USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1898 > Part 12
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CONDENSER
A new condenser is very much needed, of a sufficient capacity to take care of both sets of pumps when running for fires. At the present time we have to run one set high pressure and one set to the condenser, which taxes one boiler to its utmost to supply steam.
CONSUMPTION
The total quantity of water pumped during the past year, 188,352,- 220 gallons. By months :
December 1897 15,230,955 gallons.
January 1898
16,197,412 66
February 1898
14,619,952 66
March 1898
16,925,623 66
April 1898. 14,940,311
May 1898
16,316,763
66
June 1898
16,311,773
July 1898
16,890,792
August 1898
16,264,966
September 1898
16,329,812
October 1898
14,825,786
November .13,498,075 66
2.42
ANNUAL REPORTS
Average per day for year, 516,033 gallons. Coal used for year, 733,- 854 pounds ; coal used per day, 1898, 2,010 pounds ; coal used per day, IS97, 2,2So pounds.
NEW STANDPIPE AND FOUNDATION
Plans were prepared for a new standpipe and foundation by Percy M. Blake, and a contract was awarded to Cashman Brothers to build a solid granite foundation. Work was commenced on the same in the be- ginning of August and finished within four weeks in a first-class man- ner. The ground was then graded withi gravel sufficiently for inen to work on the erection of the standpipe. The grading could not be finished uutil the old standpipe is taken down.
E. Hodge & Co. of East Boston were awarded the contract to build a new steel standpipe 40 feet diameter by 65 feet high. The erection commenced in the middle of October and is nearly completed, and it is expected to be put into commission about December 2nd. This work has all been done in a good substantial manner, and is a credit to Mr. Blake, E. Hodge & Co. and the Cashman Bros.
MAINS
I am pleased to report that there were no breaks on the mains for the past year.
ELECTROLYSIS
This much-vexed question of how to prevent electrolysis, which has done so much damage to our mains and services, has been overcome in my opinion by the use of insulated copper wires attached to the mains wherever its presence was found, and return the same to the electric generator from which the current started. This has now been in use nearly two years and we have had no perceptible trouble from this source since.
SMALL MAINS
The I 1-2 inch and 2 inch wrought iron cement lined mains have caused considerable trouble on Otis Place, owing to the cast iron fittings filling up with rust and stopping the flow of water. Most of the fittings had to be broken and replaced by new ones before a sufficient flow could be obtained.
LEAKS
Three leaks on the lead goose necks were discovered and repaired during the year.
EXTENSION OF MAINS
Coffin's Court, I I-2 inch cement lined. I22 feet. Noble street, 2 inch cement lined . 668 «
243
WATER COMMISSIONERS
State street,
6 inch cast iron
161 feet.
Parker 6 "
841
Hill
6 "
2360
Dalton 6
2Q
Myrtle avenue, 16 inch cast iron.
387
Hill street, 6
hydrant branches 3.
Parker street, 6
.2.
A six inch cast iron service 123 feet long was laid for a fire hydrant placed in the yard of the Fiberloid Manufacturing Co.
A two inch cement lined service 1550 feet long with 12 flush hose hydrants was laid for the Belleville Cemetery Association.
There were 69 new house services laid during the year. Number of services in to date 3160 ; in active use 2636.
NEW GATES
High street
one 12 inch gate.
Stand pipe
Spofford street 66
66
8
Hill street
66
6
State street.
6
Dalton street
66
4
66
There were 28.26 miles of mains in the streets when the city took possession of the works, and there has been added 1.33 miles by the city, making a total of 29.58 miles.
WE HAVE ON HAND
I length 16 inch pipe. . value $ 18 00
32
8
185 00
24 6 " 6.
