USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Fairhaven > Town annual report of the offices of Fairhaven, Massachusetts 1951 > Part 10
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An explanation of the procedure was given by Mr. Horne of the engi- neering firm of Fay, Spofford and Thorndike, who said it is not their function to persuade the town meeting to proceed or not to proceed. He stated that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has authority to establish regulations where there is any pollution and these can be invoked by them with the assistance of the Attorney General. There is also an amendment whereby the Dpartment of Corporations and Taxation can check the financial status of the town and if the town is not in a position to take on the burden the Department of Public Health has no authority. The cost of operation has been estimated at $30,000 per year. The $1,300,000 includes two pumping stations. An annual charge of $21.00 per year, it was stated, is customary to be levied against each service in order to reduce the tax rate.
The recommendation of the Finance Committee was for indefinite postponement of the article, as they are opposed, and they have never been furnished with information relative to betterment assessments previously.
It was unanimously voted that the article be indefinitely postponed.
197
SEWAGE DISPOSAL
ARTICLE 2.
It was unanimously voted that action on Article 2 be indefinitely post- poned. This article pertained to petitioning the General Court for authority to borrow $500,000 outside the statutory limit of indebtedness to complete the construction of new sewerage works.
ARTICLE 3.
AMENDMENT TO ZONING MAP
To extend the existing Business District with 20 foot set-back on the northerly side of Huttleston Avenue at Bridge Street, westerly, as petitioned by William F. Turner, owner of the land. Voted in favor of adoption of the article-197 in favor, 12 opposed.
ARTICLE 4. Voted to adjourn at 8:30 P M.
198
1951 TOWN MEETING MEMBERS AT LARGE 31 Members
Assessor Birtwistle, Christopher J.
122 Pleasant St.
Mod. Briggs, Stuart M.
45 William St.
Rep. Brown, F. Eben
314 Main St.
Pl. Bd. Candage, Herbert L. 228 Green St.
Pl. Bd. Dugdale, Charles R.
288 Washington St.
Pl. Bd. Duval, Arsene G.
348 Main St.
Sch. Comm.
Gonsalves, Albert M.
145 Washington St.
Sch. Comm.
Haydon, Waldo E.
43 Hedge St.
Tr. War.
Jarvis, John
134 Bridge St.
Select.
Kerwin, Harold E.
31 Fort St.
Select.
Knowlton, Charles W.
30 Elm Ave.
Sch. Comm. - Sch. Comm. - - Maguire, Clarence E.
39 E. Wilding St.
Sch. Comm. & Sew. Comm. Maxfield, Lawrence B.
91 Bridge St.
T. Coll.
McDermott, Thomas J.
25 Oak St.
Pk. Comm. - - Mello, Joseph G.
194 Huttleston Ave.
Sch. Comm. - - Moore, Edith M.
178 Adams St.
T. Cl. & Tr. - O'Leary, Michael J.
41 Christian St.
Pl. Bd.
Parkinson, James
32 Linden Ave.
Pl. Bd. Raphael, Alfred
Sew. Comm. Reilly, John M.
152 E. Coggeshall St. 55 Massasoit Ave.
Bd. Health
Silveira, Filbert A. Jr.
235 Green St.
Select.
Silveira, Walter
248 Green St.
Pl. Bd. Steele, George A.
30 Huttleston Ave.
Pl. Bd. Tallman, William
28 Fort St.
Assessor & Bd. Health - Terry, Clarence A.
8 Middle St.
Bd. Health - - Thompson, Charles E. P.
65 Center St.
Pk. Comm. - - Tripanier, Ernest 374 Main St.
Sew. Comm. - Valentine, G. Winston Assessor Vincens, Susan B.
28 Spring St.
117 Laurel St.
Pk. Comm. & Pl. Bd. - - Vining, Kenneth R.
41 Fort St.
199
Macomber, Harold S. Jr.
14 Cooke St.
63 Town Meeting Members - Precinct One For Three Years
George B. Ames
'9 Fort St.
Wallace B. Baylies
26 Laurel St.
Colby H. Benson
89 Fort St.
Colby H. Benson, Jr.
