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 1914 > Part 14
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1 Park Lane
6" 50' from Greenleaf Street
5 Park Street
6"
At Angle
1 Rhoda Street
Near York Street
1 Rhoda Street
Corner Woodman Street
1 Sea Street
6" Opposite number 600
1 Valley Street
400' East of Greenleaf Street
3 Verchild Street
6"
Near Plymouth Street
5 Weston Avenue
6" Corner Wayland Street
2
Quincy Lumber Co. yard
2
Quincy Lumber Co. yard
5 Park Street 6" Corner Grand View Avenue
Curtis Avenue
6"
Opposite Harrison Street
2 Mill Street
6'' At Quincy Lumber Co. yard
5 Sachem Street
Opposite Landers Road
221
HYDRANTS IN USE DEC. 31, 1914.
Make
2 Noz. 3 Noz. 4 Noz.
Total
Bailey
1
1
Chapman
123
143
266
Coffin
6
479
11
496
Corey
12
60
72
Glamorgan
11
11
Kennedy
1
1
Ludlow
6
169
175
Matthew
2
.3
5
Walker
14
14
150
880
11
1,041
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
PIPE IN USE DEC. 31, 1914
When laid
Hyds. Gates
2'6
7"
8''
10"
12"
- 16''
20"
Total
Previous to Dec. 31, '13 In 1914
997
1,69635 ,907
102,727 331,105 1,213
14,512
994 117 ,311 39 ,22829 ,125 9,126| 1,860
23,232 2,679
682,308
47
83
26,711
1,044 1,77935 ,907
103,940 345,617
994 126 ,437 41 ,08829 ,125
23,232 2,679
709,019
Abandoned in 1904
3
11 2,078
3,072
888
6,038
In use Dec. 31, '14 . . ...
1,041 1,76833 ,829 100,868 344,729
994 126 ,43741 ,08829 ,125
23,232 2,679
702,981 or 133.132 M.
222
GATES IN USE DEC. 31, 1914
When laid
2''
4''
6"
7'
8"
10'
12"
16"
20" Total
Previous to Dec. 31, 1913
121
285
901
1
222
77
48
37
4
1,696
Laid in 1914
. . .
6
48
.
24
5
. .
.
83
Totals
121
291
949
1
246
82
48
37
4 1,779
Abandoned in 1914
4
5
2
.
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
.
Totals in use Dec. 31, 1914.
117
286
947
1
246
82
48
37
4 1,768
-
223
WATER PIPE ABANDONED 1914
Street
Location
Gates
No. Size
2"
4"
6" 8"
2
Arnold
Murdock Avenue, southerly
1 2''
465
5 Davis
Mason Street, southerly
1
6''
227
1 Granite
. Goffe Street, westerly
990
5
Grand View Avenue. Warren Avenue, northerly
1
4"
60
1
Greenleaf
. Hancock to Putnam Street
1
4''
1,019
5 Kemper
Elm Avenue to Bass Street
180
1
Maple
Chestnut to Washington
1
2''
320
2
Mill
Washington to First
1
536
4
Miller
Cross to Parkway
1
6"
589
6
Moscow
Hancock to Holmes Street
2
287
5
Park
Grand View Avenue to Warren Avenue
2
2''
600
4
Rogers.
Near Perkins Street
72
5
Safford
. Brook to Elmwood Avenue
376
5 Wayland
Berlin to Weston Avenue
317
Totals
11
2,078
3,072
888
224
METERS IN USE DEC. 31, 1914
Name
5/8"
34"
1" 11/4"
11/2" 2" 3" 4" 6" 8"
Total
29
4
1
34
Crown
32
Crest
1
Detector
772
77
8
1
2
860
Empire
2
8
1
1
10
Gem
: 5,491
16
17
15
23
1
3
5,566
Hersey
18
2
20
Keystone
268
4
1
273
King
290
290
Lambert
380
17
1
1
399
Nash .
163
26
31
19
239
Trident .
33
2
2
2
1
1
41
Union
287
7
2
1
1
298
Worthington
7,733
153
64
15
54
26
3
9 6
2
8,065
5
3
8
13
3
1
2
Gamon
225
226
REPORT OF THE SEWER DEPARTMENT 1914 FINANCIAL STATEMENT Construction
Appropriation
Balance of 1913
$25,000.00 10,312.41
Receipts
101.62
$35,414.03
Expenditures 1914
35,069.79
Balance
$344.24
Particular Sewer
Receipts of 1914 including Balance of 1913
$10,880.46
Expenditures
8,984.78
Balance
$1,895.68
Maintenance
Appropriation
$2,200.00
Balance transferred
1,113.39
Expenditures
3,161.02
Balance
$152.37
Clerical
Appropriation
$780.00
Expended
780.00
$3,313.39
227
PARTICULAR SEWERS
Three hundred and sixty connections were made with the public sewer during the year 1914 to care for the drainage from three hundred and seventy buildings. At present about 85 per cent of the buildings avail- able to the public sewer have been connected with it.
