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 15
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Sunday Opening
The reading room of the Central library has been open seven Sunday afternoons beginning November 15, from 2 until 6 o'lcock P. M. Like many new things it started off with a good patronage which dwindled down to the few who'seem to appreciate the privilege, to which number we hope will be added others during the season. The average number of readers has been 37. These include few who do not come weeks days, and 35 per cent have been High School pupils.
Staff
We are fortunate after previous experiences, to have had this year but one resignation from the staff besides the aforementioned, Miss Follansbee leaving us in May to work for the Free Library Commission. In September, Miss Whittemore, Miss Kingsbury and Miss Prout were added to the staff, and since their return to their work at the library is shown the great value to them of the course at Simmons College, supplementing their training here. The results gained are the broader viewpoint, more interest in library work, and the spirit of co-operation, these all making for greater efficiency.
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Building
The addition of the two periodical cases in the Main hall makes us wonder what we did without them before. The indirect lighting is a great success in the Children's room and at the desk in the Main hall. Now we desire only an open shelf book room, by the addition of display cases, to be fully equipped and up-to-date as are other modern libraries (hoping this will be a help toward making a better class of books read) this library having been built at the time when the much mooted question of open shelves was just being advanced.
Reclassification
We are giving as much time of our assistants as we can spare from the regular work, to Miss Alexander and her boy helpers in the mechani- cal part of the change from the old method of classification to the Dewey decimal system, which puts all the books on a certain subject together and in alphabetical order. The work on the non-fiction of the Children's room, begun in October, is practically finished. Some idea of the extent of the labor connected with the process of reclassifica- tion of the entire library will be understood by the fact that, in con- nection with the mechanical labor alone, it is estimated roughly that it will take one and one-half years to change the book numbers on the card catalog cards of the non-fiction circulating volumes. As to the numbers on the books themselves, once on, they stay, being put on with white ink, sometimes upon a coating of black India ink, and shellacked over. No more trouble with labels. We are happy that. in this reclassfication of the books our dream of years, ever since the building of the addition, is at last beginning to come true. It is a matter of regret that the publication of the special lists has had to be discontinued, both on account of lack of time and the change of the call numbers. We published but two last year, - Agriculture and Choice of a Career, which latter was distributed in the High School.
Co-operation
The key-note of the present work in libraries seems to be co-opera- tion. And that co-operation is economy of effort and makes for efficiency; and is shown, for instance, in the catalog department by the purchase of the Library of Congress cards. So much of the work has been done for all libraries by one large library that, with slight alterations when necessary of date, publisher, etc., and the type- writing of our subject headings on each of the cards required for a single book, we get greater accuracy and fulness, the cards, are put out more quickly, the printed cards remain clear longer, and the cost is less. Of course there is the systematizing of the ordering, keeping accounts, etc.
In pursuance of this policy of co-operation the libraries of Massa- chusetts have been divided into small groups with some one prominent library as a centre, the librarian of which serves as local secretary for the group and thus becomes the connecting link between the Com- mission and these libraries. There are possibilities of mutual helpful- ness through discussions of problems, visits, etc. The Quincy library group includes Avon, Braintree, Holbrook, and Randolph. Their librarians were invited to meet here, books have been loaned, lists of
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books given, the librarian has visited each of the libraries and has called the attention of the Commission to the needs of one of them.
I have tried to show how we have been more than busy the entire year, trying with too small income to meet the ever increasing demands of the public, trying to keep pace with the needs of the study clubs, schools, fiction readers, (supplying the latter with fairly clean books), laborers, mechanics, technical students, and foreign craftsmen. From this report, much in detail, it may be seen that the carrying on of these many activities is responsible for the yearly increases in our demands upon the City Treasury. Our needs are almost unlimited, but our fulfilment has to depend upon our limited resources, necessarily so when every other department of the city is growing. The library has never overrun its appropriation. It may be asked how we can come out even, leaving no balance. Easiest thing in the world, with books always waiting at our elbow which the people have asked for and we have had no money to buy - always the demand in excess of the supply.
The harmony that has prevailed the entire year in all relations, with janitor, assistants, and Trustees, has helped in large measure to lighten the task of the year's work and responsibility.
Respectfully submitted, ALICE G. WHITE,
Librarian.
