USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1902 > Part 20
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15 Park ave.
650
1896
1
Almena J. Mansir,
77 Albion st.
650
1899
5
MAY E. SMALL, Principal,
7 Kingston st.
$725
1900
4
Eliza H. Lunt,
50 Curtis st.
650
1890
3
Charlotte F. Mott,
154 Charles st., Boston.
650
1886
2
Alice T. McNamara,
35 St. James ave., Boston.
650
1895
1
Martha A. Jencks,
102 Orchard st.
650
1899
EVENING SCHOOL
PRINCIPALS.
ALBERT L. WARE, Drawing.
CHARLES T. MURRAY, Prescott.
JOHN S. EMERSON, Bell.
FRED C. BALDWIN, Forster.
CHARLES E. BRAINARD, Highland.
* On leave of absence.
87 Orchard st.
1,800
1903
S. Adelaide Blood,
Washington st., Ayer.
700
1882
Edith W. Emerson,
Arlington.
700
1896
HIGHLAND.
Ernest W. Robinson, Substitute,
WM. H. HODGKINS.
LINCOLN.
33 Wallace st.
251
SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
TABLE 29 .- Teachers in Service January, 1903 .- Concluded.
Grade.
NAME.
Residence.
Salary.
Beginning of Service.
SPECIAL TEACHERS.
MUSIC.
S. Henry Hadley,
$1,700
1869
6-1
Charlotte D. Lawton,
900
1898
DRAWING.
9-1
Mary L. Patrick,
Newtonville.
$1,000
1895
8-5 8-5
Emma J. Ellis,
650
1900
8-5
Bertha P. Paul,
600
1900
PENMANSHIP.
9-1
Wmn. A. Whitehouse,
94 Summer st.
$1,200
1895
TABLE 30 .- OFFICERS IN SERVICE DECEMBER, 1902.
NAME.
Residence.
Salary.
Beginning of
SUPERINTENDENT.
Gordon A. Southworth,
40 Greenville st.
$3,000
1803
CLERK.
Cora S. Fitch,
273 Medford st.
$650
1901
TRUANT OFFICERS.
Lemuel H. Snow, Jairus Mann,
75 Benton road. 80 Porter st.
$1,100 50
1886 1872
SEWING.
60 Bartlett st. 54 Marshall st. 23 Monmouth st.
$650
1888
Mary L. Boyd,
46 Pearl st. 60 Bow st.
Service.
252
ANNUAL REPORTS.
TABLE 31 .- SCHOOL JANITORS, DECEMBER, 1902.
SCHOOL.
Name.
Residence.
Salary.
Latin High, S .
Joseph Young.
51 Oxford St.
$1,000 00
English High, S
Lewis G. Keene.
54 Prescott St.
1,200 00
Prescott, S, 12 .
George A. McGunnigle.
50 Pearl St. 830 00
Edgerly, S, 12 .
David G. Marston.
20 Everett Ave.
830 00
Davis, F, 4.
N. L. Pennock.
54 Putnam St.
400 00
Bell, S, 12 .
F. S. Dickinson.
1 Putnam St. 830 00
380 00
Pope, F, 12
.
Hiram A. Turner.
16 Gibbens St.
830 00
Bennett, S, 12
Daniel T. Campbell.
140 Medford St.
890 00
Forster, S, 13
James L. Whitaker.
146-R Sycamore St.
720 00
Forster, S, 13
John H. Kelley.
11 Richdale Ave.
900 00
Glines, S, 14
Roy C. Burckes.
249 School St.
950 00
Bingham, S, 8
John F. O'Brien.
5 Richardson St.
600 00
Morse, F, 12
·
Charles Gale.
10 Brastow Ave.
830 00
Durell, S, 4 ·
Albert C. Taylor.
46 Oxford St.
540 00
Burns, S, 8
Charles Gallaway.
