USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > Inaugural address of the mayor, with the annual report of the officers of the city of Quincy for the year 1909 > Part 17
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The total circulation of books and periodicals for home use exceeds that of the previous year by nearly 25,000. This excess is due partly, but not wholly, to the greater number of days in 1909 during which the library was accessible to the public. But the average circulation per day has increased from 249 issues, in 1908, to 266 issues. In the month of July and also in September more books were loaned than during any previous July or September in the thirty-eight years of the library's existence, the largest daily issue of the year from the main hall being Saturday, July 31. The proportion of fiction circulated from the main hall was 62 1-2 per cent.
While this rapid increase in circulation is encouraging and gratifying as showing some results of our labors, it is true that much of the real work done for which we put forth our best efforts can never appear in any statistics.
Naturally there must be an increase of work in all depart- ments of the library, and the schedules for the staff have be-
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come more specialized as this has continued. In the changes made necessary by this interior adjustment to changing con- ditions there has been kept in mind the simplifying of methods and records, the cutting off of useless or unnecessary work; in a word, to systematize, but to do it with simplicity.
In this connection, it may be interesting to note that, while many libraries are coming to question the value former- ly set upon the accessions catalogue, and some to discard it al- together, it was abandoned here in 1898. A library, after all, while no longer a place for the hoarding of treasures, but rather a fountain for the giving out of refreshment and life, is none the less a business organization, and methods must be constantly revised lest they become outworn.
The additional hours of morning opening, in the autumn, on the other days of the week as well as upon Wednesday and Saturday, necessitated one more assistant, and Miss Ruth Alexander, who had attended the summer library class of Simmons College, was added to the staff.
With 1,708 new registrations during the year we may fair- ly assume that the library is becoming better known to the residents of Quincy. But in a city whose population is in- creasing as fast as that of Quincy, the ideal of its library's usefulness to the fullest extent cannot be reached or even ap- proached until some system is established by which all resi- dents may get books from some point in their neighborhood. No doubt it must be some time before fully equipped branches can be maintained. In the meantime, if we might begin in a small way by the establishment of deposit stations in the various sections of the city, it would be a step toward that ideal. Since May, the Park and Downs section of Wollaston has been accommodated by a weekly delivery basket. In view of the fact that the delivery of books to West Quincy had to be discontinued about three years ago for the lack of a place where the basket could be sent, I sincerely hope that in the coming year a deposit station may be started in that vicinity, at least.
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A small collecion of books is now taken fortnightly by Mr. Clee for the boys of the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion. Their use of the library I hope will increase and be followed by others availing themselves of a similar privilege. In order to meet with any degree of satisfaction the various demands upon us, a constantly increasing supply of books will be necessary, with a large expenditure for duplicates.
In the latter part of June, with the expectation of meeting the needs of those of our regular patrons who do not find it easy or possible to borrow or exchange books when spending a summer vacation at a distance from the library, the privilege of keeping ten books without renewal during the vacation was given to those leaving the city for the summer. It met with approval at once and 223 books were thus loaned.
Early in the year, eight sets of stereoscopic views, com- prising Italy, Trip around the world, Niagara Falls, the Yel- lowstone, Washington, London, Paris, and Stratford-on-Avon, were purchased, and these have been loaned with accompany- ing stereoscope. Their popularity justifies the purchase of other sets the coming year.
Collections of books upon timely subjeets, such as Lin- coln, Poe. Dr. Eliot's "Five-foot library", Arctic regions, etc., have been put on the open shelves near the delivery desk, lists being posted on the bulletin board and printed in the local papers.
As any regular borrower may have practically any num- ber of books and magazines, except fiction and the current periodicals, we have no students' or special cards, the policy being to limit the satisfying of a person's need only by the resources of the library, so long as his desire does not interfere with the rights of others. We do not find that this liberty is abused. Old restrictions having been removed and hours changed, a neat folder was issued in October, giving present day rules and information in regard to the use of the library.
