USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Town annual report of Weymouth 1954 > Part 17
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To add to this, the demand and need for new tree planting has in- creased. The loss of over five hundred mature shade trees and the necessity of further removal of several hundred other trees in the intersts of public safety which were broken or damaged beyond repair adds to the back log of work already on hand.
With the clearing of streets and removal of brush and stumps, it appears to the general public that the hurricane work is completed. One has only to look in the tops of many of our trees to see the dangers lurking there.
Large limbs hanging or caught up in the tops of trees present a serious danger. Climbing of each tree is necessary and often there is no safe place for the workman while he is engaged in the removal of such limbs.
The need of cabling and bracing, pruning and surgery on many hundreds of storm damaged trees is of sufficiency as to warrant the ex- penditure of funds for contract work to hasten the complete removal of such dangers and the preservation of the remaining trees.
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We cannot hope to accomplish such a project before many years with our own small force of workmen.
The tremendous losses suffered by the Public Utilities, the almost total loss of fire and police signal systems due mainly to storm damaged public trees, is cause for considerable thought toward the future planning of our shade tree programs throughout the hurricane areas.
Electricity and telephones are no longer a luxury of the the few. The very livlihood and well being of the masses is dependent upon the services that our Public Utilities provide.
The economy of our country and our National Defense is entirely de- pendent upon the proper functioning of electric power and telephone ser- vice without interruption.
The policies as established and practiced here in Weymouth have at- tracted wide attention in the field of public relations with the Public Utilities.
The methods and proceedures as put into effect in Weymouth evolve around the most advanced thinking in the care and maintenance of our shade trees and at present, are under observation of Public Utilities ex- ecutives and engineers who are studying ways and means to cut down such tremendous losses in future disasters.
This of course calls for longe range planning. It is of interest that the focus of this attention is on our town. My thoughts along these lines were first emphasized in the pre-World War II days when the needs of such a program was called to our attention in the interests of Civil De- fense. It is of even greater importance today.
I wish to pay tribute to all who served so efficiently, so untiringly and so well during the days of the Hurricane emergency and to the many de- partments and contractors who put the calling of the hurricane needs ahead of all other services.
A thank you is due from the Town of Weymouth to the Maxwell Equipment Co. of Milford, Connecticut who supplied us with a modern Skyworker unit at a cost only of installing it on our truck. This piece of equipment performed a highly valuable service to the Town in hasten- ing along our hurricane clearance work and saved us many thousand dollars in time and labor costs. The efficiency of this machine warrants us owning our Skyworker unit.
Two memorial trees have been given to the town, one a beautiful blue spruce which was planted at the Central Fire Station - the gift of Mr. and Mrs. William N. Bates of School Street, East Weymouth, and the second one, a gift of money to plant a tree on the triangular plot at the junction of East Street and Commercial Street. This tree is to be in memory of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. and C. Ella Young - the gift of their children, Mrs. George Mckay, G. Ralph Young and Mrs. Charles A. Flynn.
In closing I wish to express from the bottom of my heart my thanks to former Street Superintendent John O'Leary whose modest and well deserved retirement took place without fanfare. "Jack" has been a most cooperative department head and he is greatly missed.
Respectfully yours, V. LESLIE HEBERT
Tree Warden and Moth Superintendent
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NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE LABAN PRATT HOSPITAL
December 15, 1954
To the Honorable Board of Trustees Town of Weymouth Weymouth, Massachusetts
Gentlemen:
By direction of the Chairman of the Trustees of the Laban Pratt Hospital, the undersigned is duly authorized to submit to your Board this Annual Report required by the provisions of Section 3. Chapter 246, an Act of the Massachusetts Legislature, approved April 26, 1946 creating Laban Pratt Hospital as a corporation.
The terms of office for the Trustees are as follows:
Term expires in 1959: Hon. Kenneth L. Nash Mrs. Harriett S. Berry Mr. George E. Pruden
Term expires in 1958: Mrs. Lucy P. Mahoney Mr. Roland T. Seabury Mr. James P. Reilly
Term expires in 1957: Mr. Clement N. Curtis Mr. Martin P. Davis Miss Olive D. Sylvester
Term expires in 1956: Mr. Preston A. DePlacido Mr. Charles H. Downs Mr. Laughton B. Dasha
Term expires in 1955: Mrs. Marguerite W. Shaftoe Mrs. Emily L. McGovern Mr. John L. Gallant
The Trustees met four times this year. One of these meetings was a joint conference with a delegation from the Weymouth Doctor's Associa- tion, the purpose being to seek their points of view as to hospital con- struction in light of the needs in Weymouth. It was voted at another meeting to make application for aid from U. S. Public Law 725. Only with such aid do the Trustees feel that building a hospital with the present funds would be justified.
