USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1955-1959 > Part 11
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Librarian MIRIAM PUTNAM
MARGARET D. MANNING, Assistant Librarian, in charge of Readers' Services
MARGARET LANE, Children's Librarian
*NANCY B. WILSON, Assistant Children's Librarian ELEANORE G. BLISS, Circulation Assistant GERTRUDE B. HART, Secretarial Assistant ELEANORE S. PLUMMER, Secretarial Assistant
** ETHEL L. WILSON, Branch Librarian, Ballardvale
Building Custodian MARK SURETTE
*
Resigned
** Appointed
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The decision to place the library's building plans before the annual 1955 Town Meeting for voter action was perhaps the most important single decision that has been taken in recent years. There comes a point in the life of any institu- tion when it must move ahead or perforce mark time or, worse, retrogress. The proposed library additions and alter- ations, although not the only solution to the library's build- ing problem, seemed a reasonable way to keep the library's services at a high level and to ensure that the library, through an effective and efficient plan, could meet the new demands which expected population growth might bring.
It did not come as a great surprise that we failed to gain our project since the town, faced with so many expensive projects, chose to put priority, and rightly so, on school building needs. However, the defeat does not make the pro- posal less valid and until such time as a better plan is pro- posed, we shall continue to press for the adoption of this one.
Certain positive results came out of last year's efforts despite our temporary set back. Never before had the mem- bers of the Library Board and the Librarian been able to talk about library needs with so many of the townspeople. Some 1400 people in organizations throughout the town must have a better understanding of library, purposes, re- sources and activities since we did not confine ourselves to an explanation of the proposed building changes alone but attempted to place them aginst a background of what the library is attempting to do. Other people came to the library to look at the architect's drawings, to ask questions and to register their opinions. Many gained information about the library's plans through a widely-mailed especially prepared brochure and through the generous publicity provided by the Andover Townsman and the Lawrence Tribune. Al- though there was difference of opinion as to our timing and building treatment, there seemed to be wide-spread sympa- thy for the library's building needs.
We are putting our project once again before the Town Meeting. Various factors influenced our decision : (1) our
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faith in the project as a reasonable solution to our building needs; (2) the feeling that a new building, however, de- sirable, is out of the question; (3) the expectation that this section will continue to be the center of the town despite further growth in West Parish and elsewhere: (4) outside architectural opinion which confirms the soundness of our plans; (5) the knowledge that continuing town growth will place further strain on our already inadequate plant; (6) the probability that the Planning Committee can not come up with a Master Plan and a time-table for capital expendi- tures for some time.
Instead of pressing once again so soon for our building project, we might have turned to another library problem and its solution. As the town has grown in the outlying areas, the number of people living at a distance from the central building, has markedly increased. Some form of ex- tension service deserves careful consideration. However, since a bookmobile or any other type of library extension ser- vice would require space for operation, it seemed inadvisable at this time to put additional strain on our already over- taxed building. We believe that such a service should be financed only in addition to the library's present budget and we know that it will not be inexpensive. If the town grows as is expected and if rezoning for light industry is approved, demands upon our central plant will increase so that it would be inadvisable in any way to weaken our central resources in order to spread ourselves too thinly over the whole com- munity. Undoubtedly such a service would increase library circulation and the number of people who would be inter- ested in the library's needs, because they had participated more fully in its program. However, the case for the library building rests on present use and services and is not de- pendent for validity on any such extension of service, no matter how worthy.
Inability to fill professional staff positions this past year is a matter of concern and could be as devastating to the library's effectiveness-if not more so-than an inadequate building. We must take a more active role in recruiting in- telligent young people to librarianship and we must offer
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salaries which are attractive enough to put libraries in the running with other fields which compete for their attention.
A devoted staff has made it possible for us to carry on this year despite staff shortages with what we like to think is continued effectiveness. Undoubtedly we have not de- veloped certain activities as much as if this condition had not existed; however, we are optimistic that 1956 will see this difficulty well-solved.