89 Fort St.
Eli G. Braley
18 Cedar St.
Ellsworth M. Burgess
12 Middle St.
Hans A. Darwin
65 Main St.
Harold B. Dennie
39 Laurel St.
Chester M. Downing
78 Chestnut St.
Bradley F. Drake
7 Laurel St.
Melvin Entin
5 Laurel St.
Frederick J. Hayward
7 Green St.
Harold L. Hoxie
50 Green St.
Audell. W. Monk, Jr.
25 Green St.
Warren G. Pierce
37 Laurel St.
Harry L. Pope
16 Fort St.
Elmer M. Radcliffe
90 Laurel St.
Bradford C. Terry
14 Maple Ave.
Clarence B. Terry
22 Green St.
Warren C. Thompson
71 Green St.
Edward J. Wlodyka
41 Center St.
For Two Years
George Armbruster
40 Center St.
Kenneth E. Bennett
53 Church St.
Eli G. Braley, Jr.
38 Pleasant St.
James B. Buckley
51 Green St.
Elizabeth H. Church
33 William St.
Earl E. Clark
46 Church St.
Howard M. Copeland
18 Maple Ave.
Willis H. Doran
61 Laurel St.
Clifton E. Dwelly
84 Fort St.
Wendell T. Eldredge
118 Pleasant St.
Charles L. Faunce
23 South St.
Rufus W. Foster Philip T. Gidley
73 Green St.
Raymond C. Harding
85 Fort St.
Fred A. Hubbard
38 Cedar St.
Arthur R. Knox
40 Green St.
Linneaus W. Morton
66 Laurel St.
James E. Muldoon
7 Fort St.
52 Green St.
200
Maud E. Stafford Cuthbert W. Tunstall Cecil H. Whittier
44 Green St. 12 Maple Ave. 68 Laurel St.
For One Year
Maurice C. Canedy
69 Laurel St.
Merrill G. Closson
18 Laurel St.
Joseph A. Dailey
5 Pleasant St.
Armand A. Guilmette
59 Cottage St.
James J. Hanlon
44 Laurel St.
Jack B. Hirschmann
9 Main St.
J. Edwin Jones, Jr.
87 Laurel St.
William L. Lacasse, Jr.
65 Cedar St.
Eliot R. Mowat
62 Church St.
Carl Nelson
48 Center St.
Marie R. Noyer
97 Fort St.
Alice M. O'Leary
81 Cedar St.
Anson W. Paine
48 Cottage St.
Alvah G. Patterson
66 Laurel St.
Augustus Pease
112 Pleasant St.
John R. Perry
124 Chestnut St.
Edward L. Ryan
81 Laurel St.
Dorothy M. Tetrault
57 Union St.
Mary S. Toledo
27 Union St.
Roland A. Tripp
91 Farmfield St.
Elizabeth W. Whittier
68 Laurel St.
66 Town Meeting Members - Precinct Two For Three Years
Raymond G. Archambault
72 Adams St.
Samuel C. Barrett
138 Alden Rd.
Milton L. Bold
24 Francis St.
Rudolf H. Brenneke
169 Main St.
Gardner M. Drew
51 Elm Ave.
Richard H. Dunwoodie
6 Elm Ave.
Charles Dvorak
39 Huttleston Ave.
Harold C. Fisher
151 Main St.
John F. Goggin, Jr.
195 Main St.
Elizabeth I. Hastings
210 Main St.
Edith G. Kenny
9 Huttleston Ave.
Gilbert E. Long
23 Francis St.
Tracy W. Marks
163 Main St.
201
John A. Murley William F. Pelton, Jr.
65 Oxford St.
30 Elm Ave.
J. Milton Rex
52 Massasoit Ave.
Bertha S. Slater
145 No. Walnut St.
George A. Snedden
24 Larch Ave.
Paul R. Swift
86 Francis St.
George A. Selley
32 Taber St.
Joseph A. Walker
17 Huttleston Ave.
Webster Wilde
26 Larch Ave.
For Two Years
Lillie B. Allen
5 Lafayette St.
Valmore J. Archambault
21 Huttleston Ave.
Olive L. Brown
7 Oxford St.
Daniel F. Downey
90 Huttleston Ave.
Albert Greenfield
161 Main St.
John F. Hennessy
223 Adams St.
Henry Holland
131 No. William St.
John B. Humphreys
35 Lafayette St.
Marguerite A. Johnson
179 Main St.
Catherine H. Jordan
155 Main St.
Frank G. King
218 Main St.
Rudolph B. Matland
39 Elm Ave.
Lewis Meal
22 Taber St.
Roger J. Messier
13 Hedge St.
Raymond M. Mitchell
34 Oxford St.
Thomas J. Mulvey
135 No. William St.
Hjalmer A. Ray
46 Hedge St.
James Reed, Jr.
