USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Somerville > Report of the city of Somerville 1914 > Part 24
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SECTION 150. Teachers in the evening schools shall Teachers. be designated as masters, sub-masters, and first, second, and third assistants. Each elementary school having an average attendance for four consecutive evenings of twenty-five pupils may have a master and one first as- sistant; an additional first assistant may be allowed for every twenty-five pupils in excess of that number.
SECTION 151. The principal shall be responsible for Duties of the management of the school. He shall keep a record Principal. of the name. age, residence, and occupation of each pupil, and an accurate record of attendance. He shall have charge of. and be responsible for, all books and supplies furnished for his school.
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SECTION 152. The first term of the evening school shall begin on the first Monday of October and continue ten school weeks. The second term shall begin on the date of the opening of the day schools after the Christmas vacation, and shall continue ten school weeks. The term of any school may be shortened by the Committee on Industrial Education. The sessions of the evening schools shall be held on such evenings as may be determined upon by the Committee on Industrial Education.
SECTION 153. The sessions of the school shall begin at half-past seven o'clock, and close at half-past nine o'clock. The rooms shall be open and the teachers pres- ent fifteen minutes before the time for the sessions to begin.
SECTION 154. Any pupil who is absent from school four consecutive evenings, without satisfactory excuse, shall forfeit his membership, and shall not be readmitted unless by written permission of some member of the com- mittee having the school in charge.
SECTION 155. A pupil may be suspended for disor- derly conduct by the principal, and such pupil shall not be readmitted without a permit from the Superintendent or some member of the committee in charge.
SECTION 156. Certificates of attainment and diplo- mas of graduation shall be given to evening school pupils as the committee may determine.
Text-Books and Supplies.
SECTION 157. All text-books and supplies used in the public schools shall be furnished by the City in ac-
Sessions.
Absence.
Suspension.
Diplomas.
Free Text-Books,
Applications for Admission.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
cordance with the requirements of the law relating thereto.
Care of Books.
SECTION 158. Teachers are responsible for all books furnished them for the use of their classes. They will make an entry of them when they are received in a book provided for the purpose, and will account for them to the Superintendent at the close of each school year.
To be Charged to Pupils.
SECTION 159. All books shall be labelled, numbered, and charged to pupils before they are distributed. Upon the label in each book, the name of the pupil using the book shall be written.
Same Books to be Used.
SECTION 160. As far as practicable, each pupil shall use the same books during the entire course. Books of promoted pupils will be credited to the teachers whom they leave, and charged to their next teachers.
Inspection of Books.
SECTION 161. Teachers will carefully examine all city books at least once each term, and report all injuries or loss of books as soon as discovered to the principal or the Superintendent, with the names of the pupils to whom such lost or injured books were loaned.
Books to be Discharged.
SECTION 162. When any book is worn out or so in- jured that it is no longer fit for use, it shall be discharged from the teacher's account. Books used in the homes of pupils excluded from school on account of diphtheria, smallpox, or scarlet fever shall be destroyed.
Requisitions for Supplies.
SECTION 163. In January and May of each year prin- cipals shall indicate to the Superintendent, upon blanks furnished for the purpose, such text-books and supplies as will be needed in their several buildings during the succeeding five months.
Requisitions for all text-books shall first be submitted to the committee on text-books, to take such action with regard thereto as they may think advisable.
All requisitions for books or supplies shall be made in writing to the Superintendent.
The receipt of books and supplies must be promptly acknowledged to the Superintendent on blanks supplied for the purpose.
District Lines, Etc.
School Districts.
SECTION 164. For the sake of convenient supervision, the schools of Somerville are grouped into seven districts, which are identical in their boundaries with the seven wards into which the city is divided.
Appeals.
SECTION 165. In all cases arising under these regula- tions or under any orders of the Board, appeals may be taken from the decision of the teacher to the Superin- tendent, and from the Superintendent to the proper stand-
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
1
ing committee, and from the standing committee to the Board, and the decision of the majority of the Board shall be final. The person so appealing to the Board shall state in writing his grievance and the relief desired.
SECTION 166. These rules and regulations shall take effect on their passage, and all previous rules, votes, and resolutions of the Board inconsistent therewith are hereby repealed.
