Report of the city of Somerville 1907, Part 20

Author: Somerville (Mass.)
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Somerville, Mass.
Number of Pages: 548


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1907 > Part 20


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9.


HARRY F. HATHAWAY, Master, 495 Broadway


$1,900


1890


9. 8.


Elizabeth J. Mooney, 168 Summer Street


700


1894


7,8. 7.


Naomi E. Stevens, 134 Austin Street, Cambridge


700


1902


6.


Georgia M. Robbins, 495 Broadway


700


1906


6.


Lucy K. Hatch, 103 Glenwood Road


700


1892


5.


Mary F. Mead, 35 Kidder Avenue


700


1905


5.


Harriet F. Ward, 20 Dartmouth Street


700


1895


4.


Eva M. Barrows, 118 Rogers Avenue


700


1903


4.


Helen L. Galvin, Braintree


700


1903


3.


Harriet M. Bell, 34 Bow Street


700


1904


3.


Bessie J. Baker, Malden


700


1905


2.


Grace F. Mulcahy, 143 Sycamore Street


700


1903


2.


Nellie R. Bray, 7 Jasper Street


700


1897


1.


Mabel E. Mansir, 77 Albion Street


700


1894


1.


Clara L. Griffiths, 39 Ames Street


700


1902


9.


CHARLES G. HAM, Master, Watertown


$1,900


1898


9.


May E. Berry, 14 Billingham Street


.


775


1880


8.


Clara D. Eddy, 61 Central Street .


725


1902


8.


Mary E. Soule, 124 Summer Street


700


1901


7.


Harriet A. Hills, 14 Billingham Street


700


1874


7.


Marion P. Crawford, 124 Summer Street


700


1897


6.


Marie T. Smith, 87 Orchard Street


700


1898


6.


Susie L. Luce, 8 Walter Terrace


700


1896


5.


Mary A. Haley, 117 Summer Street


700


1867


5.


Grace T. Merritt, 47 Cherry Street


700


1897


4.


Elizabeth S. Foster, 51 Laurel Street


700


1895


4.


Gladys A. Budgell, 109 Porter Street


525


1907


3.


Florence B. Howland, 6 Highland Avenue


700


1897


3.


L. Isadore Wood, 53 Laurel Street


700


1906


2.


Florence M. Dearborn, 35 Laurel Street


700


1904


2, 1.


Ethel F. Morang, 157 Lowell Street


700


1898


1.


*Gertrude Friend, 16 Park Avenue


700


1893


1. Annie B. Russell, 45 Russell Street


700


1901


Asst.


Pearl F. Dame, 1 Ellsworth Street


350


1906


*Leave of absence.


Elizabeth J. O'Neil, 72 Central Street .


775


1904


Jane Batson, 140 Clifton Street, Malden


700


1900


Martha L. Hale, 157 Highland Avenue


700


1899


.


MARTIN W. CARR SCHOOL. Beech Street.


258


ANNUAL REPORTS.


Table 29. - Teachers in Service January, 1908 .- Continued.


Grade.


NAME AND RESIDENCE.


Salary.


Began Service.


(ENOCH R.) MORSE SCHOOL. Summer and Craigie Streets.


9.


MINA J. WENDELL, Master, 211-A Summer Street


$1,900


1882


9.


Alice E. Jones, 23 Greene Street


775


1897


9.


M. Florence Eustis, 35 Laurel Street .


725


1906


8.


Clara A. Ball, 12 State Street, Cambridge


700


1906


7.


Minnie E. Haas, 240 West Newton Street, Boston


700


1905


8, 7.


Lennie W. Bartlett, 35 Norway Street, Boston


700


1893


6.


Blanche E. Thompson, 108 School Street


700


1906


5.


Lizzie E. Hill, 35 Norway Street, Boston


700


1890


4.


Alice B. Hazelton, 25 Monmouth Street


700


1904


3.


Agnes C. Rice, 20 Spring Hill Terrace .


700


1900


2, 3.


Ardelle Abbott, 71 Craigie Street .


