USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > Town annual report of Braintree, Massachusetts for the year 1948 > Part 11
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11
To the teachers, supervisors and principals for not only a fine classroom job, but also for extra classroom work on Courses of Study, special committees, courses pursued, hours of extra work on safety, guidance, special programs, P.T.A. meetings, athletic supervision, etc.
To the Members of the School Committee for careful analysis of problems, interested discussions, late hours, and conscientious gùidance. -
(C) Teacher training, supervision, committee meetings, se- curing teachers, business administration, maintenance and re- pairs, supplies, publicity, attendance, parent relationships, fuel, transportation, lunchrooms, evening school, community activi- ties, budget preparation, these and many other items come under the supervision of your Superintendent.
He also prepared specifications and advertised for $100,000 worth of equipment for the High School addition, and visits and checks the high school construction work daily as a mem- bér of the High School Building Committee.
Work on the School Building Survey and acting as educa- tional advisor to the Elementary School Survey Committee have taken their share of time.
151
The school enrollment increased 220 in September, 1948, and will continue at about the same rate. The time will soon arrive when an Elementary Supervisor and a Business Manager will be necessary to lift some of the burden from the Superin- tendent, if he is to have the time to concentrate on his real job of improving the educational aspects of the school system.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Teachers' Salaries (including Prin-
cipals, Directors, Supervisors and 6 Secretaries
$453,627.85
Administration
14,126.77
Telephone; Printing, Postage, etc.
2,641.76
Research and Prof. Study
961.14
Textbooks and Supplies
36,952.93
Principals' and Supervisors' Travel
1,275.90
Custodians' Salaries
33,124.30
Fuel
18,446.83
Light, Water and Misc. Operating
10,822.23
Repairs and Improvements
27,902.82
Nurses, Physicians and Health Sup- plies
6,516.94
Transportation
16,823.05
Tuition
4,961.06
Miscellaneous Auxiliary
548.51
Outlay
6,266.32
$634,998.41
RECEIPTS OF THE TOWN ON ACCOUNT OF THE SCHOOL' DEPARTMENT
Receipts from the State:
Massachusetts School Fund
$31,110.00
State , Reimbursement
(on tuition paid)
2,292.91
Tuition (State Wards
and Others)
2,911.12
Other Reciepts
$36,314.03 1,416.36
37,730.39
NET COST TO TOWN FOR SUP- PORT OF SCHOOLS
$597,268.02
152
TABLE II - PER PUPIL COST SCHOOL YEAR 1947 - 1948
Data taken from studies made by Massachusetts Teachers' Federation, and is the latest material available on school costs for 1947 - 48.
Cities and Towns Arranged in Order of Population
1945 Pop.
47-48 Net Av. Membership
1948 Tax Rate
% School 47-48 Tax of Total Av. Staff Tax of 1947
Salary
47-48 Cost Per Pupil
Belmont
28,866
3,794
$33.00
44.7
$3,079
$209.77
Melrose
27,972
3,537
- 42.00
39.4
3,110
191.23
Weymouth
27,957
4,530
32.00
41.3
2,919
168.70
Beverly
26,81.4
3,387
45.80
33.8
2,693
195.84
Framingham
25,502
3,399
44.00
34.3
2,850
170.39
Northampton
24,977
2,622
43.00
51.8
2,801
174.44
Gloucester
24,862
3,532
53.00
30.7
2,713
174.81
Leominster
23,549
2,342.
55.00
41.3
3,340
209.04
Methuen
23,160
2,568
53.00
44.8
3,034
187.54
Attleboro
22,375
3,216
41.00
42.6
2,682
165.63
Peabody
22,303
2,703
54.80
44.7
2,691
190.75
No. Adams
22,230
2,887
52.00
39.0
2,378
146.43
Milton
21,718
2,905
36.40
35.4
3,141
195.53
Braintree
20,279
3,499
40.00
33.2
2,635
166.88
Gardner
20,245
1,909
46.00
42.0
2,869
190.60
Westfield
19,956
2,466
44.00
48.6
3,079
195.89
Woburn
19,886
2,693
43.00
54.4
2,902
171.43
W. Springfield
19,453
2,607
32.80
50.6
2,730
192.56
Winthrop
18,696
2,831
39.00
46.4
2,768
155.83
Wakefield
18,677
2,566
40.00
40.4
2,812
148.77
Wellesley
17,581
2,701
37.00
37.7
3,273
225.29
Southbridge
17,561
1,472
52.00
29.9
2,578
164.18
Greenfield
17,020
2,217
32.80
37.4
2,805
170.27
Saugus
16,662
2,852
39.90
45.1
2,604
126.92
Dedham
16,659
2,462.