SECTION 167. No minor under the age of sixteen years shall in any street or public place of the city of Somerville work as a bootblack, or sell or expose for sale any books, newspapers, pamphlets, fuel, fruits, provisions, ice, live animals, brooms, agricultural implements, hand tools used in making boots and shoes, agricultural products of the United States, or the products of their own labor or the labor of their families, unless he has a minor's license issued to him by the Superintendent of Schools of said city, for so working or for so selling said articles, nor unless he com- plies with the terms of said license.
SECTION 168. The principal of the school in which a minor under the age of sixteen years is a pupil shall re- ceive the application, in duplicate, of the parent or guardian of such a minor or next of kin, for a license for such minor to work as a bootblack or to sell any or all of the articles enumer- ated in the preceding section, and shall forward the same to the Superintendent of Schools, accompanied by the cer- tificate of the teacher in whose class said minor may be, and of the said principal, that such minor is an attendant at such school and that they approve of the granting of a license to said minor. When the Superintendent authorizes the issue of a license, he shall return to said principal one of said duplicate applications, for filing, retaining the other, and shall issue said license to such minor authorizing said minor to go about from place to place in the city of Som- erville and on the sidewalks in said city to sell newspapers, or to work as a bootblack, or in the streets and other public places in said city to sell any or all of the other articles enumerated in the preceding section, and shall provide such minor with a suitable badge, for which a charge of twenty- five cents shall be made. Every such license shall be issued and accepted on condition that the minor shall comply with the conditions of his license as contained in the following section, and said section shall be printed in the license.
SECTION 169. The minor shall conform to the statutes and the Regulations of the School Committee of Somer- ville; shall surrender his license and badge when notified that his license has been revoked, to the principal afore- said, who shall return the same immediately to the Super-
Regulations take Effect.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
intendent; shall not transfer or lend his license or badge, nor furnish any unlicensed minor with newspapers or other articles to sell; shall not sell newspapers in or on any part of the street other than the sidewalk; shall not sell newspapers in or on a street car, nor, except on the days of national, state, or city elections, after 8 o'clock in the eve- ning; shall not work as a bootblack, or sell newspapers, unless he is over twelve years of age; shall not sell any other article than newspapers, unless he is over twelve years of age ; shall not at any time while engaged in working as a bootblack, or selling articles in public places, congre- gate with other persons, nor make any unnecessary noise, nor in any way disturb or annoy persons as they pass, nor cry their papers on Sunday, nor occupy any stand with any other person, nor allow any unlicensed minor to assist or ac- company him, nor allow idle persons to assemble or con- gregate around him, or around any stand occupied by him, nor so work or sell in any place other than that specified in his license, when a place is so specified, nor at any time, while so working or selling, fail to wear conspicuously in sight the badge furnished. to him by said Superintendent, nor fail to exhibit his license to any police or other officer of said city if requested by him to do so. The Superintendent may sus- pend or revoke said license upon the violation of any of the conditions thereof, and the minor shall surrender his badge and will be subject to a fine.
SECTION 170. Before the opening of the schools in Sep- tember of each year the Committee on Text-Books and Courses of Study shall nominate for election by the Board not more than twelve women who shall be designated as cadet teachers, to serve for one year following their ap- pointment, at a salary not to exceed $200 per year each.
To be eligible for the position of cadet teacher, the candidate must be a graduate of one of the Somerville high schools, and also a graduate either of some state normal school or of some college having pedagogical courses, one or more of which courses the candidate must have taken.
SECTION 171. The cadet teachers shall be assigned by the Superintendent to an equal number of elementary schools, and the assignments shall be changed at the end of each term of thirteen weeks, so that by the close of the school year each cadet teacher will have practiced under the direction and observation of three different principals in three different school buildings.
Cadet teachers shall receive guidance, instruction, and criticism from the principals of the schools in which they serve, render assistance to class teachers or to individual pupils, and whenever possible act as substitutes in the ab,
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SCHOOL DEPARTMENT.
sense of regular teachers. They shall receive no increase of pay when acting as substitutes.
SECTION 172. Such of these cadet teachers as secure the recommendation of three out of four of the following officials : the three principals under whom they have served during their cadet year and the Superintendent of Schools. shall be eligible as grade teachers.