34 Linden Ave.
John Rogers
225 Adams St.
Russell F. Shaw
40 Huttleston Ave.
Arthur E. Taber
55 Elm Ave.
Era H. Tripp
7 Lafayette St.
For One Year
Edward August
138 No. William St.
Lewis E. Beanland
174 Adams St.
William E. Benoit, Jr.
36 Hicks St.
Bernard A. Caouette
130 Main St.
Constance M. Caouette
130 Main St.
Louis J. Costa
134 Bridge St.
James A. Dellecese
16 Ash St.
Emile W. Genest
35 Huttleston Ave.
202
David B. Grew Daniel F. Hayes Charles Joseph
75 Francis St.
29 Elm Ave. (Resigned) 60 Linden Ave.
George F. Joseph
118 Bridge St.
Irene C. Joseph
60 Linden Ave.
E. Manuel Kanter
28 Cherry St.
Antone C. Martin
32 Huttleston Ave.
Edward E. Perry
63 Larch Ave.
Joseph Pimental
34 Taber St.
Phyllis M. Ray
46 Hedge St.
Rufus M. Rezendes
64 Eim Ave.
Leonard Roderick
54 Oxford St.
Lester S. Teixeira
55 Hedge St.
Morris E. Teixeira
9 Ash St.
69 Town Meeting Members - Precinct Three For Three Years
Jose M. Albino
14 Dover St.
Joseph Andrews, Jr.
71 Sycamore St.
Frank Avila
7 Magnolia Ave.
Albert Bissonnette
32 Jesse St.
Omer Blanchette
448 Main St.
Walter J. Borowicz
8 Winsor St.
Frederick H. Bonneau
367 Main St. (Died)
Arthur M. Cunha
54 Howland Rd.
Joseph A. Demanche
37 Hawthorne St.
Manuel Duarte
397 Main St.
John Laronda
373 Main St.
Walter Marsh
15 Morgan St. 9 Brown St.
Edward J. McDermott
25 Oak St.
Eddie H. Montplaisir
315 Main St.
Robert R. Norris
25 Garrison St.
Alfred J. Pacheco
313 Main St.
Anthony C. Plezia
415 Main St.
Joseph Sutcliffe, Jr.
241 Adams St.
Alfred J. Tripanier
374 Main St.
Theodore P. Wolan
65 Harding Rd.
For Two Years
Robert M. Clunie Alan B. Cooper Manuel V. Costa
36 Harding Rd. 19 Garrison St. 27 Veranda Ave.
203
------
Joseph Martin
Oscar L. Dupuis Mariano C. Fernandes Albert Giroux Edward Govoni James Henshaw
2 Dover St.
16 Alpine St.
24 Dover St.
14 Deane St.
Arthur Jarvis
7 Burgess Ave.
John J. Joaquim
30 Garrison St.
Manuel Machado
17 Hopkins St.
Custodio J. Marshall
32 Coggeshall St.
Antone Medeiros
318 Alden Rd. 16 Morton St.
James J. Medeiros
Joseph J. Olivera
75 E. Morgan St.
Alfred J. Pacheco, Jr.
313 Main St.
August Perry
13 Morgan St.
Frank Pimental
94 E. Morgan St.
Lawrence V. Robinson
5 Wilding St.
Edward F. Rose
16 Deane St.
Raymond E. St. Onge
31 Garrison St.
James B. Taylor
114 E. Morgan St.
Alfred Tripanier, Jr.
