USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Town annual report of Andover 1955-1959 > Part 26
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SECTION 19. Revocation of Acceptance. - At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of accept- ance of this act, and less than ninety days before the date of an annual meeting, a petition signed by not less than ten per cent of the registered voters of the town may be filed with the selectmen, requesting that the question of revoking the acceptance of this act be submitted to the voters. No such petition shall be valid unless notice thereof shall be publish- ed by the selectmen for at least two consecutive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the town, the last publication to be at least thirty days prior to said annual meeting. The selectmen shall thereupon direct the town clerk to cause the said question to be printed on the official ballot to be used at the next annual election in the following form: - "Shall the acceptance by the town of Andover of an act passed by the General Court in the year nineteen hundred and fifty-six, entitled 'An act establishing a select- men-town manager plan for the town of Andover' be revok- ed ?" If such revocation is favored by a majority of the vot- ers voting thereon, this act shall cease to be operative on and after the annual meeting next following such vote. All general laws respecting town administration and town offi- cers, and any special laws relative to said town, the opera- tion of which has been suspended or superseded by accept- ance of this act, shall be revived by such revocation and shall continue to be in full force and effect. By-laws, votes, rules and regulations in force when such revocation takes effect, so far as they are consistent with the general laws respecting town administration and town officers and with special laws relating to said town, shall not be affected thereby, but any other by-laws, votes, rules and regulations inconsistent with such general or special laws shall be an- nulled. If such revocation is not favored by a majority of the voters voting thereon, no further petition therefor shall be filed under this section oftener than once in every three years thereafter.
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Town of Andover - Jury List
JUNE, 1956
Adams, George J.
Cable Splicer 28 Pasho Street
Andersen, Herbert H. Jr.
Draftsman 144 High Plain Rd.
Anderson, Edward A.
Retired 3 Wiliam St.
Anderson, Ernest E.
Poultry Farmer Balardvale Rd.
Auty, Annie G.
Housewife
6 Chestnut St.
Avery John
Engineer 36 Morton St.
Babb, Benjamin
Retired 48 Balmoral St.
Bachmann, Herbert L.
Custodian 18 Stratford Rd.
Ball, J. Rodney Jr.
Prod. Ctr'l Clerk 10 Lincoln Cir.
Barrett, John J. Clerk 11 Henderson Ave.
Barrett, Joseph F.
Salesman 102 Chestnut St.
Barron, Thomas L.
Transport'n Haggetts Pond Rd. Truck Driver 51 Red Spring Rd.
Baxter, James G.
Manager 43 Lowell St.
Bell, Audrey I.
Housewife 22 Marland B. V.
Bentley, Charles T.
Mach. Op. 25 Andover St., B. V.
Best, George E.
Wool Business 4 Argyle St.
Black, Alexander P.
Foreman
79 Chestnut St.
Blake, Preston H.
Food Mdse. Brok'r 7 Stratf'd Rd.
Blomquist, Bror G.
Electrician 49 Union St.
Blunt, Thomas D.
Salesman 70 Salem St.
Boddy, Leonard D.
Selm-employed 345 River Rd.
Bolten, John Jr.
Factory Mgr. Geneva Rd.
Born, Elizabeth G.
Bk'p'r-Steno. 21 Canterbury St. Public Accountant 21 Argyle St. Housewife 9 Argyle St.
Bowen, Harold G.
Bowen, Thelma F.
Bowman, Priscilla H.
Housewife 67 Chestnut St.
Bramley, Maude P.
Housewife Appletree Lane Extractor 35 Pine St.
Brimner, Robert C.
Clerk 34 Lowell St.
Bronson, Henry G.
Auto. Dealer 7 Chandler Rd.
Brookover, Andrew J.
Consultant 55 Lincoln St.
Brouillard, Joseph E.
General Contractor Bailey Rd.
Brown, George B.
Retired 29 Main St.
Brown, Gladys P.
Housewife
104 Chestnut St.
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Bredbury, Thomas F.
