Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1882-1886, Part 54

Author: Wakefield, Massachusetts
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Town of Wakefield
Number of Pages: 1054


USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Wakefield > Town annual report of the officers of Wakefield Massachusetts : including the vital statistics for the year 1882-1886 > Part 54


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 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55


. Franz Abt. Miss Emerson, Miss Horton, Miss Flynn, Miss Reagan. § Miss Wallace, Miss Strong. Music by Miss Mansfield, Words by G. A. Packard.


VALEDICTORY .- "Spes est Vates."


CLASS SONG.


PRESENTATION OF DIPLOMAS.


BENEDICTION.


NAMES OF GRADUATES.


COLLEGE COURSE, FOUR YEARS.


Alice Evelyn Godfrey, Carrie Etta Strong,


Anna May Hamilton,


Josepha Virginia Sweetser, Ida May Wallace,


Helena Horton,


Ida Belle Perry, Richard Gardner Eaton.


CLASSICAL COURSE, FOUR YEARS.


Margaret Evelyn Emerson, Frances Adeline Mansfield, Nellie Evelyn Fay, Nettie Everett Skinner, George Arthur Packard.


1


160


ENGLISH COURSE, THREE YEARS.


Nellie Louise Fitzgerald,


Otis Moody Cutler,


Lizzie Agnes Flynn,


Carl Edwin Dunshee,


Laura Eudora Howland,


Herbert Marshall Hopkins,


Mary Jane Hurley, William Rutter Mansfield,


Alice Mabel Nichols, George Francis O'Connall,


Emily Kendrick Nott, Warren Bancroft Wiley,


Julia Agnes Reagan, Arthur Lawrence Hawes,


Jennie Roberts Tyzzer, Arthur Newhall Mansfield,


Samuel Peregrine White.


The subject of employing a Superintendent of the Public Schools, like the ghost of Banquo, will never down. The Com- mittee once more consider it essential to call the attention of the town to the necessity of making some provision for reliev- · ing them in some measure from their extended and accumula- ting duties, by providing them some means of assistance in their management and care of the schools. The public mind has so frequently been directed to this subject, and urged with so much force and power, that the Committee allude to it with much hesitation, and with little hope of convincing the town of the necessity and importance of taking favorable action in the matter. The subject will be presented in a plain and concise manner. Those who oppose furnishing any assistance to the Committee rely on the fact that the schools in the past have generally been successful and pros- perous without any auxiliary aid being furnished to the school boards. It should be remembered that it is not a question of the Committee's ability or willingness to direct and manage the schools successfully, but how should they be conducted so as to yield the largest and most beneficial results. The duties of the Committee have been increased in a two-fold proportion within the last few years, by law and the growth of the town in population, which requires more time and attention than they can reasonably give to


161


the discharge of their official duties. In 1857 the law was passed to elect a Board of School Committee whose number should be divisible by three, and the town elected six members, and that number has since constituted the board. There were then only eleven schools in town and about five hundred and fifty pupils, and eleven teachers employed. Now there are twenty - three schools, attended by ten hundred and sixty-nine pupils, and twenty-eight teachers employed. In addition to their accumulated duties incident to this increase, the law imposes upon the Committee the additional burden of buying and distributing school books and supplies among nearly eleven hundred scholars, exam- ining and approving bills of the same, and charging to the several schools the number and quantity delivered. The time and attention required to perform these duties cannot be known only by personal service.


The Board of School Committee is generally composed of men, who depend upon the income derived from their physical or mental labor to provide for themselves and families the necessities of life, and for the small stipend they receive for their official services, they cannot well afford to give the time necessary to perform their responsible duties. It is sometimes remarked, that the honor attached to the office of School Committee pays for all time and labor bestowed upon the schools. Honor is not an available commodity in the mar- ket, and if it was, it would all be required to square the accounts which the Committee charge to the public-or at least a portion of it-for the wrong construction placed upon their acts, and the censure received for real or unintentional mistakes-when this account is balanced, there is not much løft, even if it could be utilized, for other purposes.