160 Hudson St.
600 00
Highland, F. 12
E. P. Cook.
241 Elm St.
830 00
Lincoln, S, 4
W. B. Higgins.
82 School St.
480 00
Hodgkins, S, 12
Andrew B. Colesworthy.
33 Simpson Ave.
890 00
Hanscom, S, 6 .
Albert Gilman.
66 Glen St
600 00
Carr, S, 15 .
·
James W. Rich.
206 Highland Ave.
1,080 00
Perry, S. 6
·
Henry C. Bradford.
72 Boston St.
600 00
Brown, S, 6
·
John F. Richardson.
23 Appleton St. 600 00
Baxter, S, 6
William Winterbottom. .
2 Bolton St.
600 00
.
Cummings, F, 4 Knapp, S, 13
William T. Higgins.
82 School St.
John C. Sampson.
11 Fountain Ave.
890 00
Buildings heated by steam are marked "S," by furnace "F." The numbers show the number of rooms.
The high schools are heated by a single plant in Latin building.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
OF THE SOMERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY, YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1902.
Trustees.
CHARLES A. WEST. JOHN B. VIALL. J. FRANK WELLINGTON. CHARLES S. SOULE.
HOWARD D. MOORE. IRVING G. HALL. FREDERICK W. PARKER. EDWARD C. BOOTH, M. D.
GEORGE W. PERKINS.
Officers.
CHARLES A. WEST
President.
SAM WALTER FOSS
.
Secretary.
Committees.
Building and Grounds-Viall, Perkins, and Hall.
Administration -Wellington, Soule, and Parker.
Books and Catalogues -West, Viall, Booth, Wellington, Moore, and Hall. Finance - Perkins, Hall, and Parker.
Librarian. SAM WALTER FOSS.
Assistant Librarian.
ADELE SMITH.
, Cataloguer. F. MABEL NORCROSS.
Assistant Cataloguer.
ESTHER M. MAYHEW.
Children's Librarian. ANNA L. STONE.
School Librarian. EDITH B. HAYES.
Reference and Art Librarian. MABEL E. BUNKER.
Assistants.
MARY J. WARREN. MARY S. WOODMAN. FLORENCE D. HURTER. BESSIE L. DUDDY.
NELLIE M. WHIPPLE.
ALICE W. SEARS. GARDNER STACY. DAVID COUNTWAY. CHARLES A. PERRY. F. STUART DEAN.
Janitor.
CHARLES A. SOUTHWICK.
PUBLIC LIBRARY ACCOUNT.
Receipts and Expenditures for 1902.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1901
$220 75
Dog tax
3,230 95
Appropriations
14,500 00
Fines, etc.
716 89
A. L. Cadwell (money refunded)
4 75
E. B. Hall
10 00
Total
$18,683 34
Pay Roll for January
$1,260 19
66
66
February
1,196 87
66
66
66
April
1,447 87
66
66
66 May
1,420 84
66
66
June
1,634 50
66
66
July
1,034 03
66
66
August
1,226 96
66
September
1,229 44
66
October
2,016 61
66
66
66 November
2,358 88
66
December
2,183 45
Balance
93 55
Total
$18,683 34
Isaac Pitman Poetry Fund.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1901
$85 64
Interest
40 00
Total
$125 64
DEBIT.
Books purchased in 1902 .
$37 12
Balance carried to 1903
88 52
Total
$125 64
Isaac Pitman Art Fund.
CREDIT.
Balance from 1901
$18 91
Interest
160 00
Total
$178 91
DEBIT.
Books and pictures purchased in 1902
$162 35
Balance carried to 1903
16 56
Total
$178 91
66
66
March
1,580 15
DEBIT.
.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES.
To His Honor, the Mayor, and Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville :-
The trustees of the Public Library beg to submit herewith their thirtieth annual report.
During the past year the work carried on by the Library has been virtually along the same lines adopted in previous years, but at the same time the continual growth of the various departments has called for new methods, and the Trustees are impressed with the necessity of providing additional room that the reading public may be served to the best advantage.