Bateson, James
Brown, Mary W. Bruce, George R. Buchan, Ada A. Burbine, Jerome J. Burns, Donald S.
Housewife Salesman Haggetts Pond Rd. 29 Center St., B. V. 50 Whittier St.
Secretary
Chore Man 8 Lewis St.
Stock Broker
Sales Clerk
16 Lockway Rd. Osgood St.
Bush, Mary S. Bushway, George F.
Foreman
64 Red Spring Rd.
Butler, Carolyn P.
Byers, Dorothy H.
Byrne, Beatrice M.
Housewwife
19 Canterbury St.
Byrne, B. Claire
Student
19 Canterbury St.
Cairnie, Henry
Ship. Clerk 120 North Main St.
Cardella, Guiseppe
Asst. Mgr.
149 Chestnut St.
Carver, John H.
Salesman
24 Chandler Rd.
Cate, Gilbert A.
Cashier
12 Cedar Rd.
Cecill, Alice G.
Houseewife Ballardvale Rd.
Chadwick, Agnens S.
Housewife 160 Lowell St. Farmer Lowell St.
Christie, William
Hosp. Attendnt 36 Burnham Rd.
Clossey, Mary A.
Store Mgr. 221 Highland Rd.
Clough, Harry E.
Ins. Agent 117 Chestnut St.
Cole, John N. II
Asst. Mgr. 10 Wolcott Ave.
Connolly, Thomas J.
P. O. Clerk
30 Avon St.
Coon, Raymond H.
Teacher 48 Morton St.
Costello, Dorcas C.
Housewife 47 Bartlett St.
Cristaldi, Carmeline J.
Secretary
Crocket, Douglas R.
Crompton, Fred
Lowell St.
Cutler, Barbara B.
Housewife
99 Shawsheen Rd.
Dalrympple, James W.
Davis, Edward B.
Accountant 6 Beacon St. Purch. Agt. 61 Center St. B. V. Asst. Treas. 26 Riverina Rd.
Farmer Chandler Rd.
Supervisor
1 Coolidge Rd. 9 Juniper Rd.
Domingue, Robert P.
Foreman 1 Locke St.
Dooley, Helen C.
Secretary
66 Pine St.
Doucette, Lucy E.
Housewife
347 And. St. B. V.
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4 Allen St. Admin. Asst. 144 Shawsheen Rr. Parts Mgr.
Davis, Percy R. W.
Disbrow, Herbert E. Dockray, Lance W. Doherty, James D.
Ins. Broker
Cambers, Arthur S.
Housewife 98 Cheever Cir. Housewife off Phillips St.
Dow, Helen P. Dowd, Edward J. Downs, William T. Doyle, Lydia L. Duffy, Joan J.
Housewife
8 Beacon St.
Salesman
13 Pasho St. 147 Elm St.
Fireman
Housewife
7 Foster Circle 4 Aruundel St.
Duffy, Joseph G.
Dufton, George F.
Duhamel, Arthur C.
Dunlop, Helen F.
Housewife
20 Arundel St.
Dunn, Harold C.
Res. Mgr.
151 Chestnut St.
Durant, George C.
Printer
18 Lucerne Dr.
Dwyeer, Wilfred T.
Ind. Rel. Mgr.
5 Fletcher St.
Eastman, Rachael D.
Housewife 20 William St. Real Est., Ins. Agt 18 Argyle St.
Ellis, Edward C.
Mechanic
52 Morton St.
Ellis, Franklin T.
Retired 109 Elm St.
Fallon, Joseph E. Jr.
Accountant 58 Maple Ave.
Field, Pauluine D.
Housewife 5 Wolcott Ave.
Fleming, John J.
Landlord 37 Maple Ave.
Forbes, Elizabeth W.
Housewife
Osgood St.
Forbees, John M.
Traffic Mgr. Osgood St.
Textile Eng. 61 Chester St. B.V.
Fox, Pauline B.
Housewife 17 Appletree Lane Truck Dri. 28 Marland St., B.V.