93 00
15 4 66
40 00
4000 1bs. special castings
100 00
2 fire hydrants
50 00
1 6 inch gate valve
16 00
I 12 inch gate valve
35 00
I57 service boxes
66
110 00
2000 feet I inch cement lined pipe
80 00
500 2 " 66 66
50 00
2000 2 “ tarred pipe
160 00
3000 I 66
66 66
103 00
3 hydrant posts
30 00
Total
$1,071 00
66
16
16
8
Merrimac street
2.44
ANNUAL REPORTS
METERS
Number of meters in houses .24
66 " manufactories, etc 45
Total
69
Respectfully submitted,
WILLIAM H. LAWRENCE, Superintendent. January 28, 1899.
Annual Report
OF THE
Directors of the Public Library
PUBLIC LIBRARY
IN BOARD OF DIRECTORS, December 19, 1898.
VOTED, that the report presented be accepted and adopted as the annual report of the board for 1897; that the librarian's report be ac- cepted and incorporated with the above, that the names of the directors be signed by the librarian and that the whole be transmitted to the city council.
Attest, JOHN D. PARSONS, Sec'y.
TRUSTEES OF THE LIBRARY-1899
- THOMAS HUSE, MAYOR. ALDERMEN :
EBEN C. KNIGHT,. IRVIN BESSE, J. H. BALCH, JR. JAMES F. CARENS, WVM. G. FISHER, ALBERT H. BECKFORD
DIRECTORS OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
THOMAS HUSE, Mayor. Ex-officio ARTHUR P. BROWN, President of Common Council
EDWARD S. MOSELEY, Trustee of building fund
ELISHA P. DODGE,
LAWRENCE B. CUSHING
MOSES BROWN, term of office expires. 1899
RUDOLPH JACOBY, term of office expires . 1900
WILLIAM R. JOHNSON, term of office expires. 1901 NATHAN N. WITHINGTON, term of office expires 1902
ALBERT C. TITCOMB 1903
ALBERT W. HITCHCOCK
1904
WILLIAM C. COFFIN
1905
TRUSTEES OF PEABODY FUND
EDWARD S. MOSELEY, JOHN J. CURRIER
WILLIAM H. SWASEY, BENJAMIN HALE
LAWRENCE B. CUSHING
LIBRARIAN. . JOHN D. PARSONS ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN EFFIE A. TENNEY EXTRA ASSISTANT E. S. THURSTON
SUPERINTENDENT OF READING ROOM MARTHA P. LUNT
JANITOR DEXTER W. NUTTING
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Of the Public Library for 1899
PRESIDENT THOMAS HUSE
SECRETARY JOHN D. PARSONS
COMMITTEE ON BOOKS
W. R. JOHNSON, N. N. WITHINGTON, A. W. HITCHCOCK
COMMITTEE ON LIBRARIAN
ELISHA P. DODGE, MOSES BROWN, W. R. JOHNSON
COMMITTEE ON BUILDING AND GROUNDS
EDWARD S MOSELEY, E. P. DODGE, L. B. CUSHING
COMMITTEE ON READING ROOM
EDWARD S. MOSELEY, ARTHUR P. BROWN, R. JACOBY
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND ACCOUNTS
THOMAS HUSE, W. C. COFFIN, ALBERT C. TITCOMB
Report of the Directors
-
To His Honor the Mayor and City Council :
The directors of the public library submit their forty-third annual report. with the reports of the librarian and of the com- mittees having in charge the expenditure of the income from the several funds of which the library is beneficiary.
It will be seen by the figures of the librarian's report that the people of this city appreciate. and avail themselves of, the advan- tages of this institution, inasmuch as the number of borrowers of books has increased, and the number of books taken is also larger than ever before. Substantial additions have been made to the library, and the selection of books has been, we believe. as good as could have been made under the conditions. A great improve- ment has been effected in the entrance hall. reading room, direct- ors' room, and that of the superintendent of the reading room, the expense having been defrayed by the building fund. This improvement has given a much neater and more cheerful aspect to the rooms on the lower floor of the library building. The work of cataloguing the books is getting on toward daylight, and for the more common use of readers is already complete.