700


1896


1, 2.


Mildred M. Moses, 124 Summer Street .


700


1906


1.


Grace S. Russell, 1097 Broadway .


700


1900


GEORGE O. PROCTOR SCHOOL. Hudson Street.


7.


NORA F. BYARD, Principal, 15 Draper Ave., Arlington,


$900


1884


6. 5.


Emma A. Gilman, 130 Huntington Avenue, Boston


700


1903


4,5.


Abbie A. Gurney, 28 Bonner Avenue


700


1SSS


4.


Ella P. McLeod, 32 Charnwood Road


700


1888


3.


Clara L. Hammond, 62 Chandler Street


700


1903


- 2.


Edith L. Hunnewell, 23 Milton Street


700


1894


3, 2.


Mary S. Richardson, 13 Bartlett Street .


600


1906


1.


L. Margaret Potter, 59 Belvidere Street, Boston .


700


1906


GEORGE W. DURELL SCHOOL. Beacon and Kent Streets.


4.


ABIGAIL P. HAZELTON, Principal, 25 Monmouth Street,


$775


1902


3.


Lucie H. Chamberlain, 35 Laurel Street


700


1907


2.


Ethel Worcester, 24 Brastow Avenue .


700


1905


1.


Mary Winslow, 38 Spring Street .


700


1887


MARK F. BURNS SCHOOL. Cherry Street, near Highland Avenue.


7.


LAURA J. BROOKS, Principal, 31 Stevens St., Stoneham,


$900


1SS3


6.


Cara M. Johnson, 130 Park Ave., Arlington Heights .


700


1897


5.


Minnie S. Turner, 153 Lowell Street .


700


1885


4.


Bessie I. Sutton, 117 Falmouth St., Boston, Suite 3


700


1907


3.


Annie L. Brown, 281 Summer Street


700


18S5


2.


Mary E. Lacy, 63 Cherry Street


700


1890


1, 2. 1.


Emma B. Jones, 18 Sargent Avenue


700


1889


.


700


1893


BENJAMIN G. BROWN SCHOOL. Willow Avenue and Josephine Avenue


9.


GEORGE I. BOWDEN, Master, Hingham .


$1,600


1908


9.


Annie G. Smith, 59 Maple Street, Malden


775


1901


8.


Jennie P. Chapman, 2 Kenwood Street


700


1905


7.


Edith G. Watts, 1 Spencer Avenue


700


1904


6.


Phebe E. Mathews, 166 Morrison Avenue


700


1897


5.


Grace J. Alexander, 49 College Avenue


700


1900


4.


Edna M. Proctor, 93 Revere Street, Boston


700


1901


2.


Grace H. Bliss, 7S Summer Street


700


1900


2,1


Rena II. Wiley, 16 Fosket Street


525


1906


1.


Ida M. Record, 77 Walnut Street .


700


1899


.


.


700


1906


Alice G. Hosmer, 42 Boston Street


·


.


Lucy M. Curtis, 77 Walnut Street


700


1900


Alice E. Morang, 157 Lowell Street


.


259


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.


Table 29 .- Teachers in Service January, 1908 .- Continued.


Grade.


NAME AND RESIDENCE.


Salary.


Began Service.


HIGHLAND SCHOOL. Highland Avenue and Grove Street.


9.


AARON B. PALMER, Master, 18 Bay State Avenue


$1,900


1905


9.


M. Alice Paul, 122 Orchard Street


775


1879


9.


Marguerite Burns, 64 Hall Avenue


725


1907


8.


Grace M. Clark, 10 Vernon Street, West Medford .


700


1893


8.


M. Estella Sprague, 4 Albemarle Chambers, Boston


700


1907


7.


Josephine Marston, 201 Morrison Avenue


700


1907


6.


Sarah E. Pray, 126 Orchard Street


700


1877


6.


Mary L. Bryant, 38 Chandler Street


700


1903


5.


*Mary H. Joyce, 75 Boston Street


700


1891


5.


