USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1929 > Part 18
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For the convenience of residents living in different parts of the town, books are exchanged through the delivery stations once a week as follows:
Lovell's Corner W. B. Chalke & Sons Tuesday
South Weymouth Fogg Memorial Library Tuesday
South Weymouth Alfred S. Tirrell Tuesday
East Weymouth
East Weymouth Branch Thursday
North Weymouth
North Weymouth Branch Friday
Weymouth Heights
Community Club House Friday
Application for borrowers' cards may be made at the Delivery Stations as well as at the library and branches.
The library publishes a bulletin of new books several times during the year. This will be distributed through the library and its agencies, and sent to any resident upon request.
* Telephone, Weymouth 0989-W.
TUFTS LIBRARY
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
The fifty-first annual report of the Tufts Library is herewith respectfully submitted.
With the year that has just closed the Tufts Library has started on its second fifty years of service to the town of Weymouth. Looking backward for inspiration and forward to its ideal of a continually increasing service to its community, the library has striven through the past year to build toward that vision of service.
At the beginning of the year the library suffered a very great loss in the death, on January 13th, of the assistant librarian, Miss Phyllis E. Palmer. Miss Palmer had been on the staff of this library for eleven years, and had given loyal, devoted, and efficient service Always she gave of herself generously, and by her ready helpfulness she had made for herself a place in the community that cannot soon nor easily be filled. Her sudden death left the library severely crippled. For a time the work was carried on under great difficulty. That it was carried on efficiently was due to the loyal support of the remainder of the staff who gave cheerful and ready service far in excess of their regular library hours.
Although Miss Palmer's loss is keenly felt, both by her co- workers and by her many friends among the library patrons, the work of the library has gradually been again stabilized, and the service to the community has continued uninterruptedly. Two new assistants have been appointed during the year. Mrs. Edith
206
L. Payson of North Weymouth is serving the library on a part time basis as cataloguer. Mrs. Payson was for thirteen years in the Thomas Crane Library in Quincy, and for a number of years was head of the cataloguing department of that library, and her trained service is of the greatest value. Miss Gertrude R. Simons comes to us from the Public Library of Greenfield, Massachusetts, where she had received library training and had several years of experience. Both of these new workers are giving competent and valuable service.
The circulation figures for the year show a healthy and . vigorous growth, with a yearly total of 135,016 books, and with a total gain over 1928 of 6,388. Of this gain 4,133 was at the Main Library, 1,391 at the North Weymouth Branch, and 864 at the East Weymouth Branch. The figures for the branches are of especial interest. The branch at North Weymouth has been of slower growth than that at East Weymouth. With the growth of the community, and with books that appeal to the
summer population and especially to the children, the work at North Weymouth has made a definite advance during the past year. To meet the increased use of the branch some changes have been made which should add both to its attractiveness and con- venience. A low magazine rack has been built under the large windows, thereby releasing a section of shelving for additional books, and a children's corner with suitable furniture and their own books and magazines has been arranged at the rear of the room A new heating system has just been established in the branch by the landlord, and should bring added comfort both to the librarian and to the library patrons.
While the gain at East Weymouth does not equal that at the North Weymouth Branch, nor does it equal the gain at East Weymouth in some previous years, it nevertheless denotes a large increase in the amount of work done in such cramped quarters. The East Weymouth Branch is rendering very large service to its community, but its growth is to a great extent limited by its capacity. Larger quarters are most urgently needed.
A fair proportion of the gain at the Main Library is probably due to the activities of the children's room, which has completed the first year of its existence with a total circulation of 18,851. But as there are no previous figures for comparison it is not possible to estimate the gain. However, the most valuable work of a library can never be estimated merely by its circulation figures. Other, less measurable services, are often more im- portant than the number of books read. Especially in work with children the library regards the quality of their reading as of prime importance.
To direct the boys and girls in Weymouth to the better books for children there have been numerous activities in the children's room of the Tufts Library throughout the past year. Story hours were held regularly during the winter months and were met by an eager responsiveness on the part of the children. Throughout the winter and early spring a reading contest, based
207
ou lists issued by the Massachusetts Library Commission enlisted the interest of many of the boys and girls. Each child made a written report on the books read, and for each five books satis- factorily reported on a certificate was awarded, and for twenty books an honor certificate. In this contest sixty-four children won the small certificate, and nine children received honor certificates. At the end of the contest a group of girls from the Hunt School presented a dramatization of the old folk-tale of Hansel and Gretel for the entertainment of all the boys and girls who had done any of the State reading.