The Reference Department has developed rapidly during the past year, and is now used very largely by the pupils of the High and Latin Schools. That the Library is so conveniently situate to the school buildings is indeed fortunate as its usefulness is thereby greatly enhanced. The demand for books of reference from this source has very largely increased as the character and numbers of the books in the Library have become more generally known and appreciated by the teachers and scholars. It has been found necessary to duplicate many of the prominent works of reference and even then the demand has not been satisfactorily answered.
The School Department has developed rapidly. A special school librarian now devotes her whole time to the work of the schools, which she visits systematically, co-operating with the teachers in every possible way. A room has been fitted for her work, where books are arranged according to grades, and here she meets and consults with teachers and scholars. The work done by her department is greatly appreciated, and is of great value to the cause of education.
A system of co-operation with the Sunday Schools has been inaugurated. Five churches are already receiving one hundred books each, from the Library, and several more have specified their intention of using the library books at an early date. It looks as if this system might become very generally adopted. This method of service to the Sunday Schools has attracted wide attention, and several other libraries already have signified their intention to adopt a similar system.
The number of vacation cards issued during the summer months showed an increase over last year.
The Cataloguing Department has issued the printed cards furnished by the Library of Congress whenever they have been
256
ANNUAL REPORTS.
procurable. This has resulted in a considerable decrease of labor in that department, and an increased efficiency of service.
Free access to all the books eligible to card holders was in- stituted in January last. This new departure meets with the uni- versal approval of the public. Perhaps no act of the Public Library has been so popular or caused so much satisfaction to its patrons. The privilege granted was limited for a time, but as it became apparent that the opportunity of handling and examining books at leisure was a pleasure and a great help to the public in making their selections, all of the stack rooms were soon opened to the public.
A complete inventory has recently been taken of all of the books in the Library, by which it appears that less than one-quar- ter of one per cent. of the whole number of books catalogued are unaccounted for. This is particularly gratifying, as no inventory has been taken for several years, and speaks well for the faithful- ness of the employees and the trustworthiness of the public.
Several exhibits of art work done by the scholars of the pub- lic schools have at times been on view in the Library. These exhibits attract more attention than any others, and exert a strong educative influence along artistic lines.
The circulation of books for home use continually increases, and the Library still maintains its position in this state as second only to that of Boston in point of circulation.
The Trustees take particular pleasure in again testifying to the value to the Library of our present librarian. He is faithful to the interests of the Library in every department, and ever ready with some new idea to advance its usefulness and increase its cir- culation.
The new methods and ideas that have been inaugurated are so successful that the Somerville Public Library is becoming known as one of the most progressive and up-to-date libraries in New England.
Respectfully submitted, CHARLES A. WEST, President.
December 29, 1902.
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.
To the Trustees of the Somerville Public Library :-
I herewith submit the Librarian's thirtieth annual report. Below is a statement in detail relative to the various depart- ments :-
The Cataloguing Department.
The Cataloguing Department, under the supervision of Miss F. Mabel Norcross, in keeping pace with the growth of the Li- brary finds an increased amount of work. During the past twelve months the Library has purchased from the Library of Congress 8,300 printed cards at a cost of $58.59. None but author cards can be purchased in this way, and so a considerable amount of work is entailed upon the cataloguing department in the writing in of the subject and title headings, the shelf numbers, etc. In the present state of the service there are many cards that cannot be obtained from the Library of Congress, and many others, which can be obtained, but are obtainable only after considerable delays. A Library desirous of keeping its card catalogue fully abreast of its purchases is sometimes inconvenienced by these delays. But this Library of Congress service is a newly inaugur- ated system and is steadily developing toward a high state of effi- ciency. We have availed ourselves of this service to such an ex- tent that we have purchased an extra set of all the cards fur- nished. This extra set we have laid aside and, in due course of time, we can employ them in some of the agencies. They will serve as a nucleus for a card catalogue similar to the card cata- logue now in use at West Somerville. Perhaps such a card cata- logue might be established in East Somerville during the coming year. Such a catalogue would, of course, be very incomplete, at first ; but it would contain most of the new books-and it is for new books that the majority of the people who consult card cata- logues are looking. With free access to the shelves the patrons of the agencies are really more in need of catalogues than are the patrons of the Central Library, who can freely examine the books themselves upon the shelves. Perhaps it would be wise to con- sider the feasibility of gradually installing card catalogues in all the successful agencies.