The following tables show the distribution, cost per foot, cost per connection and classification of the work done this year.
By Wards
Wd. 1
Wd. 2
Wd. 3
Wd. 4
Wd. 5
Wd. 6
Total
58
40
48
29
117
68
360
Cost Per Foot
Under
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Over
20 cents
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
$1.00
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1.00
.
1
8
62
126
84
33
10
17
8
11
Cost per Connection
Under
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Over
$10
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
$100
6
174
132
23
12
4
2
1
2
1
2
CLASSIFICATION
Single houses
245
Mercantile
15
Double houses
74
Manufacturing
3
Three family houses
5
Church
2
Four family houses
11
Parish house
1
Barn
1
Halls
2
Garage
2
Stores and tenements
9
Total
370 buildings
ASSESSMENT AND RECORD PLANS
The City Engineer has prepared record plans of the work done by this department and placed them on file in this office. The assessment on account of sewer construction is now being made.
The following table shows the location, size, length of sewers, number of manholes and material encountered in the construction of sewers during the year 1914.
CLASSIFICATION
Ward Location
From
To
Size
Feet
Man hole Material
1 Adams Street
8''
4.0
1
5
Albion Road
. Hancock Street
233.8 feet, easterly
8''
233.8
1
Gravel
6 Apthorp Street
. Quincy Shore Res.
Existing sewer
312.5
1
Loam, clay, slate
2 Arnold Street . Murdock Avenue
Westerly
8''
200.0
1
Clay
2 Atherton Street Ellerton Road
240 feet, westerly
8''
240.0
2
Clay rock
5 Bass Street
Kemper Street
Near Hancock Street
8''
438.0
2
Clay gravel
5
Beach Street
. Quincy Shore Res.
Existing Sewer
8''
262.6
0
Clay, gravel
5
Belmont Street
Elmwood Avenue
299.8 northerly
8''
300.0
1
Gravel
6
Billings Road
Holmes Street
Near Hancock Street
00
231.2
1
Gravel
5-6 Billings Road
. Apthorp Street
Near Sachem Brook
8" 0 00
214.81
1
Gravel
6
Colby Road . Faxon Road
Easterly
8''
1,027.0
5
Sand, clay
1
Dixwell Avenue Goffe Street
Existing Sewer
1 ,354.85
7
Clay
5
Dunbarton Road.
Oxenbridge Road
Existing Sewer
8''
251.13
0 Gravel
228
5 Elmwood Avenue
. North Central Avenue Highland Avenue
8''
454.4
1
Gravel
1 Farrell Street . Curtis Street
8''
200.0
1 Clay, ledge
5
Franklin Avenue
. East Elm Avenue
Sachem Street
8''
239.5
0
Gravel, sand
3
Gilbert Street
. Roberts Street
400' easterly
8''
400.0
2
Gravel, sand
5
Granger Street.
. North Central Avenue Everett Street
8''
296.0
1
Gravel
5
Grove Street
. Existing sewer
Hillside Avenue
207.1:
1
Clay
6
Herbert Eoad
Quincy Shore Res.
544.5 feet, westerly
10"
392.4
3
Sand, gravel
6
Hunt Street
Private Way
Newbury Avenue
8'
1
Monroe Road
Glendale Road
300' southerly
8''
300.0
1
Clay, ledge
6
Newport Avenue
Holbrook Road
300' southerly
8''
300.0
1
Gravel
5
North Central Avenue
. . Brook Street
565.4 foot north
10''
565.4
2
Gravel, clay
5
Oxenbridge Road
. Willett Street
Cheriton Road
àc
828.0
5 Gravel, clay
1
Park Lane
Merrymount Road
Greenleaf Street
8''
376.48
2 Gravel, clay
3
Plain Street
. Columbia Street
Liberty Street
8''
240.55 0 Sand
2 Pray Street
Washington Street
Curtis Avenue
8''
449.5
2
Gravel
.