STATISTICS
Accessions
Added by purchase, new books
1,698
Added by purchase, to replace old copies
331
Added by gift
157
Added by binding periodicals
123
Added by return of missing books
16
Total gain
2,325
Discarded and replaced
209
Discarded and not replaced
32
Discarded from contagious diseases
50
Lost and paid for
11
Charged and not returned
50
Missing from open shelves, Main hall
34
Missing from open shelves, Children's room
27
Missing from open shelves, West Quincy reading room
18
Missing from open shelves, Atlantic reading room
6
Total loss
437
Net gain
1,888
In the library, December 31, 1913
35,265
In the library, December 31, 1914
37,153
Number of books bought from City Appropriation
1,986
Number of books bought from Cotton Center John- son fund
43
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Size and Growth by Classes
No. of Vols in Library Dec. 31, 1914
Added by purchase, 1914
Added by gift, 1914
Added by binding periodicals, 1914
General Works
197
1
8
Philosophy and Religion
1,194
37
7
Sociology
1,492
87
14
Science
1,222
22
1
Useful and Fine Arts
1,613
138
6
Literature and Philology
2,655
43
4
History
2,617
37
7
Travel
1,679
58
1
Biography
2,718
34
11
Fiction
6,770
411
1
Unclassified bound periodicals
4,474
118
Reference
1 ,387
25
67
Document Room
2,834
27
Fiction
3,057
500
Non-fiction
2,818
284
1
5
West Quincy Reading Room
213
11
1
Atlantic Reading Room
213
10
1
Total
37,153
1,698
157
123
Vols. replaced, 1914
331
Registration
New registra- tions
Cancelled by death or removal
Whole No. of borrowers, Dec. 31, 1914
Main hall
798
167
4,629
Children's room .
515
11
1,443
West Quincy reading room
266
28
1,575
Atlantic reading room
340
4
1,269
*1,919
210
8,916
Children's Room
/
Increase in number of borrowers, 1914, 1711.
*Includes 91 re-registered.
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CIRCULATION BY CLASSES, 1914
Main Hall
Chil- dren's Room
West Quincy Reading Room
Atlantic Reading School Room
Total
General Works
667
753
584
236
5
2,245
Philosophy and Religion .
925
79
92
9
1,105
Sociology
1,549
123
137
362
15
2,186
Science
1,234
886
433
830
128
3,511
Useful and Fine Arts .. .
4,131
1,010
745
591
47
6 ,524
Literature and Philology
2,878
1,923
2,402
778
123
8,104
History
1,381
1,589
1,295
649
180
5,094
Travel
1,972
1,615
1,040
1,143
261
6,031
Biography
1,522
1,123
516
557
158
3,876
Fiction
42,110
16,277
20,042
23,229
1,184
102,842
Periodicals (unbound)
13,171
2,719
1,460
2,609
19,959
Total
71,540
28,097
28,654
31,076 *2,110
161,477
*Number of books loaned to schools. Statistics of use there not recorded.
Central library open 304 days during year.
Main hall open for lending 72 hours each week (57 during July and August)
Main hall open for reading 7 Sundays, 4 hours
Total increase of circulation, 1914
10,491
Increase of circulation, Atlantic reading room.
7,679
Largest day's circulation, Main hall, March 7
490
Largest day's circulation, Children's room March 2.
200
Largest day's circulation, West Quincy reading room, March 2
200
Largest day's circulation, Atlantic reading room, October 17
242
Average daily circulation, Main hall
235
Average daily circulation, Children's room
92
Average daily circulation, West Quincy reading room
94
Average daily circulation, Atlantic reading room
102
Percentage of fiction, Main hall
58.8
Percentage of fiction, Children's room
57.9
Percentage of fiction, West Quincy reading room
69.9
Percentage of fiction, Atlantic reading room
74.7
Stereographs loaned
17,854
Books of music loaned
912
Books in foreign languages loaned
409
Books borrowed, Inter-library loan
9
Books loaned, Inter-library. loan
13
Periodicals currently received at Central library
182
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QUINCY DONERS TO THE THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY DURING THE YEAR 1914
Abele, Mrs. Francis, Jr. Book.
Associated Charities of Quincy. Report
Atlantic Shakespeare Society. Book to Atlantic reading room.
Brancheid & Martens. Free delivery of local papers to Atlantic reading room.
Cockayne, Mrs. Frances M. "Daily Mail. Over-seas ed."
Faxon, Henry M. Books.
First Church of Christ, Scientist. Book. Periodicals.
Fore River Shipbuilding Co. Books.