Marie Clifford, 212 Crest Avenue, Winthrop


700


1907


5.


Lillian F. Richardson, 33 Wallace Street


700


1904


4.


Edda C. Locke, 21 Francesca Avenue


700


1908


4.


Leila L. Rand, 87 Raymond Street, Cambridge


600


1908


WILLIAM H. HODGKINS SCHOOL. Holland Street.


9.


ARTHUR L. DOE, Master, 86 Chandler Street


$1,900


1896


9.


N. Irene Ellis, 15 Kidder Avenue .


725


1903


8.


Edith W. Emerson, 135 Central Street .


700


1896


8.


Alice S. Hall, 135 Central Street .


700


1896


7.


Lilla E. Mann, 75 Wallace Street .


700


1902


7.


Josephine T. Field, 40 Inman Street, Cambridge


700


1903


6.


Gertrude W. Leighton, 85 Central Street


700


1895


6.


Beatrice A. Randall, 96 College Avenue


700


1894


5.


Flora A. Burgess, Arlington Heights


700


1902


5.


Catherine A. Burden, 406 Highland Avenue


700


1905


4.


Genieve R. Barrows, Waban .


700


1896


4.


Katherine M. Fox, Stoneham


700


1903


3.


Jennie M. Patterson, 17 Avon Street


700


1896


1.


Marion I. Noyes, 22 Dover Street


4


2. 3.


Charlotte F. Mott, 98 Pinckney Street, Boston


700


1886


2, 1.


Almena J. Mansir, 77 Albion Street


.


700


1906


1.


MARTHA PERRY LOWE SCHOOL. Morrison Avenue, near Grove Street.


$900


1900


3, 4.


MAY E. SMALL, Principal, 12 Day Street, Cambridge .


700


1903


3.


Alice M. Dorman, 166 Morrison Avenue


700


1901


2.


Stella M. Holland, 46 Chester Street


700


1888


2.


Katherine E. Hourahan, 296 Highland Avenue


700


1897


1.


Clara G. Hegan, 100 School Street


700


1898


EVENING SCHOOL PRINCIPALS.


GEORGE W. EARLE, High


$6.00


CHARLES T. MURRAY, Prescott


3.00


JOHN S. EMERSON, Bell


4.00


CHARLES E. BRAINARD, Highland


3.00


·


700


1899


3.


Maude C. Valentine, 1098 Broadway


700


1903


2.


Jane M. Taaffe, 159 Morrison Avenue


700


1892


1.


Martha A. Jencks, 21 Francesca Avenue


(CHARLES S.) LINCOLN SCHOOL. Broadway, near Teele Square.


ELIZA H. LUNT, Principal, 50 Curtis Street .


$775


1889


Annie H. Hall, 97 College Avenue


700


1905


Alice M. Winslow, 23 Winthrop Street, Malden


775


1896


7.


*Leave of absence.


260


ANNUAL REPORTS.


1


TABLE 29. - Teachers in Service January, 1908. - Concluded.


Grade.


NAME AND RESIDENCE.


Salary.


Began Service.


CADET TEACHERS.


Ellen A. Baker, 12 Windom Street


$200


1907


Lynda V. Merrill, 11 Marion Street


200


1907


Alice L. Reid, 37 Spring Street


.


200


1907


SPECIAL TEACHERS. MUSIC.


7-13. 6-1.


S. Henry Hadley, 46 Pearl Street . .


.


·


$1,700


186S


Charlotte D. Lawton, 11 East Newton Street, Boston


900


1898


DRAWING.


9-1.


Mary L. Patrick, Newtonville


1,000


1895


SEWING.


8-5. 8-5.


Emma J. Ellis, 54 Marshall Street


700


1900


8-5.


Bertha P. Paul, 23 Monmouth Street


700


1900


9-1.


William A. Whitehouse, 70 Central Street MANUAL TRAINING.


1,500


1895


Andrew Bjurman, 9 Fairview Terrace, Maplewood


1,100


1907


Willis E. Higgins, 82 Elm Street .


.


