USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1875 > Part 15
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CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 30.
Dante; and of Frederick Overbeck's Illustrations of the Gos- pels.
It is proper to remark in this connection, that there is no ex- travagance in the purchase, in times of distress, of expensive works, for this or other departments ; as we have a special fund left us by the founder of the reference department for this very purpose, and are careful not to buy costly books with money ap- propriated by the city, excepting after mature deliberation, and in such cases as seem to be fully warranted by the demand for the purchase. Few persons, too, are aware what an interest there is in this community in the practice of designing, drawing and painting. This interest has been fostered by 'the evening schools in drawing established by the city and the Worcester County Mechanics As- sociation. It is due largely, too, to private instruction sought and obtained by many of our citizens here and in other cities, at home and abroad. Now, the library recognizes the fact that it is not an art gallery as well as a library; but finds that, while keeping strictly within its province, and buying only books and such pictorial rep- resentations as are needed for their illustration, it can still do much to gratify and encourage and elevate the wholesome taste for art studies by supplying examples of fine work, and treatises too costly for the average buyer of books, giving practical directions in the different departments of art. It would be necessary in such a libra- ry as ours to buy such books as the Musée Royal and Overbeck's Illustrations. It is gratifying to find that in adding them to the library, we do something, if but little, to supply to students the advantages of an art gallery. Among works added with the design of giving technical instruction, are Hulme's series of sketches from nature, of plant form, and other productions of the same author ; Penley's large work on the English school of painting in water colors ; André's Draughtsman's Handbook of Plain and Map Drawing, and Burnet's Treatise on Painting.
The only other works whose titles can be mentioned here are Passavant's Life of Raphael of Urbino ; Street's Brick and Mar- ble in the Middle Ages ; a Schiller Gallery from the original de- signs of Kaulbach and others; a copy of the new edition of Kugler's Handbook of the German, Flemish and Dutch Schools
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of Painting ; Lee's Roman Imperial Profiles ; Jerdan's National Portrait Gallery ; Houbracken's Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain ; and Gruner's Terre-Cotta Architecture of North Italy (12th and 13th centuries).
Many valuable additions have been made during the past year to the department of general literature. We have secured a fine copy of Scott's edition of Dryden's works, in 18 volumes ; one of the scarce work of Lord Mahon, containing the letters and works of Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, 5 vol- umes ; and Chalmers's English Poets, in 21 volumes. We have also bought Thomas Hood's Works, in 10 volumes ; La Roche- foucauld's Oeuvres ; and a copy of a fine library edition of La Fontaine's Oeuvres, in 5 volumes, and such books as a facsimile reproduction of the first edition of Pilgrim's Progress; Samuel Lover's Tales and Legends, in 3 volumes, and Sir John Suckling's Poems, Plays, &c.
In the department of classical literature, we have procured Bosch's Greek anthology, with the Latin version of Grotius in 6 volumes, and a more recent Greek anthology, entitled Epi- grammatum Anthologia Palantina, in 2 volumes; the scarce first volume of Worsley's translation of the Odyssey of Homer ; the very scarce work of Gladstone, Studies on Homer and the Ho- meric Age, in three volumes; and the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum, issued by the Berlin Academy.
Of humorous literature we have bought such works as John Lecch's Pictures of Life and Character, and a fac-simile copy of the first edition of Joe Miller's Jests.
Considerable additions of dramatic literature have been made to the library. Of these, it is enough to mention Shakespeare's Works, edited by William G. Clark and John Glover, in 9 volumes, which it will be remembered is the scarce Cambridge edition of the great poct; Marlowe's, Chapman's and Dekker's Dramatic Works; volumes of Scribe's plays in French, and Haz- litt's new edition of Dodsley's Collection of Old English Plays.
In the department of philology we have bought works of which the following must serve as specimens :
Latham's Elements of Comparative Philology ; Maetzner's
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English Grammar, in 3 volumes ; Barretti's Italian Dictionary ; a new volume of Ellis's Early English Pronunciation ; Müller's Sanscrit Grammar for beginners; Bescherelle's Grammaire Na- tionale ; Sanders's Wörterbuch der Deutscher Sprache, 3 volumes; and Du Cange's great work, the Glossarium mediae et infimae Latinitatis, in 7 volumes.