Below are the statistics of books withdrawn from the Li- brary, books added to the Library, and books bound by the Li- brary during the year :-
258
ANNUAL REPORTS.
Books Withdrawn.
Number of books worn out
856
lost by general readers 18
66
in schools 25
burned on account of infectious exposure
30
Total number withdrawn
929
Total number of books withdrawn to January, 1902
5,534
during 1902
929
Total
6,463
Books Added.
Accession number January 1, 1902
57,692
6 66 January 1, 1903
63,002
Total number of books added during 1902
5,310
Books new to the library
4,227
Duplicates
1,183
Total number withdrawn
6,463
Total number of books in the library
56,539
Binding.
Volumes rebound
3,761
Periodicals bound
165
Paper-covered books bound
75
Pamphlets
39
Total
4,040
The School Department.
The School Department, under the supervision of Miss Edith B. Hayes, is doing a steadily increasing amount of work. Since the opening of the last school year, Miss Hayes has given nearly her exclusive time to the work. A room has been spec- ially fitted up for her, lined with book-shelves sufficient to accom- modate all the books at present demanded by the various school libraries. Since the beginning of the year 6,717 books have been sent to the schools. One hundred and forty-seven of the two hundred and forty teachers in the primary and grammar schools have been supplied with libraries of twenty-five books each. The High Schools have been supplied, with a few unimportant ex- ceptions, with whatever books have been requested by the teachers. These teachers have suggested a large number of ex- cellent books for purchase. Books thus recommended have, of course, been books of a high order and have been unhesitatingly supplied. In July, forty-eight books were sent to the Prospect Hill Summer School.
Miss Hayes has visited each of the twenty-five school build- ings twice during the year. In one building, at the request of the principal, she talked with all the children, from the fourth grade through the ninth, and supplied them with lists of good
259
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
books suitable to their needs. Lists of books in the Library treating of the subjects studied in school and suitable for the children have been made out and sent to the teachers, whenever they have signified a desire for such lists.
The circulation through school boxes sent to the school has been 2,094. This circulation is now confined to the Morse and Knapp schools.
Miss Hayes is at present employed in making a complete catalogue of all the books contained in the School Department and also upon a graded list of books for children.
The Library has purchased a very large number of books for the school libraries during the past three years. As a conse- quence we now have a sufficient number of books on hand to supply the demands of the teachers when only twenty-five books are sent to each schoolroom. But twenty-five is an inadequate supply, and I would recommend that we still continue to purchase as many books as ever for this branch of our work, and to begin with the New Year to supply school libraries of forty books to a room. Even this number in many instances would not furnish a book apiece to the pupils.
The Children's Department.
The Children's Department, under the supervision of Miss Anna L. Stone, has been doing excellent work during the past twelve months. Since the opening of the general stack rooms to the public many young people who formerly flocked to the Children's Room have transferred their attention almost entirely to adult books. The maturity of the childish mind in literary matters is much more advanced than we seniors are apt to recog- nize. And, in fact, it is much better for a child to read books slightly above his comprehension than to stunt his intellect and arrest his development by reading books below his comprehen- sion. Consequently, instead of being depressed we are some- what elated to learn that the circulation of the Children's Room has decreased rather than increased since the opening of the stacks. The children have taken out more mature books than can be found in the Children's Room, and we feel like congratu- lating them on graduating from a primary to a higher grade in their intellectual development. The Children's Room is a mag- nificent adjunct to the Public Library as long as children remain children ; but they should not be compelled to wear intellectual short dresses and knickerbockers after their sturdy minds have outgrown them.