39.00
44.3
2,816
190.64
Norwood
16,508
1,870
38.00
35.4
2,936
240.23
Melford
15,801
1,739
46.00
39.0
2,696
156.10
Natick
15,789
2,529
45.60
43.6
2,705
160.40
Marlboro
15,680
1,627
45.80
29.9
2,268
145.53
Winchester
15,300
2,423
36.00
37.5
3,137
201.65
Av. Tax Rate
42.73
Braintree Ranks No. 18-19 in above 30
Av. % School Tax
40.64
27
Av. Staff Salary :
2,834.80
26
Av. Cost Per Fupil
=
179.44
21
Population
14
Membership
5
Valuation
10
List includes ALL cities and towns in 15,000-30,000 population range.
153
Board of Trustees Thayer Public Library
STACY B. SOUTHWORTH, Chairman
MORRILL R. ALLEN CLARA G. WETHERBEE
MABEL S. ROGERS RALPH B. WOODSUM
Our librarian's admirable report speaks for itself. There is nothing we can add save heartily to commend the librarian and her loyal staff for doing their work so well under such dis- tressingly, hampering conditions.
Now that the Town has appropriated the money and se- cured land for a new Library site, the friends of the Library should rally round the trustees and accelerate the movement for a new Library building. It is a vital civic project that has been too long neglected.
The Librarian
The Citizens of Brainrtee from kindergarten to old age have done it again!
They have used the library more than ever before.
191,597 volumes taken into their homes and schoolrooms in 1948!
10,954 more books than in 1947!
Students and adults have asked hundreds more reference questions!
8,697 of Braintree's population are registered as borrowers and users of the reference collection!
Correspondingly, the amount of clerical work, such as cata- loging, processing of new and old books and registration has increased. All this done in a building seventy-five years old, built for a population of 4,156. With the increase in activity in the library, the work space becomes more and more crowded. The pictures in this report show these facts concretely. To do efficiently the amount of work involved in a library of this size, calls for the services of two more staff members. The truth is, however, that there is not room to squeeze workers into the space available.
What are the trends which account for the continued growth of the library's services?
IN THE ADULT DEPARTMENT
More and more use of the library by college students. This is evidenced by the demand for standard classics
154
and historical material. Many of these older books are shelved in the cellar or in the balcony for lack of other space. The in- creasing number of times a staff member must go up or down stairs to get a book is very noticeable. It is a waste of the borrower's time and a waste of the staff's time. However, we are glad that we have these old books for often a student tells us he has not been able to get such books anywhere else.
Back numbers of periodicals are essential to students also. The library keeps the most important magazines for five years, others for three years. Many of these will be kept for a longer number of years when more space is available in a new building.
TEEN AGE YOUNG PEOPLE NEED THEIR OWN CORNER
A few shelves in a corner of the reading room have been set aside for the special use of these young people. It provides a place where they may easily select books suitable for book reports, books for recreational reading such as science for boys, and books on clothes, good looks and manners, dear to the heart of girls. Young people appreciate this service and we hope during the year to make this corner more and more in-
THE CHILDREN'S CORNER
155
ALL AGES USE THE LIBRARY
teresting to them. When children enter their teens it has been found that many of them disappear from libraries. They be- come bewildered and lost when they try to select titles from the maze of adult books. As a further help to the young people, members of the staff have marked books in the regular adult stacks with a special mark, thus designating their suitability for young people.
Housewife and Homeowner, Collector and Man-of-all- Trades, Business man and Scientist and Sportsman find Books for their Problems at the Library.
The ever popular type of book on how-to-make things, or how-to-fix-it continues in great demand. Judging by the beauti- ful work in painting and rug-making seen at recent exhibits our books have proved useful. The man of the household has been interested in house plans and how to remodel existing dwellings, home repairs, also mechanical repairs to automo- biles and radios.
Braintree is a musical community. Two years ago we re- ported borrowers asking about record collections. During 1948 more and more people have said "Why can't we have records
156
and more music in our library?" This is now a generally recog- nized part of a library's service. Records are as essential as books in educational work. Just as soon as space is available Braintree people will be able to borrow records; not only rec- ords, but also a large collection of music scores.