Among works on the subject of education procured during the year which this report covers, is parliamentary matter em- bracing the work done by the Universities Commission, in 3 vol- umes, and that done by the Schools Inquiry Commission, in 21 volumes.
The most costly work added to the department of bibliography is Kayser's Bücher Lexicon, in 19 volumes.
The volumes of the American Cyclopedia, of Johnson's new Universal Cyclopedia, and of the Encyclopædia Britannica, issued during the year, have been purchased, and placed on shelves of the library. The official reports of the Vienna Exhibition, also the reports issued by the British government, and those of the state of Massachusetts, on the same subject, have been received, and placed in the library. Among other purchases may be men- tioned Descarte's Oeuvres, 11 volumes ; H. H. Wilson's works on Indian religions, in several volumes ; Select Tracts on Paper Currency ; Early Tracts on Commerce; May's Treatise on the Law, Privileges, &c., of Parliament ; the Public Laws of the Confederate States of America, and De Tocqueville's De la Démocratie en Amérique.
In conclusion, it should be said that the department of the- ology has not been neglected, but that large additions of books, new and old, have been made to it. Among these are the second volume of the latest edition of Tischendorf's Novum Testamen- tum Graece ; a good copy of the famous Tracts for the Times ; De Wette's Die Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testa- ments, and Porter's Textual Criticism ; commentaries by Gill, Lightfoot, Lange, Delitzsch, Meyer and others; the sermons of Barrow and South ; the works of Andrewes and Doddridge, and portions of the works of J. H. Newman and St. Augustine.
It is undoubtedly tedious to read or listen to the reading of such long lists of books as have just been given. It has been
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thought wise, however, to prepare them, as has been stated in pre- vious reports, so that citizens may obtain some idea of the charac- ter of a portion at least of the additions made to the library, and that we ourselves, in taking a bird's-eye view of the purchases of the year, may be able to judge, in a measure, of the wisdom of the expenditures we are making of the money put at our dis- posal.
USE OF THE LIBRARY.
During the year covered by the last report, the number of books given out in the circulating department rose to 102,575. This was an increase of 35,720 over the number given out in the previous year. It was thought by some of the friends of the library, that this increase was wholly exceptional, and that the circulation would fall off during the past year. Instead of
doing so, however, it has increased nearly 20,000. It should be stated, moreover, that in effecting this increase in the use of the library during the last two years, great care has been taken not to lower in the least the high standard which the library has always followed in the choice of books. It should be stated, also, that no change has been made in the rule which permits users of the library to take out only one vol- ume at a time, and but two books in the course of a week. Exceptions to this rule are seldom made, and generally only to students, and by the chief officer of the library. The number of books given out during the past year in the circulating depart- ment is 122,459. As stated above, the number given out in the year previous is 102,575. The books given out during the year just closed were distributed among the several months as fol- lows :-
December, 1874,
10,410
June,
8,354
January, 1875,
11,795
July,
8,465
February,
11,474
August,
8,005
March,
13,378
September,
8,668
April,
11,526
October,
9,609
May,
9,807
November,
10,968
In all numbering
122,459
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The circulating department has been kept open 306 days during the year. That is to say, it has only been closed on six legal holidays, one of these, the 17th of June, which, it will be remembered, was made a legal holiday for the single year 1874, Memorial day, and the fifty-two Sundays of the year. The average daily issue of books has been 400, against 334 of the previous year. During the months of June, July and August this daily issue was 322, against 272 the year before. During the months of January, February and March, the number of books given out daily was, in the average, 482, against 404, the record in the last report. The largest number of books issued in any one day is 939, the number given out February 13. The largest number of the year before was 731. This number was given out January 24. The smallest number of books given out in one day is 172, which number is the record of delivery for June 24. Only on three days during the year has a smaller number than 200 books been given out. The number of persons with whom we have opened new accounts during the past year is 2,580. We have no figures with which properly to compare this number in the previous year; for the call upon users of the library in the middle of 1873 to take out new cards had been but partially answered at the beginning of the year 1873-4.