The shelving capacity of the Children's Room has been in- creased more than one-half by the erection of a double-faced stack on the northern side of the room.
The circulation of the Children's Room by months is here subjoined :-
260
ANNUAL REPORTS.
January
7,790
February
8,242
March
9,171
April
10,750
May
8,304
June
5,884
July
4,847
August
4,302
September
4,772
October
6,743
November
8,460
December
7,093
Total
71,444
Of this circulation, 79.05 per cent is fiction and 20.95 per cent other works. This high per cent. of fiction is due to various causes. The children obtain a large proportion of their "other works" from the numerous school libraries that are distributed throughout the city, and come to the Library for the sole purpose of obtaining fiction. Perhaps the term "fiction," at least in its obnoxious sense, ought not to be applied to the harmless story books and fairy tales, which are a natural and wholesome type of youthful reading. The story is well-nigh the only variety of lit- erature that the young child can assimilate.
The Reference and Art Department.
The Reference and Art Department, under the supervision of Miss Mabel E. Bunker, has been increasingly used by the public.
Below is given the monthly attendance for the year :-
January
1,562
February
1,723
March
1,948
April
1,112
May
1,235
June
2,170
July
523
August
486
September
1,204
October
1,460
November
1,487
December
1,115
Total
16,025
There have been during the year seventeen Art exhibits in the Library, as follows: Albrecht Durer, Poster exhibit, Hawaiian Islands, Contemporary Masterpieces of French Art, French Art in Paris, Somerville High School Art work, Somer- ville Grammar and Primary School Art Work, Raphael, Califor- nia, Autograph collection, Venice, Somerville Evening School work, Alaska, Greek and Roman Art, Siena, York.
261
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Through the Pitman Art fund we are enabled to buy a con- siderable number of fine pictures and a few art books. Works of this kind are very expensive and the income from this fund is sufficient to purchase only a small part of what a good Art De- partment requires. A few excellent pictures of a high order of artistic merit would be a valuable addition to the walls of our Art Room. The Library would not be justified in purchasing such work from the public appropriation ; but private generosity might find here an excellent opportunity for its benefactions.
The Americana branch of the Reference Department has not been neglected during the past year, and a considerable sum has been expended upon it. This money has been devoted very largely to the purchase of Maine and New Hampshire town his- tories.
An increasing amount of our appropriation should be ex- pended upon our Reference Department. It is through this de- partment that the Library finds an opportunity to do exclusively educational work.
It is gratifying to note to what an extent the Reference Room is used by the scholars of the schools.
General Work.
The general work of the Library, under the immediate su- pervision of Miss Adele Smith, the assistant librarian, has moved forward smoothly and an increased amount of business has been accomplished. Our Vacation Card system has been continued and has been increasingly appreciated by people who spend their vacations out of town. The past summer 274 cards were issued on which 1,371 books were taken out, as against 1,250 of last year. Of this number, 1,150 were fiction and 221 other works.
The general circulation figures of the year are as follows :-
January
23,969
February
24,546
March
33,708
April
23,777
May
22,178
June
24,199
July
16,584
August
15,080
September
20,155
October
21,386
November
24,206
December
27,118
Total
277,106
Last year the circulation was 264,227. Consequently, there has been a net increase of 12,879. Seventy-two and one- half per cent. of the circulation this year has been fiction, and 27}
262
ANNUAL REPORTS.
per cent. other works. Last year our circulation consisted of 732 per cent. fiction and 262 per cent. other works.
Below is given our circulation by classes exclusive of fiction :--
General works
6,803
Philosophy
1,077
Religion
1,389
Sociology
1,893
Philology
223
Natural science
2,952
Useful arts
2,559
Fine arts
6,163
Literature
8,933
History
12.762
Children's Room
14,974
Schools, Specials, etc.