With the first spring flowers a vigorous wild flower contest started. Through this the children discovered some of the beauties of nature that were all around them but never before noticed, and they learned how to look up and identify these flowers in books. 169 different flowers were brought to the library and identified by the children, and 123 children took part in the contest.
After the closing of school thirty-two children from the first eight grades registered in a vacation reading club, and one child has a record of sixteen books read and reported on during her vacation. In September the children started travelling through books. 'An illustrated guide book gave graded lists of children's books that would tell them of other peoples and other countries. Each child chose a color, and after he had read and reviewed a book, a spot of that color was affixed to a large map of the world. The children study the map to see where they have travelled and where others are travelling, and there is keen rivalry as to who shall visit the most places. Incidentally their horizons are broadening and their reading interests are being enlarged. Fifty- six children have entered this contest.
The climax of the year in the children's room comes in "Good Book Week" which is an annual observance in November. During that week many new books and attractive editions of children's classics are on display for the benefit of parents and teachers as well as children. This year the library had attractive posters made by the High School art class as well as four original illustrations from books which were by
. loaned the E. P. Dutton & Co.
Deposits of books have been sent to the schools as usual, and visits have been made to some of the schools, with talks to the children about books, and occasionally, at the request of the teacher, a story.
A number of attractive exhibitions have very generously been loaned to the children's room during the past year. A collection of tiny animal figures, an exhibit of sea shells, and a doll over eighty years old, were all loaned by staff members. A most unusual and educational exhibit was a collection of paper dolls loaned by Miss Esther Trull of Milton, Massachusetts. These dolls represented different nationalities, and were exquisitely drawn and dressed by a girl of High School age during a long convalescence from illness.
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The library is rejoicing in the new stairway which leads from the adult department to the children's room. Parents and teachers who desire access to both types of books have expressed their appreciation of its great convenience, and architecturally it accords with the rest of the building and is a source of entire satisfaction.
The new floor of rubber tiles on the children's room floor is also a pleasure to the eye and a satisfaction from the point of view of usefulness. Besides being a very durable type of flooring it greatly lessens the noise of the children's feet.
Perhaps the greatest advance in library service during the year is the increased number of hours of opening in the adult department of the Main Library. The former hours of opening were determined by the Trustees at a meeting in September 1894, and have been in force ever since. Meanwhile the town has grown until the hours were insufficient to meet the minimum standards for accredited library service for a town the size of Weymouth. Now the adult department is open daily from 9 A. M. to 9 P. M., and many people have expressed enthusiastic appre- ciation of this added service. A good many who do their trading in Washington Square stop at the library during the morning for their books. This saves them a second trip, and helps to relieve congestion in the busy afternoon hours. A number of students have availed themselves of the privilege of using the reading room during the morning hours, when it is quieter and they are not disturbed by the High School boys and girls who take possession in the afternoon. At first few people realized about the change, but now the use of the library during the added hours of opening is steadily increasing. This is also true during the additional hour in the evening, when many who formerly had not time after their evening meal, now come to the library to read for an hour or more.
During the year numerous repairs and improvements, other than the large undertakings already mentioned in this report, have been made about the building. The roof over the attic stairs has been repaired; the mass of material stored in the attic has all been sorted and made available for use; and & cabinet built for the storage of the file of Weymouth Gazettes, so that they can be kept dark and dry and preserved for their historical value. The surface of the main desk has been refinished, and the wings interchanged. This makes possible more efficient . work, and will in the future somewhat distribute the wear, as it makes available a greater desk surface.
Exhibits of timely books have been arranged on a small table near the door, and have proved attractive to many people. The new non-fiction has been made easily accessible, and it has been especially gratifying to note that during the past year the recent books of travel, biography, and other interesting non- fiction have been read' increasingly. 1 :
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Some new equipment has been purchased for the library during the year. A much needed shelf-list file for the cards in. the catalog department has replaced the use of pasteboard boxes. The library has purchased chairs of a suitable height for the tables in the children's room; two small service book-trucks,. one for the children's room and one for the adult department; a new rug for the office; and an atlas case for the reference room. The North Weymouth Branch has a new low table for children, and four chairs of corresponding height, and the East Weymouth Branch a cabinet for catalog cards.
In November the tenant of the store on the first floor of the library building vacated the premises, and the Trustees. are asking a sufficient appropriation to enable them to renovate the room and make it available for library purposes. The library needs room for growth in order to meet its increasing opportunity for service to the town, and this additional room would relieve congestion and provide adequate facilities for future development.