We hope that the time spent in pasting into each new book and old ones as they are rebound, the notice of the state
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statute in regard to the defacing of library property will soon become time saved from that spent in erasing pencil marking, which has been of too frequent occurrence.
During the year, 1,574 volumes have been rebound and repaired by the binder, against 2,621 the year before. The reason for this is not that the publishers, especially of juve- nile books and fiction, are putting out any better quality of paper or binding. The smaller number rebound is due to the fact that the whole collection of our books, except periodicals, has been examined and put in proper shape, and to the later good rebinding, which is showing results in longer wear. The periodicals as a class, however, are in an extremely bad condi- tion, some 1,200 volumes being in cheap leather binding which has not stood the test of time. On account of their size it is a much more expensive matter to remedy this than to bind an equal number of the other books. But as these magazines are largly used for reference work, those, at least, which are indexed in Poole's and the Readers' Guide should be rebound.
We have mended at the library this year 4,143 volumes and 258 unbound magazines. Every new book is now pressed open according to formula to test the binding, all books except fiction are collated, and any found defective are returned.
The experiment is being tried of buying a few of the pop- ular books for the children bound from the publishers' sheets by Cedric Chivers. The first cost is more, but it is hoped it will prove cheaper in the end.
Toward the close of the year, we tried red rope paper covers for some of the circulating magazines. While this makes more work, it saves the wear and tear, leaves them in better condition to bind, gives a neater appearance to the periodical cases, and the readers seem greatly pleased. There- fore undoubtedly more, if not all, will be covered. With the increasing use of the reading room, patrons should be able to find the current number of the popular magazines, and the call for these means more duplicates. For we cannot take
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away privileges once granted, and a circulation of 12,702 peri- odicals from this room shows that they are no less desired for home reading.
Apart from the magazine whose province is simply to en- tertain, there is a large number of periodicals "where", to quote President Hadley of Yale University, "more than any- where else are exemplified the results and methods of current research". But, unfortunately for libraries, not only have the prices of new books increased greatly in the past few years, but now comes a combination which restrains competition on the part of agents who place periodical subscriptions for libraries. Thus a larger expense in that department will have to be met the coming year.
The following magazines have been added to our list : American city, The craftsman, Good housekeeping, Hamp- ton's magazine, Harvard theological review, House beautiful, Journal of educational psychology, Machinery, Massachusetts magazine, Modern Priscilla, National geographic magazine, School arts book, Yachting, Bird-lore, Child lore, and Popular mechanics.
Pamphlet boxes have been purchased and the pamphlets relating to a certain subject are now filed in a box which is placed at the end of the shelf of books on that topic. A card shelf list arranged by minor subjects, giving shelf and pam- phlet numbers, has been made. These cards may be consulted by the desk assistant and the pamphlet circulated if wanted. Also a list of the contents of the box will be found pasted on its inside cover.
As to books missing at the end of the year, 10 are recorded lost of those placed on the open shelves near the delivery desk of the main hall; also 2 from the reading room reference col- lection which has been read by shelf list every week. The ref- erence books are Hughes' Student's atlas of ancient and mod- ern geography, and the 1907 edition of the Directory of chari- table organizations of Boston. Curiously enough, the 1891 edition of the latter was also taken three years ago. From the
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open shelves of the children's room, 20 books are now consid- ered lost at the close of the year. Of the 9 books reported missing from the shelves here from June to Dec., 1908, five have somehow found their way back. These 20, including the 4 lost in 1908, are now deducted from the total, leaving 2,713 books in the children's room Dec. 31, 1909. An inventory is still taken every two months of the books in this room. The congestion at times makes it well-nigh and perhaps quite im- possible to exercise the necessary supervision.
No inventory has been taken of the stack collection in the main library. Of the 150 books recorded missing from the shelves in the last report, 13 have been returned.
Out of a total circulation of 81,355 the past year, 21,208, or more than one-quarter, have been issued from the children's room. It is no unusual thing to see between 20 and 30 children quietly reading during the noon hours, and over 1,400 books have been enjoyed in the room through the year.
