Evening star., 1952-09-14
Public Library
Lending Rises
$4,000 in Year
Officials Note Gains
Over Previous Yeur
Despite N Growth

circulated 79, 700 more books tina,
the previous 12-month figure.
Total book circulation wa
2,127,040 among Washington,s l!
libraries and the bookmobile, Ii
brary officials told the Commits.
Sioners in their annual report fol
fiscal 1852. released yesterday.
Nearly three-quarters of the in.
crease, moreover, represented
juvenile patronage. But whether
this indicates that the children
are beginning to turn their back,
on TV in favor of the writer
word, authorities are reluctant tx
say.
Three Factors Cited
They pointed to these factors:
l. Readers were permitted tt
take out five instead of three
books.
2. Adjustment to the tensions
of the Korean conflict - anc
hypertense living conditions ir
general-brought about greater
devotion to reading.
8. Population growth.
TV Novelty Believed Gone.
But on the subject of TV, IL
brary officials presumed that its
novelty has worn off. Television
apparently was making its full i'm
pact here in 1950-51, if public
book figures are any guide. That
year. only 2,047,773 books were
circulated, a drop of $4,000 from
the preceding year.
The increase in adult leadership
was traced partly to interest in
the Presidential election. Many
requests were made for material
on National conventions, political
parties and past elections. Stefan
Lorant's "The Presidency" was in
wide demand in this category.
Scandals Prompt Reading.
Another popular subject was
morality in public life, ostensibly
q result of the various scandals in
the Government. Wide reader in
terest in Communism also was
noted.
Religious books were in great
demand, particularly the interpre-
tive works Of Fulton Oursler. To-
days staggering living costs drove
many readers to the bookshelveS
for advice on budgeting, house.
hold remodeling and mechanical
repairs. Science, as represented
by such perceptive works as Ra-
chel Carson'S THE Sea Around
U.s." evoked considerable reader
interest.
The Library staff devoted a good
deal Of its time making all the
$50, ,000-volume stock more easily
accessible.
In the schools division, arrange
ments for delivery of books were
made well in advance so that col
lections might be on hand in the
schools by opening day tomorrow.
Pickup and delivery of books was
changed from a weekly basis to
daily. BY working directly with
school principals instead of teach
ers as before, the library saved ex-,
penSe and time for other pur-
poses.
Another Bookmobile Needed.
The problem of getting sufficient
books to areas not served by
branch libraries convinced au-
thorities last year of the need for
an additional bookmobile. The
one in service reached an unpre-
cedented high in circulation, dis
tributing 105.400 volumes, 28.399I
more than the previous year.
According to a library Spokes-
man, some locations could use
double or triple the time allotted.
The library has a request for AMI
extra bookmobile in the 1854 bud
get.
The book reclassif1cation prof.
ect, undertaken in 1947 to enable
easier location of volumes by sub
jectS, to date has covered nearly
300, 900 volumes. Despite the COM
plexity of the program. the Gen.
tral Library and some of the
branches have reclassified up to 70I
per cent of their daily non-f1ction
circulation.
The library system had a net
increase of $1,000 volumes during
fiscal 1852. These included gift
copies of Our National Capital
and It's Un-Americanized Ameri-
cansP by the late Theodore w.
Ncyes, editor of The Star.
More Microfilm Files.
Complete newspaper coverage
of Washington from 1900 to the
present was reached with the &C
uuisition of more microfilm files
of The Star and The National In
telligencer. A microf1lm of the
New York Times from 1913 to 1850
was also completed last year.
Among other accomplishments.
the beginning of construction on
the Cleveland Park Memorial
Library was noted. Library Of
ficials again pointed out the need,
however, for expanding the So
year-old Central Library, at
Mount Vernon Square. AS that
proposal now stands. the Fine Arts
Commission is opposed because it
doesn't want the park around the
present building wiped out. A
committee of the National Park
and Planning Commission has
been studying the expansion
plans since last April.
Personnel-wise, the library sys-
tenn is in good shape despite the
fact that the starting pay scale
for the Districts Librarians Is
lower than that Of six other COM
parable areas where the living
cost. moreover, is lower. The pro-
fessional posts here have been
consistently" filled in the past
year, and there are more job ap-
plications on hand now than IN
onv recent wear.