Inability to replace our Assistant Children's Librarian, who resigned in June, has meant that our school program has had to go forward more slowly than we had hoped. However, we have been well-served by a part-time assistant in the Central Elementary School Library and despite a limited schedule, take pride in the quality if not the extent of our elementary school library service. Boys and girls take great joy in their school libraries. Of a scheduled visit to one of these libraries, a teacher says "the boys and girls have been waiting days for this moment." The enthusiastic way in which they go to the shelves, examine and select their books, proves her statement. The school libraries have prov- ed, also, a valuable aid to teachers in their classroom work.
Cataloging of all school library books at the Memorial Hall Library, including those bought from school funds, frees the librarian with limited time at her disposal for in- dividual work with boys and girls, stimulating the slower reader, keeping pace with the accelerated one, finding out teacher needs, introducing books, telling stories.
Undertaken initially in the belief that elementary school library service under the public library's direction would co- ordinate personnel and book resources more effectively, it has the added advantage of bringing a well-rounded "around the year" library program to all Andover boys and girls for when the school library is not available, the public li- brary Children's Room generally is.
Our Children's Room gained in circulation this past year and if the room were more adequate there is no doubt that
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the gain would be even larger. At peak times the room is crowded to more than capacity, making access to book stacks difficult and quiet browsing and reading almost impossible. Children who come in only to borrow books tend to make their selection quickly and to get out as fast as possible. Parents, we feel sure, often hesitate to ask for help in book selection because of the pressure of the crowded room and yet this is an important service of any children's depart- ment. The estimated school population figures for 1960 give us no cause to feel that our room limitations will sud- denly be swept away. Story hour, film, and puppet activi- ties continued as usual with a very successful summer read- ing program participated in by some 160 children. Our pre- school story hours continue in popularity and, although the mothers' discussion groups may not have been as flourishing as in past years, mothers have come together for occasional film showings with discussion afterwards.
Adult gains were registered in the issue of subject books, recordings, films and framed prints. Circulation growth, however, is small and does not adequately reflect the popula- tion gain in the town. There are factors which make this understandable: the uncertainty of the times, the multiplici- ty of community projects needing citizen activity and sup- port, the fact that many newcomers are young and involved with their young families. The peak of library use comes later as children are older and require their parents less.
Occasionally the fact that people read at all, except the dedicated few, seems incredible in the face of the volume of the mass media at their disposal. Yet how inadequate such a diet alone would be in its oversimplification, its often emotional treatment of problems, its failure or inability to . present balanced viewpoints.
Surveys of the effects of television on book reading and book purchasing are rather encouraging for although it is true that reading drops off after the purchase of a TV set, it tends to come back again after the novelty has worn off, although perhaps not to the same degree as before. Pu-
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blishers refuse to see a threat in TV, considering it, as do many librarians, a potential ally in that it stimulates new interests to be further fed by books. Actually many believe that the peak of TV effect on reading has been reached.
The upsurge in the purchase of high quality paper back books is yet another sign that book reading, far from being the casualty of mass media, is an enduring human habit. This new publishing trend may prove to be as important as any other single publishing venture in recent years in pro- moting the reading of good books. The fact that millions of Americans, too, are engaged in some kind of adult education activity, formal or informal, in public libraries, schools, community groups of all kinds, is proof that not everyone is glued to radio or TV sets or gets his intellectual susten- ance entirely the easy way.
The Andover community and the Memorial Hall Library shared in some of this intellectual activity as the town buckl- ed down all at once to serious consideration of matters vital to its future well-being and as library readers approached seriously the implications of issues before the town as well as those of national and international importance and those concerns more directly touching the individual's own person- al needs.
We tried so far as possible to gather together material which would help people to study current issues like the town manager plan and zoning needs so that they could come to intelligent decisions. We have continued to make the library's meeting rooms available to town committees and community groups and have played host to open meet- ings and study groups on town issues like zoning and the teaching of foreign languages in elementary schools. Our central location and neutrality make this an ideal place for the thrashing out of community problems.
This year, perhaps indicative of a trend to more serious reading, we issued the largest number of books of non-fiction in the history of the library. They were not all concerned with vital matters and great ideas, of course, though some of
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them were. Undoubtedly dissatisfaction with current fiction was a factor and the fact that recreational needs, formerly satisfied with light fiction, are supplied by television. The trend represented, too, a way whereby people might get outside themselves and the world's concerns and escape profitably through well-written adventure and records of the past, every bit as complicated to the people involved as ours seem to us.