Definitions of Terms Used in the Foregoing Rules and Regulations.
Board. The School Committee of Somerville.
Principal. Head master, master, or other teacher in charge of a school.
Teacher. Any person who, under the direction of the Superintendent; is engaged in the instruction of pupils or in supervising their instruction.
6
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS.
Trustees.
THOMAS M. DURELL, M. D.
CHARLES L. NOYES, D. D.
J. FRANK WELLINGTON.
FREDERICK W. PARKER.
WILLIAM L. BARRER.
WILLIAM H. DOLBEN. JOHN M. WOODS. W. DUDLEY YATES.
HERBERT E. BUFFUM, M. D.
Officers
THOMAS M. DURELL, M. D. J. FRANK. WELLINGTON
President
Vice-President
DREW B. HALL Secretary and Librarian
Committees.
Administration-Wellington, Parker, Noyes; the President. Books and Catalogues-Barber, Yates, Buffum; the President. Buildings and Grounds-Dolben. Woods; the President.
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES.
To the Honorable, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen of the City of Somerville :-
Gentlemen,-The forty-second annual report of the trustees of the public library is herewith respectfully sub- mitted accompanied by the report of the librarian and con- densed tables of statistics of operation.
Very respectfully, THOS. M. DURELL, President.
Adopted by the Board of Trustees March 2, 1915.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Central Building, Highland Avenue.
Week days, holidays excepted, 9 a. m., to 9 p. m. Sundays, reading and reference only, 3 to 6 p. m. Children's room, school days. 3 to 8 p. m .; other week days, 9 a. m. to 8 p. m .; Sundays, 3 to 6 p. m.
Branches
Week days only, holidays excepted.
WEST SOMERVILLE, 40 College Avenue-1 to 9 p. m. Saturday, 9 a. m., to 1 p. m., also.
EAST SOMERVILLE, 153 Perkins Street, 2 to 9 p. m.
UNION SQUARE, Washington Street and Bonner Avenue-2 to ยบ p. m .; after 6 p. m., children under fourteen admitted only for exchange of books.
SOUTH AGENCY, 518 Somerville Avenue.
THE STAFF AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1914. GRADED-PROFESSIONAL.
DREW B. HALL, Librarian
LUCY B. CRAIN, Assistant Librarian, in charge of circulation, of staff personnel, and of "Central," and supervising children's work.
NELLIE M. WHIPPLE, Assistant Librarian in charge of West Somerville Branch.
Edith B. Hayes, Chief Cataloguer.
Alice G. Higgins, Special Assistant in the Children's Room.
Esther M. Mayhew, Reference Librarian.
Lucinda F. Spofford, Branch Librarian, Union Square.
Carrie L. Williams. Branch Librarian, East Somerville.
Mabel Williams, High School Librarian.
Mabel E. Bunker, Assistant Branch Librarian, West Somerville.
Bessie L. Duddy, Secretary and Accounts.
Helen Luitwieler, Classification and Reference.
Anna L. Stone, Cataloging.
Mary S. Woodman, Classification and Reference.
SENIOR ASSISTANTS.
Esther P. Allen, Circulation. Helen P. Smith, Circulation.
Bessie S. Cobb, West Somerville. Elsie K. Wells, Cataloging.
Rose Greenberg, East Somerville. Ruby G. White, Circulation.
Ethel M. Nute, Union Square. Edna C. Woodbury. Circulation.
JUNIOR ASSISTANTS.
Susan W. Curtis. Juliana Donovan. Nectar M. Eksergian.
Ruth S. Fales.
Myrtle Nicholson.
Esther W. Shaw.
Anna B. Truesdale
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PUBLIC LIBRARY.
UNGRADED-CLERICAL. Typewriters. Esmeralda Biathrow. Marion L. Fall.
Mary Morgan. C. Pearl Russell.
Lawrence H. Gerritson.
Gordon Hall.
Hugh E. Maguire.
Margarct T. Desmond.
Pages. Mae L. Gormley. Lillian M. McGowan. Anna T. McNeill. Hazel Moore.
High School Attendants and Pages on Part Time.
George Anderson.
Helen F. Holahan.
William J. Hession.
Marion J. Lindsley.