Gerrish, Winifred S.
Housewife
27 Enmore St.
Gibson, Ralph D.
Sales 108 High Plain Rd.
Gen. Mgr. 23 Bartlett St.
Gilcreast, Cleveland Gilfoy, Elven W.
Mechanic 29 Summer St. 43 High St.
Gillen, Anna B.
At Home
Ex. Mgr.
1 Ayer St.
Giovinco, Rose
Sales Clerk
1 Ayer St.
Glynn, John F.
Con. & Buil. 77 Whittier St.
Cost Acct.
59 Shawsheen Rd.
Goddard, Harold C. Jr. Goldthwaite, Eleanor F. Goodwin, Robert G.
Housewife Civil Eng.
Jenkins Rd.
Gordon, William
Retired
8 Central St. 80 Poor St.
Gorrie, Everett R.
Gouck, Harry H.
Salesman
Asst. Under. 108 Summer St. 10 Burnham Rd.
253
Housewife
Vice-Pres. 4 Arundel St. Real Est. & Builder 7 Argyle St. Service Mgr. 371 No. Main St.
Eastman, Weston D.
Forsythe, George
Froburg, Frank W.
Giovinco, Pasquale
Grant, Glen W.
Grant, Rankin D.
Gray, Claremont I. N. Harnedy, William A. Haselton, George C. Hatch, William G. Hatton, Robert B. Henderson, Alexander H. Henderson, Edna E. Hickey, Vincent P.
Furniture Maker Osgood St.
Maint. Mach. Wobuurn St.
Rbb'r Roll Bl. 32 Wash'ton Ave. Corp. Treas. 2 Carisbrooke St. Manager 11 Cheever Circle
215 Lupine Rd. Technician Chem. Engr. 12 Stratford Rd.
Builder Con. 21 Argilla Rd. Housewife Haggetts Pond Rd.
Accountant 232 No. Main St. Treas., Gen Mgr. 44 Central St.
Retired 68 Essex St.
Housewife 23 Central St.
Hill, William R.
Storekeeper 23 Central St.
Hogan, Daniel E.
Asst. Gen Mgr. 26 Morton St.
Holland, Robert C.
Supervisor 211 Chestnut St.
Horan, Joseph A.
Field Worker
Chandler Rd.
Howe, Raymond W.
Real. Est. & Ins. 19 Arundel St. Sales Mgr. Wildwood Rr.
Fire Ins. Un. 17 Canterbury St.
Jagger, Margaret E.
Housewife
20 Hall Ave., B. V.
Jaspert, Eileen M.
Housewife
35 Alden Rd.
Salesman 48 High Plain Rd.
Chief Engineer 66 Carmel Rd.
Kelley, Sheerwood W.
Self-employed 16 Cooldige Rd.
Keellmurray, Mary E. Kimball, Elizabeth W.
Housewife
84 Maple Ave.
Kimball, Ralph A.
Housewife 50 School St. Real Estate 25 Appletree Lane Housewife 4 Sutherland St.
King, Mary E.
Kinsman, Ieslie S.
Greeenskeeper
18 Summer St.
Houeswife 54 Lowell St.
Sales Research 13 Brook St.
Law, Don B.
Insurance Trainee 4 Cuba St.
Ins. Agent Cutler Rd.
Lindholm, Edward M.
Livingston, Clinton R.
Locke, Arthur T.
Clerk 22 Brechin Terrace
Locke, Richard G.
Contractor 3 Windsor St.
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Higgins, Frederick A. Hill, Charles A. Hill, Erma L.
Hoyer, Raymond A.
Innes, Andrew M.
Johnson, Harold A.
Johnson, Howard B.
Lamb, Frances C.
Lambert, John F.
Ledbetter, Jack D.
Naval Architect 44 Chestnut St. Florist 158 Andover St.
- -
Luce, Rowland E. Lunudgren, Donald E.
Lyle, George H.
Macartney, Robert J.
Manock, Louise B.
Marjerison, Thomas S. Jr. Paymaster
Marsden, Phillips B. Jr.