What kinds of information did people seek? Among other things, information was sought on new uses for staphisa- gria ; gold mining companies ; hoisting machinery to prepare for an examination; advanced meat cutting, buying and inspecting; appraising antique furniture, silver and old glass; footnoting periodicals; names of companies giving consulting service on business location sites; information for introducing a speaker; colonel's uniform in the war of 1812; consumer information, from TV sets to washing ma- chines. Home building and decoration books continued to find a ready audience; the Civil War was fought over again many times; as new tensions in Middle and Far East ap- peared, there were new books to provide background ; public education was the year's whipping boy with theses which varied from thoughtful and constructive criticism to spe- cious and one-sided arguments.
Discussion groups continue to draw numbers of people who like to tangle with ideas and enjoy the stimulation of other minds. Our Great Books group continued into its fifth year and in addition, there was a discussion group on Rus- sian foreign policy and another under Dr. Alston Chase's leadership which read Dante's Divine Comedy, differing from the other two, in that there was less group participa- tion and more background and interpretation provided by the leader.
A series of travel evenings disclosed high interest in color slides and in travel, which is also evidenced in the high use of travel books and foreign language recordings.
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ยท
Open house once again proved delightful and Bruce Lan- caster, historian and novelist, an engaging speaker.
Book exhibits provided a striking barometer of world conditions as they encompassed everything from current events like the Bandung Conference to occasions of lighter moment and seasonal interest. An outstanding hobby display arranged by Charles McCabe from his collection, demon- strated lighting development from palm oil to Edison and beyond. One other exhibit, especially outstanding, was a one man showing of paintings and drawings by Cora Pettit, now an art school student.
5,638 records were borrowed during the year, evidence of the growing audience for good music. High-fidelity interest continued unabated with the excellent result that people are much more concerned about record care than ever before.
Sixty-one 16mm films were borrowed by community groups and were shown 118 times to a total audience of 6,379. This service, initiated in 1954, proved even more popular in 1955.
As has been indicated there have been personnel changes during the year. Carol P. Leavitt, a member of the Library Board, resigned because of absence from town, and Elinore L. Washburn was appointed in her stead. Ethel Zink, Libra- rian of the Ballardvale Branch Library, since 1944, resigned to go into other work. Ethel Wilson was appointed to this po- sition and in addition has been working part-time in our adult and children's departments. Nancy B. Wilson's resigna- tion as Assistant Children's Librarian has already been men- tioned. The position of Catalog and Reference Librarian was filled for a brief three months by Ruth J. Miller, until she was lured away by the offer of a more responsible position. Alice Carlton has given three mornings a week at the Cen- tral Elementary School Library, making it possible for us to carry on part of our program there.
It has been a stimulating year despite some difficulties and disappointments, primarily, because in going ahead
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with our building program, we have reaffirmed our belief that we are going in the right direction.
This library was fortunate in its early leadership during the years when the library progressed from being an idea in the mind of one man to a goal desired by many. The an- nual town meeting reports for those years, especially the 1872 report, reveal the wisdom of the first trustees in lay- ing the foundations and philosophy for a public library which serve us so well today. We can only hope in our own time to do as well and to meet with imagination the expand- ing opportunities for service which will develop in a grow- ing community.
1955 STATISTICS OF LIBRARY USE BOOK STOCK
Adult
Juvenile 11,891 751
Total 50,742 2,272
Volumes added by purchase
1,521
Volumes added by gift
128
10
138
Volumes lost or withdrawn
191
51
248
Lost volumes found
6
2
8
40,315
12,603
52,918
Newspapers & periodicals currently received Periodicals received by gift
203
28
USE
Volumes
% of total Circulation
Volumes of adult fiction
35,037
27.4
Volumes of adult non-fiction
32,778
25.6
Number of adult pamphlets and periodicals 7,170
05.6
Number of children's books and magazines 44,986
35.2
Children's room use 35,491
*Elementary School Library use 9,495
Number of adults records
5,638)
Number of children's records
1,502)
06.2
Pictures and prints
751)
127,862
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Volumes at beginning of year 38,851
* The library wishes to call attention to the fact that in addition to books loaned through the school libraries to in- dividual boys and girls, 12,727 books belonging to school libraries and the Memorial Hall Library were deposited in classrooms, with each book used from one to twenty times, for an estimated borrowing of 127,270 books.