1,100


1907


ASSISTANT IN PROCTOR, BURNS, LOWE.


Annie Sanburn, 20 Ashburton Place, Boston -


700


1906


.


TABLE 30 .- OFFICERS, ETC., IN SERVICE JANUARY, 1908.


NAME AND ADDRESS.


Salary.


Gordon A. Southworth, 40 Greenville Street .


$3,000


CLERKS.


Cora S. Fitch, 15 Pleasant Avenue


750


Mary A. Clark, 42 Highland Avenue


600


TRUANT OFFICERS.


Lemuel H. Snow, 75 Benton Road


1,100


Jairus Mann, SO Porter Street . . .


50


·


Mary L. Boyd, 43 Tennyson Street


700


1888


8. 8.


PENMANSHIP.


SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.


TABLE 31. - SCHOOL JANITORS, JANUARY, 1908.


School.


Name.


Residence.


Latin High, S


·


Joseph Young


51 Oxford St. 25 Aldrich St.


English High, S


Lewis G. Keene


30 Berkeley St.


Hanscom, S, 10


Substitute


Davis, F, 4


Substitute


Bennett, S, 12


Daniel T. Campbell


10 Stone Ave. 2 Bolton St.


Baxter, S, 6


.


Israel Winterbottom


40 School St.


Perry, S, 6


.


Henry C. Bradford


72 Boston St.


Pope, S, 12


Hiram A. Turner


16 Gibbens St.


Bell, S, 12


F. S. Dickinson


1 Putnam St.


Cummings, F, 4


Substitute


Edgerly, S, 12


.


Roy C. Burckes


7 Madison St.


Forster


James L. Whitaker


146-R Sycamore St.


Bingham, S, 16


John F. O'Brien


347 Lowell St.


Carr, S, 16


.


John W. Cremen


69 Oxford St.


Proctor, S, 8


.


George W. Libby


215 Pearl St.


Durell, S, 4


.


John Shea


97 Gilman St. 160 Hudson St.


Brown, S, 10


O. M. Pote


23 Howe St.


Highland, F, 12


.


E. Parker Cook


39S Highland Ave.


Hodgkins, S, 14


John Shea


Lowe, S, 8


John F. Richardson


97 Gilman St. 190 Morrison Ave. 1 Ellsworth St.


Lincoln, S, 4 .


.


.


Thomas C. Dame


Buildings heated by steam are marked "S," by furnace "F." The numbers show the number of rooms.


The high schools are heated bv a single plant in Latin building.


.


William H. Kelley


Prescott, S, 12


·


George A. McGunnigle


50 Pearl St.


Knapp, S, 12


.


.


.


Charles P. Horton


22 Everett Ave. 249 School St.


Glines, S, 14


Forster, S, 18


John H. Kelley


Morse, F, 12


.


James W. Rich


206 Highland Ave.


Charles Gallaway


Burns, S, 8


.


.


John C. Sampson


261


Latin Annex


PUBLIC LIBRARY.


BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS


OF THE SOMERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY, YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1907.


Trustees.


EDWARD C. BOOTH, M. D. JOHN B. VIALL.


IRVING G. HALL.


FREDERICK W. PARKER.


THOMAS M. DURELL, M. D.


J. FRANK WELLINGTON. HOWARD D. MOORE.


WILLIAM L. BARBER.


REV. CHARLES L. NOYES.


Officers.


.


EDWARD C. BOOTH, M. D.


. President


SAM WALTER FOSS


Secretary


Committees.


Building and Grounds -Viall, Wellington, and Hall.


Administration -Wellington, Parker, and Durell.


Books and Catalogues - Booth, Viall, Moore, Hall, Noyes, and Durell.


Finance - Parker, Moore, and Barber.


Librarian. SAM WALTER FOSS. Assistant Librarian. FLORENCE D. HURTER.


Cataloguer. ESTHER M. MAYHEW.


Assistant Cataloguer.


EDITH B. HAYES.


Children's Librarian.


ANNA L. STONE.


School Librarian.