The Tufts Library acknowledges with thanks the gifts of flowers from Mrs. Charles Bicknell, Mr. Thomas E. Shea, Mrs. Edith L. Payson, and Miss Alice Blanchard. Although. Miss Blanchard has been ill and away, flowers from her garden were. brought to the library at her request, and were much appreciated. A new clock was placed in the children's room as a gift from the Art Committee of the Monday Club and from the Rev. John B. Holland, and a fire screen came as a gift from the Literary Committee of the Monday Club. Books have been presented through the year by various individuals, totaling one hundred- volumes, and the Trustees wish to express their grateful acknow- ledgement. Two small pictures of the Lion of Lucerne were given by the Rev. John B. Holland, and a bust of Longfellow was pre- sented to the children's room by Mrs. Louise B. Lane. The library also wishes to take this opportunity to express its thanks for. the bulletins and reports received from other libraries.
As the Tufts Library faces its second half-century of service to the Town of Weymouth it looks back gratefully to the support given it in the past, and forward to years of increased usefulness. in the life of the community.
Respectfully submitted, C. P. WHITTLE, Chairman
By order and in behalf of the Trustees.
APPENDIX A-STATISTICS Classification of Circulation 1929
Main Library
North Weymouth
Class
Juvenile
Adult
Total Juvenile Adult
Total
East Weymouth Juvenile Adult Total
Grand Total Juvenile Adult Total
General Works
4
53
57
3
3
36
36
4
92
96
Philosophy
206
206
8
6
6
63
69
6
275
281
Religion
94
151
245
7
2,942
557
94
651
635
75
710
3,295
1,008
4,303
Social Sciences Philology
9
80
89
172
5
177
30
10
40
211
95
306
Natural Science
545
420
965
166
76
242
183
122
305
894
618
1,512
Useful Arts
349
769
1,118
147
61
208
238
122
360
734
952
1,686
Fine Arts
1,017
954
1,971
66
65
131
71
51
122
1,154
1,070
2,224
Literature
631
1,628
2,259
170
101
271
469
276
772
1,297
2,005
3,302
History
317
653
970
85
90
175
232
164
396
634
907
1,541
Travel
610
927
1,537
172
211
383
104
296
400
886
1,434
2,320
Biography
431
1,236
1,667
106
278
384
195
323
518
732
1,837
2,569
Periodicals
597
2,161
2,758
357
905
1,262
422
1,818
2,240
1,376
4,884
6,260
Foreign Language
75
75
144
144
219
219
Fiction
12,144
39,903
52,047
5,341
18,121
28,462
11,586
20,989
32,575
29,071
79,013
108.084
Total
18,851
50,055
68,906
7,346
20,031
27,377
14,225
24,508
38,733
40,422
94,594
135,016
Number of Volumes Distributed Through the Several
Delivery Stations
Precincts
Delivery Stations
Loans
1
North Weymouth
203
2 & 6
East Weymouth Branch
154
4
Alfred S. Tirrell
2,390
5
Fogg Memorial Library
644
W. B. Chalke & Sons
2,100
8
Weymouth Height Club House
1,664
:
7,155
-- ----
210
185
313
15
22
27
19
46
128
2,103
839
*
211*
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION FORM OF STATISTICS
For the year ending December 31, 1929
Population served (Census of 1925)
17,253
Assessed valuation of town $40,238,235.
Total number of agencies, consisting of
Main Library
1
Branches
2
Delivery Stations
4
School (buildings)
6
Number of days open during the year
302
Total valuation of library property
39,609
Number of volumes added by purchase
2,149
Number of volumes added by gift
100
Number of volumes added by binding
0
Number of volumes lost or withdrawn
845
Total number of volumes at end of year
41,013
Number of volumes of fiction lent
108,084
Total number of volumes lent
135,016
Number of borrowers registered
5,141
Number of borrowers registered in 1929
1,681
Number of periodicals received; 111 titles; 157 copies
Receipts from
Payments for
Town appropriation
$19,485.00
Endowment funds 1,346.72
Binding
637.73
Salaries, library service, janitor service
9,456.61
Heat
597.80 ;
Light
385.06
Rent (Branches)
1,380.00
Other expenses
4,071.11
Unexpended balance
1.05
$20,831.72
$20,831.72
APPENDIX B
Registrations
Number of borrowers registered December 31, 1928 4,899
Number of new and renewed registrations during 1929
1,681
6,580
Number of registrations which have expired during 1929
5,264
Number of registrations void through death or
123
removal from town
Number of borrowers registered December 31, 19299
5,141
$104,600.
