USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1948 > Part 9
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Once Upon A Time
When eggs were from 35c to 60c a dozen, when butter was high at 45c and bacon was 35c a pound, the American Library Association recommended $1.00 per capita as a good amount for a town to appropriate for adequate library support. And it was, then. However, factors
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which caused everyone's pocketbook to shrink also caused library incomes to shrink, and the standard, reset as it had to be after the advent of the Second World War, became $1.00 per capita for minimum or limited service, and later, because of the need, was increased to $1.50, with $2.25 recommended for reasonably good and $3.00 per capita for superior service. With budget figures in 1948 a little better than the old minimum standard, the Millicent Library found its income "non-stretchable" to present day costs.
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RISING BOOK COSTS
1948 dollars bought fewer books, or, we might say more accurately, we spent more dollars to buy an average number of books.
The proportion was : 25.84% adult, 10.6% juvenile fiction, 53.56% adult, 9% juvenile non-fiction, with 1% for postage charge.
The Millicent Library collection now numbers 43,626, of which 1,392 were added in 1948.
Books are vital! They are the Library's life blood. Without them Civilization could not advance Schools could not exist Libraries could not serve
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In the early part of the century, Fairhaven was favored beyond most small towns in its library facilities. Supported in no way by the town, it had been a magnifi- cent gift, not only in its structure, but in its resources, which were then, and for many years, adequate enough to permit the library to give superior service. It enjoyed the reputa- tion of being one of the outstanding small libraries of the Commonwealth. Maintaining such a reputation means "keeping up with the times." For over five years, the Millicent Library has felt keenly the pinch of shrinking income, due to increasing costs, and while struggling to maintain its long time high standard, was regretfully forced to curtail some of its services and hours. The Trustees made repeated attempts to improve the financial dilemma in which we found ourselves. It has not been easy. Finally, in the latter part of 1948, a crisis brought the library up against the proverbial "stonewall." We had only one card left-(we had played all the others). This was to send out an SOS to find out if the Town of Fair- haven would help to keep us from sinking, and how it felt about the library which in its 56 years of existence had never before been forced to ask the town for financial aid. The librarian dug out facts and figures, and made com- parisons with other libraries. The Trustees arranged sessions with town officials who were cooperative and responsive.
It Was Gratifying
to find town support at the special Town Meeting called in mid December, when Town Meeting Members voted unanimously the request for $4000. to help the library meet its 1948 bills. It was evidence of Town appreciation for services rendered by the Millicent Library since 1893,-it was an indication of loyalty to the memory of its donor. Even more important than these is the fact that by this action the townspeople indicated that they are willing to support their library, and are backing it 100%. The vote has made 1948 an outstanding year in the library's history. It marks a "new look" toward the future instead of the drawing of the curtain on some of our important services. Our service can be, and will be, in proportion to our resources. As the Town has already shown such a fine spirit in rallying to the library need, so we hopefully count
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on its support in the future. With a continuance of this same, splendid cooperation, the library will be the kind of institution of which the townspeople may be proud, and will be better able to keep abreast with new developments in a fast-changing world.
Supporting the library results in A protection of the interests of the citizens, The safeguarding of the opportunities of the children.
Believe It Or Not !
SAVINGS OF $133,533. TO MILLICENT LIBRARY BORROWERS IN 1948
It's true, startling as it may sound ! It would have cost approximately $133.533. for our 2,799 library borrowers to have purchased from newstands and bookstores the average of 22 magazines and books each borrowed during 1948. This saving is based on an average cost of 20c for magazines, $1.50 for juvenile books, $2.50 for adult fiction, $3.00 for adult non-fiction. Actually, the better non-fiction now costs more nearly $5. The purchase cost of material borrowed is an item the average family budget probably wouldn't have permitted.
There is no CAPITAL GAINS program for the library. Gains accrue to the borrowers who are its stockholders. To this end, a new rule effective in July, gave adults the privilege of taking home an unlimited number of fiction as well as non-fiction. Borrowers gain in enjoyment received from good books, in increased knowledge, and in plain dollars and cents-yet we might say, because of good sense in making available to themselves the many and entirely free privileges of the library. These include not only book borrowing, but the free use of maps, pamphlets, pictures and stereographs,-of directories, of dictionaries, of en- cyclopedias,-of all reference service and participation in the many activities which the library projects.