The Committee, recognizing the objection to employing a Superintendent, on account of the expense, would recommend to the town the following proposition, which if adopted, they believe would afford practical benefit to the town and sub- stantially relieve the Committee from their excessive duties :


162


The Committee recommend that they be authorized and empowered to employ a Clerk, whose duties shall be to buy and distribute school books and supplies, and charge the quantity delivered to each school, together with the price, and attend to all prudential affairs connected with the seve- ral schools ; he shall also be required to visit the schools at stated times, and confer with the teachers and consult with the Committee on all matters pertaining to the general wel- fare of the schools; also that the room adjoining the Court room in the Town Hall be set apart, and furnished for keeping school books and supplies, and for meetings of the Committee, and that the Clerk be required to be at the room certain evenings each week to receive any communications relating to the schools which any person may desire to make. If the recommendation of providing the room in the hall for the purposes indicated is adopted, the room now used in the High School building for like purposes, can be advanta- geously occupied as a recitation room for that school.


TEXT BOOKS AND SUPPLIES.


Agreeably to the provisions of law, school books and supplies have been furnished to the several schools during the year at the public expense. The teacher of each school fills out and signs a requisition for the number of books or quantity of supplies required, and they are delivered-after being selected by the Committee -to the school by the mes- senger.


At a town meeting held Aug. 2nd, the following vote was passed : "That the School Committee be requested to give in their annual report to the town, the quantity and value of the text books and supplies furnished to the schools in a manner that shows what each school receives." It is clearly the object and purpose of the vote, that the Committee should inform the town what it costs to furnish each school separately for books and supplies. School supplies consist


.


163


of pencils, pens, paper, crayons, drawing-books, etc., which are purchased by the dozen, gross, and ream. Several requisitions are received weekly, each calling for a small number of these articles, and it would be a difficult and almost endless task to ascertain and give an accurate state- ment of the cost per book, pencil, pen, crayon and quire, for the different purchases vary in price, and there is no means of knowing under which purchase the different articles were . obtained. The aggregate amount of the total expense for supplying the several schools is eleven hundred and eighty- one dollars and seventy-three cents, according to the state- ment hereto annexed. The method of keeping the account with each school is to charge that school with the number and kind of books and the quantity and name of supplies, without stating the cost. At the date of the passage of the vote a large portion of books and supplies had been delivered for the year and charged as stated. The"Committee do not decline to comply with the request of the town from any disposition to refuse furnishing the desired information, but under the existing circumstances they cannot specify accu- rately what it costs for each school.


TEXT BOOKS.


No. ·Price.


Warren's Common School Geography,


75


$.90


$67.50


Primary


75


.40


30.00


Swinton's Language Lessons,


40


.28


II.20


First Reader,


26


.25 I-6 off


5.42


Second 66


25


·35 I-6 off


6.29


Third


60


.50 1-6 off


25.00


Franklin Third


20


.42 I-6 off


7.00


Fourth 66


I5


.60 1-6 off


7.50


66


Fifth


66


IO


.90 I-6 off


7.50


Lippincott's First 66


25 1


.20 1-6 off


4.17


Second Reader,


25


.33 1-6 off


6.88


Appleton's 66


66


22


.32 1.6 off


5.87


Monroe's First Reader,


9


.I7


1.53


164


No.


Price.


Monroe's Primer,


10


$ .12


$1.20


Franklin Written Arithmetic,


90


.75 1-6 off


56.26


Elementary


72


.35 1-6 off


21.89


66 Primary


32


.20 1-6 off


3.67


Worcester's N. P. Speller,


85


.23 I-6 off


16.29


School Dictionary,


100


.55


55.00


Comprehensive Dictionary, 125


.90


112.50


Avery's Chemistry,


31


1.10 1-6 off


28.42


Questions in Geography,


14


.14 1-6 off


1.64


Irving's Sketch Book,


17


.25 I-6 off


3.54


Colburn's Intel. Arithmetic,


35


.29 3-4


10.4I


Perry's Bible Manual,


10


.60 1. 6 off


5.00


Barnes' U. S. History,


20


1.00 1-6 off


16.67


Kelsey's Cæsar,


18


1.25 1-6 off


18.75


French Dictionary,


14


1.75 1-6 off


20.42


Harper's Latin Lexicon,


1


5.42 I-10 off


4.88


66


Greek


I


8.33 1-10 off


7.49


Latin Lessons,


30


1.25 1-3 off


25.00


" Readers,


10


.87 1-6 off


7.25


« Grammars,


I7


1.12 1-6 off


15.87


Greek Lessons,


8


.48 1-6 off


3.20


Grammar,


4


1.50 1-6 off


5.00


Robie's Latin Grammar,


I


4.14


Wentworth's Geometry,


2


1.25 1-6 off


2.08


Walker's Physiology,


IO


1.20 1-6 off


10.00


Xenophon's Anabasis,


9


1.50 1-6 off


11.25


French Reader,


19


.90 1-5 off


13.78


Music Readers,


29.45


$696.91


Cr. Old books returned,


13 64


$683.27


SCHOOL SUPPLIES.