Marshall, Clifford E.
Marshall ,Kenneth S.
Marshall, Ruth S.
Marson, Virgil
Self-employed Argilla Rd. Auto Sales 3 Washington Ave.
Martin, James S.
McCarthy, Helen C.
McSherry, Jean
Mitchell, Robert C.
Moriarty, John F.
Morrisroe, Lawrence P.
Bank Examiner 70 Summer St. Clerk 49 Whittier St.
Muller, Walter F.
Mulvey, Joseph A.
Laundry Mgr. 87 Chestnut St.
Mason, Lewis P .
Operative 145 River St., B. V.
Newman, Winthrop R.
Attendant 121 Elm St.
Newton, Lester C.
Retired 33 Pasho St.
Northey, Helen L.
Housewife Rocky Hill Road
Northup, Robert G.
Airplane Mech. River St., B. V. Clerk 63 Chestnut St.
Nowell, Barbara S.
Noyes, Catherine J.
Ortstein, Herbert L.
Packard, Leslie
Paige, Alice E.
Housewife 34 Chandler Rd.
Pariseau, Dorothy F.
Patterson, Willard H.
Chemical Operator Upland Rd. Salesman 4 Maple Ave.
Pearson, Walter
Peatman, Arthur
Yard Foreman Cutler Rd.
Pettit, Stephen H.
Financial Super. 2 Beech Circle
Piper, Irving O.
Clerk 29 Canterbury St.
Pitman, Douglas B.
Clerk 78 Salem St.
26 Sutherland St.
Plummer, Frederick A. Clerk
19 Summer St. Furn. Dealer Funeral Dir. 249 Highland Rd. Machinist Woburn St., B. V.
Clothing Mer. 274 Argilla Rd. Secretary 257 Andover St., B.V. 87 Burnham Rd.
Salesman 9 Lockway Rd. Cashier 22 Pasho St.
Supervisor 28 Chandler Rd. Housewife 22 Pasho St.
Executive 11 Beech Circle Clerk 78 Pine St. Electrician 12 Tewksbury St.BV Labor Rel. Dpt. 154 High Plain
Nicoll, Frank L.
Painter 2 Stratford Rd.
Housewife 385 No. Main St. Research Director 9 Binney St. P'ing Spe'ist 75 Shawsheen Rd. Housewife 53 Salem St.
255
Rhoads, William W. Richardson, Norman B. Riley, T. John Robb, David B.
Retired
15 Cabot Rd.
Salesman 20 Walnut Ave. Packaging Eng. 38 Chestnut St. Janitor 32 Park St.
Bldg. Super. 7 Canterbury St.
Robertson, Francis C. Jr. Steam-fitter
17 Burnham Rd.
Robinson, Edward W.
Ins. Agent 5 Lockway Rd.
Robinson, Helen L.
Housewife 127 River Rd.
Rogers Irving E.
News'pr Plshr. Sunset Rock Rd. Executive 28 Wolcott Ave.
Russell, J. Elwyn
Acct. Anal'st 29 Chester St. BV
Rutter, Harold A.
Note Teller
18 Canterbury St.
Saber, Hyman A.
Fur Buyer 91 Burnham Rd. Asst. Sales Mgr. 98 Chestnut St.
Sellars, Harry
Salesman 5 Avon St. Supervisor Lowell Jct. Rd. B. V.
Serio, Joseph
Shaw, Clinton D.
Salesman
Wildwood Rd.
Sheeley, Russell F.
Sherry, Richard A.
Main. Elec. 183 Summer St. Dairyman 247 Andover St., BV Car Rep'rman 35 Hall Ave. B.V.
Smalley, Bart F.
Smith, Hollis A.
Snow, George A.
Southwell, Lynn C.
Stack, Robert A.
Stowers, Anna M.
Housewife
20 Summer St. 89 Main St.
Sutton, Osborne
Caterer 119 Chestnut St.
Sutton, Thomas W.
Meter Man
Lovejoy Rd.