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THIS IS YOUR LIBRARYA
Bulletin
BORROW A BOOK TO - DAY
NON FICTION
-
In 1948, borrowers borrowed 62,650 books, being 2,893, or 4.84% more than in 1947. With a 2.17% increase in non-fiction borrowing this is a healthy sign and shows, too, a trend for people to again seek the library after the many demands of the war years.
Of our borrowers, 181, or 6.46% were from the Oxford section; 228, or 8.14% were non-resident. In 1948 alone, 56.8% or 543 were registered as new borrowers, or those not having had a card for over three years.
We would like to persuade every townsperson who is not a borrower to read for one week-just to prove that there's real fun and adventure in reading. We're sure that the 23.18% of population served know a good thing when they discover it. We wish we could persuade the other 76.82% that they don't know what they are missing. In spite of repeated efforts to publicize what the library offers, perhaps our biggest problem is to attract borrowers and more borrowers. The old saying is true that "A man may well bring a horse to the water, but he cannot make him drink without he will." So, in free America, we can- not force people to read. We can only display and maintain a collection of attractive, up-to-date and worth- while books. Perhaps the comic books, the radio, television, and the movies are our rivals, taking time that people once
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spent in good reading. We're not the only town with this problem. It's so common that it might be called universal. To open to youth the joys of reading may help to initiate a life long reading habit, which may bear fruit years hence. Our program includes such efforts, especially in the summer reading plan, and at the Story Hours where the children are
Packed In Like Sardines
The Story Hours, constantly increasing in popularity, broke the record in 1948. An urgent request came from the fast growing Sconticut Neck area to provide this privilege to the children of that section. We went into a huddle to see how it could be worked out. The librarian talked to the Sconticut Neck Improvement Association on June 2nd about our problems, involving the financial situ- ation and already overcrowded Story Hour groups. As a solution, we proposed conducting a second period, immedi- ately following the first. Perhaps we were imposing upon our outside story tellers, Mrs. Harold B. Dutton, Mrs. Harold E. Kerwin, Miss Beatrice Mosgrove, Mrs. J. Milton Rex, who covered half of the Story Hour sessions, but they were all wonderful about it.
We made an arrangement whereby the Sconticut Neck Association and the library shared the transportation expense of the school bus to bring the children to the library. The plan was successful. 525 children came from the Sconticut Neck and East Fairhaven sections. From the north end came the usual, enthusiastic youngsters, total- ling 486. The other 668 of the grand total of 1,680 came from the center. The average was 106 at the 9:15 A.M. Story Hour, and 62 at the second session at 10:30, for the ten weeks they were held during the summer. At a rainy day Book Week Story Hour, the average was maintained.
Do children like stories? These statistics answer the question. But the library has a bigger question. IF these Story Hours become any more popular, where can we put more youngsters? They are already packed in like sardines! Because the space was more adaptable, we used the Trustees Room in 1948, and sometimes, but not often fortunately, almost 200 children were sitting on window sills, on the few chairs and over all available floor space. The library basement could be reconditioned and be made mighty attractive, if funds permitted.
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The Story Hours serve, too, to introduce the Summer Reading Club program to young people. In 1948, 54 so- called BOOKMOBILERS were registered and read 511 books. Representing all grades from the second to the eighth, 15 members read from 1 to 4 books each, 22 read from 5 to 9, 9 read from 10 to 19, 8 read from 20 to 60.
What Do Librarians Do All Day Long ?
It is probably just as well that librarians have no statistics on how common the idea is that all a library staff has to do is to hand out books and read, and, that the work is nice, easy, and clean! To such suggestions, librarians may well shrug their shoulders and say "How little they know!" Frequently young candidates for work state frankly their qualifications for work thus: "I love to read," or, "I like books." Unfortunately, a librarian must hire a worker, not a "bookworm," important as it is to have a love of books as an asset.
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Here's The Key To
WHAT GOES ON BEHIND LIBRARY WALLS and WHAT GOES ON WHERE !