Blank Composition Books,


$49.00


Book-keeping Paper,


5.10


Bessey, W. W. Services as Messenger,


102.25


15.87


Chemicals for High School, 2 Call-Bells,


1.25


165


Copy Books,


20 doz. at 60 cents,


$12.00


5


66 70 cents,


3.50


50


66


80 cents,


40.00


IO


" $1.00, 1


10.00


$66.50


Drawing Books, 15 doz. at


84 c. 1-6 off


$10.50


35


66 1.44


42.00


10


66 1.80


66


15.00


$67.50


Expressing,


7.45


Erasers,


4.00


Examination Paper,


74.00


Ink,


4.50


Lead Pencils,


20.95


Map of Mass.,


$1.00,


40 per cent off.


60


Pens,


23.80


Practice Paper,


22.75


12 Pitch Pipes,


..


1.12


Record Books,


5 doz. at $1.80,


9.00


Spelling Blanks,


10.00


12.13


Teacher's Account Book,


24


Slates,


4.30


Cr. Crayon returned,


3.25


$498.46


Books,


$683.27


Supplies,


498.46


Balance,


18.27


$1,200.00


CHANGES.


$501.71


The schools during the year have not been disturbed or interrupted by frequent changes of teachers, and when any vacancy has occurred, the teacher has voluntarily resigned.


166


At the close of the second school term, Miss Sophia F. Hamblin, a resident of the town and a teacher of long and successful experience, resigned her position in the Centre 1st Grammar School, and Miss Mary J. Kelley, was promo- ted from the Hamilton 2nd Grammar School to the vacancy. Miss Clara E. Emerson was advanced from the 3d Centre Grammar School to the position made vacant by the promo- tion of Miss Kelley, and Miss Lizzie F. Ingram from the Hamilton Intermediste to the 3d Centre Grammar. Miss Fannie E. Carter, a young lady of excellent attainmonts, was appointed teacher of the Hamilton Intermediate. At the commencement of the second term, the seating capacity of the Hamilton Intermediate school room could not accom- modate the number of scholars promoted to that school ; consequently ten were transferred to the West Ward Prima- ry, and the grade of that school was raised to the Second Intermediate. After this change ,Miss Elizabeth W. Lang, who had taught this school for the last two years, resigned, and Miss Blanche I. Cooper, a resident of the town and a graduate of our High School, was appointed teacher, where she successfully continues. Miss Emily F. Emerson was transfered in May from the Centre 2nd Primary to the Franklin street Primary School and soon after returned and Miss Carrie Murdock appointed for a short time assistant in the Franklin Primary. At the close of the third term Miss Minnie E. Emerson, a much-loved and successful teocher in Centre Primary, No. 1, resigned her position to accept a more lucrative situation in Somerville, and her sister, Miss Emily F. Emerson, was selected to fill the vacant position. The summer vacation of Miss Lucy E. Evans, teacher of the 2nd Centre Intermediate, was extended through the month of September, on account of ill health, and Miss F. C. French was appointed substitute,


167


EXPENSES FOR THE YEAR.


The amount of money appropriated by the town for general school purposes was . $16,500 00


Paid teachers, $14,463 55


janitors,


954 00


for fuel, .


.


847 11


$16,264 66


Balance unexpended, $235 34


The town appropriated for contingent school


expenses,


$1300 00


Received for tuition, 103 00


from the State, .


84 60


Total amount for contingent expenses, $1,487 60


Sum expended, 1,459 65


Unexpended balance, $27 95


Bills contracted last year to the amount of $240.07 were paid out of this appropriation.


The appropriation for text books and supplies was $1200 00


Amount expended, . 1181 73


Balance on hand, $18 27


Unpaid bills of last year to the amount of $22.00 were paid this year.


It will be noticed that the expenses have been kept within the appropriations made for all the school departments, a circumstance which has not occurred for several years.


APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE ENSUING YEAR.


