The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-03


 retary and librarian were read and accepted and the usual number ordered printed. Tn accordance with a resolution passed some time ago approving changing members of the executive committee so that every member of the board would serve term. and in this way fam1l- iarfze himself with the running of the institution, Bernard FitZpat- rick w. $. Jones and F. Vincent Maloney were elected to that com mittee, succeeding Charles A. Ba- bin. John A. Coe, and F. $. Chase.
 The members chosen for this purpose, with the officers, Martin Scully, president, Edwin C. North - TOD, treasurer. and John l.. GaH- ney secretary. constitute the eXecu- tive committee.
 The librarian. Miss Emelyn NJ. Barrett, was reelected for another term, without change in salary, which is $3000 a year.
 A Yale scholarship was awarded to Milton Jennes.
 The reports of the librarian and treasurer follow:
 The report of the Bronson librarian showed gain in the de- mand for books over that Of last year. The usual number was ordered printed for distribution. 1t was as follows:
 To the Board of Agents of the
 Silas Bronson Library:
 The report of the librarian for the year ending December 31, 1881 is herewith submitted. This report, like those of previous years, consists of summaries of the re- ports submitted to me by heads of departments and branch librarians together with my own comments on matters of general interest. present progress and future needs.
 In common with other public libraries throughout the country, we have for the years 1850 and 1881 been faced with an unusual demand for books as result or the prevailing unemployment situ- ation and, as is the case with many libraries in highly industrial iZed cities, we have had to meet the increased demands made upon us with considerably reduced ap- prcpriation. Library budget ap- propriations have never permitted extravagant expenditures and 1t has been tax upon us to further re- duce expenses and at the same time render the satisfactory ser vice given in the past. Members of the library staff have accepted the additional work imposed upon by these conditions, cheerfully and willingly, and for the year 1891 we not only maintained the gain of 3S,O00 circulation reported for 1880 but added to this another 10000, making the net gain 48,O0O for these two years of business depression.
 One forward step denoting def mite progress was made during the year, the securing of larger and more suitable quarters and what is likely to be d permanent home for the Waterville branch. The proposed plans for this project, as worked out by the executive committee of the library board of agents and outlined in the 1880 library report, were carried through and completed and the remodeled building ready for oc- cupancy on September first. The increased use of this branch dur ing the last four months of the year, as indicated by the number of books circulated, seems to have Justified a belief that the branch could, in more adequate loca- ton, surpass its best circulation records of 17,000 or 5000 volumes.
 The principal statistical facts concerning the library system, it's book collection and service to readers, are shown in the tables at the end of this report. Table l gives a comparative report of the circulation of books over period of ten years.
 Use of The Books.
 Although no actual count is kept of the books, magazines and news papers used for reading and study within the library, it was apparent at all times from our overVroWded reading and newspaper rooms that large numbers of people out of work were utilizing their spare time in reading. Some were talk ing advantage of enforced leisure to make themselves more pro- ficient by reading the books and magazines pertaining to the par ticular trade in which they had been employed or to acquaint themselves with new lines of work. Some were reading simply to be-
 
 means of passing the time because there was little else to do. Some few used the library as place of refuge.
 The total number of volumes loaned for home use was 5a4, ,7O3. This is the largest circulation ever recorded in the history of the li- brary. That this circulation is to some extent due to lack of em- ployment in the city is evidenced by the fact that the gain in the number of volumes loaned was al- most entirely in the adult depart ments of the main library and the three branches. Erratic gains and losses in the circulation of chil- dren's books were recorded throughout the entire system at totally different times of the year. At the three branches losses dur ing some months of the year were offset by unusual gains during others, but at the children's room of the central library, in the class room collections sent to the public and parochial schools and at the summer pIaygrounds, this balance was not maintained and the result was net loss in children's circula- ton of several thousand volumes for the year.
 Of the 554,703 books circulated. 53.5 per cent were adult and 46.5 | per cent, juvenile. The circulation | per capita of population is now 5.5 volumes and the circulation per capita of registered borrowers in | the central library and the branch es, 25.6 volumes.
 Branch Libraries.
 With the moving of the Water vile branch to the annex of the | Waterville fire-house our three branch libraries are now located In buildings belonging to the city and may therefore be looked upon as being in permanent homes. The Waterville branch with shelving | capacity for some 2,000 volumes will no doubt in it's new location adequately serve the future as well as the present needs of the com