1
544.5
3 Marsh land
6
Hunt Street Private Way
Oliver Street
-
-
200.6°
1
Sand, gravel
5 Ellington Road Oxenbridge Road
Existing Sewer
8''
301.85 3
Gravel
Clay, gravel, slate
3
Centre Street . Branch Street
Albertina Street
722.7
2
Ward Location From
To
Size
Feet
Man Hole
Material
6
Private Way
Hunt Street
Northerly
10"
69.98
1 Gravel
6
Private Land
.Newbury Avenue
Private Way
10"
236.9
1 Gravel
5
Quincy Shore Res.
. West Elm Avenue
Beach Street
8''
655.65
4 Sand
3 Roberts Street
. Brooks Avenue
Centre Street
108.74
1
Gravel
3
Roberts Street
Nightingale Avenue
Gilbert Street
228.37
1
Gravel
4
Rogers Street
. Hall Place
Existing sewer
8"
1,159.75
7 Clay, ledge, gravel
6
Sharon Road
. East Squantum Street
Colby Road
10"
260.0
2
Clay, sand
2
South Street.
. Scammell Street
Dartmouth Street
10"
201.0
2
Clay
5
Summit Avenue
.Existing Sewer
Hillside Avenue
8"
170.9
1
Clay
5 Tyler Street
Cheriton Road
Albion Road
8"
444.88
2
Gravel
At Hough's Neck
1
Bell Street
River Road
Centre Road
8''
513.2
2
Sand
1
Bird Street
River Road
Centre Road
8"
487.3
2
Sand
1
Central Avenue
Bay View Avenue
Prospect Avenue
8"
120.5
1
Gravel
1
Hough's Neck Main
. Taber Street
Bird Street
15"
795.2
4 Sand, clay
1
Rogers Street
. River Road
Centre Road
8"
507.5
2
Sand
1 Sea Street . Sea Avenue
Bay View Avenue
8"
380.0
2
Gravel, clay
18 ,428. 14 ft. 86 manholes
3.49 miles of sewer built during 1914 and 86 manholes making a total to date of 72.67 miles of sewer with 1,668 manholes.
229
Respectfully submitted, MOSES L. BROWN, Commissioner of Public Works
·
230
REPORT OF CITY SOLICITOR
Quincy, Mass., February 1, 1915.
As in previous years, various claims have been made against the city, in most instances for damages arising from alleged defects in the highway. In a few instances where it has been deemed for the best interest of the city, these claims have been adjusted. During the past year, however, there has been but one case against the city brought to trial, namely, that of Catherine H. Coleman. This case, which had been pending since 1910, was based on a claim for damages for personal injuries arising from an alleged defect in the highway. After a jury trial in the Superior Court for Norfolk County a verdict was rendered in favor of the city. Of other cases pending against the city at the beginning of the year some have been settled, some have been dismissed for lack of prosecution, and a few are still pending.
At the beginning of the year 1914 the matter of the petition of the Directors of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad for the abolition of grade crossings in Quincy was pending in the Superior Court for Norfolk County. The Special Commissioners, John L. Bates, Win- field S. Slocum, and Arthur H. Wellman, who had been appointed by the Court to report a plan for abolishing the grade crossings, had filed their decision and report. On February 5, 1914, the Public Service Com- mission approved the plan reported by the Special Commission and consented to the proposed change of grade. On February 27, 1914, the decree of the Court confirming the report of the Special Commission was entered.
It has been my practice to be at the City Hall every morning to attend to the duties of the office and to confer with the heads of the various departments in relation to the affairs of their respective offices when 80 requested.
The titles to the various parcels of land acquired by the City during the past year and also the titles to the various parcels of land upon which the Managers of the Woodward Fund and Property have taken mort- gages have been examined.
I have attended all the meetings of the City Council and, whenever requested, the meetings of its several committees and have rendered them such assistance as I could. I have also attended many hearings before Committees of the Legislature and various State Commissions whenever matters affecting the interests of the City were being heard.
In the year 1914 the following special legislation affecting the City of Quincy was enacted by the Legislature:
1
231
Resvolves, chapter 45: Resolve to provide for the removal of certain objectionable material from a part of the Quincy Shore Reservation.
Acts, chapter 106: An act to authorize the City of Quincy to reward James R. Qualey and Patrick A. Milford for their services in finding the body of Louis G. Restelli.
Acts, chapter 704: An act to establish a Board of Survey for the City of Quincy.
WALTER L. PINKHAM City Solicitor
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE
Thomas Crane Public Library
QUINCY, MASS.
