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 1915 > Part 16
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The "vacation reading" contest was a still greater success in 1915, Miss Weston had a library game to teach the children the use of the card catalog. Miss Packard held Story Hours as usual, started an interesting Geography club in October, which meets monthly, and had a most original Christmas party, at which the special guest was a little blind boy who sang Christmas carols to the children after their entertainment.
Cataloging
To make the resources of the library more quickly available, the cards of all the books in it should be in the card catalog. This past year has given us some time, which otherwise would have been used in cataloging new books, to make progress in this greatly needed work. Also, the 89 volumes of the United States Census were reclassified and recataloged.
One of the best accomplishments of the year was the big under- taking in the summer of cataloging the bound magazines and making them accessible to the people directly through the medium of the two Indexes, Poole's and Readers' Guide, which use different series volume numbers. This required the handling and work on 3,000 volumes, and to Miss Hyland is due the credit for this task.
Reference Work
In the statistics of routine work in the library's several depart- ments only the class and number of books borrowed for use outside its walls are shown. That 250 reference questions have been recorded answered from the Children's room desk; 646 from the Main hall; 560 from the West Quincy reading room, and 524 from the Atlantic reading room, means little in figures, perhaps, but means a much larger
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and constantly increasing use of the resources of the library for re- search work and study. It also means that reference books are usually expensive and that therefore much money is here needed to be able to meet this constantly increasing use of the library. It means, for instance, the need for purchase of the last edition for the Encyclopedia Britannica, referred to previously in my report for the year 1911.
Binding and Repairs Binding Account
1914
1915
Books rebound. .
1,484
2,818
Periodicals bound.
123
195
Books repaired .
17
55
Besides the above, 131 volumes of periodicals have been rebound the past year, 116 of them being some old volumes of St. Nicholas which the Children's room could spare for the poorer Atlantic reading room. In 1915 we bound only 10 volumes from sheets, a way of getting much more lasting service, as we could not afford the first cost of the sheets. We have spent $1,196.99 for binding the past year and still there are 4 boxes of books waiting to be sent.
In August, at our request the binder, Mr. Michelson, kindly al- lowed Miss Ruth Murphy, a High school pupil who has been working with us two years, to spend half a day for two weeks at his bindery. The result is that she has done more intelligent work upon the books, and many that would otherwise have been sent to the binder have been repaired here.
At the Library
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Books mended.
4,773
6,519
11,292
Magazines mended.
1,640
1,240
2,880
Books repaired .
389
104
493
Thus in order to have the greatest number of books to work with at the least possible cost we have had to mend and repair the old collection. Many of these are too soiled to circulate. We could pay 35 cents to have a book rebound, whereas we couldn't pay $1.12 to replace by a clean copy the book that was still popular enough to be wanted.
Sunday Opening
The full season's returns leave much to be desired. It would seem that more adults in a city of 40,000 people should appreciate the Sunday afternoon privilege. The patronage has been a fluctuating one varying from 11 to 71 visitors, among which the proportion of High school pupils has increased from 35 to 52 per cent. The average number of readers has decreased from 37 per Sunday in 1914 to 31.
Staff
It is pleasant to record that this past year there have been no changes upon the staff. Also that the three apprentices, although they could not technically be added to it, have returned to us after
·
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their summer course at Simmons College, cheerfully continuing their work as general assistants, more valuable after training and experience. After the requisite of general all-round training in the various departments of library work, it is the design of the Librarian to then place each member of the staff in the position best suited to her taste and ability. So that is always done whenever possible; and from the standpoint of business no less than from that of per- sonal development best results are thus obtained.
Staff meetings have been held monthly during the year, at which assistants' viewpoints from practical experience are discussed. This has been found to make for still greater interest, loyalty, and pleasure in the work. A little experiment was tried of calling together oc- casionally all the pages and other boy workers connected with the library for a few moments' talk. The result was a surprising improve- ment and development.
The members of the staff greatly appreciate the extra week's vacation given them by the Trustees.