The facilities for such readers as wish to take books home to read for improvement or pleasure, are already very satisfactory, and will be excellent when the work of cataloguing is finished. There is variety, and there is abundance for the increase of know- ledge or for literary delight; but there is one serious defect, the remedy for which is suggested in the librarian's report. Under our present management one class only is served of those to whom the library might be a help. The class which wants some special book, or some special kind of book, is served. To the mechanic or inventor, who wants information on some subject
250
ANNUAL REPORTS
relating to his art, to the student of history or politics or finance, or indeed to the specialist in almost any department, who desires to investigate a subject, the library is but of little use. Such an one does not need any book to read through, but to consult many, and this is impracticable where there is not a large and well se- lected reference department. Instead of this, we have a few dic- tionaries and atlases and encyclopædias open to the free use of all, while the mass of books is on shelves, railed away from the public, and only accessible by calling for them separately from the librarian and his assistants.
A library should be for use and instruction, as well as for pleasure, and at least half its benefit is lost if it be used merely for delight. This is so obviously true that it has been recognized by the management of most public libraries, which commonly have a large reference department, or free access is granted to all the books, and this plan is found to be advantageous, and to en- large the usefulness of the institution. It is what we hope to bring about in the near future in our own public library.
Ours is one of the oldest, and for the population which uses it, one of the best and best endowed institutions of its kind. It has been liberally supported and freely used by the city and the people. We should make the most of it, and extend its useful- ness to the utmost.
GEORGE H. PLUMER, JOHN H. BALCH, JR. EDWARD S. MOSELEY, ELISHA P. DODGE, LAWRENCE B. CUSHING, JOHN E. BAILEY, MOSES BROWN, RUDOLPH JACOBY,
DIRECTORS.
WILLIAM R. JOHNSON,
NATHAN N. WITHINGTON, ALBERT C. TITCOMB, ALBERT W. HITCHCOCK,
Report of the Librarian
To the Board of Directors :
GENTLEMEN :- In this. the 43d annual report of the condi- tion of the public library, for the year ending November 30, 1898. I have the honor of submitting the following :
At the beginning of the library year there were on the shelves 32,511 books. Since that time 55 volumes have been withdrawn as defective and unfit for service, of which 25 were subsequently renewed. Nine books loaned have not been re- covered, mainly on account of the drawers removing from town, one was lost but replaced by the person at fault. and 750 new volumes have been added to the permanent stock of the library, making the total number 33.222 volumes.
The number of books withdrawn for home use during the year was 42,634, an increase from 40.644 of the previous year. In fact it is gratifying to state in this connection that the increase in the circulation of books has been in an uninterrupted progres- sion for the past five years, and the number now annually issued is more than 25 per cent above what it then was.
The library was opened for the delivery of books 305 days during the year, all save legal holidays, and the average daily circulation was a small fraction less than 140, ranging from 347. the highest, February 19, down to 29, the lowest, on the first of the same month, the date of the great storm.
Of course fiction (including juvenile and adult) leads in cir- culation as usual, 76.9 out of every 100 books, practically the same as during the preceding year. The library furnishes how- ever the best in fiction, or at least its policy is to eschew the
252
ANNUAL REPORTS
cheaper as far as possible and to buy only such books as have a literary worth.
There are now 6734 registered borrowers, an increase of 559 during the year, besides there are 165 teachers' cards held by 33 public school teachers and 35 High school pupil cards.
Work on the new card catalogue has recently been renewed. Owing to the illness of Miss Herron, the original cataloguer, she was forced to resign during the past summer and for four months the work was at a standstill. Through her efforts the classifica- tion of that portion of the library which it was decided to take in hand at the outset (all books save magazine literature and government publications) was thoroughly accomplished, and the work of preparing the catalogue was about three-fourths com- pleted.
I cannot speak too highly of her qualifications for the under- taking and of her adaptability to this peculiar kind of library work, for which she had prepared herself by special training. Her withdrawal, when she had all the little details well in hand and was thus the better equipped for rapid progress and an early completion of the task, is greatly to be regretted.