Full use of the reference department, or Green Library, has been allowed every day in the year, excepting the six legal holi- days and Memorial day. On these days, also, books from this department have been procurable for use in the lower reading room, upon application to the assistant in attendance there. In the Green library room it appears that 22,833 persons have had books given them, or have helped themselves to books to be used in answering their inquiries, or to give them enjoyment. That is to say, 75 persons, on an average, have been assisted to information or put in the way of enjoyment, or have helped themselves to information or derived enjoyment from the use of books within the library building every day of the 306 secular days during which the library has been freely accessible through the year. 20,550 persons were reported as having received bene- fit or pleasure from this department during the previous library
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year. It will be remembered that in this account no note is made of the use of periodicals or papers in either of the reading-rooms. It will be seen from the statement, that the use of the library for the purposes of reference has largely increased during the year. The figures representing the number of persons who have used bound volumes, or have been referred to sources of information in the reference library during the five years covered by my reports, are, in the order of the years, 7,321, 12,408, 15,672, 20,550, 22,833. This is a gratifying exhibit, and shows that the policy of liberal expenditure for books and in attracting curious persons to the library, and affording aid to unpractised students, young and old, has borne a rich fruitage.
The Sunday use of the reading rooms has continued to increase during the past year. The whole number of persons who have visited them during the hours they have been open, namely, from 2 to 9 P. M., is 10,142. Of this number, 4,490 persons have used the upper room, and 5,652 the lower. The number of per- sons who used the reading-rooms on Sundays in the year 1872-3, for one Sunday less than the whole year, and yet for 52 Sundays, is 5,706 ; and for the year 1873-4 is 7,179. Thus, during the last year, 195 persons, on an average, have read in one or the other of the rooms every Sunday. The average attendance every Sunday in 1872-3 was 110, and in 1873-4, 138. The Sunday showing the largest attendance in the year just closed is January 31, when 333 persons used the two rooms-148 the upper, 185 the lower. It is a fact that more persons used the lower room, which contains newspapers the past year, than used the upper; whereas, in both previous years that the reading-rooms have been open Sundays, fewer persons have appeared to use the lower room than the upper. The change, however, is largely, if not wholly, in appearance, I think. It is only during the year just ended that an attendant has been kept in the lower room for anything more than an inconsiderable portion of the day, Sundays, and we were careful, in estimating the number of persons who used the room, not to exceed the actual number. It now seems certain that, in our anxiety not to exaggerate the results of the experiment of Sunday use, we made the number of
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users of the lower room too small the first two years. The whole number of persons supplied with books for reading or study, upon application to the officers of the library during the year, is 2,001, against 1,678 in the previous year, and 1,143 in 1872-3. This is an average of 38} persons a Sunday. The average number of persons supplied the year before, is 32 a Sunday, and in 1872-3, 22. Of course, it is understood that the reading furnished upon application by the officers of the library, is additional to that which readers help themselves to, from encyclopædias, dictionaries, papers, reviews and magazines.
The following remarks, made in the last report, apply equally to the year just closed :-
"The great mass of readers last year, as the year before, have sought reading of the lighter kinds, but considerable solid work has been engaged in every Sunday. Recognizing the fact that this is the people's library, we have welcomed heartily all citizens, and aimed to satisfy the humblest tastes, when wholesome."
LOSSES OF THE LIBRARY.