Tapley, Fred J.
Overseer 91 High St. Office Mgr. 26 Hall Ave., B. V. Shop Foreman 79 Lowell St.
Taylor, Thomas D.
Thompson, Gordon M.
Chemist 14 Arundel St.
Thompson, Shirley M. Secretary 28 Canterbury St.
Tremblay, John W.
Lumber Broker 5 Locke St.
Trott, Robert L.
Watchmaker 35 Chandler Cir.
Turner, Eric T.
Devel. Engineer 1 Sweeney Ct. Farmer So. Main St.
Turner, Harvey G.
Van Auken, Frederic F. Veit, Ethel H.
Prof. Engineer 7 Virgina Rd.
Housewife 8 Coolidge Rd.
256
Robertson, Foster G.
Roundy, Glenn H.
Seero, Edward V.
Staff Sec. 3 Stirling St. Sales Represent. 14 BinneySt. Switchb'd Op. 19 Burnham Rd. Machinist
Taylor, Ruth P.
Vigeant, Philip A. Wade, Kenneth E.
Wadman, Homer C. Walsh, Mary D.
Warhurst, Alice V. Warhurst, A. Norman Watson, William A.
Webster, Alvin S.
Div. Sales Mgr. 18 Lowell St.
Retired 66 Chestnut St.
Laundry Bus. 14 Lucerne Dr.
Stat. Eng. Haggets Pond Rd.
Ins. Salesman 36 Central St.
White, Clyde A.
White Frances E. White, Mildred C.
Whitside, Charles B. M.
Whitney, Chester F. Jr.
Wilkinson, Ernest L.
Ins. Business
Alden Rd.
Housewife
6 Cabot Rd.
Service Station 19 Balmoral St.
Asst. Super. 288 Argilla Rd.
Trustee 276 No. Main St.
Laborer 28 Union St.
Electrician 42 Elm St.
Yunggebauer, Fred.
Stock Clerk,
Carpenter
Sup. Super.
Housewife
Housewife
7 Anodver St. 50 High St., B. V. 193 No . Main St. 28 Essex St. 18 Riverina Rd.
Salesman
18 Riveerina Rd.
Contractor Bancroft Rd.
Weeks, Clarence H.
Wennik, Harold W.
West, Howard A.
Whitcomb, Irving J.
Auto Sales 163 River St., B. V. Secretary 196 Shawsheen Rd. Asst. Mgr. Caf. 53 Chandler Rd Pur. Agent 165 Shawsheen Rd. Meter Reader 739 River Rd.
Wilkinson, Ruth K.
Wilson, Kenneth O. Wolfson, Henry M. Wood, Cornelius A.
Young, Dudley A.
Young, William J.
Merchant 61 Lowell St.
257
Trustees and Staff of Memorial Hall Library
ELINORE L. WASHBURN EDWARD I. ERICKSON ALAN R. BLACKMER LEO F. DALEY
WILLIAM N. PERRY ARTHUR W. REYNOLDS JOSEPH SERIO
Chairman ARTHUR W. REYNOLDS
Secretary WILLIAM N. PERRY
Treasurer LEO F. DALEY
Librarian MIRIAM PUTNAM
MARGARET D. MANNING, Assistant Librarian, in charge of Readers' Services
MARGARET LANE, in charge, Work with Children,
Memorial Hall Library and Elementary School Libraries ALICE L. CARLTON, Elementary School Librarian PATRICIA S. WEST, Professional Assistant
ELINORE G. BLISS, General Assistant
ETHEL L. WILSON, General Assistant, in charge Ballard Vale Branch Library
GERTRUDE B. HART, Secretarial Assistant
ELEANORE S. PLUMMER, Secretarial Assistant
Building Custodian EVERETT T. WARD
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THE MEMORIAL HALL LIBRARY IN A CHANGING COMMUNITY
Little in the community climate in 1956 would contribute to complacency on the part of any community agency, the library or any other. Exploration by official groups into go- vernmental structure, into ways of attracting desirable industry, into finding methods of providing for orderly growth of population, building, business and public services placed a considerable responsibility on town departments as well as voters to look at the proposed changes realistically, objectively and with the needs of the whole community in view.
