a total increase OF Sl3,6OO
over the appropriation Of $24,5oO for
1882.
The library trustees urge the Com
missioners TO approve their estimates in
their entirety. They give it as their
opinion that the Public Library Is
probably the outstanding example OF the
most seriously underdeveloped and I'M
Unsupported agency In the District"
They point out that the library's por-
ton of the Districts budget is far under
the average of American cities and that
the local system Of branch libraries Is
so little developed that they estimate
that tWo-thirds Of the Districts popula-
ton are, in effect, denied library Serv-
ice. The library trustees state that
only by relatively large increases in our
appropriations can we hope to remedy
the present situation, which is so unfair
to the majority of our population and
80 discreditable to the National Capital.