Our accounts indicate that only six books have been lost during the year, and not paid for by the losers. While the loss has been so insignificant, the circulation has been 122,459 volumes. But the accounts of a library do not represent its losses with perfect exactness. An annual examination of a library exhibits further losses. The annual examination of the circulating depart- ment for the past year was made in the Fall. This revealed the fact that seven books besides the six mentioned above are missing. It would seem to the first thought that the whereabouts of every book in the circulating department should be apparent with the aid of our accounts. Thus, every volume belonging to the library, at the beginning of the year, if not on one of the shelves, should, it would seem, be found charged to some user, as at the bindery, or as having been destroyed during the year because worn out. But in practise it is found, in all libraries of any size, that a few volumes disappear every year unaccounted for. This discrepancy is partly to be accounted for by slight inaccuracies in keeping the accounts. Of the seven books found
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unaccounted for on the examination of the library, it is probable that two or three will appear in their places during the year. It may be said in regard to the thirteen books which are missing, that they are all of little intrinsic or money value, or are such as can be readily replaced. It should be remembered, that in a city like ours, there is a considerable floating population during seasons of depression in business, and that this circum- stance makes it hard to keep sight of all our books and prevent losses to the library.
CATALOGUES.
It has long been my wish to introduce improvements into the card catalogue of the Green Library and the intermediate departments. It has not seemed feasible, however to proceed in the matter until the past year. Towards the middle of the year, we took the matter into careful consideration ; and, after collect- ing the results of experience in cataloguing from some of the best cataloguers, gave much thought to the elaboration of a plan adapted to our uses. As a result of our efforts, we hope to have here a catalogue which will embody many of the features of the best catalogues now in use.
We owe much to C. A. Cutter, Esq., Librarian of the Boston Athenæum, for aid in perfecting our plan. I wish you had been as cognizant as I have been, of Mr. Cutter's sympathy and cour- tesy in affording us assistance. I should like to have you share with me the gratitude which I feel for the readiness with which aid has been given us, whenever asked. His services to us have been of great value.
Thanks are also due to Mr. Whitney, the Assistant Superin- tendent and head of the Cataloguing Department of the Boston Public Library, for advice and information.
The plan was decided upon before July 1, and all the books added to the Green Library and the intermediate departments since that date, have been catalogued according to this plan. It is unnecessary to describe the details of the new system. The
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CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 30.
catalogue can be examined and studied by any person interested in the construction of catalogues. It is well, however, to state here, that a marked feature of the plan is to make numerous sub- ject entries. Thorough cataloguing requires a great deal of time. In order to obtain time for work in this department I have dis- continued some items of work in other departments, which can be given up for the present without injury to the library, and have made some rearrangement of the duties of my assistants and myself.
We have just had a case of drawers made and fitted up with various appliances to hold the new card catalogue.
It is proper to mention under the head of catalogues, that two lists of additions to the circulating department have been issued during the year.
ACCOUNT.
SAMUEL S. GREEN, Librarian, in account with the Directors of the FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, for the year beginning December 1, 1874, and ending November 30, 1875.
DR.
To Balance, December 1, 1874, $127 43
" Fines collected during the year, 439 25
" Amount received from sale of Catalogues during the year, 150 94
" Rent,
60 00
" Money received for cataloguing, 66 66
Sundry receipts,
19 79
$864 07
CR.
By Library Service, $804 45
" Balance to new account,
59 62
$864 07
SAMUEL S. GREEN.
Dec. 23, 1875. The above account of the Librarian has been examined by me and found correct.
NATH'L PAINE, Chairman Finance Committee.
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BUILDING.
We are in pressing need of additional room in which to store books.
Plans for utilizing unused space in the upper portions of the library building, and in the basement, have been presented in the reports of the Building Committee for the last year, and the year just closed.
The plans there made seem to me to have been wisely formed, and I earnestly hope that the City Government will see its way clear to adopt them, and provide, at once, room for the natural growth of the library.
Too much delay in making necessary improvements would put us to serious inconvenience, and interfere materially with the proper discharge of our functions as a library.
CENTENNIAL NOTE.
In an appendix, a few pages of printed matter will be found, which have been prepared by your direction for use at the Cen- tennial Exhibition, to be held in Philadelphia the coming Spring. These record certain facts in the history of the library, and indicate what we judge to be its distinguishing features.
CONCLUSION.
