Evening star., 1932-05-14
ARTICLE 7.

ARTICLE 7.
HIX PER CENT of Washington
population will be deprived of the
library service it had expected al
~ a time when people. weary Of de-
preston and hopeful for a new
future, are turning to their libraries in
quest of educational advancement and
relaxation. if the Senate approve the
House elimination from the Public LII
brary fund in the 1888 budget OF the
SIS 900 with which construction OF the
proposed Georgetown Branch Library is
to be started.
The old reservoir at Wisconsin ave-
nue. and Reservoir street already has
been razed and excavations made for
erection of the library building on that
site, and unless work is carried on this
year it is probable it will have to be
done over, as no retaining walls exist
to hold back the earthen walls of the
pit.
Libraries throughout the country are
serving more people these days than at
any time in their history. Librarians
and educators explain the increased de-
mandS made upon them by the contention
that persons out of work or harried by
financial stress during the current eco
nomic difficulties are turning to books
for relief from worry.
Efforts Pushed.
Many of them are following deliber-
ate program of self advancement so
that they may be in better positions to
cope with the difficulties that have pro-
duced their ills Washington, DR.. George
F. Bowerman, librarian, says, is promi-
nent in this trend, and that is why he
and the library board of trustees are
eXerting every effort to establish the
Georgetown branch.
The Public Library, DR.. Bowerman
explains, is now serving approximately
80 per cent of the District population.
The proposed Georgetown branch would
raise that percentage to 38 per cent.
The additional per cent Of the popu-
lation thus to be served would come
from the $4,000 persons resident of
Georgetown, Burleith and Foxhall Viii
lage. This section embraces, besides the
residences, Georgetown University,
Western High Schc1l, Gordon Junior
High School, Fillmore and Jackson (ele-
mentary) Schools and IS other schools
within walking distance of the branch
site
The use which would be made of the
Georgetown library is indicated by the
results of opening other branches in the
District. Eighty-siX per cent of the
patrons of the recently opened North
east Branch, at Seventh street and
Maryland avenue, are new borrowers" +"
or persons who had not previously used
the Central Public Library or any of its
branches.
The remaining IA per cent of the
users are persons who transferred their
patronage from some other library. An
other fact reported by DR.. Bowerman
in connection with the Notheast Branch
is that the Southeast Branch, at Seventh
street and South Carolina avenue south
east, recorded gain in patronage dur
ing the same period that the Northeast
Branch was building its patron list.
Public Library statistics show further
that the library circulation in 1881 in
creased 16 per cent over 1880 and that
so far this year the circulation has
increased l6 per cent over 1881.
Aid Pledged by Nye.
In the face of this overwhelming
evidence of the use which citizens of
washington are making of their, ex-
listing library facilities, DR.. Bowerman
and his associates are convinced that
Georgetown, the Oldest section Of the
city, should have the branch which 1t
was scheduled to have under appro-
priationS to be made this year. Sena-
tor Gerald Nye of North Dakota, who
addressed mass meeting held by the
Georgetown Library Association re-
Gently agreed with the Georgetown
residents and the public librarian in
their contention and promised that
aiding them in their efforts before the
Senate to have the item reinserted
would be his distinct pleasure"
In his address to the citizens of
Georgetown, Senator Nye assailed the
extremes to which Congress is en-
deavoring to go toward economy" He
charged that in its efforts to economic,
Congress had been swept into slash
ing hysteria."