Ronald A. Moore.
Ethel G. McNeill.
Edna D. Atwood.
Agnes C. Riley.
Frances E. Haggens.
Bertha M. Robertson.
Ruby Harper.
Beatrice M. Wilson.
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.
To the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Somer- ville :---
Gentlemen: The forty-second annual report of the Li- brarian is herewith submitted, being that for the year 1914; and including reports by heads of the various departments.
Buildings.
The four buildings occupied by the library are in good working condition, although no repairs or improvements have been made to any of them. The new Central build- ing, of course, should not need repairs, but during 1915 ef- forts should be made to complete its interior finish by tint- ing with oil paints the white plaster walls which were left to dry thoroughly. Beside the uncomfortable glare of pure white, the dirt of the builders' mechanics and of a year's operations make them unsightly. Despite this easily rem- edied defect, the building is acknowledged to be the finest in the city, and one for the citizens to be proud of; and its comfortableness and economy of administration are continu- ally remarked on by citizens and by visitors experienced with library buildings in this and other countries.
A year ago I said, "Nowhere in the city's activities would a few hundreds (not thousands) of dollars do so much for the pleasure and good of the community as spent in providing children's rooms at West Somerville and Union Square. At East Somerville the need is as great, but the expense much larger." The truth of this statement is more widely appreciated by the citizens of these neighborhoods today than a year ago. If expressions made at the library desks mean anything, the people would vote overwhelmingly to give both adults and children a better chance by freeing adult rooms from children.
This situation is especially acute in the very small room at East Somerville, which is only eighteen by thirty-six feet. Its very smallness and lack of shelf space and seating capa- city make it more difficult and extravagant to administer for the accomplishment than any other building, and the satisfaction received by the citizens less. This branch ought to be transferred immediately to larger quarters, pre- ferably in some present or future city-owned building.
The Changing Type of Books and Use.
New England libraries were established years ago; this in Somerville over forty years ago. Books then dealt with literary and historical subjects only. Consequently New
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PUBLIC LIBRARY.
England libraries unconsciously feel that books for public library use are histories, literature, travel and allied sub- jects. They do not naturally and habitually include in their conception books on trade, business, mechanics and technology. Now today a large part of the citizens are con- cerned with those matters; and they find the public library lamentably weak in their concerns. This library among other New England libraries, ought to give immediate at- tention to the needs of the young engineer, draftsman or business man, who is anxious to improve his position; this library needs to add immediately two to five hundred vol- umes on the practical arts.
Circulation.
Twenty per cent. more books of non-fiction have been taken for home use this last year than ever before. Two years ago the time limit on non-fiction was extended from two weeks to a calendar month without decrease in the circulation figures of such books and without discoverable annoyance to readers. To guard against unreasonable de- lay of a second user who wanted a book that was out, we reserved the right to recall any volume after two weeks; but during this year less than a dozen such recalls were requested, an infinitesimal percentage of the total issue.
Fiction
If issuing a current novel for seven days is a twenty- five-cent sale, then issuing a standard novel approved by years of experience for fourteen days is a fifty-cent sale at least, and issuing a work of non-fiction for a month is surely a dollar sale and more. Circulation figures are merely a count of the number of sales; they tell nothing whatever of the real volume of service rendered, either as reckoned on the basis of days of use given, or of quality and exact suit- ability of the book to the reader's purpose.
It is the rule of this library to allow only one novel at a time to a person. We all know that in our personal ex- perience we frequently desire to take more than one at a time. If the satisfaction of this desire is good for us, and the novels are reasonably good novels, then it would seem that an extension of the number of novels would be good for all the citizens of Somerville. Various possible diffi- culties raised two years ago against extending the time limit on, and removing the number limit from, non-fiction have not arisen at all in practice. Careful consideration of the question of fiction loans lead me to recommend it for your consideration and action in the near future.
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
Accessions.
The library adds eight thousand volumes a year; a great number to be sure and enough to fill completely eight hundred running feet of shelving, but a smaller number than needed by the citizens who actually use the library. Within two years, 18,174 names have been placed on the new registration and their cards as well as the remaining ones of the previous registration used in drawing books. At this moment 18,000 persons are actively using the library ; among this number 8,000 volumes goes a small way. More books are urgently needed.