Reclassification
This large undertaking has gone steadily forward, under the charge of Miss Alexander, with part time of one assistant and with High school boys to do the mechanical work of erasures, filing cards, etc. Books in the classes of Fine arts, Useful arts, Sociology, nearly all those in Literature, and about half in the classes of Science, Philo- sophy, and Religion have been reclassified. As the books in these classes are being used more and more both for reference and for cir- culation, it has been found a great help to have all on one subject together upon the shelves.
In addition to the reclassification work, cards have been made and filed in the card catalog for many of these books, which hitherto could be found only by the printed lists and old catalog and supple- ments.
The fire which called the Librarian to the library at 2.30 on the morning of February 10, and which might have proved disastrous, makes one realize what the loss of this beautiful building with its carvings and stained glass windows would be to us all.
In the death of Alexander Nugent, the caretaker of the grounds, the library has lost one who gave to it 22 years of faithful, intelligent service.
Appended, besides the usual statistics, are those arranged in accordance with the form drawn up by the A. L. A. Comm tter on Library Administration and adopted by the Council. This form admits of easy comparison with other libraries and is an attempt to meet the need for uniformity in library statistics.
In closing, the Librarian wishes to thank the Board for their cordial support and for the extension of vacations; and to express publicly her gratitude to the staff of faithful, interested, happy workers. For the success of the library's work depends in large measure upon this loyal aid.
Respectfully submitted,
ALICE G. WHITE, Librarian.
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STATISTICS Size and Growth by Classes
No. of Vols. in Library Dec. 31, 1915
Added by purchase, 1915
Added by gift, 1915
Added by binding periodicals, 1915
General Works
209
12
Philosophy and Religion
1,257
23
36
Sociology
1,553
41
17
Science
1,235
8
2
Useful and Fine Arts
1,687
57
11
Literature and Philology
2,704
38
7
History
2,668
22
17
Travel
1,713
26
6
Biography
2,754
21
16
Fiction
6,973
193
17
Unclassified bound periodicals.
4,591
1
117
Reference
1,448
37
7
Document Room.
2,866
34
Children's Room:
Fiction
3,323
248
1
Non-Fiction
2,978
187
2
4
West Quincy Reading Room. .
285
7
47
Atlantic Reading Room
390
5
57
Total
38,639
913
290
121
Vols. replaced, 1915
287
Number of books bought from City Appropriation
1,083
Number of books bought from Cotton Center Johnson Fund
93
Number of books bought from George W. Morton Fund
24
Circulation by Classes, 1915
Main Hall
Chil- dren's Room
West Quincy Reading Room
Atlantic Reading Room
Schools (From Chil- dren's Room)
Total
General Works
434
742
624
202
2,002
Philosophy and Religion
1,11€
245
91
92
17
1,556
Sociology
1,497
152
212
157
10
2,028
Science
1,094
846
594
571
96
3,201
Useful and Fine Arts . .
4,243
1,433
1,284
825
73
7,858
Literature and Philology.
2,716
2,072
2,378
1,189
61
8,416
History
1,260
1,541
1,694
924
148
5,567
Travel
1,373
1,962
$35
999
176
5,445
Biography
1,276
954
347
363
130
3,070
Fiction
39,877
18,057
20,489
25,590
1 ,040
105,053
Periodicals (unbound)
13,451
2,187
1,758
2,320
19,716
Total
68,331
30,191
30,406
33,233
*1,751 163,912
* Number of books loaned to schools. Statistics of use there not recorded.
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Increase of circulation in 1915:
Atlantic reading room
2,157
West Quincy reading room
1,752
Children's room. 1,735
5,644
Decrease: Main hall
3,209
Schools
359
3,568
Total increase of circulation, 1915. 2,076
Average daily circulation, Main hall. 224
Average daily circulation, Children's room
99
Average daily circulation, West Quincy reading room 100
Average daily circulation, Atlantic reading room.
109
Percentage of fiction, Main hall
58.3
Percentage of fiction, Children's room
59.7
Percentage of fiction, West Quincy reading room.
67.3
Percentage of fiction, Atlantic reading room.
77
*Vacation books lent .
237
Books in foreign languages lent.