MARY S. WOODMAN.


Reference and Art Librarian. MABEL E. BUNKER.


BESSIE L. DUDDY. NELLIE M. WHIPPLE. ALICE W. SEARS.


Assistants.


FLORENCE M. BARBER. RAYMAH H. SMITH. A. MYRTLE MERRILL.


F. STUART DEAN. SAXTON C. Foss.


Attendants. CECIL M. BARLOW. WILLIAM E. BAGSTER.


Janitor.


CHARLES A. SOUTHWICK.


PUBLIC LIBRARY ACCOUNT.


Receipts and Expenditures for 1907.


CREDIT.


Appropriation


$15,000 00


Dog Tax .


.


4,109 54


G. P. Putnam's Sons


.


50


Fines, etc.


.


968 67


Total


$20,078 71


Books and Periodicals


$5,980 20


Cards


82 50


Printing


494 25


Stationery


71 80


Salaries


9,937 39


Agencies


554 28


Express


351 48


Postage


24 00


Telephone


53 22


Supplies


29 18


Binders


10 45


A. L. A. Membership


00 20


Index


21 00


Repairs


5 35


Keys


. 00


Stereographs


4 35


Mounting


9 10


Disbursements


61 70


Bookcase


40 00


Ice


7 00


Balance unexpended


06


Total


$20,078 71


Isaac Pitman Art Fund.


CREDIT.


Balance from 1906 .


$145 08


Interest July 1, American Telephone & Telegraph Co.


80 00


Interest December 31, American Telephone & Telegraph


Co. :


80 00


Interest accruing on deposits in 1906


13 28


Total


$318 36


DEBIT.


Books and Pictures purchased in 1907


$228 85


Balance carried to 1908


89 51


Total


$318 36


Isaac Pitman Poetry Fund.


CREDIT.


Balance carried to 1907


76 51


Interest July 1, American Telephone & Telegraph Co. .


20 00


Interest December 31, American Telephone & Telegraph Co.


20 00


Interest accruing on deposits in 1906


3 32


Total


$119 83


Books purchased in 1907


$54 91


Balance carried to 1908


64 92


Total


.


$119 83


.


.


DEBIT.


Binding


2,325 40


DEBIT.


REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES.


To the Honorable, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville :-


Gentlemen,-The annual report of the trustees of the public library is herewith respectfully submitted.


We have appended to and made a part of this report the full report of the librarian, to which your honorable body is referred for the details of the year's work; we shall content ourselves with commenting briefly under the various heads.


During the last year the library has been conducted under the same policy as in recent years. Its various activities have been continued with much the same results, and no new features of importance have been introduced.


The library has done a larger amount of business this year than ever before. The total circulation of books, the largest in the history of the library, has been 419,539,-a small increase over the circulation of the previous year. This increase has evi- dently taken place at the central library, as the circulation of the agencies in general has scarcely maintained itself. The agency at Davis square, however, is an exception to this statement, as this agency has slightly increased its work over that of the pre- ceding year. The proportion of the different classes of books circulated has not materially changed from that of former years. The works of fiction, always ranging within a small percentage of seventy per cent. of the gross circulation, have, this year, slightly exceeded the usual proportion, although only one-tenth of the books purchased were works of fiction.


The work of the reference and art department has proceeded in the steady manner of previous years, and has frequently been enlivened by the exceedingly interesting and instructive travel- ing art exhibitions. These pictures range from views of our own New England towns to views of the great historic centres of the world in both hemispheres; and are worthy of wider notice and closer study by our people, whether for pleasure or instruction. The collection of Americana, also housed in the second story, has been added to from time to time as opportunity has offered. This is a respectable collection of histories of towns in Massachu- setts and Northern New England, interspersed with the more important genealogical works and local magazines on historical subjects. This room has been much visited, especially by the many who are now striving to trace their family descent.