When the subject of thus modernizing the library was first seriously discussed it was estimated that the expense of such would be about $4500, reckoning on 30,000 volumes, by the usual methods of estimating the cost of this sort of work. Later by closer figuring, this amount was reduced to about $3000, and three years was considered as approximately the time necessary for carrying out the work, by one who had come to be familiar with it. This estimate has not been materially changed.
Work was begun in May 1896 and two and a half years have elapsed. During this time owing to interruptions voted, Miss Herron worked but 24 1-4 months exclusive of vacations. The special appropriations made by the city council have aggre- gated $2850 and of this amount but $2023.86 has been expended, the balances having been transferred.
To complete the work and bring the library up to a satisfac- tory condition, one that will be permanent in this particular, I think one year's further time is necessary under the circum- stances, and that the sum of $900 should be asked for as a special "ppropriation. That will include the cataloguer's salary for the
253
PUBLIC LIBRARY
time, the expense of a second card cabinet which was included in the original estimate and which will soon become a necessity as the work advances, and leave about $50 for equipments and necessary catalogue stationery.
At this date all the works in the library aside om maga- zines and government publications have been classified, that is have been marked for their future positions. Works of fiction, of history, geography, travel and adventure, of biography, and of social science have been fully catalogued and the cards are ex- posed to the public in the card catalogue. Books on natural science, useful arts and fine arts are practically finished. After revision and some expansion of the cards they will be ready, and will be with the others in the cabinet about the first of February.
This will leave principally to be taken up books on theology, philosophy and general topics not sufficiently specialized to go into any of the nine principal classes. After that comes general revision and the selection of certain government publications.
Revision and extension, i. e. the preparation of cross- reference and analytical cards can be carried to almost an indefi- nite extent, the resources of the library being brought the more in hand and pointed out the better to the public, if it is not over- done. A card catalogue is so elastic and is capable of such ex- pansion that it is possible to overdo this work and make it con- fusing by its intricacies, which, although it might be a joy forever to the technically educated in library economics, might repel the ordinary user of the library who comes for information aside from that concerning the possibilities of a catalogue.
But there is a happy medium, and that is being arrived at- the ability to tell a reader quickly and concisely all that he can find in the library on the topic in which he is interested, without assuming that he must first know the title of a particular book or author before he can receive any assistance, as was too often the old fashioned way.
Before passing from this subject it may be well to allude to the fact that a somewhat difficult problem has been successfully solved, how to make this radical change in the library without depriving anyone for a single day of any of its privileges. It has rarely happened that a person has suffered the slightest delay arising from the confusion of such a radical change, which has
254
ANNUAL REPORTS
been made systematically, and any little annoyances by those in search of information outside the beaten tracks (such only could be affected) have been cheerfully accepted in consideration of what was being accomplished.
There is one more important modification in the economy of this library which must be effected before it reaches that plane of usefulness which it should occupy in order to keep abreast of similar institutions, and that is the establishment of a reference department.
There are hundreds of books which should be brought so directly before the public that readers could obtain them with as little difficulty as they procure the current magazines from the reading room tables. They are books which one would not wish to take from the library but simply consult for a few moments, such as cyclopedias, to give the most striking example. In this class of reference books there are hundreds of valuable volumes which unless so presented are practically buried in the library. A man will scan the titles of a score of books, take down a half dozen for a glance and at last find what he wishes, who could gain but little information from the finest catalogue that ever was written, or who would shrink from asking at the desk for one af- ter another of these usually ponderous volumes to be brought from the shelves for him to simply glance at.
Moreover the question of time is important. It takes but a few moments for a man to look over several books if no inter- vention is necessary, and the more familiar he becomes with the reference library the less time is used in arriving at his object. In the main delivery room of the library, under the new arrange- ment there is no space available for such a reference department, and if there were its utility and convenience could not compare with one on the ground floor.
If it were thought best there are the two rooms on the north side of the main building which might be used, for some years past occupied by the historical society. Its tenancy is simply an . act of courtesy on the part of this board and could be vacated at any time if the further usefulness of the library required. Cer- tainly the whole subject is worthy of special. consideration and decided action. The first was accorded it some years ago but the latter has not followed.