16 Mozart St.
For One Year
Henry W. Braman
67 Sycamore St.
James Carreira
15 Hawthorne St.
George Taylor Elliot
29 Brown St.
Manuel Ferreira
8 Daniel St.
Oscar H. Gobeille
19 Sycamore St.
Richard Holmes
13 Howland Rd.
Walter P. Jachna
46 Spruce St.
Frank J. Krol
10 Newton St.
Albert F. Leonardo
54 Howland Rd.
Mary L. C. Leonardo
54 Howland Rd.
Peter Majocka
123 E. Morgan St. 25 Hopkins St.
Carl Medeiros
378 Main St.
John Medeiros
333 Alden Rd.
Manuel Medeiros
22 Hawthorne St.
Joseph Mello John M. Pacheco
59 Sycamore St.
Walter Polchlopek
60 E. Coggeshall St.
Wilfred Portway
46 Veranda Ave.
Manuel Rezendes
29 Garrison St.
Raymond Richard
418 Main St.
Albert M. Stevens
373 Alden Rd.
204
401 Alden Rd.
Herman Marshall
11 Sycamore St.
Jose V. Urquiola Gilbert Vieira
39 Wilding St.
20 Morton St.
Walter G. Vieira
32 Hawthorne St.
Percy Whitworth
34 Kendrick Ave.
John P. O'Neill
30 Sycamore St.
66 Town Meeting Members - Precinct Four For Three Years
Thomas V. Alves
45 Spring St.
Edward G. Baldwin
36 Spring St.
Clarence I. Bangs
125 Laurel St.
Louis T. Boroski
141 Pleasant St.
Arthur W. Darling
212 Washington St.
Edgar William Darling
210 Washington St.
Edgar Winfred Darling
212 Washington St.
Enos E. Days, Jr.
65 Farmfield St.
Edward J. Fisher
137 Green St.
A. Russell Gifford
140 Chestnut St.
Lindsey S. Gifford
51 Pleasant St.
George A. Greene
40 Spring St.
James B. Lanagan
88 Washington St.
Bradford W. Luther
131 Laurel St.
Harold U. Pierce
147 Chestnut St.
Leonard E. Pierce
85 Church St.
Charles Radcliffe, Jr.
17 Elizabeth St.
Harry Rogers
99 Bridge St.
Edward B. Spooner
133 Laurel St.
Charles P. Thatcher
38 Rotch St.
Sydney Warburton
5 Rogers St.
Augustus H. Xavier
1 Bridge St.
For Two Years
John Almeida
20 Hitch St.
Eldred E. Besse
36 Washington St.
Frank E. Bettencourt
111 Main St.
Alexander M. Clement
35 Summer St.
John B. DeGraw
135 Green St.
Milton K. Delano
56 Walnut St.
Joseph L. Faria, Jr.
39 Elizabeth St.
Milton O. Fisher
105 Pleasant St.
Macy F. Joseph
117 Bridge St.
Gideon H. S. Keen
93 Pleasant St.
205
Rose E. G. Keen Harold B. Lawton
93 Pleasant St.
52 Rodman St.
M. Alice McCarthy
131 Chestnut St.
Earl A. Moore
69 Rotch St.
Lauchlan W. Murray
49 Walnut St.
Frank Perry
32 E. Allen St.
Dorothy B. Rogers
3 Mulberry St.
Joseph A. Saladino
85 Bridge St.
Orsman A. Shumway
78 Washington St.
Thomas R. Thomas
69 No. Summer St.
Mildred E. Webb
149 Green St.
Alden B. Wrightington
23 Rotch St.
For One Year
Arthur Boucher
26 Rodman St.
John C. Bresnahan
140 Green St.
R. Bradley Carle
12 Christian St.
Joseph Cordeiro, Jr.
54 Rotch St.
Frank J. Costa
137 Bridge St.
Joseph B. Goulart
155 Chestnut St.
E. Cooper Jacques
132 Laurel St.
Edward L. Kerin
175 Green St.
Harold R. Lawton, Jr.
52 Rodman St.
Rose L. Lawton
52 Rodman St.
Fletcher J. Long
81 Bridge St.
Frank P. Lynch
144 Green St.
Harold J. O'Brien
7 Rodman St.
Joseph T. Peel
23 Rotch St.
George C. Perkins
52 Walnut St.
Richard G. Ruby
53 Walnut St.
Clarence S. Russell
22 Spring St.
Dorothy P. Saladino
85 Bridge St.
Anthony C. Souza
13 Rodgers St.
Beatrice P. Thomas
69 No. Summer St.
Stanley A. Wojcik
73 Bridge St.
75 Town Meeting Members - Precinct Five For Three Years
R. Donat Audette
383 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Harry D .. Bridges, Jr.