IN THE BOYS' AND GIRLS' DEPARTMENT
In 1948 as in the year 1947, the greater part of the increase in circulation has been in this department. Continued work with the schools by Mrs. Blair, the children's librarian, has brought about a real desire for "reading as a hobby", not only as a requirement of school work. In commenting on trends indicated by the increase in children's reading, Mrs. Blair has given the following report.
"The most noticeable trend in the Children's Room is toward Younger Borrowers. This increases the readers' advisory work greatly. Left to themselves, these children select books with attractive covers whose contents they cannot read. The proper procedure is to ascertain by trial just where the child's reading level is, inquire what kinds of stories he likes, find several books that meet his needs, and leave all further selections to him. The difficulties are two: there are not a great number of books that a second grader can read; and it is practically impossible to give so much attention to each child during the after- school peak when the room is crowded with children.
The second noticeable trend is toward an increasing num- ber of Boys from the Seventh and Eighth grades. These want two types of material, adventure and sports fiction and "things- to-do," like "Boys' Book of Science and Construction" and "More Fun with Magic." Older boys require considerable help in finding just what they need. They like to know what a story "is about" and depend heavily upon the readers' adviser in their selection.
If there were space, much of this selection could be ar- ranged before the afternoon influx by collecting different types of books, each with an attractive display. Then the child could be directed to the collection that met his needs, or could browse about among the displays that attracted him."
Space for Exhibit Purposes and Publicity is at a premium also. However, to make a start along this line, we have pur- chased a small display case for use in the hall exhibits planned by Miss Handy. We have found that many Braintree people do interesting things which could be exhibited if there were a place. Library visitors showed great interest in exhibits of Model Fire Engines made by Mr. William Low of Cleveland Avenue; Hand-made Dolls made by Mrs. Frances Conway or
157
Washington Street; model locomotives and trains made by Mr. Herman Bishop of Taylor Street, and Mr. J. J. O'Connell of Franklin Street. We should like to thank each of these library friends for the loan of their handiwork.
From the estate of Mr. Fred N. Manning the library has received a collection of Photographs and genealogical histories of the royal families of Europe. Mrs. Manning, a former trustee of the library, had for her particular hobby a study of these royal families. She took great pride in assembling the photo- graphs and working out the lines of each family. It was her wish that the library receive this material after the death of her husband. The library accepts with gratitude this gift which will prove of great value to students of European history.
As the library enters the seventy-fifth year in this building, we feel that a start has been made towards the goal for which we are striving ;- A New and Adequate Library Building in order that the citizens of Braintree may be better served. Land has been purchased. Now we can go ahead with working out plans, so that the citizens may have a concrete idea of what is to come.
We believe we have an interested and an aroused public.
Recently a gentleman was noticed looking around the library building. On being asked if he could be assisted, he said that he was a town meeting member, and that he would like to inform himself on conditions that existed. He had heard that a new building was needed, but, not being a library user, he did not know just why. He was amazed at what he saw, and felt that now he could understand when further talk about a new building was made. He felt that every town meeting member should take it upon himself to investigate the situation just as he had. We are grateful to this gentleman, and we invite every town meeting member to come into the library. A staff member will be very happy to take him on a tour of inspection.
Finally, if each citizen were to ask himself with all fair- ness these three questions concerning the library's place in education, what would the answer be? Emphatically a new library building as soon as possible.
1. Do you believe the library is a part of the educational system of the town? YES.
2. Where do students from kindergarten to old age get materials to further their education? The LIBRARY.
3. In a long range plan for educational facilities in the town. what is one of the first needs?
A NEW LIBRARY BUILDING.
158
STATISTICS OF LIBRARY USE 1948
Registered Borrowers
Adult
Juvenile 1516
Total
Borrowers January 1, 1948
6714
8230
Registered during 1948
1033
435
1468
Cards expired and moved during 1948
708
293
1001
Registered borrowers Dec. 31, 1948
7039
1658
8697
43% of the population.
Books Loaned
Adult Fiction
71,040
37% of total circulation
Adult non-fiction
34,313
18% of total circulation
Children's books
86,244
45% of total circulation
Total books loaned
191,597
Books loaned from branches
82,679
43% of total
Circulation per capita 9.4 books
Total increase in circulation
10,954
Book Stock
Adult
Juvenile
Total
Volumes January 1, 1948
33,491
8,729
42,220
Volumes added 1948
1,226
1,195
2,421
Volumes withdraw
1,428
212
1,640
Total Volumes Dec. 31, 1948
33,289
9,172
. 43,001
.
159
:
14 The Observer Press
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.