(The Numbers refer to locations on the floor plan on pages 184 - 185)
1. OFFICE: - Where administrative and clerical duties never end, and include:
Accessioning and ordering of Library of Congress cards for new books-
Annual report preparation, a task in which we take pride. (We hope you read it!) For the past two years, our report has been accorded the highest place for library reports submitted with Town Reports from towns of over 5000 population, as evaluated by the Department of Economics of the University of Massachusetts.
Billing - Book Ordering - Book review checking - Book selection.
Correspondence, concerning :- Books and supplies- Interlibrary Loan, a courtesy service between libraries whereby books not owned by a library may sometimes be borrowed for a patron- Reference and genealogical inquiries - and, Miscellaneous.
Filing of-correspondence-old bills-order cards and publishers' catalogs.
Gift records of all kinds-books-magazines- photographs-clippings-sheet music-and vari- ous articles.
Interviews with-applicants-salespeople-staff- trustees-and others.
Mail sorting, of which thousands of pieces are re- ceived every year-Occasional poster making- Planning of publicity and special events projects.
Preparation and teaching of library lessons for seventh graders, an annual course given by the librarian each spring.
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Coming
INSIDE FACTS
Down
2
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TANEL Door
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11
Mystory Stories
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TYPING
1. Miscellaneous
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SHEIT THAT
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MIMEUGRADING
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Books to be
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Bindery
STORAGE
ChEST
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IRADE CATALOGS
FAIRHAVEN, MASS.
Millicent Library
TRUSTEES MEET ONCE A MONTH
4
STORKER
5
HOURS
DISPLAY BULLETIN
Duplicate Pay Books
Recent NON- FICTION
? Day Fiction
Regis - tration
8
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LATEST
16
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UP
Down
Preparation of-books for bindery-schedules. Statistical records-Stencil making for mimeo- graphing.
Supervisory tasks-varying from time to time, for many processes but including always a final check on new books added and usually on the catalog cards.
Talks on books or travel subjects to which requests from local clubs the librarian has responded several times during the year,-and visiting class- rooms usually twice a year, telling stories from new books to the youngsters, and announcing special library activities.
Unscheduled events arising sometimes suddenly : such as-
An occasion on November 1st when several lib- rarians from Bristol County were asked to co- operate at the Southeastern Regional Meeting of the Massachusetts Federation of Women's Clubs in Fall River, by exhibiting religious books. The part shared by us was the featuring of especially prepared posters for the occasion, which drew attention to the books, loaned from the book stock of the various libraries represented.
On another occasion, it was fitting that this library should entertain the Old Dartmouth Library Club at its Twenty-Fifth Anniversary meeting in June -a club, incidentally, which Mr. Galen Hill, a librarian here for 15 years, helped to organize.
2. CIRCULATION DESK :- Where the borrowers meet the staff.
Book of the week records (88 books were especially featured and requested 106 times in 1948).
Care of current pamphlets of temporary value.
Charging and discharging of books-Recording of circulation.
Checking in of new magazines.
Recording of (in 1948)-89 lost cards-917 books returned without cards-unpaid fines-petty cash.
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Reference questions answered. (When teachers make special assignments and students descend upon us with a research problem, we turn the library upside-down to find the answer, or the materials in which the answers may be found. We especially appreciate the cooperation of those teachers who send us advance warning. Some of them don't!)-Aid is given in the use of the catalog, too.
Summer Reading Club duties which involved- Listening to 511 oral reviews from its juvenile members-Keeping records of results.
Supervision of Children's Room, and aiding children and young people.
Writing of 3,650 overdues,-Writing or phoning 940 notices of books held on reserve.
3. CATALOG :- The key to the library's bookstock.
Here,-Books are checked to avoid duplication,- Cards for new books are filed,or-Are withdrawn when books are discarded or card revision is necessary. Accuracy is essential in such work. For example: A misfiled card, not being found in its proper alphabetical location, will prevent a borrower from determining whether the library has a particular book. A card not withdrawn for a book no longer in the library will mislead a borrower into expecting to obtain a particular book. These duties, or the supervision thereof, belong to the cataloger.
4. CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT :- Where serious study, whispers and giggles vie with one another.
The help given is immeasurable. It's all a part of the routine. Children are sometimes encouraged in their own personal interests, too. Recently a little 9 year old Chinese-American girl, Ann Lum, because she liked to draw, volunteered and made two posters for the library. Perhaps the idea was contagious, for soon afterwards two 12 year old boys, James McGowan and Norman Talgo,
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indicated a similar desire and made two others. The library staff likes to encourage these evi- dences of talent.