601
Books borrowed from Boston Public Library
14
Books of music lent
1,108
Stereographs lent
7,558
*Counted only at time of borrowing
QUINCY DONORS TO THE THOMAS CRANE PUBLIC LIBRARY DURING THE YEAR 1915
Alden, Mrs. Elizabeth H. Portfolio of portraits.
Associated Charities of Quincy. Report.
Branscheid & Martens. Free delivery of local papers to Atlantic reading room.
Callahan, Miss Gertrude. Books.
Cockayne, Mrs. Frances M. "Daily Mail. Over-seased."
Christian Endeavor Society, Bethany Church. "Christian Endeavor World."
Farwell, Miss Marion. Books.
First Church of Christ, Scientist. Periodicals
Fore River Shipbuilding Corp. Periodical.
French, J. de C. Books.
Furnald, Henry P. Books and pamphlets.
Glover, Mrs. Annie F. Book.
Groce, Joseph B. Book.
Jelinek, A. W. Framed pictures to Atlantic reading room.
Lincoln, Miss Helen. Games.
McIsaac, Mrs. Adelaide. Books and framed picture to Atlantic read- ing room. Melcher, Mrs. A. L. "Association Monthly."
Melendy, A. Edward. "Woman's National Weekly."
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Miller, Mrs. John L. Books.
Murray, Albert N. Books
Osgood, Miss Isabella H. "New York Times Review of Books."
Packard, Miss Ella F. Book. 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. Stinson, Alvah L. Book.
Wainwright, Miss Belinda E. Books. Waterhouse, George S. "Ambition."
W. C. T. U. of Quincy. "Young Crusader."
STATISTICS ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THE FORM ADOPTED BY THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Annual report for year ended December 31, 1915.
Name of library: Thomas Crane Public Library.
City or town: Quincy. State: Massachusetts.
Population served (Mass. Census 1915) . 40,674
Terms of use- Free for lending. Free for reference.
Total number of agencies . 15
Consisting of :
Central Library
Branches (One occupies separate building)
2
Stations (Delivery)
2
Other agencies: School buildings 10
Number of days open during year (Central Library)
324
Hours open each week for lending (Central) 72 (10 mos.) and 57 (2 mos.) Hours open each week for reading (Central) 76 (20 wks.), 72 (23 wks.) and 57 (9 wks.).
Adult
Juve- nile
Total
Number of volumes at beginning of year
31,167
5,986
37,153
Number of volumes added during year by purchase
574
626
1,200
Number of volumes added during year by gift
191
99
290
Number of volumes added during year by binding mate- rial not otherwise counted
117
4
121
Number of volumes lost or withdrawn during year.
10
118
227
Total number at end of year
32,068
6,571 *38,639
Pamphlets: Classified and catalogued but not counted. Maps: No statistics kept.
* Includes 102 previously missing volumes.
261
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Number of volumes of fiction lent for home use. .
Total number of volumes lent for home use
65,171 82,822
39,882 61,374
105,053 *163,912
Number of volumes sent to agencies
1,751
Number of prints lent for home use. None in collection.
Number of music rolls lent for home use. None in collection. Other circulation:
Stereographs 7,558
Mounted and unmounted pictures to schools 188
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Number of borrowers registered during year
1,063
1,825
Total number of registered borrowers
7,184
762 3,385
10,569
Registration period - 3 years.
Number of newspapers and periodicals currently received:
188 titles 230 copies
Number of persons using library for reading and study. No statistics kept. * Includes 19,716 unbound periodicals.
Receipts from
Unexpended balance, Jan. 1, 1915
$4,000.73
*City appropriation
14,764.48
Endowment funds .
1,003.74
Fines and sale of publications
378.34
Other sources .
103.48
Total
$20,250.77
*Includes dog licenses $2,419.48.
Maintenance
Books .
$1,386.16
Periodicals
498.19
Binding
1,196.99
*Salaries, library service
9,568.88
Salaries, Janitor service
900.00
Rent .
600.00
Heat
450.11
Light
546.58
tOther maintenance.
2,195.72
Total maintenance
$17,342.63
*Includes reclassification, $1,193.73.
tCare of grounds and building, including repairs, $762.20.