For the year ending December 31, 1914
TRUSTEES 1914
Charles R. Safford, Chairman
George W. Abele, Secretary
Henry McGrath
Albert N. Murray, Tresurer George A. Sidelinger
Harry W. Read
Librarian Alice G. White
Mable S. Baxter Edith S. Hyland
Stella Baker
Assistants Charlotte Cochrane, Cataloger J. Eleanor Whittemore Dorothy Kingsbury E. Louise Prout *Helen L. Follansbee
Assistant in charge of Children's Room *Ina E. Brackett Mary K. Weston
Janitor Raymond A. Barry
WEST QUINCY READING ROOM Furnace Brook Parkway Belinda E. Wainwright, Assistant in charge
ATLANTIC READING ROOM 137 Sagamore Street Catherine Saville, Assistant in charge
Hours of Opening Central Library, daily (except Sundays and holidays) Main Hall, 9 A. M. to 9 P. M. Closed at 6 P. M., Saturdays except, during July and August Sundays (November - May), 2 to 6 P. M.
Children's Room, 12 M. to 1.15 P. M., and 3. 30 to 6 P. M. During school vacations and Saturdays, 10 A. M. to 12 M., and 1 to 6 P. M.
West Quincy and Atlantic Reading Rooms, daily (except Sundays and holidays), 3 to 5.30 P. M., and 6.30 to 8.30 P. M. Closed Fridays at 6 P. M.
*Resigned
235
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
To His Honor the Mayor of the City of Quincy: -
The Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library submit herewith their 44th annual report of the Library.
The results of the year's work in growth and usefulness are very grati- fying as shown in detail in the Librarian's report which follows.
The Atlantic Branch, outgrowing its quarters, has been moved to a more central location. The building is new, light, airy and sanitary, and at very satifactory terms we have taken a lease of the building for five years with an option of five years additional.
The growth of the Library should be commensurate with the progress of the city. In our rapidly increasing and widely scattered population we see new trenches to take and greater heights to surmount.
The Trustees earnestly desire to open a third branch reading room at Quincy Point or Wollaston this year. We realize that our wants are sempiternal, but to come into line with the most advanced ideas in library management, provision should be made for placing the resources of the Library nearer the homes of the people.
We reiterate the hope expressed in our last annual report: - for Branches owned by the City; a suitable building on the Library grounds to be used for a lecture hall, story hours, exhibitions and training school for appren- tices.
While the duties of the Librarian and staff have become more arduous with extended hours and Sunday openings, they have been discharged in the same efficient and acceptable manner.
All of which is very respectfully submitted,
For the Trustrees,
CHARLES R. SAFFORD, Chairman
236
TREASURERS STATEMENT City Appropriation
Appropriated for 1914
$11,825.00
Additional for water, August, 1914
10.00
Dog Tax
2,609.69
Total
$14,444.69
Expenditures
Central Library
Salaries and services
$6,984.32
Books
2,096.13
Periodicals, Binding, and Printing
1,123.07
Fuel and Lighting
813.87
Sundries
731.32
Total
$11,748.71 °
West Quincy Reading Room
Rent and Care of room
$420.00
Salary and assistance
646.92
Books and Periodicals, etc.
48.23
Fuel and Lighting
105.32
Sundries
111.53
Total
$1,332.00
Atlantic Reading Room
Rent and Care of room
$325.00
Salary and assistance
550.68
Books and Periodicals, etc.
44.21
Fuel and Lighting
85.53
Sundries
358.56
Total
$1,363.98
Total expenditures
$14,444.69
Thomas Crane Endowment Fund
Balance on Hand December 31, 1913 $21,250.87
Received interest on Massachusetts Gold Bonds 630.00
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank 59.61
31.00
Received from American Surety Company Paid L. N. Curtis - Labor
$ 3.88
Oliver Whyte Co. - Railing
7.00
A. C. Merritt - Labor
17.00
Frank Ridlon Co. - Repairs
7.05
Alex. Nugent - Labor
254.00
Holmes & Hall - Labor
5.50
237
Library Bureau - Racks
29.30
Frank A. White - Insurance
297.00
Wm. A. Bradford Co. - Labor
1.00
Geo. Gauthier - Repairs
3.65
Johm M. Delory - Labor
5.00
Wm. Westland - Hardward
16.15
John G. Thomas - Labor
3.10
Beckford & Lynch - Repairs
26.61
W. Porter & Co. - Insurance
138.85
A. W. Parker - Labor
3.00
American Surety Company
62.50
Stuart Howland - Electrical Supplies
66.55
Granite Trust Company - Rent of Vault .