In estimating the amount of money necessary to meet the general school expenses for the current year, the Commit- tee have considered the necessity of employing another


168


assistant teacher in the High School, and therefore recom- mend the town to raise seventeen thousand dollars. The fact is perfectly apparent to all who are familiar with the necessities of the school, that additional teaching force must soon be employed, or the scholars will fail to realize the full advantages of their position. The sum of thirteen hundred dollars will be required to pay the bills for contin- gent expenses. The amount of twelve hundred dollars will be necessary to furnish the several schools with books and supplies. These estimates are partially based upon the expenses of the several departments last year.


COMMITTEE.


The term of office of Messrs. White and Hill expires by limitation at the close of the present school year, and it will be necessary for the town, at its next annual meeting, to elect two members of the Board for the ensuing three years.


CONCLUSION.


The teachers and scholars during the year have devoted themselves to their several duties with commendable zeal and activity, and accomplished corresponding beneficial results. The Committee have performed their duties as they best understood them, and the result of their work is respectfully submitted to the town's impartial judgment.


EDWARD A. UPTON, Chairman, WILLIAM N. TYLER, Secretary, MELVIN J. HILL, Treasurer, SELIM S. WHITE, ASHTON H. THAYER,


PRESTON SHELDON, M. D. School Committee of Wakefield.


169


TABLE OF ATTENDANCE.


SCHOOLS.


Average number belonging.


Average daily attendance.


Average per cent. of atten-


Number belonging to School


No. belonging to schor I, Feb. 18, 1887.


HighSchool,


107.9


104.


96.39


105


116


Advanced Grammar,


60.6


57.5 94.9


66


59


Centre First Grammar,


40.6


37.4 92.1


39


41


49.3


46.7 94.7


55


48


First Intermediate,


45.5


42.7 93.8


44


48


66


Second Intermediate,


47.


41.9 89.1


50


46


Third Intermediate,


43.6


39.5 90.6


48


44


Primary, No. 1.


46.7


43.7 93.5


43


52


Primary, No. 2.


63.6


54.2 85.2


61


65


North Ward,


30.5


25.2 82.6


33


28


East Ward,


30.4


26.9 88.5


33


32


Woodville.


37.5


30.6 81.6


46


37


Greenwood, Intermediate,


19.3


17.7|91.7


19


20


Greenwood Primary,


33.7


30.


89.


39


29


Franklin St. Intermediate,


44.6


41.7 93.5


49


48


Franklin St. Primary,


53.7


46.3 86.2


56


48


Hamilton First Grammar,


36.5


34.7 95.


32


39


Hamilton Second Grammar,


42.7


40.1|93.9


38


.49


Hamilton Intermediate,


49.9


44.5 89.2


53


48


Hamilton Primary,


47.8


43.6 91.2


53


41


West Ward Intermediate,


51.9


47.6 91.7


56


50


West Ward Primary,


32.6


27.5 84.3


31


34


.


43.3


39.5 91.2


43


47


Second Grammar.


Third Grammar,


dance.


Feb. 26, 1886.


1059.2 963.5 90.4 1,092 1,069


170


THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAMES OF THE TEACHERS EM- PLOYED AT THE PRESENT DATE, MARCH. 1887.


Names of Schools.


Teachers.


Elected.


Salaries.


High


E: D. Russell


Sept., 1886.


$1600


..


C. S. Jackson,


Sept., 1885. 1000


..


L. I. M. Butterfield,


Sept., 1885. 700


Advanced Gram'r,


L. A. Leavitt,


Feb., 1886. 360


Ctr. 1st Grammar,


* M. J. Kelly.


Sept .. 1882. 550


Ctr. 2d Grammar,


(+. A. Tyzzer,


Dec., 1884.


800


Ctr. 3d Grammar,


*L. F. Ingram,


Sept , 1882. 450


" 1st Interm'ate,


E. L Prime,


Sept., 1883. 400


" 2d


L. E. Evans,


Sept., 1883. 400


" 3d


L. J. Mansfield,


Sept., 1875. 400


Centre Primary, 1, 66


2,


S. E. Thompson,


Feb., 1884. 450


North Ward,


A. C. Dickerman,


Sept., 1885.


400


East Ward, .


M. E. Kelley,


April, 1885.


360


Woodville,


E. R. Sanborn,


Sept., 1885. 360


Greenwood Int.


S. E. Wilkins,


Sept., 1883. 400


Prim.