The school work of the library has continued on the usual lines, and is extended to all teachers of the public schools who wish it. Consequently some two-thirds of the schoolrooms of the city are supplied by us with small collections of books which may be changed as often as desired, provided the resources of the library will permit it. We believe that a larger sum could advantagously be expended annually on the equipment of this school department, As it now is, the infrequent changes in the


265


PUBLIC LIBRARY.


libraries and the only partial use of them in the schools tax the department to the utmost.


Other collections are sent to other places, as enumerated in the librarian's report.


Vacation cards entitling borrowers to draw more books from the library and for longer periods than usual have been even more popular than before.


On the subject of the loss of books from the library shelves we had hoped by the close of this year to have further informa- tion which might determine our future action on the subject of continuing free access of the public to the shelves ; but various causes have prevented the taking of an inventory of any consid- erable part of our collection. Some books have undoubtedly been taken from the children's room from time to time by mis- take, which is not unnatural, as the library permits the youngest child that walks to wander among the shelves of the children's room; however, that there is still an intentional abstraction of books going on in some degree is highly probable. With a view to lessening the pilfering, as far as injunction would go, the trus- tees, after consultation with the city solicitor, have caused the following notices to be posted conspicuously around the library building: "The taking of books from the library without having the same charged is equivalent to larceny and will be so treated." It is believed that such notices will have a salutary effect except in cases of confirmed thieves. It is gratifying in this connection to note that an inventory taken in the reference and art depart- ment, on and about September 1, showed the loss of not a single volume for the preceding twelve months.


The subject of further library facilities for the section of West Somerville has been touched on in all of the late reports of the trustees, and until last autumn no satisfactory solution had been reached. Fortunately the question has become settled by the tender of Mr. Carnegie of a branch library building for this part of the city, to be located on the old Lincoln schoolhouse lot, and the acceptance of the same by your honorable body on Oc- tober 24.


We congratulate not only the citizens of West Somerville, but those of the whole city, on this generous and useful gift. We believe that while it will redound more particularly to the welfare of the section where the building is placed, it will also enhance the dignity of the central institution. When in 1890 the experiment was tried of establishing branches to the public li- brary of Boston, which were the first branch libraries success- fully put into operation in this country, it was thought by many that the importance of the main collection would be diminished when the branches were fairly under way. This notion was speedily dissipated, for it was found that the borrowers of a library were fewer in proportion to the distance and difficulty of the access of the library building, and that while a new centre created a new class of borrowers, the library circulation of the city as a whole was increased. It was also felt that branches


266


ANNUAL REPORTS.


would detract from the hold which the main library would have upon the people. This fear likewise proved to be unfounded, for it was shown that while the branches "created and supplied a constituency of their own, they served to make known to a larger degree the existence and capabilities of the parent institu- tion." Similar results have uniformly followed the establish- ment of branches in this country and in England, with a few un- important exceptions. Therefore we shall enter on this new phase of library development in our city with full confidence in the benefits to accrue to the city as a whole.


Conspicuous among the gifts to the library during the year is the statue of Damoxenus, presented by Mr. E. D. Jordan, of Boston. This beautiful and costly copy, in Italian statuary marble, of one of the twin figures of Canova's Boxers, represents a Greek boxer in the act of returning a blow just received from an antagonist with whom he has been contending. The beauty of the athletic figure, the expression of the countenance befitting the tragic intent, and the portrayal of symmetrical muscular de- velopment in the height of action show the consummate art of the great sculptor. The statue was placed in its present position in the curved front of the delivery room last October, and has since attracted universal attention.


For the maintenance of the library for the year 1908 the trustees ask for an appropriation of $17,000 and the dog tax.


The request for a somewhat increased appropriation is ne- cessitated by a greatly enlarged expenditure for binding ; our annually decreasing amount of funds available for the purchase of books; and by the increase of $100 per year in the salary of each member of the staff-an increase which the trustees be- lieved was demanded as a matter of simple justice.