5.00
Jos. Breck & Son - Repairs
4.30
Globe Wernicke Co. - File
12.00
Holmes & Hall - Repairs.
1.50
J. C. Hayden - Labor
77.85
J. E. Keniley & Co. - Labor
1.75
Balance on Hand December 31, 1914
Massachusetts Gold Bonds (Cost Price)
19,656.75
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank
1,085.19
$21,971.48 $21,971.48
Gift Albert Crane
Balance on Hand December 31, 1913 $333.77
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank 5.88
Paid B. H. Nerses - Photographs
$ 39.00
Allen Connor - Labor
10.00
Alex. Nugent - Labor
19.00
Quincy Lumber Co. - Posts
3.50
Thomas Whelan & Co. - Loam
120.00
William Westland - Wire fence
34.25
William Westland - Seed .
9.20
George Gauthier - Labor
21.15
Arthur Merritt - Labor
12.35
Balance on Hand December 31, 1914
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank
71.20
$339.65
$339.65
Cotton Center Johnson Fund
Balance on Hand December 31, 1913 $2,093.82
Received interest on $2,000.00 Chicago Junction Gold Bonds 50.00
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank 4.90
Delivered to Tucker Anthony & Co., Bankers, for Sale Chicago Junction Gold Bonds. $2,000.00
238
Proceeds from Sale of Chicago Junction Gold Bonds -
Bought Kansas City Clay County and St. Joseph Bonds, $2,000.00 at 941/2
Received check from Sale of Bonds
1,890.00 129.17
Paid Charles E. Lauriat Co. - Books.
112.77
De Wolfe & Fiske Co. 4.95
Balance on Hand December 31, 1914
Kansas City Clay County and St. Joseph Bonds (Cost Price)
1,890.00
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank
160.17
$4,167.89
$4,167.89
Catalog Fund
Balance on Hand December 31, 1913
$3,162.34
Received from Library Fines
397.02
Received interest on deposits in Quincy Savings Bank
122.68
Paid U. S. Post Office - Stamps $ 5.00
145.50
Librarian of Congress - Catalog Cards 100.00
Ruth Alexander - Reclassification
375.00
Library Bureau - Numerical Table
2.45
Clarence Gronberg - Work on Catalog
30.04
D. W. Weinhouse - Work on Catalog
11.46
Balance on Hand December 31, 1914
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank 3,012.59
$3,682.04 $3,682.04
Children's Fund
Balance on Hand December 31, 1913 $54.62
Balance on Hand December 31, 1914
$54.62
$54.62
$54.62
George W. Morton Fund
Balance on Hand December 31, 1913
$5,000.00
Received interest on Kansas City Terminal
Bonds
107.50
Balance on Hand December 31, 1914
Kansas City Terminal Bonds
Balance in Quincy Savings Bank
$4,792.88 314.62
$5,107.50 $5,107.50
ALBERT N. MURRAY, Treasurer
Approved H. O. FAIRBANKS, Auditor of Accounts MARCH 5, 1915
George W. Prescott Pub. Co. - Printing
239
REPORT OF LIBRARIAN
Quincy, Mass., January 1, 1915.
To the Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library:
I have the honor to present herewith my report for the year ending December 31, 1914.
While the year just closed has been one of general progress a few salient points stand out deserving of special mention. These are the removal of the Atlantic reading room, the purchase of two extra copies each of books added to the children's room to help feed the insatiate demands of the branch reading rooms, the increase of assistants' salar- ies, the establishing of a reference desk in the Main hall reading room with a special assistant in attendance daily afternoons, the change to the purchase of Library of Congress cards from previously typewriting them for the card catalog, and the opening of the Main hall to readers Sunday afternoons. But by far the most stupendous undertaking to which we are committed is the reclassification of the entire library, under the charge of Miss Ruth Alexander.
Atlantic Reading Room
Although the increase in circulation has continued from all the loan desks, the gain at the Atlantic reading room of 7,679 has exceeded all expectations. This result has been reached by a steady increase month by month over 1913, amounting to 3,766 during the first seven months of the year and 3,913 during the last five, or since its removal to a more central location and to one large room better fitted to the purpose. The average daily circulation has increased from 86 to 102, and only eleven books are missing at the end of the year. The cost of maintaining this reading room the past year, including the moving and necessary refurnishing, has been $1,363.98.