N. H. Thayer,


Sept., 1883. 400


Franklin Int.


E. A. Weeks,


Sept., 1884.


380


Primary,


F. AJ Bishop,


Sept., 1883. 400


Hamilton 1st Gram


M. A. Warren,


Dec., 1871. 600


2d


*C. E. Emerson,


Dec., 1879. 500


Int ..


F. E. Carter,


Nor., 1886. 400


. 6 Prim.


E. E. Howlett,


Sept., 1881. 450


West Ward Int.,


M. F. Mclaughlin,


Sept., 1883.


400


Primary,


B. I. Cooper,


Sept., 1886.


360


Music Teacher, .


Geo. F. Wilson,


Sept., 1876.


550


* Promoted to a higher grade during the year.


THE FOLLOWING ARE THE NAMES OF THE TEACHERS WHO HAVE RESIGNED DURING THE YEAR.


SCHOOLS.


TEACHERS.


ELECTED.


SALARIES.


High, 66


·


W. C. Hill,


Dec., 1881,


$2000


M. Keith,


April, 1878.


700


S. F. Hamblin,


Sept .. 1884.


600


Ctr. 1st. Grammar, .. 1st Primary,


M. E. Emerson,


April, 1883.


400


West Ward


E. W. Ling,


Sept., 1884.


380


-


*E. F. Emerson,


Sept., 1885. 360


Mrs. M. E. Wentworth,


Mar., 1871. 750


171


NUMBER OF SCHOLARS IN SCHOOL AT THE BEGIN- NING OF THE FIRST AND THIRD TERMS AND PROMOTED IN SEPTEMBER.


Ist Term. 3d Term. No. Promoted.


High School,


100


II5


5 1


Advanced Grammar,


67


62


59


Centre Ist Grammar,


44


41


39


66


Ist Intermediate,


52


50


47


66


2nd 66


46


47


43


66


3d


41


45


38


66


Ist Primary,


46


52


37


66


2nd 66


75


66


00


North Ward,


30


31


00


Montrose,


32


33


00


Woodville,


39


37


00


Greenwood Intermediate,


19


20


7


66


Primary,


35


37


00


Franklin St. Intermediate,


45


44


I6


66


Primary,


53


55


00


Hamilton Ist Grammar,


31


38


43


2nd 66


38


49


45


66


Intermediate,


53


50


23


66


Primary,


54


50


00


West Ward Intermediate,


.


54


51


00


66


Primary,


.


33


37


00


ROLL OF HONOR IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.


The following named pupils have been neither absent nor tardy during the year.


Julia L. Flanley,


Annie F. Emmons,


Eva M. Gowing,


Hattie M. Godfrey,


Edith E. McAvoy,


Edith R. Marshall,


John T. Creagh,


Emma B. Skinner,


Lillian H. Folsom,


Henry S. Bouve,


Lilla M. Newhall,


William A. Gardner,


Ida Smith,


Charles W. Newhall,


Edward S. Mansfield, George M. Staples,


2nd


.


53


53


49


3d


43


45


4I


.


Albert J. Madden.


1


REPORT


OF THE


TRUSTEES OF BEEBE TOWN LIBRARY


AND


PUBLIC READING ROOM,


WITH THE


REPORT OF THE CATALOGUE COMMITTEE,


AND


LIST OF PERIODICALS


IN THE


READING ROOM.


174


ORGANIZATION OF TRUSTEES,


Chairman,


. Sam'l K. Hamilton.


Treasurer, .


.


Chester W. Eaton.


Secretary,


Chas. A. Dean.


COMMITTEE ON LIBRARY.


Thomas Winship,


John R. Mansfield,


Geo. H. Teague,


Jos. M. Skully,


C. A. Place.


COMMITTEE ON FINANCE.


Cyrus Wakefield,


S. O. Richardson,


Junius Beebe,


Otis V. Waterman,


Chester W. Eaton,


COMMITTEE ON BOOKS.


R. H. Mitchell,


Chas. A. Place,


Wm. N. Tyler, > Charles A. Dean,


Thomas L. Whelan, R. D. Grant.


COMMITTEE ON READING ROOM.


W. N. Tyler, Thos. L. Whelan, Geo. H. Teague,


Chas. A. Dean,


R. D. Grant.


COMMITTEE ON CATALOGUE.