Understandably the library felt an additional obligation to explore all proposals in the light of how they might affect the library and its ability to serve future needs adequately.
We saw important implications for the library's future in the recommendations of the Committee To Study Town Go- vernment and similarly, although its full recommendations have not as yet been made public, in the future report of the Committee on Wage and Job Classification. The Proposed Capital Improvement Program submitted by Planning and Renewal Associates, whether it is adopted in its entirety or not, also has implications for the library. Whatever we may do with its proposals concerning the library building, they cannot help but enter into the thinking which contributes to our action this year.
The library must have flexibility in the appointment of staff, particularly professional staff and in the selection and purchase of books and other library materials. It was upon those two points that we sought, if not total exemption from the Town Manager Plan, which we felt rather logical in view of the similarity of the library's function to that of the schools which are almost completely exempt, then some amendments to the charter which would safeguard these two functions.
The Committee on the Town Manager Plan made the changes in the charter necessary to place full responsibility
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for the selection and purchase of books, other printed and audio visual materials in the library's hands but felt that to meet its request in the matter of staff appointments would be to weaken the plan itself.
The Library met at the invitation of the Committee on Wage and Job Classification with the members of that com- mittee to explore library and committee thinking. We ex- pect that a personnel bylaw will be presented for vote at the March town meeting. We hope that we will be exempted from the operation of such a plan, at least so far as pro- fessional staff positions are concerned. However, even if included, we expect the library to be set up under a special category and that our personnel and pay schedules will form the basis for this special section.
As we view what is perhaps the most important problem facing the library at this particular time, that of its build- ing needs, we are again not unmindful of other community projects. Frankly we have been somewhat baffled as to the best way to proceed. Why have we, it may well be asked, decided to place our building article before the town again, particularly in view of two consecutive defeats ? We should like to make the following points :
(1) That costs are going up all the time as the 1957 figure of $192,000 for the library project indicates, a rise of $29,500 over the 1954 figure of $162,500, the year the article was first introduced. There seems to be general agreement that we are in a period of rising costs and we feel that if our plan is a sound one, that there is nothing to be gained from waiting.
(2) That Planning and Renewal Associates have not - or so it seems to us - made a clear cut recommendation so far as our building program is concerned. Perhaps the report has gone as far as it could logically be expected to go. How- ever, its recommendation of a town center study, admirable as it is, will not be undertaken in 1957 and perhaps not for some time to come.
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(3) That the extensive alterations to the Town Hall would seem to indicate that that site will not be available to the library as the location of a new functional building for ma- ny years to come, if ever, even supposing that the town were interested in appropriating $400,000 - $450,000 for a new library building within the next four or five years. It is the only site, we believe, equally good with our present one.
(4) That the Capital Expenditures Committee has not yet released to the town a time table which would place the library in relation to other capital expenditure projects.
(5) That we are a small department and feel, perhaps not unnaturally, that we need to keep our building needs before the town so that they will not be lost sight of in light of what to many may appear more pressing and certainly are more expensive outlays.
(6) That new industries are being attracted to Andover, as is evident in the case of Sylvania-Corning because of the cultural advantages - schools, library, museums - that Andover has to offer. We feel so far as the library is con- cerned an obligation to keep our services at their present level and not to allow them to retrogress, because of inade- quate building or for any other reason.
(7) That the school population has practically doubled in the last twenty years and it seems self evident that this increase, which has made new school buildings necessary, should have placed some strain upon our Children's Room, apart from whatever effect this growth may have had on other parts of the library building. We have quite literally outgrown our Children's Room, our work space, our stack space. The adequacy of our present adult reading, reference and service operations space, is fast diminishing.
