Evening star., 1948-09-09
Library Seeks
Building, Tells
Of 0fImproviisiing
Report to D. c. Heads
Urges Action Present
Facilities Overtoxed

the Commissioners today in it's an
nual report for the year endet
June 30.
The proposed new main building
would house all public services il
connection with the library system
as we'll as administrative ant
processing Offices. The library re
port declared the construction can
not be indefinitely deferred"
Meanwhile, to ease the difficult
space situation, the library has be.
gun a broad-scale re-arrangemen
of shelving and floor space to make
room for more books. The report
said arrangement of shelves, new
shelving and use of microfilm will
permit the library to make 10000
additional books available to readers
by next year.
Temporary Expedient.
The report emphasized that these
measures are purely temporary
eXpedient undertaken by Librarian
Harry N. Peterson and his staff to
extend the usefulness of the old
Central Building at Mount Vernon
place NV.
Another space-saving method was
effected in the Children's room
where use was diminishing because
of population changes in the part
of Washington surrounding the
Central Building. Services were
contracted in the childrens room
to meet the ever-expanding re-
quirements of adults.
In other moves :" increase its
service to the public, the library:
Renovated part of the E. V. Brown
School building at cost of $4,000
for use as branch library in the
Chevy Chase section.
Had plans drawn up for proposed
branch Libraries at AnacoStia, Cleve-
land Park and Benning for submis-
sion to the municipal architect in
this fiscal year.
Part-time Branch Opened.
Ordered plans drawn for branch
Libraries at Woodbridge and Bright
wood.
Citizens Of the Cleveland Park
area, the report declared, contrib
uted so much money toward pur-
chase of a library branch site in
that section that the Board of Lii
brary Trustees decided to open a
temporary part-time branch in the
John Eaton School pending con-
struction of the new branch. Open
ing of this branch did not involve
any additional expense, the report
pointed out, because the personnel
used to man the branch were made
available by savings made else
where.
There are other sections of the
District which are glaringly devoid
of public library service, the worst
one being Benning, where the Ii
brary has a site and plan money.
but no funds for building the
report continued.
"Since the population In this area
has grown tremendously in recent
years, it is hoped that an appropria-
ton may soon become available for
construction. Funds also will be
needed in the near future for
branches elsewhere in the city,
BookmobiIe Is Planned.
The Library also is planning to
establish a bookmobile service for
those areas of the District lacking
branch libraries. This arrangement
is to be regarded only as tempo
rary stopgap measure, the report
said.
The report pointed out that a
bookmobile cannot give reference
service and makes only weekly visits
Thus, q bookmobile cannot be re-
garded as a substitute for branches,
but only as a supplementary service
for the circulation of books in home
reading.
For less immediate expansion of
services, the Board of Library Trus-
tees, headed by Albert w. Atwood,
submitted a revised plan for future
development Of public library facili-
ties to the director of planning, Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission. The plan calls for
a new main library and construction
Of additional branches in Brook
land, Tenley, Congress Heights and
the downtown section as we'll as in
the sections where plans already are
drawn up for branch buildings.
Both sites and money for con-
struction and plans are needed for
the proposed Tenley, Brookland,
Congress Heights and downtown
branches, the report declared. In
the interim, II previously proposed
branches have been dropped from
consideration.
Revised Plan Is Minimum.
"Thus the revised plan repre-
sents the irreducible minimum of
branch agencies needed if the City
of Washington is to have adequate
facilities to meet the reading and
education requirements of its popu-
lation," the report stated.
The report said it is contemplated
that each branch, present and pro-
posed, will become regional
library. They will make books avail
able lirectly to the public, but also
will service future satellite agencies
occupying rented stores, schools,
and other government buildings,
prefabricated buildings or quonset
huts on temporary sites, as popu-
lation changes and demands indi-
cote is necessary.
Satellite library agencies will be
established only when the need is
demonstrated, the report said, and
can be dropped when the need no
longer exists, or can be transferred
to other areas.
This plan will enable the Public
Library to furnish a flexible Serv-
ice at a minimum operation cost
and with the greatest degree OF ef-
ficiency," the report to the commits
sioners went on. Needless ~ say,
the success of the plan will depend
very largely on an adequate new
main library building"
In the statistical vein, the re-
port revealed that the District Pub
lie Library system operated during
the past fiscal year with:
Three hundred and twirty-two
full-ttme employees, % part time and