REGISTRATION
Adult Juvenile Total
New borrowers registered during year 851
448
1,299
Total number of registered borrowers
3,913
2,237
6,150
Circulation per capita (based on
population figures 14,535 (unofficial)
8.7
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Board of Public Works
Andover, Mass. January 1, 1956
The Board of Public Works voted to adopt the following report of the Superintendent and Engineer as its report for 1955.
SIDNEY P. WHITE, Chairman ALEXANDER H. HENDERSON, Secretary P. LEROY WILSON FRANCIS P. REILLY ALLEN M. FLYE
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Report of Superintendents and Engineer
To the Board of Public Works:
GENTLEMEN :
The year 1955 saw several changes within the Department of Public Works.
William F. Kyle, general clerk in the office, died suddenly on May 30, and the vacancy caused by his death was filled in June by Mrs. Alice H. Carson.
In June, Warren O. Petersen, engineer for the Board resigned, effective as of July 1. At this time the Board voted to combine the Water and Sewer Departments with the En- gineering Department and Ralph E. Preble, Jr. who was employed in a similar position in Ipswich, was placed in charge of this section of the Board of Public Works. Donald C. Bassett of Brown Street was appointed as Mr. Preble's assistant.
As in the past a combined report is being presented to give an overall picture of all phases of the Department's work.
We would like to take this oportunity to thank all muni- cipal departments for the excellent spirit of cooperation shown to the Board of Public Works. The use of equipment in the Veteran's Office and Collector's Office ; the help of the Police, Fire, Town Clerk, Accountant, Assessors and the other Town Departments is appreciated much more than could be expressed in this report. In return the Public Works Department has loaned men and equipment to various Town Departments and provided engineering assistance and in- formation of one form or another to practically all Town Departments, Boards, Committees and the general public.
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1
ENGINEERING
The work of the Engineering Division of the Board of Public Works, with the reorganization of the Water and Sewer Departments, acts as a service and administrative department. It supervises contract work by outside contrac- tors, town personnel in water and sewer work and serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of Public Works di- rectly and cooperates with all Town Departments on special problems. Much of its work becomes so mingled and assimi- lated that the identity is lost in the operation.
Services were provided in connection with Ballardvale treatment plant, installation of house services in Ballard- vale, work on Public Works budget, conferences with pri- vate engineers regarding private construction work on sub- divisions, inspection of drainage, work with consutants on Rogers Brook and Shawsheen Heights drainage, preparation of contract and specifications and supervision of Chestnut Street relief sewer, layout and supervision Lockway Road sewer and drain, layout and supervision of water main ex- tensions listed under Water Department report, inspection and work on proposed land acquisition at Haggetts Pond and Lewis Street Yard, work with State Highway Engineers on proposed Chapter 90 Highway Construction and acquir- ing information on proposed routes 110 & 28 relocation.
HIGHWAY
The following road surfaces were treated with either tar or asphalt and honed: Appletree Lane, Andover Street, Al- den Road, Ballardvale Road, Boutwell Road, Bailey Road, Bellevue Road, Blanchard Street, Brundrett Avenue, Bart- let Street, Clark Road, Chester Street, Center Street, Chand- ler Road, Church Street, Cheever Circle, Cedar Road, Car- lisle Street, Chestnut Street, Dumbarton Street, Essex Street, Fiske Road, Filter Bed Road, Fleming Avenue, Flint Circle, Greenwood Road, Gould Road, Haggetts Pond Road, Hall Avenue, High Plain Road, High Street, B'Vale, High- land Road, High Street, Holt Road, Laurel Lane, Lincoln
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Circle, Moraine Street, Marland Street, Orchard Street, Oak Street, Parking Area, Pleasant Street, Phillips Street, Prospect Road, Park Street, Rattlesnake Hill Road, Rocky Hill Road, Red Spring Road, River Street, Railroad Avenue, Reservation Road, Shawsheen Road, Stinson Road, Stone- hedge Road, Salem Street, Stratford Road, Shipman Road, Summer Street, Sutherland Street, Stirling Street, School Street, Sunset Rock Road, Tewksbury Street, Upland Road, Woburn Street, Wildwood Road, Walker Avenue and Vir- ginia Road.