Frank S. Brown
295 Sconticut Neck Rd. 362 Sconticut Neck Rd.
206
15 Hitch St.
Edward S. Lequin
Manuel S. Brown Manuel J. Cardoza
506 Sconticut Neck Rd.
321 Sconticut Neck Rd. 22 Harvard St.
Richard Cardoza
Robert E. Crabbe
107 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Bertha S. Cory
5 Weeden Rd. 5 Weeden Rd.
Noel B. Couture
194 New Boston Rd. 26 Bayview Ave.
Carl Govoni
140 Sconticut Neck Rd.
James E. Green
396 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Irving B. Lomax
394 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Lillian Lomax
394 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Frank G. Machado
479 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Arthur J. Martin
Elmira D. Mckenzie
68 Aiken St.
Joseph H. Mckenzie
346 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Charles A. Maxfield, Jr.
346 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Alexander Pifko
20 Bayview Ave.
Paul A. Pifko
20 Bayview Ave.
Sherman H. Rounseville
315 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Albert E. Stanton
141 New Boston Rd.
For Two Years
Elsie Aiken
342 Washington St.
Milton G. Aiken
342 Washington St.
Reuben A. Austin
544 Washington St.
Raymond T. Babbitt
71 Aiken St.
Everett G. Barrow
48 Seaview Ave.
Clifford L. Belcher
24 Bernese St.
Lewis F. Blossom George J. Chartier Samuel R. Costa
2 Bayview Ave.
Armand J. Cote
5 Bay St.
William V. Dean
776 Washington St.
Allerton T. Delano
453 Washington St.
Joseph Fleurent, Jr.
680 Washington St.
Leo H. Fleurent Germano Gaspar
54 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Albert W. Guilmette
13 Harvard St.
Henry T. Howard
267 New Boston Rd.
273 Sconticut Neck Rd.
Lawrence R. Marra, Sr. Pauline H. Maxfield
68 Aiken St.
207
Clarence M. Cory
Harold A. Gifford
Mary J. Goulart
747 Sconticut Neck Rd.
156 Sconticut Neck Rd.
565 Washington St.
5 Manhattan Ave.
688 Washington St.
John Souza Eugene F. Sullivan
Marinus Vander Pol
Ruth H. White William White
Oren S. York
465 Sconticut Neck Rd. 61 Sconticut Neck Rd. 757 Washington St.
16 Bay St. 16 Bay St. 558 Washington St.
For One Year
Frank P. Andrews
27 Highland Ave.
Mary E. Barrow
48 Seaview Ave.
Alfred M. Belliveau
33 Winsegansett Ave.
William C. Brennan
74 Raymond St.
Albert A. Catelli, Jr.
11 Gilbert St.
Elizio Costa Gilbert Costa
40 Harvard St.
Kenneth H. Dykeman
Charles E. Hoard, Jr.
William E. Howard
Casimir J. Koczwara
20 Bayview Ave.
John P. Landry Ernest Langevin
42 Harvard St.
Albert E. Murray
21 Winsegansett Ave.
Olive M. Murray
21 Winsegansett Ave.
Joseph Pauline
12 Highland Ave.
Joseph Rumney
15 Bayview Ave.
84 Sconticut Neck Rd.
580 Washington St.
William A. Wallbank
580 Washington St.
Florence Washburn
40 Harvard St.
40 Harvard St.
Alberta Wilcock
388 Washington St.
Harry Wilcock
388 Washington St.
John J. Wordell
27 Highland Ave.
20 Manhattan Ave.
584 Washington St.
32 Harvard St. 5 Mill Road
52 Briercliffe Rd.
Edward Santos Lucy M. Wallbank
Stanley J. Washburn
208
Library
The Millicent Lil Fairhaven, Massac !.
Acknowledgments
We herewith express our sincere appreciation to all who have given their kind permission allowing us to use photographs and illustrations listed below and which will be found on the pages indicated
Cover 209 Photograph taken by the late Mr. James E. Reynolds and used by permission of Mrs. Reynolds.
Page 213
Loaned by Farrar, Straus & Young, Inc. (From their Summer and Fall list, 1951, -- page 17, featuring "Protestant pano- rama," by Clarence Wilbur Hall and Desider Holisher). This book is now on order.