5. TRUSTEES ROOM :- A room for activities.
Here the Trustees meet once a month to hear reports and to determine policies, but the room is used in many other ways, too.
Permission was again granted the Book Circle of the Fairhaven Mother's Club to use it for their Book Review meetings open to the public, six being held.
It was used for Story Hours.
The room is made festive each year for the annual Book Week Tea. In 1948, on November 18th, about 50 adults came to enjoy it. Again, happy children, chosen because of good work in the BOOKMOBILERS' Club served, while Mrs. James H. C. Marston and Miss Mabel L. Potter poured.
6. REFERENCE BOOKS :- Where facts are just waiting to be discovered.
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FOR THE
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HOUSEWIFE & CLUB U WOMAN
Information Service
Here may be found voting statistics of the various states, or the World Series results, the meaning of the name Pleiades, or the height of the Woolworth building, along with thousands of odd facts.
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7. BOOKSTACKS :- Where our patrons may brouse.
The care of stacks is time consuming. Returned books need daily shelving. Frequent shelf read- ing is necessary to maintain good order. A book not in its right place is temporarily lost,-some- times as much as "A needle in a haystack." Our stacks are open to the public who sometimes, quite unconsciously, replace on the wrong shelf, books they have been examining. Old books when they are outdated, need to be removed and occasional inventories must be taken.
8. DISPLAY TABLES AND CASES :- Where new books and articles are displayed.
When holidays come, suitable posters and exhibits are displayed, the Christmas season being one when the library is unusually gay and attractive with decorations and book suggestions.
Book Week is a special time when all sorts of pro- jects are featured, and the library takes on an "Open House" atmosphere. In 1948, we featured especially a project on "Great books" or, books that have stood the test of time, along with other attractive displays on Antiques - Handicraft - Music-Current Events.
From time to time, exhibits are featured in the dis- play case, and in 1948 included :- Photographs of the stained glass windows given by Lord Fairhaven to the Lode Parish Church in England. -Well classified rocks and minerals owned by Mrs. Robert Griffin,-Pairpoint glass, a collection belonging to Mr. Thomas A. Tripp, one of the library trustees,-Foreign dolls loaned by Harriet Hawes,-and, a miscellaneous collection of woodenware.
In early summer, when the LION'S CLUB asked us to feature a safety exhibit to impress the children about safety rules, we cooperated by featuring a project exhibit until early September, making available also, folders on safety, provided by that club.
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9. MAGAZINE SHELVES :- Where new and old magazines may be found.
By purchase and gift, our list included 132 maga- zines, of which we received 2,324 issues. Our 8 newspapers brought approximately 2,302 more pieces.
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It is no small task to keep magazines in order and to file back issues. After the current demand is over, unnecessary issues have to be weeded periodically from basement stacks. Desirable ones are retained for reference use and are usually those listed in the "Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature," an invaluable reference tool for both students and adults. In it, we might find, for instance, references to a list of recent opinions as expressed by various authorities in different mag- azines on "Program rating in radio broadcasting." We might locate a particular short story that someone remembered reading "somewhere!" We could find late information on "Mesotrons" in relation to atomic developments, or, material about the "Phonographic recording of jazz music."
10. CATALOGER'S DESK :- Where new books go through the workshop.
Cataloging is highly technical, with hundreds of rules and forms to be remembered. It must be accurate to be well done. Author's names have to be checked for uniformity. There is, for instance, the case of Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. A cross reference must be made from the form of the name not used to the form used for the author entry. All books by an author must be listed under the same form of name. Otherwise, bor- rowers could not find, readily, the books we have by a particular author who wrote under various pseudonyms. There are many cases where an author, at different times, has chosen several different pen-names.
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CALL- NUMBER
900K POCKET
ACCESSION NUMBER
149 221
BOOK CARD
PROPERTY STAMP
798.1 At Ease InLeopold. Jules
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Curwood, J.O Green tim-
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B. Spence, Hartzell One foot in
heaven.
Call Numbers
Vorst, M.E Grubby gets, clean .