A total of 114,532 gallons of tar and asphalt were applied.
The snowfall for the year 1955 was as follows :
January
0.7 Inches
February
8.2 Inches
March
8.2 Inches
November
2.0 Inches
December
2.0 Inches
Total
21.1 Inches
The snowfall for the season November 1954 to March 1955 inclusive totaled 32.1 inches.
Sidewalks were constructed of bituminous material on the following streets : Summer, Whittier, Washington, Fletcher, Binney, Main, Cassimere, Red Spring, Essex, Central and Canterbury Streets, comprising 3799 square yards and using 361.5 tons of Type D, Hot Top Mix at an average cost of 1.21 per square yard. In addition 44 tons of Type D Bi- tuminous were used in repair work on Reservation Road. Carisbrooke Street, Haverhill and Lowell Streets. The side- walk on Lowell Street from Argilla Road to the Tewksbury Line was cleaned up and all overgrowth removed.
The steel bridge on Central Street over the Shawsheen River was scraped and painted at a cost of $346.00.
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1
WATER SYSTEM
A reorganization of the Water Division of the Board of Public Works was started this year. The minimum of operat- ing personnel has been set at seven for 1956. This number does not include office personnel or pumping station operat- ors. It provides for a working force of two crews of two men each (for construction and maintenance) ; a third crew to handle emergencies, turn on and shut off services, put on new meters and replace meters; and the seventh man to primarily read meters and maintain records. Additional summer help would be added as per construction demand depending upon work voted as special articles by Town Meeting. Three vehicles are assigned to the Division. A trade in of a 1936 Dodge with a mounted compressor and replace- ment with a dump truck and trailer mounted compressor in 1956 is expected to increase efficiency. A fourth truck is borrowed from the Highway division when needed for special construction.
Special construction for 1955 included the following water extensions :
Vine Street 240 L.F. 8" C.L.C.I. 1 Hydrant
Spring Grove Road 500 L.F. 6" C.L.C.I. 1 Hydrant Bellevue Road 450 L.F. 6" C.L.C.I. 1 Hydrant
High Plain Road 2000 L.F. 8" C.L.C.I. 4 Hydrants
Dascomb Road 716 L.F. 6" C.L.C.I. 2 Hydrants
In addition to the above 291 L. F. of 6" on Shirley Road and 274 L. F. of 6" on Alden Road were added to the system by virtue of these two streets being legally accepted by the Town.
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For several years Engineers and trade publications have been expressing their concern over the failure of water systems to maintain a reasonable factor of safety between system capacity and water usage. Andover has a present demand which exceeds the 1940 to 1945 average yield. The consumption this last year was 1.64 million gallons per day average and the yield for the year 1.74 million. This si- tuation is not limited to a few cities and towns, as it is large- ly due to added building and the generally improved econo- mic conditions in the United States, with resultant increase in the use of water consuming devices. This problem was pointed out in the report of the Special Committee on Water and Sewerage ten years ago. It is expected that a study of this problem in 1956 will give a definite course of action towards solving this problem.
The restrictions of water usage last Summer was largely due to distribution problems. The proposed Wood Hill re- servoir and several reinforcing mains to give an improved distribution will relieve this problem with a separate high level system for the West Andover section.
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--
234
WATER SYSTEM SUMMARY, for year ending December 31st
Year
Received from Water Rates
Net Cost of Maint. incl. pumping
Direct Cost of Pumping
Cost per Mil. Gals.
by total mainten.
by direct pumping
Received per Million Gals.
Annual Pumpage Haggetts Station (Million Gals.)
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