Evening star., 1945-09-25
Service 10 City
Is Keynote Of
Library Report
Citizens Kept Posted
On World Issues
Bourd Head Writes

Boord Head Writes
The District Free Public Library
vas more useful to Washington
,itizens-through lending of books,
giving information and opening new
1944-5 than ever before,
the Board of Trustees declared to-
day in its annual report to the Dis
trict Commissioners.
"The library is always seeking to
make its resources more effective
In the lives Of Washington citizens
Theodore w. Noyes, president of the
board, wrote In the report, more
than ever important at this time of
world upheaval, marked by need OF
all citizens for authoritative in
formation in regard to local, ma
tional and international issues"
The report included a statistical
analysis by Miss Clara Herbert,
librarian of the Free Public Library.
of the assets of the library. This
year the l8 branches had a total Of
720.972 volumes, she said.
The public information service the
library maintains equals in i'm
portance the number of books avail
able, the trustees report stressed.
mo longer is the general use Of
the library for readers who select
their own books from the shelves
and depart" the report continued.
Now the service is personal, Ii
brarian to reader, involving knowl-
edge of pertinent material and an
intuitive recognition of the implied
need"
l1,607 Questions Asked.
Questions asked In the central IL
brary alone, for example, totaled
11,607 - 40 per cent more than
the average number asked four
years ago. Other branch libraries
had similar increases of requests for
information to meet personal needs.
such as their home life jobs, school,
ing and recreation. the report stated.
The number of books borrowed
increased l45 1868 during the fiscal
year over the preceding fiscal year,
totaling 2,482 300.
There is every indication of q
boom in the home use of books with
the termination of the war and the
shorter work week." Mr.. Noyes de-
clared
These heavier public demands
were met in the midst of the highest
personnel turnover in the history Of
the library, the report indicated.
Personnel turnover was 81 per cent,
with particular difficulty experienced
in getting page boys and ONCE
clerks.
Backlog of Repair Work.
A huge backlog of repair work
has piled up during the war years.
but considerable progress was made
during the past fiscal year on get@
ting entirely new library buildings,
Congress appropriated money for
branch sites in Brookland, Tenley-
town and Benning. Halt the money
for a branch in Cleveland Park was
granted by Congress. The rest wa.
raised during the year by the citi'
zens of the neighborhood.
Money has been given during The
1856 fiscal year for plans also fo'
new branches in Anacostia ano
Pleasant Plains. New sites for which
funds have been appropriated dur
ing this fiscal year are in the
Brightwood and Woodbridge areas.
| In addition, the library trustees
have hopes they may soon be able
to move the Central Library from
its present site at Eighth and K
streets NV. to the new building at
Pennsylvania avenue and John
Marshall place NV, occupied in
wartime by the War Department.
Hope Of occupying the new Gen.
tral Library within the ensuing year
was given by the appropriation Of
$1,000 for furniture and equip
ment, and by the excellent news
from the war front, Mr.. Noyes said.
Much better service will be possible
in this more favorable location"
New Services Established.
New services established this year
included library at the Glenn Dale
Sanitarium for tubercular patients
and a literature discussion group
for adults at the Central Library.
To interest adolescents In good
reading and the habit of using the
library" staff members have been
trying to maintain even closer rela-
tions with teachers. librarians and
students in the senior high schools,
the report said.
THE importance of maintaining
the interest of adolescents is fully
recognized" Mr.. Noyes declared.
Services in the childrens' rooms
had to be curtailed because of per-
sonnel shortages, but reading groups,
class visits, story hours and pup-
pet shows were increased.
Various technical processes were
improved.
In addition, an increased use was
made by the public of ad audio-
visual devices, such as language
records and films. The Washing
tonian division of historical and
current material on the city, was
reopened after a lapse of some time
and was widely used. Hours were
extended at the Woodbridge and
Chevy Chase branches.