As it will be necessary to have a suitable equipment of books ready for the branch library at West Somerville, at the comple- tion of the building, in order that the library may be put in operation without delay; and as these books can be purchased at much better advantage if procured from time to time as op- portunity offers, and as the cataloguing and other preliminary work connected with the installation of these books can be done with much saving if done in moments of leisure extending through the year, the trustees have asked the city government to place at their disposal for this purpose $1,000 of the $2,500 which by terms of gift is to be devoted annually to the maintenance of this branch.


It remains for us again to recognize the intelligence. fidelity, and zeal of our librarian, and his ready helpfulness to the public on all occasions, and the efficient and harmonious working of the corps of assistants.


Respectfully submitted for the board of trustees,


EDWARD C. BOOTH, President.


December 31, 1907.


REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.


To the Trustees of the Somerville Public Library :-


I herewith submit the librarian's thirty-fifth annual report. In accordance with recent custom, the details of the library's activities for the year are given by departments.


The Cataloguing Department.


The cataloguing department, under the supervision of Miss Esther M. Mayhew, has had an active year. Below are the statistics in detail of the work accomplished :--


Books Added.


Accession number January 1, 1907


1908


92,891


Total number of books added during 1907


5,390


Books new to library


3,274


Duplicates


2,116


Total number withdrawn


13,729


Total number of books in library


79,162


Binding.


Volumes rebound


4,659


Periodicals bound


415


Paper-covered books bound


20


Pamphlets


134


Total


5,228


Books Withdrawn.


Number of books worn out


1,801


66


lost by general readers .


37


burned on account of infectious exposure


60


66


lost in schools


51


Total number withdrawn .


1,949


Total number of books withdrawn to January 1, 1907


11,780


66


during 1907


1,949


Total


13,729


It will be noted that no mention is made above of the num- ber of books reported missing at inventory. This omission is due to the fact that we have been unable, largely on account of illness on the part of the staff, to make any inventory during the past twelve months. A thorough inventory is a monstrous bug- bear; but it is a duty that should be performed and performed thoroughly. I think perhaps unless there are well-founded sus- picions of systematic thievery, the requirements of good business management would be satisfied with a biennial inventory. At any rate, a thorough inventory of all departments of the library should be made during the coming year. Various plans looking


87,501


268


ANNUAL REPORTS.


to this end have been considered; but it becomes increasingly evident that the work cannot be done by the regular staff in ad- dition to their routine duties in a limited period of time. The library might be closed to the public for several weeks while the inventory is going on; but this is an alternative I dislike to con- sider. I think the most feasible method that can be adopted would be to close up the cataloguing department for as long a period as possible during the month of July and put the cata- loguers upon the work of the inventory. The reference depart- ment might also be closed, and the reference librarian devote her time to inventory work. During this period, of course, if there should be any urgent demand upon the reference department, the resources of the reference room could be used to meet this demand temporarily. This help, with some assistance from our substitutes, at a cost probably not much exceeding $50, would supply us with what we have never yet had,-a thorough inven- tory of the library in a limited period of time.


The steady increase in the amount of binding done by the library should impress us that this is an item of expense that will progressively enlarge with each succeeding year. The bulk of our books have now reached an age when the need of re-binding becomes imperative. This, with the accumulative growth of the library and the increased price of binding, due to the eight-hour system that prevails in the binderies, makes a largely increased appropriation for binding necessary each successive year. This will be especially true for next year, as a large number of books requiring binding have not been sent to the binderies the latter part of the present year for lack of necessary funds.


During the latter part of the year the cataloguers have writ- ten the shelf number upon the backs of the books with gilt and various colored inks, instead of writing them upon a gummed tag. These tags become frayed and discolored, are hard to re- move, and are inartistic. It is hoped the new system may give better satisfaction.


School Department.


The school department, under the supervision of Miss Mary S. Woodman, has done an increased amount of work during the past year. Though a considerable number of books is pur- chased for this department every year, we do not yet have a suffi- ciently large collection to furnish the teachers a wide range of choice. It is not sufficient to have just enough books to supply the requisite number to all the schoolrooms; but we ought to have a considerable collection of surplus books on the shelves at all times, so that the teachers may be granted a wide freedom of choice.




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