Hapgood, Mrs. Olive C. Book.
Holt, Mrs. Laura E. Book.
Johnson, Frank. Puzzles.
Melcher, Mrs. A. L. "Association monthly."
Melendy, A. Edward. "Woman's National Weekly."
Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. Books.
Miller, Hon. John L. Book.
Osgood, Miss Isabella H. "New York Times Review of Books."
Prescott Publishing Co. "Quincy Daily Ledger" to the Branch reading rooms.
Quincy Branch National Alliance. "Christian Register."
Quincy, City of. Annual report.
School Department. Annual report.
Spargo Print. "Quincy Telegram" to the Branch reading rooms.
Spear, Mrs. Charles A. "Universalist Leader".
Tobey, Rev. Rufus B. Books.
Underwood, Miss Mary P. Books.
Wainwright, Miss Belinda E. Book.
Wallin, Axel R. Book.
Waterhouse, George S. "Ambition."
W. C. T. U. of Quincy. "Young Crusader."
Weston, Miss Mary K. Puzzles.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
OF THE
City of Quincy
Massachusetts
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 1914
1640
62
MANETE
179
QUINCYS 1888
Published by THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
249
SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR 1914
At Large
Term Expires
DR. EDWARD H. BUSHNELL December 31, 1915
566 Washington Street, Quincy Point.
. DR. NATHANIEL S. HUNTING. December 31, 1916 1136 Hancock Street, Quincy
MR. ARTHUR W. NEWCOMB . December 31, 1914 98 East Howard Street, Quincy Neck.
By Wards
WARD 1. MR. JOHN D. MACKAY December 31, 1915 75 Greenleaf Street, Quincy.
WARD 2. MR. ARTHUR B. FOSTER. December 31, 1916 18 Bay View, Quincy Point.
WARD 3. MR. ALFRED O. DIACK December 31, 1916 47 Independence Avenue, South Quincy.
WARD 4. MR. JOSEPH H. McPHERSON . December 31, 1914 80 Common Street, West Quincy.
WARD 5. DR. WILLIAM G. CURTIS December 31, 1915 10 Grand View Avenue, Wollaston
WARD 6. DR. DANIEL A. BRUCE. December 31, 1914 139 East Squantum Street, Atlantic.
Chairman MR. JOHN D. MACKAY
Secretary of Board and Superintendent of Schools MR. ALBERT LESLIE BARBOUR 14 Linden Place, Quincy
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 m.
Attendance 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 1914
Books, Supplies and Sundries MESSRS. FOSTER, McPHERSON, HUNTING.
Text Books MESSRS. BUSHNELL, BRUCE, CURTIS.
Transportation MESSRS. DIACK, NEWCOMB, MACKAY.
Evening Schools MESSRS. McPHERSON, DIACK, BRUCE.
Special Subjects MESSRS. NEWCOMB, HUNTING, FOSTER.
Rules and Regulations MESSRS. CURTIS, BUSHNELL, FOSTER.
Teachers THE CHAIRMAN, MESSRS. CURTIS, HUNTING
Finance and Salaries THE CHAIRMAN, MESSRS. HUNTING, BUSHNELL.
For the Different Schools
High . MESSRS. MACKAY, BRUCE, HUNTING
Adams MESSRS. DIACK, NEWCOMB, McPHERSON
Atherton Hough MESSRS. HUNTING, FOSTER, BUSHNELL Coddington MESSRS. FOSTER, HUNTING, MACKAY
Cranch MESSRS. HUNTING, CURTIS, DIACK
Gridley Bryant MESSRS. CURTIS, DIACK, McPHERSON
John Hancock
MESSRS. NEWCOMB, HUNTING, BRUCE
Lincoln .
MESSRS. NEWCOMB, DIACK, CURTIS
Massachusetts Fields .. MESSRS. McPHERSON, BRUCE, FOSTER Montclair MESSRS. BRUCE, BUSHNELL, MACKAY Quincy MESSRS. BRUCE, HUNTING, BUSHNELL
Washington MESSRS. BUSHNELL, FOSTER, NEWCOMB Willard MESSRS. McPHERSON, CURTIS, BRUCE Wollaston . MESSRS. CURTIS, BRUCE, McPHERSON To serve with Chairman and Superintendent as a Committee on
Use of School Halls. MR. McPHERSON
Advisory Committee on Industrial Education MESSRS. H. GERRISH SMITH, ALEXANDER W. RUSSELL, HERBERT S. BARKER, HENRY A. MARR, CHARLES L. PRATT.
