Evening star., 1933-04-30
GROWTH IN LIBRARY
WORK IS REPORTED.
DR.. G. F. BoWermaR Testifies
Before Senate Group on
D. C. Appropriations.

The work of the District Public Lii
brary system increased at a vastly
greater rate since 1929 than the staff
which was provided to conduct the in
stitutions, DR.. George F. Bowerman,
librarian, told the Senate sub-commit-
tee on District appropriations at the re-
cent budget hearings, it is revealed in
the record of testimony.
While urging the committee to ap
propriate sufficient funds to keep the
present library staff intact, DR.. Bower
man showed that since 1929 the work
of the libraries increased 66 per cent,
while the staff to accommodate read
ers was increased but 1875 per cent and
that the increase there was due largely
to establishment of the new Northeast
ern Branch Library.
Comments on Decline.
Commenting on slight decline in
library circulation between 1928 and
1929, DR.. Bowerman said:
Il suppose when We were On the top
of the wave people did not read so
much. There was fall of l per cent
in circulation; but the circulation in
the fiscal year was ,561 900. 1t began
mounting with the beginning of the de-
preston, and it went up, up, up and up.
At the end of the calendar year 1882 1t
was 2,495 900. For the year ended
March 81 It was 2601 900 volumes. In
other words, there was a 66 per cent
increase in the number of books loaned.
! have already indicated something of
the character of the books. but readers
also want books on international af-
fairs, on the causes of the depression,
and books of biography. Those are
some OF the things that they are ask
ing for; and, curiously, in that great
increase in circulation there has been
q small percentage drop in the use of
fiction. 1t is more serious books that
they are taking up.
It have projected both these lines to
show what it will be in the future.
We predict that in the near future We
may be serving $4,000 people at the
end of the year and that the number
Of books circulated may reach 2,75o,,-
600. Perhaps We will not quite reach
these figures"
Reductions Made.
As the bill came from the House the
item for salaries in the library system
was cut by S11,524 and the book item
had been cut from s54,500 in the orig
iral bill, which failed on March 4, to
$4,000. In order to avoid the posi-
bility of closing any of the subbranch
libraries to meet the cut in personnel,
DR. Bowerman suggested that if the per-
sonnel item cannot be restored au-
thority be given to transfer some of
the money from the already inadequate
book fund to the salary payment fund.
To emphasize the necessity Of keep
ing all the subbranch libraries going,
DR.. Bowerman told the committee that
Washington, with its limited number of
branches, has almost as large library
circulation as Baltiomre, with its 27
branches.
Not Asking for Increase.
I'VE are not asking at the present
moment in this depression for an en-
larged force" DR.. Bowerman testified,
but we certainly. ought not to have to
reduce the force so that we cannot
meet this emergency"
In response to questions, DR.. Bower
man pointed out that some of the per-
sons who are coming to the libraries at
this time are seeking rc-education.
They are thrown out of one job" he
said, land they cast about for some
other employment, and they come to
the library and try to find some book
that will give them suggestions"