Filing
A -Z
CATALOGING
Books have to be assigned subjects, for which cards are made, in order to enable a patron to find just what the library has, for instance, on Psychoanalysis, or Nantucket, Mass., or any one of thousands of other subjects. Sometimes a single chapter in a book contains important information on a subject about which little has been written, or, on some- thing valuable in a particular locale. Whaling is, for instance, a subject of interest to Fairhaven and vicinity. Such material would be analyzed and made available by the use of cards which catalogers call "analytics." It's work requiring great care regarding detail, and knowledge of how to handle it consistently.
Books have to be assigned numbers, in order that they may be kept together on the shelves in a proper relationship of subjects. This compli- cated classification scheme is a decimal system,- remarkably efficient. Its index, in the latest edition, contains 737 pages. Part of a cataloger's training is to learn hundreds of these numbers almost as thoroughly as the alphabet.
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Diet
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11. SHELF LIST CATALOG :- Where all books in the library are listed by classification number.
Thus, there is available, at a minute's notice, infor- mation as to how many books the library has on a special subject, which has in turn been assigned a particular number, or how many copies of such- and-such a title are available.
12. MARKING SHELF :- Where book processing is completed.
The cataloger does or oversees the marking, pocket- ing, and shellacking of the books. 1,437 books, 1,057 adult and 380 juvenile, were prepared for circulation during 1948.
13. GENERAL WORK DESK :- Where all sorts of work is done.
97 collections of books were prepared for class- rooms. These involved 2,639 books which cir- culated 8,357 times, according to partial records kept by teachers.
School deposits were revised during the summer, and necessary changes were made. A collection of 141 books is currently being maintained at the Tripp School and 394 at the East Fairhaven, which incidentally has a splendid record of use.
Book deposits of 130 books were sent to the King's Daughters Home and 115 to Our Lady's Haven.
Books for school assignments are selected,-Bibli- ographies made or checked .- Special projects prepared.
Withdrawals are recorded, and numbered for the year 1,498 books which were outdated, worn, or too soiled to remain on our shelves.
Periodically, two or three days' time is spent at the Oxford Branch removing those books which have been read considerably and replacing them with others from the stock at the main library.
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14. MIMEOGRAPH MACHINE :- Which aids in our publicity and cuts down costs.
Printing expense has been saved by mimeograph- ing our overdue, reserve, and Trustees' notices cards.
Booklists and publicity folders, which otherwise couldn't have been distributed, have been made by this method. It takes combined patience and fingers which cannot always be kept out of the ink.
It helped us to assist the WELCOME WAGON hostess to give a new service in town. When she called upon us in May for a booklet suitable for new mothers and prospective brides, we recommended titles in an attractive mimeographed booklet, calling it "How do your children grow?" Ap- proximately 150 were distributed and twice we have had calls for more.
15. MENDING DESK :- Where we meet APPLE CORES and FLEAS.
Soiled books, in which library records show almost everything has been discovered from apple cores to bacon, from ribbons to combs, from raisins to cookies, from pencils to fleas, besides often irremovable dirt and grime, pose more of a problem than can be imagined by anyone unacquainted with the problem. Each year, hun- dreds of such books are han- dled, cleaned by washing and erasure, mended, rebacked, or otherwise resewed, Mrs. Griffin ably performing these tasks.
Some books are culled for bind- ing-in 1948, 93 of them.
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16. BUILDING EQUIPMENT AND MAINTENANCE :- Which needs constant attention.
Sweeping, dusting, lawn care and snow shovelling, firing and care of the heating plant, minor repair jobs, occasional varnishing of floors and refinish- ing of pieces of furniture all come under the head of janitor's duties.
Repairs that have to be paid for sometimes become urgent. In the early fall, boiler grates were re- newed, and a new unit was purchased for the hot water heater. Several chairs were recaned early in the year.
We turned it over
The rug in the Children's Room worried us, worn threadbare with the years and a definite thin spot growing bigger. It had its face lifted ! We turned it over! Now, we are wearing it out on the wrong side. In the meantime, until someone takes pity on us, or funds permit, it looks much better than it did.
We still have a problem of crowded shelves in the Children's Room. With a few dollars spent in lumber, we added shelves to our tower storage space to relieve a few crowded shelves in the main stacks.
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