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
OF THE
City of Quincy
Massachusetts
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 1915
QUINCY .51883
Published by THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
1
264
SCHOOL COMMITTEE FOR 1915
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, 1917
98 Eash 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, 1917 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, 1917
139 East Squantum Street, Atlantic.
Chairman Mr. John D. Mackay
Secretary of Committee and Superintendent of Schools
Mr. Albert Leslie Barbour, 14 Linden Place, Quincy.
265
STANDING SUB-COMMITTEES FOR 1915
Books, Supplies and Sundries Messrs. Foster, McPherson, Hunting.
Textbooks 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
Adams .
High. Messrs. Mackay, Bruce, Hunting Messrs. Diack, Newcomb, McPherson
Atherton Hough Messrs. Hunting, Foster, Bushnell Coddington Messrs. Foster, Hunting, Mackay Cranch . . Messrs. Hunting, Curtis, Diack
Gridley Bryant . Messrs. McPherson, Diack, Curtis
John Hancock . Messrs. Newcomb, Hunting, Bruce Lincoln Messrs. Newcomb, Diack, Curtis
Massachusetts Fields Messrs. Curtis, 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
266
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.
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, 8 Washington Street. Office hours for issuing labor certi- ficates: 8 to 9.30 A. M., and from 1.30 to 2 P. M., 4 .30 to 5 P. M .; Saturdays, from 8 to 12 A. M., 1.30 to 5 P. M.
The regular meetings of the School Board are held at eight o'clock P. M., the last Tuesday in each month.
267
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Quincy:
The School Committee submits its annual report for the year 1915 to the citizens of Quincy.
Under the efficient management of our Superintendent, Mr. Barbour, our schools have continued to keep up the high standard of former years.
The City Council has appropriated this year $203,651.73 for use in the general schools and $12,982.27 for the day and evening Indus- trial Schools, part of which will be refunded by the State. This large sum of money has been expended carefully and judiciously to get the best results possible. That there has been no waste or extra- vagance is shown by the figures compiled by the School Committee of Brookline from data in the Seventy-eighth Annual Report of the State Board of Education for the year ending June 30, 1914. In this document an itemized comparison is made of the cost of the schools as a whole and of the cost per pupil in Brookline and five other towns and in five cities of Massachusetts. These summaries are as follows:
School Pop.
Total Exp.
Cost per Pupil
Brookline
3,970
$278,884.57
$70.25
Winchester
1,800
76,936.09
42.74
Milton
1,412
87,277.43
61.81
Wellesley
990
54,758.85
55.31
Weston.
323
26,068.81
80.68
Stockbridge
315
20,530.51
65.18
Springfield .
15,936
772,357.51
48.47
Newton .
6,935
353,170.66
50.93
Cambridge
15,445
596,244.58
38.60
Worcester
22,317
957,431.95
42.91
Quincy
6,136
195,676.54
31.89
For the past year the Quincy expenditure has been $203,208.82 and the school population 6,486, making the cost per pupil $31.33.
From this it will be seen that compared with these towns and cities varying in school population from 315 to 22,317, the cost per pupil in Quincy is very low. This cost is about three-fifths the cost in Newton, a city of approximately the same school population. This proportion is about the same when compared with all the towns and cities of the State. The ratio of school expenditure to total tax levy and to total valuation is also proportionately low. This result has been attained only by the closest economy in the essentials and by dispensing with many of the luxuries of education. It is a question whether in some cases there has not been unwise and unnecessary economy. But the Committee feels that from a business as well as educational standpoint the city has obtained the very best results from the money invested.
268
Owing to the high cost of living and the larger salaries paid in other cities of about the size of Quincy, the elementary teachers asked for an increase of $100 in the maximum salaries paid. After due deliberation, the School Committee decided they were not justi- fied in that amount of increase but did vote to increase the maximum by $50. This brings the salaries more nearly to the average for the State, although it falls far behind the amounts paid in many cities.
The matter of school accommodations has been this year, as always, a perplexing problem. The High School building, which when built was thought to be ample in size, is now over-crowded with 1,029 pupils. The Quincy Point and North Quincy districts are also growing fast and demanding larger school accommodations. This congestion will be relieved on the completion of the two buildings for which the City Council has already voted an appropriation. These buildings will also relieve the pressure at the High School, for it is intended to have in them junior high school grades.