We have always been a high use library and with the type of people coming to Andover because of the character of the new industries, we expect to continue to be such. In the last thirty years, more or less in that period since the library was last renovated in 1927, the circulation has increased
261
more rapidly than the population, or 136% to 41%. Other figures which have bearing on our present thinking are a 67% circulation per capita increase, a 95% increase in book stock.
During this period, public libraries have developed ex- tremely rapidly with new services reflecting new demands and with the inclusion of audio-visual materials as an ac- cepted part of its materials collection ; indeed to meet mi- nimum standards in 1956, libraries must include them. The past ten years in particular has seen increased demand upon our reference and informational services so that it has been necessary to increase our reference holdings to strengthen subject collections, to maintain larger files of back issues of magazines, which, as is obvious, are great consumers of shelf space. Analysis of figures in the last twenty years sup- ports this statement of growth in the library's reference and informational role. For example in 1935 fiction repre- sented 72.4% of all adult materials circulated ; in 1955, only 46.8%.
Projections into the future are inconclusive and some- what speculative since so many factors can not now be known. However at present levels, it would not be unreason- able to predict a book collection within the next twenty years of from 63,000 to 81,000 books and a total circulation ranging from 144,000 to 216,000.
The changing character of the community has important implications for library book purchasing, also. Already book requests reflect the changing economic aspects of our area. Special libraries in the new plants will take care of most needs of research and other staff. However, if this past year is indicative, we shall need to make general material avail- able in these new fields and in other subjects as demand makes necessary. Books on digital computers, electronics, plastics, automation in general, occupy shelves once the sole possession of books on textiles. Even libraries will use these newer electronic devices as the larger of them try to make
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easily available the rapidly growing fund of knowledge which for its effective use by scholars, must take advantages of these newer techniques.
We have worked closely with town committees in build- ing up collections of materials which would be useful to them in their studies. Hardly any topic of serious concern to the town but what material about it can be found in the library: job evaluation, zoning, industrial development, fluoridation, closed circuit television, town manager plan. Special exhibits, too, were directed at placing emphasis upon matters of local interest.
Individual interests have not been lost sight of in the concern for community and other demands. A chance com- ment to a library staff member about interest in meeting with other Civil War enthusiasts, resulted in the formation of a Civil War Round Table, which meets every third Mon- day at the Library, with assigned topics for study and mem- ber presentation. Civil War enthusiasts, please note. New members are welcome.
A publishing trend which reflects our times may be found in the large number of readable books which are available to the average reader and which open up to him the wonders and new discoveries in the field of science. Popularly writ- ten, many of them stand on their own merits and in no way can be said to "debase the coin of science". This interest is further revealed in the sale in 1956 of one hundred thou- sand copies of a four volume work on mathematics!
An examination of reader and information requests re- veals their variety if it does not uncover a particular trend. What did people want to know about? Among other things : how to take over a mortgage; to build a telescope; the cor- rect spelling of the vice-president of the Penobscot Chemical Company; the date of the building of the Central Fire House; a filter system for an outdoor swimming pool; the toxicity of carbon tetrachloride; the passing of an insur- ance stock broker's examination; the finishing of a piece
263
of wood ; fluoridation, pro and con ; proof that a street exist- ed before 1871; prefabricated schools.
Last year's report underlined the difficulty of giving ade- quate service in a Children's Room which had reached the limits of its physical facilities. Circulation of books is at all time high with an issue of 27,046 books from this room in 1956. Small wonder that there is confusion in a space not as large as most living rooms! The children's program is an outstanding one and last year saw a continuation of the many splendid activities which boys and girls and their parents have come to expect. It will be a cause for rejoicing when these can be carried on in surroundings which help support and not hinder them.
The Ballard Vale Branch Library showed a good gain in the number of books circulated this past year to adults and to boys and girls. The larger use of the library is en- couraging and is a sign, we feel sure, of the value of this branch in the Ballard Vale Community. The pre-school story hour and the film and story hours have helped to introduce parents and boys and girls to its resources and services. A morning book talk in December was so successful that we plan to hold another during the year. Perhaps we shall need to think of opening the branch an additional day in the week.
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