Respectfully submitted for the Board of Trustees,
CHARLES H. DOWNS Clerk
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Seventy-Sixth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Tufts Library Weymouth, Massachusetts 1954
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SEVENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE TUFTS LIBRARY WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS
TRUSTEES
Wallace H. Drake, M.D. Francis N. Drown Alice E. Fulton Walter C. Gutterson
Philip T. Jones Franklin N. Pratt Richard Reidy Leighton S. Voorhees
H. Forrest Wilson
SELECTMEN EX-OFFICIO
Ralph J. Amabile, Jr. Warren P. Burrill
Joseph B. Crehan Raymond Morgan
James T. O'Sullivan
OFFICERS
Franklin N. Pratt, President
Alice E. Fulton, Secretary
TOWN LIBRARIAN Christine E. Evarts
ASSISTANTS
Eleanor T. Cooney Mildred W. Olson Edith L. Payson
*Florence G. Truax Alice T. Mulready Dorothy E. Trussell Edith T. Sanborn
*Barbara Pearson Anna W. Benedict Ruth C. Richardson Alice K. Fay Joan Keefe Ruth K. Philbrick
Assistant Librarian and Reference Librarian Circulation and Records Librarian Cataloger Extension Librarian Extension Librarian Children's Librarian Senior Desk Assistant Senior Desk Assistant Senior Desk Assistant Assistant Cataloger Assistant Chlidren's Librarian Desk Assistant Secretarial Assistant
BRANCH LIBRARIANS
Catherine C. Osborn Grace Baldwin Lorna Draper
Filomena A. LaRocco Anna W. Benedict *Lena B. Pratt Mary F. Damon
*Florence G. Truax Alice T. Mulready Alice K. Fay
John A. Johnson Stanley W. Nadell Benjamin N. Ells
Librarian, North Weymouth Branch Senior Desk Assistant Desk Assistant Librarian, East Weymouth Branch Lovell's Corner Station Pond Plain Station Pond Plain Station Homestead, Weymouth Heights Stations Homestead, Weymouth Heights Stations Nash's Corner Station
CUSTODIANS
Main Library North Weymouth Branch East Weymouth Branch
*Resigned
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LIBRARY HOURS
The Tufts Library, Washington Square, Weymouth Landing Open 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. daily. Saturdays, 9 A.M. to 6 P.M. During the summer the Library is closed on Saturdays The Children's Room, Commercial Street, Weymouth Landing Open 2:30 to 5 P.M. daily. Saturdays, 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. During the summer the Children's Room is open 9 A.M. to 12 Noon and 2:30 to 5 P.M. daily. Closed Saturdays.
North Weymouth Branch, 220 North Street, North Weymouth Open 2 to 6 and 7 to 8 P.M. daily except Saturday
Also open 9 A.M. to 12 noon Tuesdays and Fridays
East Weymouth Branch, Jackson Square, East Weymouth Open 2 to 8 P.M. daily except Saturday Lovell's Corner, Pratt School, East Weymouth Open 2:30 to 6 and 7 to 8 P.M. Tuesday
Nash's Corner Station, Shaw School, South Weymouth Open 2:30 to 6 and 7 to 8 P.M. Tuesday
Homestead Station, Homestead School, Weymouth Open 2:30 to 6 P.M. Wednesday
Pond Plain Station, Pond School, South Weymouth Open 2:30 to 6 and 7 to 8 P.M. Friday
Weymouth Heights Station, Adams School, Weymouth Heights Open 2:30 to 6 and 7 to 8 P.M. Thursday
The Library and its branches are open for circulation of books, refer- ence services and reading as noted above, except on Sundays and legal holidays.
LIBRARY SERVICES
The Library is for the use of all residents of Weymouth. Temporary residents are entitled to the same privileges as permanent residents. Non-residents may borrow books upon payment of an annual fee of $3.00.
A Library card entitles the holder to borrow books, magazines, pamph- lets and pictures for home use. Phonograph records may be borrowed at the Main Library only. The library card must be presented when books and records are borrowed.