16,504
Totals
76,232
Below is the statistical statement of the general work of the year :-
Volumes in library
63,002
66 added
5,310
Delivered for home use 66 at West Somerville
13,321
66
" East Somerville
5,421
66
" South Somerville
3,722
66
" Magoun square
326
66
" Beacon street
2,393
at grammar schools
2,341
Volumes out in school library
6,717
Number of Reference Room visitors
16,025
Art Department, number of photographs Cards issued
3,032
Books covered .
1,437
Cash, Fines
$529 72
66
Books
114 03
66
Finding lists
6 40
66
Telephone
3 20
Total
$653 35
Free Access.
Beginning with the first day of January, 1902, all the books of the Library intended for circulation have been free of access to the public. No act of the Library has probably ever been re- ceived with such favor as this. It is no exaggeration to say that this act has increased the usefulness of the Library two-fold.
Sunday School Libraries.
By a vote of your Board in September the librarian was au- thorized to loan books to the various Sunday schools of the city
277,075
66 from Children's Room
71,444
Sunday Schools
354
400
263
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
that might be desirous of such service. A letter was accordingly prepared and sent to the pastor of every church in Somerville, offering books to the various Sunday schools of the city up to the number of 100. Already five Sunday schools, the Winter-Hill Congregational, the Winter-Hill Universalist, the Prospect-Hill Congregational, the Union-Square Baptist, and the First Meth- odist church, have accepted this service. The Sunday schools select excellent books, and through their agency the Library can be instrumental in getting a large number of inspiring, helpful, and really meritorious books before the public. Since the adop- tion of this Sunday school service by the Somerville Library, sev- eral other libraries have adopted a similar service.
House Delivery.
The Library still continues its house delivery of books. If the boy who engages in this work is energetic and possessed of some address he finds the work remunerative. The boys who have sections at some distance from the Library hold their cus- tomers permanently. It is difficult, however, to hold customers who live within easy reach of the Library. During the year there have been delivered by our boy carriers books to the number of 7,990.
Binding.
During the year $1,838.41 were expended for binding. As the Library is increasing at the rate of about 6,000 books a year, as a natural consequence the binding required must naturally in- crease in like ratio. The folly of a cheap class of binding grows more and more apparent. Books sent out by the publishers, in too many instances are wretchedly bound. These bindings some- times 11tterly collapse within a few weeks. Publishers' bindings are frequently so notoriously worthless that an organized refusal to buy such bindings on the part of the libraries of the country might be a wholesome measure. But the Public Library should not imitate the publishers in the cheap nature of its bindings. Strong, durable, and as far as possible artistic bindings should be insisted on. It was thought inexpedient by your Board to estab- lish a bindery of our own at present, in connection with the Library, and the time has not yet arrived, perhaps, when in the interest of economy this bindery should be established. But our expense for binding is sure to increase probably at the rate of about $400 a year. If this prediction shall be found a true one it will not be many years before such a bindery can be justified on the score of economy.
Inventory.
During the summer months an inventory of the complete Library was taken. This work was a long and arduous one, and
264
ANNUAL REPORTS.
was the first thorough inventory that has been made for a period of several years. As a result of this inventory we discovered that 199 books were missing from the Children's Room, 116 fiction, nineteen picture books, and sixty-four other works. It must be remembered that no inventory of the Children's Room has been taken for a period of three years, and that during that time the collection has been subjected to two removals. From the general Library fifty-nine books have been found missing, twenty-eight fiction and thirty-one other works. The total number of books found missing from the entire Library is 258. When it is con- sidered that the Library contains about 60,000 volumes, with a circulation upwards of 270,000 a year, and that no complete pre- vious inventory has been taken for three years, this number is a remarkably low one.
Gifts.
The Library has received the following donations of books, pamphlets, and periodicals during the past year :-
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