250
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Quincy:
The School Committee earnestly invites your careful attention to the condition of the public schools, the maintenance of which calls for such a large part of the city's budget, but whose aims, methods and accomplishments are not appreciated by many.
Criticisms of your Committee is frequent, but often unjust because of inadequate knowledge of conditions.
Your Committee, whose acts are largely legislative and judicial, are in a position to judge best, and should be able to judge more wisely, questions of public school policy; yet, although we were twice asked to make a recommendation to the City Council relative to a site for the proposed schoolhouse in the Bigelow district, and each time went over the ground suggested and after giving careful consideration to the comparative merits of the different lots, unanimously recommended the South Street lot, the City Council, in this case, as in the case of the Adams School site, rejected our recommendation and voted to purchase the Lowe Street lot.
Satisfactory school lots have been recommended at Norfolk Downs and Squantum.
In asking for our annual appropriation, this year as usual, we requested the exact amount of money that would be actually needed to run the public schools.
As an example of the closeness of our estimates, it will be remem- bered that although the Mayor cut $2000 from the last school budget, the amount was restored by the City Council when it was shown to them to be imperatively needed; and again this closeness of calculation is shown by the unexpended balance, $1.71.
The efficiency of our schools is well shown by the results we con- tinue to get, with expenditures proportionately less than those in neighboring towns and cities.
The administrative work of the board is largely delegated to the Superintendent of Schools, and in Mr. Albert L. Barbour, we have found a most efficient servant.
It has been necessary to disappoint, with adverse decisions, many petitioners who have appeared before the Board this year with requests of various natures.
These requests have referred to change in boundary lines of school districts, to the age of entrance to the first grade, to the number of sessions in the lower grades and various other matters.
An overcrowded room has sometimes made an unfortunate dis- tribution of scholars necessary, but with adequate school accommoda- tions better boundary lines will be made.
In questions regarding number of sessions in the lower grades, age of entrance and all such questions of school policy, we have tried to be influenced in making our decisions by the consensus of expert educational opinion, and by the practice of communities whose reputa- tions in educational matters rank high.
The city is especially to be congratulated upon the success of t h full-time Industrial School, whose popularity is attested by a waiti n list, at present of over eighty boys.
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The desirability of increasing the capacity of this school is so apparent, even as a matter of good business policy, that the necessary funds should be forthcoming.
The Evening Schools continue their good work and popularity.
There has been a marked increase in the demand for school halls which the Committee welcomes when such use is for public or educa- tional purposes.
An ample playground is an imperative necessity to a school. The playground at the Coddington School being very limited in area, a lease has been entered into with Mr. Henry M. Faxon for a lot of land adjoin- ing the school property.
Mr. Faxon generously offered this lot of land for a term of five years, provided the city would build and keep in repair a suitable fence around it, and pay the taxes for the period. This offer, which will mean an annual expense of about $200, it was deemed advisable to accept.
Another item of expense which we have been obliged to assume is for transportation of scholars from Rock Island. The building of the bridge on Rock Island Road was stopped by the Port Directors of Boston, and as the road is impassable, and the only available route to the Atherton Hough School is too long for the children to walk, it has been necessary to transport them.
An increase in the masters' salaries was necessary to bring their pay nearer the level of the average in other places.
The Committee sanctioned the formation of a High School Alumni Association, and welcomes its advent as a potent factor in promoting loyalty and fraternity among the graduates and increasing a healthy school spirit among the undergraduates.
Good progress is being made on the addition to the Atherton Hough School, which we hope may be ready for occupancy at the spring term.
The success of a school nurse wherever one has been employed has been so marked that the Quincy Woman's Club has proposed to assist the Committee by meeting the expense, for the first year's work of such a nurse, and we feel sure that a demonstration of the benefits of this step will be such that the city will wish to make the work permanent.
The foregoing report, presented by a special committee, consisting of Dr. William G. Curtis, Mr. Alfred O. Diack and Mr. Arthur B. Foster, was adopted as the annual report of the School Committee of 1914.
ALBERT L. BARBOUR,
Secretary.
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REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
To the School Committee of Quincy:
Gentlemen: I have the pleasure of submitting to you my sixth annual report as Superintendent of Schools, it being the fortieth in the series of such reports and accompanying the sixty-fifth annual report of the School Committee.