West Quincy Reading Room
The proportionate increase of circulation from the West Quincy reading room was not attained in 1914, the year showing a gain of only 252; but increased reference work for school pupils is growing to be an important feature in the daily work. Besides these questions, come requests for pictures from both teachers and pupils, and 210 have been mounted and circulated since September.
Children's Room
In June, after Miss Brackett left us we were fortunate in securing the services as children's librarian of Miss Mary K. Weston from the Greenfield Public Library. There were continued gains in circulation here from February until the last two months of the year, when there was a surprising falling off, to be accounted for perhaps by the beautiful weather and good skating. There was, however, a total gain during the year of 1,806 loaned from this room. During the summer the children enjoyed the pleasurable competition of the "Vacation reading."
Each boy and girl who entered the contest agreed to read at least five from some four hundred carefully selected volumes. Fifteen children read the required number or more, and the result of the contest was that many, although they did not do that, continued coming to the library
240
taking other books and magazines, thus making the circulation remark- ably good during the summer months, which showed a gain of 951 during July and August.
The younger children have enjoyed the free access to the picture books in the new case near their reading table, and the dissected maps and puzzles which have been donated are very pupular.
A few beautifully illustrated and bound editions of children's books, some old favorites and some seeking favor, were on exhibition in this room for several weeks before Christmas, the purpose being to give suggestions for Christmas book buying. Judging by the number of visitors this privilege was appreciated.
Main Hall
Although no statistics of readers are kept it has been noticed this winter that more men are using the reading room during the day, pre- sumably out of employment this hard year. Besides the special collection of books, - on the European war, educaion, for the study clubs, High School pupils, Italian readers, etc., placed on shelves in the reading room, 10,477 volumes of fiction have been put on the open shelves, not including all new books added, both fiction and non- fiction. Books reported missing from the open shelves here are 28 fiction, four non-fiction, and two reference books. But worse than all else is the deliberate mutilation of art magazines and others placed upon the periodical cases. The following periodicals were added to our subscription list the past year: the Unpopular Review, Life, the Automobile, the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the Times History of the War, and the Third Hill Searchlight. Many words of appreciation come from members of study clubs and others of helps in their use of the wealth of material in the library through the newly established reference department, and it may easily be seen that this takes the time of one assistant. . To the music collection 31 books have been added, making a total of 115 which have circulated 912 times. The important gift of the year was the large quarto volume, "The Old Silver of American Churches," from Mr. Charles Francis Adams, now of South Lincoln, who, by the way, is the only one living of our first Board of Trustees, and was its Chairman for nineteen years.
Distributing Agencies
A little improvement has been made in the weekly distribution of books to patrons at Wollaston and Norfolk Downs by means of the delivery baskets now that the persons at whose stores the baskets are left are paid a small sum for exercisig some care over them. But this improvement still leaves such service a very unsatisfactory method both to patrons and the library, which shows the need of Branch reading rooms. From the Central library to the two Branch reading rooms, books requested are delivered three times a week, 895 books having been sent to Atlantic and 382 to West Quincy.
Work with Schools
Besides what little we have continued to do we feel that there should be a closer connection between the two educational institutions of the city, the schools and the library, to be brought about by co-operation
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between teachers and librarians. While there is a continued increasing use of the library by High School pupils that is gratifying, showing the acquired "library habit," we feel that we cannot do any adequate work such as we might do if we had duplicates of books enough to form small collections for collateral reading, to be placed on deposit in the grade schools for a longer or shorter time as they might desire, as many libraries do. We also want to stimulate the teachers in the use of the library by calling upon its resources in advance of their need of material, when here is material and willing workers to supply it.
Books in Foreign Languages
The Free Public Library Commission asks among other questions "What effort has been made to reach your foreign population, and with what results?" The circulation of Italian books was 262 at the Central Library, increased from 96 the preceding year, and 268 at West Quincy, which shows what we could do with more books in that language. Our French collection certainly needs some new titles; and undoubtedly we could use Swedish, Polish and German books if we had them. Six books in Spanish have been loaned sixty times.
Story Hours
Four story hours have been held at the Atlantic reading room during the year, three at the old location, between 30 and 40 children crowding the rooms, and one at the new reading room with 130 present. Two particularly interesting story hours were those given in the Children's room, one just before Thanksgiving, the other before Christinas. At the time of the Christmas gathering the room was bright and attractive with two real Christmas trees, evergreen and immortelles, and scarlet bells hung from the new electric fixtures. In this appropriate setting, Miss Ella Packard, one of our assistants, told stories that all children should know and love, in such a manner that, of her audience of 50 children, many then or later wanted the books themselves.
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