Page 217
Loaned by Farrar, Straus & Young, Inc. (From their Summer and Fall list, 1951, -- page 15, featuring "The Selected Letters of William Cowper," ed. by Mark Van Doren) .
Page 222 Loaned by Houghton Mifflin Company. (From the book "Red Head," by Edward Eager, illustrated by Louis Slobodkin). In our collection, call number jE11 re.
Photographs taken by and loaned through the courtesy of The New Bedford Standard-Times. Between pages 210- 211 and facing pages 214 and 226.
210
READING ROOM FROM CIRCULATION DESK
NEP FICTION
CIRCULATION DESK
your Library's Fact Book
LI
THE
RARY
F
MASS
RHAVEN,
1951
Worth Seeing
TRANSFORMATION!
The Millicent Library of 1951 is not the library of 1950. In the fifty-ninth year of its existence, it took a new lease on life. The transformation we longed for for years became a reality. We almost have to pinch ourselves to make sure that it is not just a dream from which we will have a rude awakening. Today the library stands forth in sparkling freshness, in harmonious color, in artistic designing, in contrast to-we shudder at the thought of what it was and the condition of those lower walls that hadn't been redecorated for fifty-eight years! Its present beauty is due to Mr. George De Felice of Providence, Rhode Island, in whom we found a craftsman who knew how to make the most of the unusual ornamentation in the library building and who valued the artistic result above the financial reward. Recently one of our patrons, admiring the beauty in the Italian Renaissance frieze, commented that it was the type of art one would go to Europe to see.
BUT HOW?
This "new look," however, did not just happen! It was due to cooperation and much planning. At the end of 1950, when the library's upper walls were painted, we were somewhat stunned to see what effect those clean walls had on lower faded and soiled ones. A five-year plan of redecoration was felt to be the only financial way in which our program could be continued. On this basis, $1,200 was allowed in our 1951 budget for repair work. Then we struck a snag! We could find no local painter willing or equipped to do the kind of painting required. By chance, Mr. De Felice was recommended. At a meeting with the Library Board, he explained that the work could not be done economically on a room-by-room basis over a period of time, nor would he do it that way-he expressed sympathy with the financial problem faced by the library- and assured us that his quotation for the complete job was so reasonable that he would literally be making a gift of
214
ARTIST, MR. GEORGE DE FELICE, AT WORK RESTORING OIL PAINTING
part. of his work to us. His statements carried sincerity and, as the job progressed week after week for between seven and eight weeks, his words proved to be no idle talk. He took the interest one would take in one's own home.
BEAUTY ENHANCED
His work and painstaking care cannot be praised highly enough. He and his skilled workers accomplished a redecorating job that has great artistic appeal, admired enthusiastically by practically everyone who sees it. The color scheme is restful and harmonious. Each room- Reading Room, Trustees' Room and Children's Room-has its own new design especially made by Mr. De Felice. The brick walls are so camouflaged that the effect is that of rich tapestry. On a contract price, Mr. De Felice included many extras. He renovated and cleaned our valuable oil paintings that were in real need of attention. He reduced a large one to a more convenient size, as well as painting in an entire new background, along with much needed re- touching. He glazed or tinted several frames of other paintings to harmonize with the walls-he advised us as to the cleaning of our bronze tablets and marble statues. In short, he added to a contract job the touches which his artistic nature would not allow him to leave undone.
ANYTHING WORTH WHILE COSTS SOMETHING IN BOTH DOLLARS AND EFFORT
However, the cost of all this work had to be reckoned with. Our budget could not stretch to cover it without some drastic readjustments. When we became short-staffed it helped considerably in a financial way. Our cataloger, Mrs. Ragnhild Lynn, left in January. No one was immedi- ately available for the salary we could offer. The public must have new books as usual. The librarian delegated certain parts of the work to her helpers and, pushing some of her regular work into the background, set about to keep the flow of new books moving steadily to the shelves. A cataloger, Miss Rosemary Lang, finally engaged, could not arrive until August 1. On this same date another resig- nation took place, Mrs. William H. Rapp, our assistant in charge of school work, finding that her home duties would not permit her to continue. It was decided to finish the year without filling this second vacancy. With the burden
215
of extra work, the staff has worked loyally to give the same service to the public, and the work neglected is that which could be temporarily delayed. The inconveniences were many during the painting process, but the library was kept open as usual. Whatever sacrifices were made by staff members have been done willingly and with a pride that comes from joy at having been a part of the project.