The Progress of the Year
The year has been a period of quiet progress with a few features of especial moment:
In September, the Industrial School opened a full-time depart- ment in two trades, the joiners and the electricians, with a full enroll- ment and a waiting list twice as great as the enrollment.
The School Committee has, in addition, authorized the Superin- tendent to investigate and report in reference to the advisability and method of establishing an Industrial School for girls, a matter which is given further discussion later in this report.
An unusually large increase in attendance both in the High and elementary schools has occasioned the employment of a number of additional teachers and has brought about overcrowded schoolrooms in several of the buildings, especially the High, Washington, Atherton Hough and Massachusetts Fields Schools.
No new schoolrooms have been added during the year, but the addition to the Atherton Hough School fast approaching completion will provide relief for that section of the city.
The Evening School term for the instruction of illiterates has been lengthened to eighty nights and the attendance in the evening trade classes has shown a very great increase.
The maximum salary for grammar masters has been increased to $1800 in order that the city may be able to hold its own against cities of equal size in the employment and retention of able and progressive men for these important positions.
Attendance and School Accommodations
An examination of the report of school attendance for the four months of the present school year shows that there have been about 350 more pupils in daily attendance this year than was the case in 1913. That is, the growth of the past year is equivalent to eight full school- rooms. There is every prospect that the increase in succeeding years will not fall below this number but will naturally tend to be greater. As only two new schoolrooms were added to our accommodations in 1913, none the previous year, and none are now in process of construc- tion for the present year aside from the Atherton Hough addition of four rooms, it can be seen that the city is not now building in pro- portion to its growth and that the time is already here when for a time, at least, we must get along with inadequate school facilities
Schoolhouse lots, it is true, have been recently purchased in three different parts of the city, Squantum, Norfolk Downs and Ward 2. On the two lots last named there ought to be no unnecessary delay in
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the construction of buildings of good size if we are to relieve a situation that is already becoming acute in several of our schools. It is to be hoped that in the construction of our new buildings hereafter, the city will guard against the mistake of making inadequate provision for the future. The experience of the last five years in building schoolhouses in the city has shown that in practically every instance the new school- house has been designed for the present needs alone, with little pro- vision for the next few years ahead. There should always be an ample margin, over and above the present needs, the size of which should depend upon the rapidity of growth in school population in the district for which the school building is provided.
Along with other increases, the High School puts before us a problem which cannot be disregarded much longer. There are already more pupils in the school than there are seats and desks. A partial solu- tion is suggested in another section of this report which may be worth trial.
To some extent the increase in our school attendance in the upper grammar grades and High School classes is due to the operation and general enforcement of the child-labor laws. The employment of children under sixteen is hedged about with so many restrictions, and very properly so, that many employers are refusing to employ children of that age in any capacity, so that while the opportunities for employ- inent are gradually becoming fewer, children of necessity must remain in school until they have reached the legal age when they may be generally employed.
Finances
The subject of finance is one with which all school committees and superintendents have to deal.
In a city that is growing in population very rapidly, from the very nature of our work, it is inevitable that the expenditures of the department should also increase rapidly. Whenever it is announced that the annual gain in school attendance has been three hundred and fifty or so, as has been the case this year, it follows as a matter of course that the increased cost in maintenance of the school department is going to be an amount which almost any one knowing the per capita cost of our department may roughly estimate. This is a fact, so plain as hardly to be worth stating.
Moreover, any one studying the financial reports of this or any other school department will note that throughout the State the per capita cost of administering public schools has also been rising steadily. He would be dull indeed who would fail to recognize the causes.
Increased salaries for teachers and supervisors, increased cost of all kinds of supplies, the increase demand for new books and appli- ances, for playground work and so on; the popular demand for smaller classes per teacher, for more manual and physical training, for better and broader High School courses, all these and many other factors are constantly increasing the sphere of public education, and as a conse- quence are adding to the expense of educating each child.
Now from the foregoing statement of facts it must not be assumed that the School Department takes a defensive attitude in regard to its expenditures On the contrary, its attitude is just the opposite. It would call attention to the very essential fact that the city ranks very low among the cities of the State in the per capita cost of education, almost at the foot of the list; that the portion of the tax levy which the city expends for its public schools each year is a constantly diminishing
254
ratio, as a table on a later page of this report will show. It invites attention to its many overcrowded classes which need remedy, to its costs of operation, instruction, supplies, etc., with the hope that the time is near at hand when a more liberal provision can be made.
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