The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-08

Where does amber come from and what is 1t?
 Why Is the expression thumbs down" used as Q mark of disap- proval2
 What Is tare weight?
 What are the Elgin Marbles?
 Outstanding additions to the Ref erence collection during the year were the Prentice Services on unemployment insurance; federal taxes, and labor; the Federal Code Annotated; the latest revision of the 14th edition of the Encyclo- paedia Britannica and the Interna- tional Encyclopaedia of Music and Musicians.
 Business and Industrial Department
 For over twenty years the Bron- son Library, serving as 1t does an industrial city, has maintained Q separate department which furnish es books and information on bus mess and industrial subjects. In 1888 the visitors to this room numbered 24,230, an increase of 3s per cent over 1887. The number of books cir culated was i0,352, an increase of 36 per cent over the number loaned in 1887. The number of questions an- swered was 3,829, an increase of 3i per cent over questions answered in 1897.
 During the year three lists of new books added to this department were sent to local factories and business firms. Their reception was most gratifying. We hope to be able to send these lists out monthly during 1899.
 One of the greatest needs in the Business and Industrial Department today is Q collection of out-of-town city directories. At present we can supply only telephone directories and then only those which we are able to get on an exchange basis. There is no place in the city where one can obtain the out-of- town ad- dress of person not having c tele- phone. There Is hardly Q day which does not bring requests for this kind of information which 1t is really the function of business library to supply. A collection of city director les represents considerable expen- allure yearly, but one which should be provided for in any modern bus- mess library budget.
 Work With Children
 One half of all books loaned dur. ing the year were borrowed by chil- dren using the childrens room of the central library, the branches and the school deposit and play ground collections. The work of the Children's Department, however, is not measured solely in terms of books issued for home reading. In addition:
 Instruction was given to 42 class es in the use of simple reference books and the card catalog.
 Visits were made to i24 classrooms to encourage reading and the use of the library.
 sixty-seven story hours were held with an average attendance of 8 children at each story hour.
 Ten marionette and puppet shows were given at the central library and at Rose Hill Branch. This ac- tivity was carried on as c W. P. A. project for which the library is in- debted to MT. Walden Trimble for instruction and direction, to Mir. Michael Russo for scenery and to MT. Albert Spagnola for help fin puppet making.
 Three new library rooms were opened at Chase, Slocum and Walsh Schools. These rooms replace the old deposit system still used in other schools. Under the old system c box of 50 books was sent to each class room to be used, on an average, by 40 children, who might differ great ly in reading ability. Under the new system. all books sent to c school are collected in q library room where children may come and choose books suited to their individ- uai development instead of to their school grade. Members of the Chil- dren's Department staff of the Bronson Library go to these schools once week to give out books, thus bringing about closer contact be- tween teachers, children. and the library.
 In Conclusion
 Tn my i037 report l outlined the need for . modern central library building. This seems even less like- ly of attainment now than it did c year ago. A proposed W. P. A. pfo- jeet for the remodelling of Brooklyn Branch shows some promise of be. ing approved as . project during the coming year. This would be one forward step toward the improve mcnt of our branch library system. Howevef, with reduced City Ap.