255
PUBLIC LIBRARY
As a partial or temporary solution of this need I strongly urge that, under proper restrictions, the public be admitted free- ly to the alcoves of the library, those of fiction excepted, when- ever that privilege is requested, and that proper notification of its existence be made. This is no novelty. It has been in opera- tion for several years in a large number of libraries throughout the country, and, if my memory is correct, I think that only one has ever gone back to the old method after trying the new.
Respectfully submitted. JOHN D. PARSONS, Librarian.
256
ANNUAL REPORTS
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A .- RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
Appropriation (1898) .$2,000 00
CREDITS
For dog licenses . $700 12
From town of Newbury, use of library for year 1897 150 00
850 12
Total appropriation and income
$2,850 12
Amount overdrawn transferred from incidentals
to balance account. 556 81
$3,406 93
EXPENDITURES Authorized by the City Council.
John D. Parsons, services as librarian .
$1,200 00
Martha P. Lunt, services as superintendent of reading room
521 08
Effie A. Tenney, services as assistant librarian ..
400 04
E. S. Thurston, services at library 149 02
Jackson Express Co., express
5 95
Newburyport Herald Co., printing and advertis- ing
38 95
Brewster Bros., premium on insurance policy ....
82 50
D. W. Nutting, labor and extra services in con- nection with reclassifying
25 00
William T. Humphreys, premium on insurance policy
28 13
Almeda Perkins, labor cleaning library .
20 00
Newburyport Despatch, express I 40
Chase & Lunt, premium on insurance policy ..
93 75
Carried forward.
$2,565 82 $3,406 93
257
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Brought forward $2,565 82 $3,406 93
Library Bureau, sundries
34 82
Boston Bookbinding Co., binding books 112 67
John E. Bailey, stock and labor
62 55
P. H. Blumpey, sundries
3 20
McGlew Bros., one furnace bar
I 50
C. R. Sargent, repairs.
7 90
Watering streets, sprinkling streets for year 1898 7 86 Estate N. Varina, 34 tons, 1160 1bs. broken coal at $5.40 186 39
F. J. Barnard & Co., binding books
119 58
D. W. Nutting, salary as janitor one year
298 64
George E. Pearson, labor
I 00
Cornelius Sullivan
1 00
John Pollard
I 00
Matthew Barrett
I 00
Cornelius Kelleher 66
I 00
Timothy Coffey
66
I 00
$3,406 93
PUBLIC LIBRARY (SPECIAL)
Appropriation (for new catalogue) $850 00
Amount undrawn transferred to incidentals to balance account 310 82
$539 18
EXPENDITURES Authorized by the City Council.
Winifred A. Herron, services as cataloguer
$485 34
A. M. Goodell 66 66
53 84
- $539 18
MISCELLANEOUS
Receipts from fines $26 50
Sale of fiction finding-lists 2 50
Balance from 1897
4 52
$33 52
EXPENDITURES
P. O. boxes and stamps $10 30
Various supplies
7 10
Express, freight, truckage
10 30
30 80
Balance
$2 72
258
ANNUAL REPORTS
APPENDIX B .- W. O. MOSELEY FUND
December 31, 1897, balance in hand $550 29
November 1, 1898, income for year 400 00
$90 25
1898, by books purchased
341 00
609 25
OTHER FUNDS
Sixty-five books at a cost of $56.59 have been added from the in- come of the Sawyer fund, and 53 from miscellaneous sources at a cost of $48.00.
259
PUBLIC LIBRARY
APPENDIX C .- READING ROOM
The free reading room has come to be such an important part of the life of Newburyport, that it is almost superfluous to say a word in its praise. Its popularity as a resort for readers of the press and of the magazines of the day seems to increase each year, and at times the seating capacity of the room, generous though it is, is hardly sufficient for all who would spend an hour there. During the past year the room has been renovated, the ceiling and walls given a soft and agreeable tint, and the artificial light at night greatly improved. The papers and magazines vary but slightly from year to year, although during the past 12 months two or three have ceased publication. The income of Mr. Todd's donation is $400 annually, and of this $384.57 has been expended the past year for papers and magazines.