Number of volumes at beginning of year
Books and periodicals $4,302.36
1,326
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APPENDIX C-PERIODICALS
* Alpha aids
American boy
American cookery
American forests and forest life
American home
*American issue American library association booklist
American library association bulletin American Magazine
Annals of the American academy of political and social science Asia
Atlantic bookshelf
Atlantic monthly
*Bell telephone quarterly Bird lore
Book review digest
Bookman
Boston evening transcript
Catholic world
Century
Child life
Christian leader *Church militant * Columbia
*Commonweal Congressional digest
*Congregationalist Country gentleman
Country life
Creative reading
Cumulative book index Current events
Current history magazine
Delineator
*Dennison's party magazine Education Elementary English review Etude
Everygirl's
*Federation news Forest and stream Forum Good housekeeping Harper's magazine *Horticulture House and garden
House beautiful -
.
*Hygeia Illustrated London news
Industrial education magazine Junior home *Kodakery
Ladies' home journal
Library journal
Literary digest
Living age
Magazine of American gene- alogy
Marine engineering and shipping age
Modern Priscilla
Museum of Fine Arts bulletin Nation
National geographical magazine
*National humane review
*National republic Nation's business
Nature magazine
New England Conservatory of Music bulletin
New republic
New York herald tribune- Books
New York times book review
Nineteenth century and after
North American review
Ontario library review
Open road
*Our dumb animals
Outlook
Pictorial review
Political science quarterly
Popular mechanics
Popular science monthly
*Protectionist Publisher's weekly
Radio broadcast,
*Red cross courier Review of reviews (American)
*Rotarian St. Nicholas Saturday review of literature *School School and society
School arts magazine Scientific American Scribner's magazine
213
APPENDIX C (Cont.)
*Specialty salesman magazine Standard quarterly review Survey Time Travel U. S. air services
Weymouth gazette and tran- script *Weymouth item Wisconsin library bulletin Woman's home companion World's work
EAST WEYMOUTH BRANCH
American boy
Harper's magazine
American home
Ladies' home journal
American magazine
Literary digest
Atlantic monthly
National geographic magazine
Child life
Nature magazine
*Christian science journal
Pictorial review
*Christian Science monitor *Christian science sentinel Current history
Popular science
Delineator Elementary English review
Scientific American
Etude Forest and stream
Travel
World's work
NORTH WEYMOUTH BRANCH
American boy
American home
American magazine
National geographic magazine
Atlantic monthly
Nature magazine
Child life
Popular mechanics
*Christian leader
St. Nicholas Scientific American
Current history Etude
Travel Woman's home companion
Good housekeeping
World's work › Gift
Literary digest McCall's magazine
Good housekeeping
Popular mechanics
Psychology St. Nicholas
214
THE FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE TUFTS LIBRARY FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1929
Salaries and Wages:
Librarian and assistants
$6,577.86
Janitor
1,578.00
$8,155.86
Books and Periodicals, etc:
Library Book House
1,415.72
The Personal Book Shop
756,25
DeWolfe & Fiske Co.
740.79
Herman Goldberger
197.00
Miscellaneous
541.16
$3,650.92
Binding Books
637.73
Fuel
597.80
Light
284.51
Maintenance of Building
Joslin and Landry, Stairs, etc.
751.00
L. R. Mosher
678.50
P. Derby Co.
138.00
Miscellaneous
619.16
2,186.66
Other Expenses
Printing, Telephone, supplies, equipment, etc.
1,071.06
Transportation and delivery of books
372.00
Insurance
12.45
$16,968.99.
North Weymouth Branch
Librarians
600.75
Rent
600.00
Periodicals
322.60
Maintenance
119.16
Light
48.47
Sundries
57.66
1,748.64
East Weymouth Branch
Librarian
700.00
Rent
780.00
Periodicals
325.84
Transportation of books
78.00
Maintenance
74.55
Light
52.08
Sundries
102.57
2,113.04
Fogg Library Reading Room
1,200.00
Total expended
22,030.67
Balance to treasury
1.05
Total
$22,031.72
215
Appropriation ,March 4, 1929
$20,685.00
Income from other sources:
Tufts Fund-Books
125.00
Tufts Reading Room Fund
125.00
Joseph E. Trask Fund
611.72
Augusta J. Richards Fund
235.00
Susannah Hunt Stetson Fund
125.00
Tirrell Donation
50.00
Francis Flint Forsythe Fund
50.00
Charles Henry Pratt Trust Fund
25.00
Total
$22,031.72
EMERSON R. DIZER,
Town Accountant
Annual Report
OF THE
School Committee
Gl
SSET-
62
ABORARE
MASSACHUSETTS
635
VEY
WEYMOUTH, MASS.