Of the 880 new books purchased, 274 were for this depart- ment. More than one-half of the replacements of the year were books for this room, and over one-third of the rebinding was that of the children's books. At the beginning when the children's room was a new feature of the library, while no age limit was fixed for this room, it was felt to be wise to ex- clude High School pupils. On account of the congestion and an increasing circulation, if for no other reason, the experi- ment has proved satisfactory. But they, as well as any adult reader, may borrow books from this department although reg- istered in the main hall, and over 3,000 volumes have been delivered the past year, mostly to High School readers. The wear and tear of the books is, therefore, not alone due to their use in the children's room. A registration during the year of 471 children, making a total of 1,108 registered, tells its own story, showing that a greater supply of books is most certainly needed.
Five story hours have been held in the children's room with audiences of 50 children and over. More than 160 were
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present at the last one at Thanksgiving. The stories have been about King Arthur and his knights, Lohengrin, Joan of Arc, Nathan Hale, and, in lighter vein, Kipling's and the Uncle Remus stories. But the effort has been made in these to bring to the children's attention the books to which the stories belong rather than to amuse; and, by invitations extended to the schools of the outlying districts, to attract those pupils to their own room of the public library.
Two picture bulletins have been made during the year and a framed broadside of Lincoln's Gettysburg address has been hung in this room.
Through the system of inter-library loan, 12 volumes have been borrowed from the Boston Public Library. We have had 16 exhibits from the Library Art Club which have been enjoyed by the study clubs and other visitors. The children's share of these collections were two sets of Walter Crane's pictures illustrating fairy tales and nursery rhymes, with text.
The opportunity given the Librarian of attending the con- ference of the American Library Association at Bretton Woods, June 28-July 5, was appreciated. Some of the as- sistants have attended the meetings of the Massachusetts Library Club. These occasions are most helpful and inspir- ing, and one returns with new ideas, a broader mind from the contact, thus keeping in touch with the library world outside one's own little province.
Respectfuly submitted,
ALICE G. WHITE, Librarian.
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396 1
STATISTICS
ACCESSIONS
Added by purchase, new books 880
Added by purchase, to replace old copies 534
Added by gift, new books. 147
Added by binding periodicals 118
Added by return of missing books 13
Total gain
1,692
Discarded and replaced 127
Discarded and not replaced 119
Discarded from contagious diseases 13
Lost and paid for 11
Charged and not returned
14
Missing from outside shelves, Main hall .. 12
Missing from open shelves, Children's room 20
Total loss
316
Net gain 1,376
In the library, Dec. 31, 1908
25,857
In the library, Dec. 31, 1909 27,233
REGISTRATION
Main Hall
Registrations, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1909 1,237
Re-registrations from Children's room 49
Number of borrowers, Dec. 31, 1908 2,206
3,492
Registrations void through death and re- moval from city 66
Whole number of borrowers, Dec. 31, 1909 3,426
397
Children's Room
Registrations, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1909 471
Number of borrowers, Dec. 31, 1908 769
1,240
Registration void through graduation and
removal from city 132
Whole number of borrowers, Dec. 31, 1909 1,108
Total number registered at library, Dec. 31, 1909 4,534
MISCELLANEOUS
Books rebound 1,502
Periodicals bound 118
Books repaired by binder 72
Books mended at the library 4,143
Unbound pediodicals mended at the library 258
Periodicals subscribed for, 1909-10 104
Periodicals received by gift 19
Library Art Club exhibits 16
CIRCULATION BY CLASSES DURING THE YEAR 1909
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
TOTAL
General Works ...
80
141
104
89
94
36
64
77
56
62
79
80
962
Philosophy and Religion
140
82
88
17
94
77
107
86
105
112
106
119
1,193
Sociology ..
75
60
74
57
66
35
50
41
52
66
62
53
691
Science ..
57
43
72
57
74
44
49
15
65
58
63
64
691
Useful and Fine Arts
128
92
105
91
96
82
73
60
103
92
86
95
1,103
Literature and Philology .