The Children's Room at the Main Library and Children's Departments at the Branch Libraries provide books and reading guidance for the boys and girls. Children under Senior High School age are entitled to a card if the application is signed by a parent or guardian. Story hours for the younger children are held throughout the winter months:
Main Library: Pre-School, Saturdays 10:30 A.M .; Grades 1-4, Friday 2:30 and 3:30 P.M.
North Weymouth Branch: Pre School, Friday 10:30 A.M .; Grades 1-4, Friday 3:30 P.M.
East Weymouth Branch: Grades 1-4, Friday 3:30 P.M.
Reference service is available at the Library or by telephone.
For the convenience of residents in the various parts of the Town, there is a weekly exchange of books from all Branch Libraries. A Library card is valid at any Branch or at the Main Library.
Telephone:
The Tufts Library-WEymouth 9-1402
North Weymouth Branch-WEymouth 9-1571
East Weymouth Branch-WEymouth 9-1677-W
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SEVENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE TUFTS LIBRARY
To the Citizens of the Town of Weymouth:
The year 1954, as far as the Tufts Library was concerned, was a year of great advancement.
First came, in October, the removal of the Pond Plain Station from a private home to the Pond School.
Then, in November, came the opening of the new North Branch. Both of these changes resulted in a much larger circulation of books in those parts of the town. That at North Weymouth, in particular, presents a challenge which should be met with a larger appropriation both for books and maintenance. The town is indebted to Miss Christine E. Evarts, the librarian and to Dr. Wallace H. Drake, trustee from North Weymouth for their advice and understanding of library needs, in the building of the new library. The result shows what a good librarian and a good architect can do in collaboration in planning an outstanding library build- ing.
Several expensive emergency repairs on the main library building remind us that the building is old, inadequate to house the increasing number of books demanded by the reading public, and process the books to be sent out to the branches and deposit stations, and to provide the services which a modern public library offers to its community. A new building is much needed, but where to put it is the first question that confronts the Board of Trustees. Modern library buildings are being built in the center of shopping districts. There seems to be no available site of this character in Weymouth Landing. Should the library be moved to some more central location, or should a part of Weston Park be set off for that purpose?
Respectfully submitted, FRANKLIN N. PRATT President of the Board of Trustees of the Tufts Library
THE REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN
To the Trustees of the Tufts Library:
It was seventy-five years ago, on January 1, 1880, that the Tufts Library had its first Open House. It was in one room in a small wooden building in Washington Square, where the present Main Library building now stands. There were 2,405 books on its shelves, and by the end of its first year of operation it had almost as many borrowers as books. This little library was launched through the generosity of two Weymouth citizens, Quincy Tufts and his sister Susannah, who gave to Weymouth the property at the corner of Washington and Commercial Streets and bequests totaling $5,000.00. But the Tufts Library was, from the begin- ning, truly a public library. The Town of Weymouth appropriated for its establishment the sum of $1,000.00 but only upon the condition that the people should subscribe the sum of $2,000.00. The ready response of the Weymouth citizens was an evidence of their eagerness to have a public
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THE NORTH BRANCH OF THE TUFTS LIBRARY
Carl Koch & Associates, Architects
library, and the use of the library during its first year of operation was an earnest of its service to the town through the long years ahead.
Today our Tufts Library has a book collection of 76,245 volumes. There are 11,740 Weymouth citizens who use the library, a thousand more than we had a year ago. In 1954 these readers borrowed 271,838 books, the largest number of loans in the history of the library and an increase of 19,773 over the previous year. This is an average of one book every two weeks for each of the 11,740 borrowers.
Today the library service is spread over the entire Town of Weymouth, with distribution of books through two branch libraries, five school de- posit stations and 140 class-room libraries. The School Deposit Stations are open to all persons in the community. The class-room libraries take the books to the boys and girls whose homes are too far from the library or its branches for them to visit it by themselves. In 1954 there were 10,738 books distributed through these class-room libraries, and the boys and girls of Weymouth read these books 52,132 times.
Seventy-five years after its first Open House, the Tufts Library opened the doors of its new branch library building at North Weymouth. The new library, the plans for which won, in a nation-wide competition, a citation-award for a building designed for public use, was thronged on the Sunday afternoon in mid-November when the public were invited to see it. Many visitors were librarians and trustees from other libraries. It was again thronged on the following day, when it was open for the circulation of books. In the first month of its operation the new branch increased its book circulation by 2,255 loans and for the year this increase is raised to 2,990. The total circulation for the year at North Weymouth was 50,701.