Another test of this need which is also an indication of the service rendered home users, is a "cross section" of the library's volume of issue. Such a cross section is not determined and reported in library statistics; at least not habitually. But on December twenty-first, not the busiest time of the year, a cross section was taken here by count- ing the number of book cards in the time trays, which rep- resent volumes actually in the hands of the citizens at one moment. This number was 11,948 on personal cards; be- yond this there were 4,825 volumes out in various stations ; a total of 16,773 volumes out of the library and in use.
High School Library.
In December, 1913, the School Committee agreed with the Public Library trustees to employ jointly a member of the library reference staff as High School librarian. This co-operative arrangement seems to me the best plan of the several in practice. For it gives the closest connection and official recognition between the great store of books in the public library and the great body of citizens, pupils and teachers in the school. If the High School library is not thus directly connected with the public library, the school loses very much of the possible use of books other than text-books, and the pupils fail very much in forming the habit of reading and thought which is necessary to the truly educated person.
This work has developed slowly but satisfactorily to both school and library. The teachers have a growing ap- preciation of what can be done in a school library by a specially trained librarian. Lack of seating capacity in the schoolrooms has necessitated there being assigned pupils in the library room, but we hope by another year the use of the library will be wholly voluntary. The High School Librarian has done much to increase the use of the public library through her knowledge of the various courses of study and has acquainted the teachers as well as pupils with the ma- terial available for their use. Deposits of books have been
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PUBLIC LIBRARY.
sent from the public library to the High School library for three months to supplement the permanent High School collection and reserve study tables in the Book Room of the nearby Central library have been much used.
The Library Force
Besides buildings, books and reading citizens, a library must have a staff of competent librarians, trained each of them in some of the several special lines required, and each of these supported and aided by promising assistants cap- able of development for future responsibilities, and doing skillfully in the present routine duties.
The sudden expansion of the library force three years ago by opening at one time two new branches, and by your desire to meet the needs of citizens for more highly de- veloped service, have required much attention. Since the library was already employing all the library workers living within the city and since long experience is needed for per- sons filling responsible positions, it has been necessary to add to the staff persons experienced in other libraries. This necessity of the situation brought to the staff fresh experi- ence and points of view which have very materially strengthened it.
The "Scheme of Service" has in every way proved its value. Its preliminary examinations and three-months' ac- tual trial have shown the fitness or unfitness of applicants for positions for the service of the citizens. The applica- tion blank signed and therefore read by every applicant for a position bears as a caption these words: "To serve suc- cessfully the citizens using the Public Library; the spirit of self-sacrificing helpfulness, tact, energy and strength, and as much knowledge of affairs and books as possible, are ab- solutely necessary." Many other things are necessary also but these are absolutely necessary.
For the conditions of library service are more difficult than the conditions of any other department of the city. The librarians deal with more persons, of more diverse ages and temperaments. They are called upon to answer ques- tions concerning anything within the knowledge of man, rather than upon a special narrow line. These questions cannot be prepared for but must be answered quickly and accurately practically off-hand. The hours of service are the most trying and the longest. They extend through the whole year, and until six o'clock or nine o'clock every even- ing. At least two evenings are required a week and some Sunday work, and for conference and instruction fortnightly
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ANNUAL REPORTS.
special attendance is necessary. Since the most important and most numerous places require dealing with people, many of them boys and girls, tact, and disciplinary ability are strained to the utmost. So that none can be entirely suc- cessful without more than average ability and liking for "public contact" work.
Since the hours are so long that no one person can al- ways be present, it is necessary that at least three persons be able to carry on each duty and process with equal facility and therefore that each duty and process be developed, understood and carried out with absolute accuracy.
The staff is now working with more singleness of pur- pose and more efficiency than any Somerville has yet seen, and with more harmony and perfect understanding of each others' merits and abilities. In fact some heads of depart- ments are, I fear, over-spending themselves in work within the buildings and planning for it in hours without, supposed to be for recreation. There have been employed during the year eighty-three different persons, of whom thirty resigned; two-thirds were of the frequently changing un- graded pages, and ten from the regular graded library ser- vice. There are now fifty-three all told in the library ser- vice.
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