GNAWING THE BONE!
On other items than salaries, expenditures were cut to the lowest practical point. The ordering of some replacement books was postponed - the rebinding of magazines and a considerable number of shabby books was delayed - our basic stock of some regularly used items was allowed to run very low until 1952. How we ended the year with our bills paid is shown in detail in our financial report on page 221.
TIME BRINGS CHANGES.
As one problem creates another, so we met difficulties along the way. Certain corrections needed to be made in our lighting system while the painting was in progress to insure against patching the walls later. The result is greatly improved overhead lighting, which has eliminated unsatisfactory table lights. The many favorable comments from our patrons add much to our own satisfaction. The lighting in the Juvenile Room alone remains to be corrected. Its antiquated fixture with glaring lights of poor lighting quality has been frequently mentioned by people as an "eyesore" since the other fixtures have been replaced. We hope this change may be made in 1952.
Shelves painted to match the walls were built into the wall recess opposite the entrance. This arrangement for displaying new books has brought forth happy comments from person after person.
Radiator ducts were installed to deflect dust-carrying hot air away from the walls. The chimney was cleaned by the vacuum method to eliminate escaping coal gas which had been a problem for some time.
216
Replacing window shades, draperies have been hung at the five high windows in the Reading Room and in four in the Children's Room. The brilliant sky light has been thus softened and the result is extremely pleasing.
The rug in the Children's Room, acquired in 1912, was for years very lovely to look upon. Completely worn out after thirty years of wear, it was removed during the summer and the floor left bare for the present.
A WELCOME ADDITION.
A used Servel refrigerator was donated by one of our Trustees, Mr. Morris R. Brownell, for the use of staff members, several of whom spend noon hours at the library. This is greatly appreciated and used to good advantage.
So much for the physical changes to the library build- ing and its equipment during 1951.
217
1951 FACTS IN A NUTSHELL
BOOK
STOCK
CIRCULATION-57,884 37.3% non-fiction 62.7% fiction
Each
Service to Schools
borrower
/ mile high
32.8% Juvenile
Behind the scenes
Mended 568
Rebound
22.3 books
35 books Cataloged
24.84 BOOKS 74 COLLECTIONS
927 Adult 646 JuvenilE
6 SCHOOLS
7299 CIRCULATED
1573 processed
20.3%
171 BOOKS
Our Lady's Haven
+0.787%
DOLL
RESERVE
Services
7
2,593 BORROW ERS
28.0
Girls
Adults
Town aid-447.
1,583 overdue notices
Lost cards issued
64
Library funds5%
01
4.71% Oxford 9.64% Non resident 250 G8.84% adult 31.16 % juvenile
new
Borrowen
67.2% Adult
Shut-ins
THE COST
135 magazines
396 books RESERVEd
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN?
Expires
newspapers
of Population
CLASSROOM LIBRARIES
and King's Daughters
LAP
Book No ..
Title
958. (58%) Adult
NEW
695. 18 Juven!
Books
Total
47,980
1653
you, the public, set this record!
A MILE HIGH !
The books borrowed by our patrons would have been a mile high if piled in one huge stack, allowing 11 books to a foot. Yet our patrons did not borrow as many books as in 1950-5,013 fewer. To explain the drop, we'll blame it, say, on television, for want of a better reason. It seems to be taking the blame for everything these days and is a factor with which to be reckoned. At the main library the loss was almost entirely adult, the children borrowing only 8 less than in 1950. Evidently the children will read in spite of television !
BETTER READING!
People are reading more of the better books, for 99.34% of our circulation loss was fiction. The drop in non-fiction was only 33 books, or less than 1%. There was a gain of just under 21% in the High School Library bor- rowing. There was no drop in non-fiction reading in the juvenile circulation at Oxford Branch, 4 more actually being circulated. Adult reading at Oxford Branch was 54.2% fiction and 45.8% non-fiction, of which 44.1% was the borrowing of periodicals.
A RECORD!
In 1951, non-fiction borrowing set a record for the past twenty-five years. Only once in the period from 1926 to 1947 did non-fiction reading go above the 30% mark. In 1948 it went to 31.64% and has crept up steadily to 37.2% in 1951.
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