The building, with its simple rectangular design and low pitched roof, is inviting. The spacious reading room is divided only by book-shelving into the areas for adults, young people and children. There are tables and straight chairs for study; simple, but comfortable upholstered chairs to invite the reader; little gaily decorated chairs for the smallest of our juvenile patrons. The large glass areas afford maximum daylight and on winter days bring welcome sunlight. The wide overhang all around the building is designed to shade the building from direct sun in the summer. One end of the area designed for the children's library may be closed off with folding doors, providing a separate room for story telling, dis- cussion groups, etc. Folding chairs are available for this small auditorium and it is equipped for audio-visual use. A high fidelity loud speaker, built into a bookcase, will make possible concerts of recorded music, but the phonograph is also equipped with earphones, so that patrons may listen to music of their choice without disturbing others. The library hours have been increased to include morning opening on Tuesday and Friday and from the first week of its operation story hours have been conducted each Friday-in the morning for pre-school children and in the afternoon for the children in grades one to four. The facilities of the new build- ing are being used and enjoyed and we look forward to a growing service to the community, but many half-empty and wholly empty shelves are cry- ing out for more books. A larger book budget for the North Weymouth Branch is now its most urgent need.
The East Weymouth Branch has profited by the changes at North Weymouth. Moving into the new building made available some of the shelving and chairs that were in use in the rented quarters which the branch formerly occupied. These have been moved to the East Weymouth Branch and make possible there a more attractive and more adequate
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ADULT LIBRARY - NORTH BRANCH
Carl Koch & Associates, Architects
library. The additional shelving has enabled us to establish a young people's corner in the East Weymouth Branch.
The need for extended library service in Weymouth is evident in the increased use if the little Station Libraries located in school buildings. All of them show an increase in 1954: at the Adams School in Weymouth Heights there was a 10% gain in circulation; at the Homestead School, where the library has just completed its second year, the gain was 17%; but most striking of all is the gain at the Pond Station. That station was moved into the Pond School the first of October and in the three months since then its book circulation has jumped 42% over last year's circula- tion. More books and more help are needed at the Pond Station to meet this challenge. A most generous gift of $200.00 worth of new children's books came from Pond Parent-Teachers' Association. The books were a very great help and were appreciated by the library and enthusiastically greeted by the young borrowers.
Library service to children is a growing responsibility and challenge. In 1954, for the first time, more than half of all the new borrowers were children. The Station Libraries, although they are open to adults, are largely children's libraries. This is to be expected since they are housed in elementary schools. Again this year the Children's Librarian issued Honor Certificates to the boys and girls who read and reported on twenty books from their graded lists. 678 Honor Certificates were issued in 1954. This means that the children read 13,520 books.
During November, including Book Week, twenty-one classes visited the Children's Library in the Main Building and received instruction and listened to book reviews.
The Young Adults' Department of the library has continued to be busy. It is a vital service, for the teen-agers, who have out-grown children's books, are not yet at home in the world of adult literature and need the books that meet their growing, changing interests and the guidance that will help them to become discriminating adult readers. The Main Library and both branches have special book collections for them. Better material for this group is being published each year, and the young people respond to the special service.
1954 saw the inauguration of a Great Books Discussion Group at the Main Library. Every two weeks there is a stimulating discussion, not alone of ancient times and tomes, but of ageless ideas and their meaning for modern people. Fifty-two different people have attended and the average attendance has been thirty. The Tufts Library has long wished to sponsor such a group, and welcomes it.
The two hurricanes brought damage to the library property, as they did to property everywhere in this region. The Main Library escaped lightly. Slates were loosened on the roof and a copper capping on the ridge pole was torn up. A drain pipe from the eaves swung wildly and threatened to break a window, but finally dropped to the ground. More damage was done at the New North Weymouth Branch which lost all of the lovely shade trees that had bordered the lot. One tree fell on the building, damaging the roof and one tree damaged the fence along the north boundary.
Repairs to the Main Library have been necessary as they are each year. In 1954 work had to be done on the roof, on the electric wiring and on the heating system. The installation of improved lighting in the catalog room has greatly aided those of the staff who do that close and exacting work.