133
139
185
150
175
87
120
102
135
118
163
109
1,616
History.
111
104
108
38
71
54
73
95
83
127
135
117
1,166
Travel ..
122
112
144
143
108
78
138
95
95
73
83
84
1,275
Biography
99
124
121
89
109
84
101
90
87
74
90
91
1,159
Fiction ...
3,302
3,213
3,563
2,949 997
2,766 973
903
996
915
1,210
3,268 1,249
1,110
999
12,702
Total.
5,400
5,159
5,712
4,787
4,626
4,001
5,036
4,662
5,140
5,299
5,314
4,976
60,112
CHILDREN'S ROOM
Fiction .. ..
1,287
1,213
1,191
1,042
894
809
700
722
929
1,137
1,449
1,301
12,674
Non-fiction
861
929
856
752
583
546
359
392
623
778
1,051
804
8,534
Total.
7,548
7,301
7,759
6,581
6,103
5,356
6,095
5,776
6,692
7,214
7,814
7,081
81,320
Young Men's Christian Association
31
31
81,351
.
.
..
Recorded library use; Main hall, 5,455; Children's room, 1,400 Vacation books loaned, 223 Stereoscopic views loaned, 3,192 Books borrowed, inter-library loan, 12
Total
Days the library was open, 305 Largest day's circulation, Main hall (July 31) 419; Children's room (Jan 4) 157 Smallest (Aug. 17) 65; (June 9) 21 Percentage of fiction, Main hall, 62 1-2; Children's room, 59 7-10
398
3,337
3,165
37,554
Periodicals (unbound) .
1,153
1,049
1,148
2,521
3,265
3,056
3,149
399
PERIODICALS
1909-1910
List of abbreviations: (d) daily; (w) weekly; (m) monthly ; (s-m) semi-monthly; (bi-m) bi-monthly; (q) quarterly; (*) gift; (+) added for 1910
Main Hall
A. L. A. Booklist (m)
*Ambition (m) American architect (w)
American boy (m)
t American city (m) American homes and gar- dens (m)
American magazine (m)
American review of reviews See Review of reviews
Argosy (m)
Atlantic monthly
Book news monthly
Book review digest (m)
Bookman (m)
Boston cooking school magazine (m)
Boston evening transcript (Wednesday and Satur- day)
Boston herald (d)
*Brown alumni monthly Bulletin of bibliography and magazine subject- index (q)
*Canal record (w) Cat journal (m) Century magazine (m) Charities See Survey
*Christian register (w)
*Christian science jour- nal (m)
*Christian science moni- tor (d)
*Christian science sentinel (w) *Collier's weekly
*Cook's American travel- ler's gazette (m)
Contemporary review (m)
Cosmopolitan (m)
Country life (London) (w)
Country life in America (m)
+ Craftsman, The (m) Culmulative book index (m)
Current literature (m)
Delineator, The (m)
Dial, The (s-m)
Education (m) Electrician and mechan- ic (m)
Engineering magazine (m)
Everbody's magazine (m)
Forest and stream (w)
Fortnightly review (m) Forum, The (m) Garden magazine (m)
+ Good housekeeping (m)
+ Hampton's magazine (m) Harper's bazar (m) Harper's monthly Harper's weekly
* Harvard monthly +Ilarvard theological review (q)
* Herald of the cross (m) Hibbert journal (q)
+ House beautiful (m)
*Illuminating engineer (m)
400
Illustrated London news (w) International marine engineering (m) International studio (m) Journal of American history (q) +Journal of educational psychology (m) Journal of the American society of naval engi- neers (q) Ladies' home journal (m) Leslie's weekly
Library journal (m) Library work (q)