Some slight relief for the High School is also obtained by the Industrial School in the old Adams School building. This State-aided school receives boys with certificates from the elementary schools - boys who have no aptitude nor liking for classical studies but who are ready and willing to learn the practical work of the different trades taught. The school has proved a most efficient factor in training hand and brain. Its popularity is shown by the fact that there are nearly seventy boys now waiting to avail themselves of its benefits. It is hoped that in the near future larger accommodations may enable us to give to these boys the education which they desire and need. We wish to express our appreciation to the manufacturing concerns in the city who have assisted us in training the boys in trades during the past year and trust that they will not have any cause to regret their action in so doing, and that they will continue in the policy that they have followed in the past.
A similar State-aided school for girls will be established in the coming year - a school for "home-making" where girls will be taught the scientific and practical details of keeping house in all its branches, a knowledge sadly needed at the present day. The school should be in a private house and it is hoped that the Arnold house, recently purchased by the city, may be utilized for this purpose.
During the past year the Atherton Hough School building has been enlarged and occupied and now accommodates the growing school population of Hough's Neck. It is hoped that the purchase of addi- tional land about this school may be accomplished in the near future. The recent addition to the Coddington lot is a most welcome fact.
We have enlarged the scope of the Evening Schools, both State- aided and city, with the result that today our evening classes will compare favorably with any other city in the State. We wish to call the attention of the citizens to the classes which are being conducted for foreigners, and submit for their consideration whether or not the wisest policy is being pursued. Different nationalities have been represented in the Evening School during the past year as follows: Americans, Armenians, Austrians, English, Chinese, French, Finns, Germans, Hebrews, Greeks, Italians, Russians, Spaniards, Swedes, Syrians, Poles, Turks.
The enrollment in these classes was over 600, and the average evening attendance, 200. We believe that the best, in fact the only way to teach those who come to our shores the respect which they
269
should have for the flag, for the country which it represents, and for its institutions, is to enlighten them as to what it means to be given the freedom which they enjoy, to teach them of the lives and deeds of those men who made and preserved this great nation, and that they must become citizens of the country, adopt it modes of living, associate with its people and become Americans like those of our- selves, who though perhaps born here can look back not in the very dim distance, and see our own ancestors coming from distant shores. We must do these things if we are to have an America that will mean what it should mean to those who will follow in our footsteps. We invite those of our people who may be interested to visit one or more of these classes at any time and see what is being done, and we know that the only conclusion that can be drawn is that they are a success.
To the question of the age limit for the admission of children to school and of the length of school sessions for primary children, the Committee has given full and mature consideration, having the interest of the child in view. The members have been influenced by two facts - first, the over-crowded condition of the primary grades which, in many cases, would not permit the admission of younger children or keeping them in school for longer periods, even if it were desirable. In some districts, on petition of parents, the children of the second grade have been allowed to attend two sessions each day when room was available. The School Committee does not believe that the schools should be made a day nursery to relieve over-worked or over-nervous mothers.
The second fact influencing the members is the large preponderance of expert opinion - both educational and medical - that young children are better in the open air and that young brains should not be fatigued before the age of seven.
Last year the Women's Club very generously offered to pay the expense of a school nurse for one year, and Miss Marion Jackson was installed in the position. Miss Jackson has proven most efficient and helpful both in the schoolrooms and in the homes and has contributed largely to the good health and comfort of the pupils. A school nurse is now a necessity and the expense must be assumed by the taxpayers at large. Two or more school nurses could be well and profitably employed.
A free dental infirmary is one of the utopian dreams of the near future.
The School Committee wishes to take this occasion to record its appreciation of the cordial support accorded by the executive and legislative branches of the city government.
The foregoing report, presented by a special committee consisting of Dr. Nathaniel S. Hunting, Mr. Arthur W. Newcomb and Mr. Joseph H. McPherson was adopted as the annual report of the School Committee of 1915.
ALBERT L. BARBOUR.
270
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
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