R. H. Mitchell, Charles A. Place,


R. D. Grant,


Wm. N. Tyler.


Librarian,-Harriet A. Shepard.


Chas. A. Place Resigned. Thomas L. Whelan, removed from town.


175


TRUSTEES' REPORT.


The Trustees of Beebe Town Library herewith present their 31st Annual Report. The report will be confined to some of the most important needs of the Library at the pres- ent time,-many questions that will inevitably press them- selves into prominence in the near future, such as increased accommodations for the public and for the Library, being passed over in this report.


PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.


During the past two years the U. S. Interior Department has been engaged in supplying to the Public Libraries of the country, complete sets of the most important Public Docu- ments issued by the Government. We have now nearly complete-only one or two volumes being wanted-the Con- gressional Globe and Record from the thirtieth Congress, 1848, to the present time. These various Public Documents when completed will become invaluable to the student, as he will have easy access to the transactions and history of the country, which can only be obtained at the present time by expensive and tedious journeys to to the seat of Government. We think that in the near future efforts should be made to supply, if possible, the Public Documents of the state of Massachusetts which are now in an incomplete condition.


CARD CATALOGUE.


In order that the Library may attain its utmost usefulness a Card Catalogue of the books in the Library, with the ex-


178


ception of fiction, has become a necessity. It was found impossible to bring within the limits of the Catalogue pre- pared for public use, the various subjects on which many of the books in the Library treat; for instance, on page 44 of the Catalogue will be found a book bearing the title "Mili- tary Biography." This is the only notice that the book re- ceives in the Catalogue except under the author's name, and yet an examination of the book reveals the fact that carefully written articles, by an eminent English army officer, are found about Grant, Lee, Farragut, Porter, Ulric Dahlgren, Lord Cornwallis, Chinese Gordon, and important articles upon European and American affairs.


Many other books cover even a wider range and to make them of value should be catalogued by subjects treated in the book. If the Town Appropriation should be the same as in the year previous to the last (four hundred dollars) no extra appropriation would be needed for this purpose.


Owing to the Library being closed a considerable part of the year, and to the change of system introduced in the de -. livery of books, no statement of the circulation of the books in the Library was possible that would be of any value as a means of comparison with previous years or with other libra- ries. The Librarian will give the circulation for one month during the winter, which may be of some value as indicating the number of persons who rely upon the Library for the largest part of their reading.


' BOOKS.


Considerable effort has been made during the past year to supply reference and standard works, and the largest part of the money expended for books has been in that direction.


It has been found upon classifying the books in the Libra- ry that many classes are very poorly supplied with the best works upon those subjects, and it should be the aim of the Trustee's having the supply of books in charge for the com-


1


177


ing years, to remedy those deficiencies and make the Library what it should be-a means whereby those who cannot afford a costly, private library, may pursue any line of study, or be able to obtain knowledge upon any subject which their neces- sity or inclination may urge upon them. During the year many inquiries by scholars of our schools have been made for information in regard to subjects upon which they were re- quired to inform themselves in their studies, and in most cases such help has been given, but in some, either books treating upon the subject were not in the Library or the knowledge was locked up in books of which the title gave no indication of its contents. The more the Library becomes an ally of the schools in the cause of education, the greater value will it become. The child who has been accustomed, during its school life, to turn to the Library for knowledge and help, will be likely, after its school life is over, to turn to the same source for the wider knowledge that should come with increasing years. In many public libraries special privileges are granted to teachers of the public schools, as, in Newton, each teacher has the use of ten cards for such books as they may wish to use in their school work. Perhaps it might be worth considering whether the library might not be opened one evening in the week for teachers and scholars for school purposes.


When the present library was first formed, it received large accessions from libraries then in existence and also from individuals. For the first years of its existence a con- siderable part of its growth was due to the generosity of the public, in contributing books that, having served the purpose of the buyer, were given that they might increase the use- fulness of the library ; now, however, there are scarcely any additions to the Library from this source. The Trustees hope that the many friends of the Library may remember that they can very materially increase its usefulness by giv- ing books, magazines or other reading matter, that have


178


served their purpose to the owner. Quite a large share of the accessions to the Malden Public Library are from this source.


During the year the Book Committee subscribed for "A Narrative and Critical History of America," 8 vols., by Justin Winsor, Librarian of Harvard University. The cost of this work will be $44.00, a large part of which will become due the coming year.




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.