Life (w) Lippincott's magazine (m)
Living age (w)
McClure's magazine (m)
+Machinery (m) Marine review (m)
+Massachusetts magazine (q) Masters in art (m) Mayflower descendant (q)
+Modern Priscilla (m)
*Modern sanitation (m) Motor boat (s-m) Munsey's magazine (m)
Musician, The (m) Nation, The (w)
+ National geographic maga- zine (m) New England magazine (m)
Nineteenth century (m)
North American review (m) *Official gazette, U. S. patent office (w)
Outing, The (m) Outlook, The (w) Photo era (m)
Popular science monthly
Public libraries (m) Publishers' weekly
Punch (w) Putnam's magazine (m)
Quincy advertiser (w) Quincy daily ledger Quincy patriot (w)
+Quincy telegram (d) Quiver, The (m)
Readers' guide to period- ical literature (m)
Review of reviews (m)
Rudder, The (m)
St. Nicholas (m) Saturday evening post (w)
+School arts book (m) Scientific American (w) Scientific American sup- plement (w) Scribner's magazine (m)
Success (m)
Survey (w)
Travel magazine (m)
*Tuftonian, The (m)
*Tufts weekly *Western empire (m) Woman's home compan- ion (m) *Woman's national daily World's work (m) + Yachting (m) Youth's companion (w)
Children's Room
American boy (m) +Bird-lore (bi-m) +Child-lore (m) Little folks (m) *Our dumb animals (m)
+Popular mechanics (m) St. Nicholas (m) Young idea (m) Youth's companion (w)
Annual Report
OF THE
School Department
OF THE
City of Quinry
Massachusetts
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1909
131
1640
1625
179
MANET
QUINCY
PRESS OF
GEORGE W. PRESCOTT PUBLISHING COMPANY
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School Committee for 1909
AT LARGE.
DR. EDWARD H. BUSHNELL,
TERM EXPIRES Dec. 31, 1909
506 Washington Street, Quincy Point.
DR. NATHANIEL S. HUNTING, Dec. 31, 1910 1136 Hancock Street, Quincy.
MR. ARTHUR W. NEWCOMB, Dec. 31, 1911 98 East Howard Street, Quincy Neck.
BY WARDS.
WARD 1. MR. DEXTER E. WADSWORTH, Dec. 31, 1909 157 Goffe Street, Quincy.
WARD 2. MR. JOHN J. O'HARA, Dec. 31, 1910 39 Newcomb Place, Quincy.
WARD 3. MR. JOHN L. MILLER, Dec. 31, 1910 211 Franklin Street, South Quincy.
WARD 4. MR. JAMES F. BURKE, Dec. 31, 1911
11 Cross Street, West Quincy.
WARD 5. DR. WILLIAM G. CURTIS, Dec. 31, 1909 10 Grand View Avenue, Wollaston.
WARD 6. MR. HERBERT S. BARKER, 365 Hancock Street, Atlantic.
Dec. 31, 1911
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CHAIRMAN.
DR. NATHANIEL S. HUNTING.
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. MR. ALBERT LESLIE BARBOUR.
Office, 8 Washington Street. Office hours; Mondays and Thursdays from 8 to 9 A. M., Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 5 P. M.
CLERK. MISS LUCY M. HALLOWELL.
Office, 8 Washington Street. Office hours: 8 to 12 A. M., 2 to 5 P. M. Saturdays, from 8 to 12 A. M.
TRUANT OFFICER. MR. CHARLES H. JOHNSON.
Office, 7 Temple Street, Room 3. Office hours for issuing Labor Certificates : 8 to 10 A. M., 1.30 to 2 P. M., and from 7 to 9, all evenings except Thursday.
The regular meetings of the School Board are held at eight o'clock P. M. the last Tuesday in each month.