260
ANNUAL REPORTS
APPENDIX D .- LIBRARY INCREASE
Number of volumes last reported (corrected).
32,511
Added by purchase 1898 :
Peabody fund. 217
W. O. Moseley fund .
I89
Todd fund 83
Sawyer fund
65
Bradbury fund
20
Williams fund
16
Frothingham fund
15
Green fund 3
608
Added by donations . 142
750
Worn out copies canceled 55
9
64
Replaced
25
39
Total November 30, 1898. 33,222
The new volumes are classified as follows: General works, 16; philosophy, 7; theology and religion, 18; social science, 119; philolo- gy, I ; natural science, 22 ; useful arts, 14 ; fine arts, 23 ; miscellaneous literature (poetry, essays, humor, etc. ) 116; adult fiction, 176 ; juvenile, 44 ; travel, adventure, description, 54 ; biography, 67 ; American liis- tory, 46, other history, 27.
33,26I
Missing from shelves
261
PUBLIC LIBRARY
APPENDIX E .- CIRCULATION
Total for the year, 42,634. By months : December (1897) 3841 ; Jan_ uary 4302, February 4037, March 4607, April 4249, May 3208, June 2838, July 3021, August 2763, September 2839, October 3530, November 3399. Divided into classes the circulation was as follows :
Per centage.
Fiction
32,781
76.9
History
2,066
4.8
Biography
1,540
3.6
Miscellaneous literature
1,518
3.5
Travel and adventure. .
1,282
3.
Magazines
1,229
2.8
Natural science
654
1.5
Social science
497
1.I
Fine arts
433
I.
Theology
286
.95
Useful arts
254
.65
Philosophy
88
.2
42,634
100.00
262
ANNUAL REPORTS
APPENDIX F .- DONATIONS OF BOOKS
VOLS.
Andover, town of
I
Appleton, B. A
I
Blodgette, G. B
I
Boynton, E. M .
2
Bunker Hill Monument Association
Brown, J. T.
I
Caldwell, S. estate of
I
Cambridge Woman's Christian Temperance Association
I
Cambridge, city of
I
Cartland, J. estate of
4
Chase, W. G.
I
Chelsea, city of
I
Cogswell, Mrs. W. E.
I
Cornell University
I
Cross, C. R.
I
Dodge, E. P.
I
Fitchburg, city of.
I
Harvard University
I
Hawaiian government
I
Jarvis, J. G
3
Langdon, Mrs. G. W
. IO
Larned, Augusta.
I
Lowell, Mr
I
Massachusetts, Commonwealth of
24
Moseley, E. S.
I
New York Reform club
I
Newburyport, city of
I
Newburyport City Improvement Society
I
Newburyport News
I
Newburyport Towle Manufacturing Co
2
Olmstead, D. H
I
Palmer, Mrs. C. F
I
Stanley, B. F
3
U. S. Government :
Census bureau I
Civil service commission
I
Department of agriculture
9
Interior
I
- " Navy I
" War 5
Education bureau . 3
.
I
263
PUBLIC LIBRARY
Fish commission
2
Interstate commerce commission 2
Labor commission I
Life saving service I
Smithsonian institution 3
Unknown sources
7
Walker, J. B Whymper, E.
I
McCormick, Mrs. C. H., bronze statue.
I
26.4
ANNUAL REPORTS
Publications in the Newburyport Free Reading Room
DAILIES
Newburyport Herald (morning). 66 News (evening).
Boston Advertiser (morning).
66 Herald
Post
66 Globe (evening).
66 Journal (evening).
66 Transcript (evening).
66 Traveler
Chicago Times-Herald (evening). Haverhill Gazette (evening).
Lynn Item (evening). Portland Advertiser (evening). Providence Journal (morning). New York Herald
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