1929
218
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
219
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE SCHOOL COMMITTEE PRINCE H. TIRRELL, Chairman MRS. ARTHUR R. TAYLOR, Secretary FRANCIS W. REA Term Expires April 1, 1930
706 Pleasant Street, East Weymouth Wey. 1198-M
PRINCE H. TIRRELL Term Expires April 1, 1930
167 Pleasant Street, South Weymouth Wey. 0662-W
JOHN P. HUNT Term Expires April 1, 1931
99 Front Street, Weymouth
Wey. 1889-M
J. HERBERT LIBBY, M. D. Term Expires April 1, 1931
707 Broad Street, East Weymouth Wey. 0216
EDWIN R. SAMPSON Term Expires April 1, 1932
19 Lincoln Street, North Weymouth Wey. 0434
MRS. ARTHUR R. TAYLOR Term Expires April 1, 1932
44 Tower Avenue, South Weymouth Wey. 1863-W
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
PARKER T. PEARSON 590 North Street, East Weymouth Wey. 0520
Office: Weymouth High School, East Weymouth Wey. 1460
Office Hours-At High School, daily 9:00 to 9:30 A. M .; 3:30 to 4:30 P. M. HELEN G. TONRY, Secretary
79 Chard Street, East Weymouth
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Fall Term-Opens September 4. Closes December 20.
Winter Term-Opens December 30. Closes February 21. Opens March 3. Closes April 25.
Spring Term-Opens May 5. Closes June 19.
Holidays-Columbus Day, Armistice Day, Thanksgiving and the day following, New Year's, Good Friday and Memorial Day
NO SCHOOL SIGNAL 2-2-2 - 2-2-2
At 7:30 A. M., No session in any school during the morning. At 8:00 A. M., No session in grades I to IV, inclusive, during the morning.
At 11:45 A. M., No session in grades I to IV, inclusive, during the afternoon.
At 12:45 P. M., No session in any grade during the afternoon.
220
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE
Regular meetings of the School Committee are held the first Tuesday of each month at the High School Building at 7:30 P. M.
ENTRANCE AGE
No child shall be admitted to school in September unless he has reached the age of five on or before the first day of April preceding. Children entering for the first time will be admitted only during the first two weeks of school.
BIRTH CERTIFICATES
A birth certificate is required for entrance to the first grade.
VACCINATION
No child shall be allowed to enter the first grade without a certificate of successful vaccination.
Quotation from State Law-Chap 76-Section 15 "An unvaccinated child shall not be admitted to a public school except upon presentation of a certificate like the physician's certificate required by Section 183 of Chapter III."
EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATES
No child between the ages of fourteen and sixteen shall be- allowed to leave school until a signed promise of employ- ment card has been presented to the principal of the building in which he is attending school. Employment certificates are issued by Mr. Charles Y. Berry, at the Hunt School, Weymouth, every week day except Saturday, between the hours of nine and twelve.
221
REPORT OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
To the Citizens of Weymouth:
The past year has seen the opening of one new school, the- Pond, of six rooms, and the occupancy for school purposes of the new twelve-room wing of the Hunt School in November. The old Hunt School building, now vacant, will shortly be removed or demolished, while the Lincoln School building, which is in good, serviceable condition can be kept in reserve for future needs.
The proposed eight-room addition to the Bicknell School will sufficiently meet the requirements in North Weymouth for several years at the present rate of growth. Another committee, authorized at the last annual town meeting, has this matter in charge and will make further report thereon at the next- annual town meeting. There are at present enough children attending school in North Weymouth in the first eight grades to warrant the use of twenty-four school rooms, three to each grade.
Building developments on either side of Commercial Street near Weymouth Heights will shortly require several new school rooms to be located at the Adams School. It is inevitable that before many years a larger building will be needed at the location of the Center Portable.
As far as possible school rooms for the first six grades, at least, should be located within one mile from the homes of the children. School locations which generally meet such re- quirements are now already established in all parts of town, except the southern end of Union Street. The Adams School lot should, however, be enlarged, as it is in the center of a district that is now rapidly growing, and which promises to continue. such growth.
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