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Standing Sub-Committees for 1909
FOR THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
High
Messrs. Hunting, Curtis, Newcomb
Adams
Messrs. Miller, Newcomb, Burke
Coddington Messrs. Bushnell, Miller, O'Hara
Cranch Messrs. Miller, Burke, Bushnell
Gridley Bryant Messrs. O'Hara, Miller, Burke
John Hancock Messrs. Wadsworth, Bushnell, Burke
Lincoln
Messrs. Wadsworth, Burke, Barker
Massachusetts Fields
Messrs. Curtis, Barker, Bushnell
Quincy Messrs. Barker, Curtis, Newcomb
Washington
Messrs. Newcomb, O'Hara, Bushnell
Willard Messrs. Burke, Hunting, Miller
Wollaston
Messrs. Curtis, Wadsworth, Barker
BOOKS, SUPPLIES, AND SUNDRIES Messrs. Wadsworth, Newcomb, O'Hara
TEXT BOOKS Messrs. Curtis, Barker, O'Hara
TRANSPORTATION Messrs. O'Hara, Barker, Curtis
EVENING SCHOOLS Messrs. Bushnell, Burke, Hunting
SPECIAL SUBJECTS Messrs. Newcomb, Bushnell, Miller
RULES AND REGULATIONS Messrs. Barker, Newcomb, Curtis
TEACHERS The Chairman, Messrs. Wadsworth, O'Hara
FINANCE AND SALARIES The Chairman, Messrs. Miller, Wadsworth
Report of the School Committee
To the Citizens of Quincy :
The year 1909 closes an epoch in our school history, marked by the resignation of Mr. Frank E. Parlin, who af- ter nine years of service as Superintendent of Schools was ap- pointed to the larger field of work in Cambridge, Mass. The high state of efficiency to which he had brought our school system, in spite of small appropriations, inadequate accommodations and appliances, without ever exceeding his allowance, is ample testimony of his executive ability. A reading of Mr. Parlin's annual reports, which are worthy the attention of all who are interested in the education of children shows his expert professional qualifications and a study of modern educational methods, which are in evidence in all pro- gressive communities, shows how advanced and correct are the methods that he has been advocating for years. The fact that towns of greater wealth have made constant inroads on our teaching force by the attractions of higher salaries, proves the wisdom he displayed in the selection of our teachers. We feel that Mr. Parlin has rendered the city praiseworthy service dur- ing his administration, and we wish finally to pay tribute to that personal integrity and steadfastness which never allowed the welfare of the school children to be sacrificed to any influ- ence however powerful.
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The beginning of the new year finds us confronted with a serious lack of school accommodations. Our schools in many cases are not only overcrowded, but the school population is increasing so rapidly that new buildings are imperative. The sections suffering most are the Bigelow Park district, Wollas- ton and Atlantic. Both the Wollaston and Atlantic schools must be relieved, as may be done with a new building at Mont- clair. At Bigelow Park overcrowding is a serious matter, while at Wollaston and South Quincy the buildings are not only overcrowded, but are in poor repair and unsanitary.
Welcome relief was provided by the completion and open- ing of the new Coddington School in January of this year. With its twelve large class rooms, two recitation rooms and its beautiful assembly hall, it affords splendid school accom- modations for the pupils residing in the centre of the city.
The building was dedicated on the evening of Thursday, January 14, 1909, in the presence of an interested audience. Music for the occasion was provided by the pupils of the school and addresses were made by Mayor William T. Shea, Mr. Dennis F. Crowley, Mr. Randolph Bainbridge, Dr. Nathaniel S. Hunting, Dr. Edward H. Bushnell, Principal Walter H. Bentley, Superintendent Frank E. Parlin and Dr. John A. Gordon.
The addition to the Lincoln School has solved the hous- ing problem in that district in a satisfactory way. The new school at Houghs Neck will not only relieve the residents of that section of much inconvenience but will give desired re- lief to the Coddington, Washington and Adams schools.
To the often expressed feeling that the school budget is large we wish to call your attention to the fact that the edu- cational cost per pupil in Quincy is but $22.86 as against $30.15 per pupil for the entire state, and a cost of from $40 to $70 per pupil in some of our neighboring towns. This means that if our appropriations were only up to the average of the state they would need to be over $41,000.00 per year greater than now.
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We should be allowed the full amount asked for in the estimates, as it represents very accurately the lowest amount with which the schools can be run and do justice to the chil- dren.
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