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CHILDREN'S READING ROOM - NORTH BRANCH
Carl Koch & Associates, Architects
There have been a number of personnel changes in 1954:
Mrs. Florence G. Truax, our Extension Librarian, retired on April first, after nineteen years of service, and Mrs. Lena B. Pratt, who had been Librarian at Pond Plain Station since it started in 1941, retired on October first when the Station was moved into the Pond School. Both of these Staff members are missed by their co-workers and by the public whom they served for so long.
Miss Alice Mulready was promoted to the position of Extension Libra- rian and Mrs. Mary Damon was appointed to the position of Station Librarian at the Pond School.
A temporary six-month appointment was given to Miss Barbara Pearson, a Weymouth girl who is a trained librarian in the Army Air Force. Her return to Weymouth for an extended visit between enlistments coincided with the retirement of Mrs. Truax and enabled the Tufts Library to have the benefit of her training and ability just when it was necessary to prepare the book collection for the new North Weymouth Branch. Miss Pearson, working with the Librarian and with Mrs. Eleanor T. Cooney, Assistant Librarian, did a very fine piece of work on this special assign- ment. When she left us September 30th the Trustees appointed to the vacancy Mrs. Anna Benedict, a librarian with seven years experience in a Connecticut library.
Two former part time workers, Miss Joan Keefe and Miss Lorna Draper, were appointed as Junior Assistants. Miss Keefe is at the Main Library and Miss Draper is an assistant at the North Weymouth Branch.
The library has been generously remembered with gifts in 1954. A list of the gift books is appended to this report but it is fitting to make special mention of a number of beautiful books that have been given as memorials to Weymouth citizens whose lives and whose services to the Town have ended, but whose memories we cherish. These "In Memoriam" books are as follows:
"Treasury of Flower Arrangements" by J. G. Conway, given in memory of Mrs. J. Herbert Libbey and Mrs. Clarence White, by the Monday Club.
"Art of Driftwood and Dried Arrangements" by Tatsuo Ishimoto and "An Eighteenth Century Garland" by Louise B. Fisher, given in memory of John Quincy Torrey by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Flynn.
"Wild Flowers of America" by H. W. Rickett, given in memory of Mrs. Margaret E. Gough, Past President in 1934, by the American Legion Auxiliary, Weymouth Unit 79.
"Treasury of Hymns" by Maria Leiper, given in memory of Mrs. Edwin Sampson by the Literature Committee of the Monday Club.
Two books of historical interest have been placed in the North Wey- mouth Branch by Dr. Wallace H. Drake. These are the records of the North Weymouth Improvement Association from 1884-1912 and a descrip- tive book published by the Quincy & Boston Street Railway in 1896. This book contains many pictures of local landmarks of that day, and is of especial interest as we look back over the seventy-five years of our library history in Weymouth.
From its beginning, seventy-five years ago, the Tufts Library has been a growing institution. Through many years it's growth was moderate and normal, but in recent years, in our rapidly growing town, the use of our library facilities has increased at a pace that taxes all of our resources. A
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year ago we reported that the percentage increase in the circulation of books from the library since 1945 was almost twice that of the percentage increase in the population of Weymouth. The erection of an adequate branch library building in North Weymouth is a long step forward. Its immediate increase in book circulation and its constant use since it opened, is evidence of the appreciation of its patrons and the opportunity for its service in the community.
The increasing use of our small Deposit Stations points to a need for an expanding library service in the outlying sections of the Town. But the vital center of our library, the Main building, is crowded to the point of crippling service to other parts of the Town. It is here that books for all the libraries must be received, up over the front stairs, unpacked and processed with no adequate workroom, cataloged in a cramped space back of the stacks. It is here that the 140 classroom libraries must be assembled, recorded, packed and shipped to the schools - received again and changed four times a year, and the only place for this work is the Main Children's Room, temporarily taking the space and facilities away from the boys and girls. It is from this building that the Station Libraries must be replen- ished and new books must be sent out to all the libraries. At the same time the library service to the public from this building is greater than that of all the branches and stations put together. Our Main Library building is far too small for adequate library service for a town the size of Weymouth and Weymouth keeps getting bigger. It cannot be made functional. In cramped quarters efficiency is curtailed and service suffers. We can see in North Weymouth something of what a new and adequate library building can bring to its community. The larger service which a new Main Library would bring would be felt through all the branches and in all parts of the Town.
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