In conclusion, I wish to say a word in regard to economy. This has been our watchword during the past year. Its spirit has ani- mated us, also, in laying out the work to be done here the coming year, and in making calculations in regard to the amount of money which we must have to carry out our plans. But there must be a limit to the reduction which can be made in our expenditures, while the use of the library is increasing at the rate shown in the present and last reports. During the past year we have given out 55,604 more books in the circulating library than were given out two years since, and work has also increased im- mensely during these two years, in the reference department, and in the reading rooms.
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CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 30.
Think for a minute what it means to add to our circulation 55,604 volumes. It means that 182 more volumes, on an average, must be selected and charged, must be received back into the library and discharged, every day the library is open. It means a great wear and tear of the books, and the expenditure of much time in repairing and covering them. The increase in the use of the other departments calls for greater vigilance on the part of officers, and for a large expenditure of time in waiting on persons desiring information. Such an increase in the use of the library makes it necessary to add large numbers of books, and to spend money in replacing the best of those which are worn out. It is gratifying, is it not, to find that citizens are employing their leisure tó a larger and larger extent in the use of good books ? Should not this disposition be encouraged ?
Rigid economy should be demanded in the administration of the affairs of the library. Still the aim should be to supply all legitimate wants. There must be rigid economy in expenditures, but the interest felt in the institution must be retained and in- creased, and economy must be limited, when it ceases to be true economy, and interferes seriously with the satisfactory admin- istration of so beneficent an institution as a public library. Bear this in mind, also. An institution such as ours can better be curtailed in its resources in seasons of prosperity, than at the time when citizens most need it, in periods of depression in business. These remarks are not made to induce increased expenditure. We must spend as little as possible while taxes are burdensome. It has been my wish simply to show that very serious results may flow from too great reduction in outlay, and the adoption of a penurious policy.
Respectfully submitted.
SAMUEL S. GREEN,
Librarian.
APPENDIX NO. 1.
LIST OF GIVERS.
Books.
Pamphlets.
Books.
Ot Pamphlets.
Alexander Agassiz,
6
48 Wm. R. Huntington, Libraries :
1
Edward G. Allen, James A. Ambler & Co.,
1
1 Astor Library,
2
American Antiquarian Society,
1 Bigelow Free Public Library, Boston Public Library,
1
American Institute of Mining Engineers,
1 Chicago Public Library,
Amherst College, Susan B. Anthony,
3
City Library, Lowell, Mass,,
William H. Baldwin,
3 City Library, Manchester, N. H.
Phinehas Ball,
1 City Library Association, Springfield,
Charles H. Birbeck,
1
East St. Louis Public Library, Exeter Town Library,
Bowdoin College,
2
Free Public Library, Concord, 1 66 Lawrence,
Brown University,
1
Alexander H. Bullock,
1
66 New Bedford,
P. A. Chadbourne,
5
Lancaster Town Library,
Daniel H. Chamberlain,
1
Charles A. Chase,
2
Mercantile Library Association, N. Y.,
Henry T. Cheever,
8
E. S. Chesbrough,
2
Chipman, Hosmer & Co., Cobden Club, 1
Jeremiah Colburn,
Newton Free Library,
Columbia College,
1
New York State Library, 1
Cornell University,
2 Northboro' Free Library, Providence Athenæum,
E. B. Crane,
1
P. Cudmore,
1
Public Library, Fall River, 66
1
M. V. Dahlgren,
1
Dartmouth College,
1
66
66 Waltham,
G. Deuerlich,
1 1
Warren County Library, Monmouth, Illinois,
Charles H. Doe,
1
Drew, Allis & Co.,
3
Edward Earle,
Pliny Earle, Sarah F. Earle,
6 1
1 Geo. E. McNeill, 30 Henry A, Marsh, Massachusetts, State of 15
John Eaton, Jr.,
Estate of James Green,
15
Massachusetts : Board of Edu- cation, 2
Stephen S. Foster,
2 Bureau of Statistics of Labor, 1 State Board of Health, 1
2
Andrew H. Green,
1 Massachusetts Board of Agri- culture, 1
Samuel S. Green,
2
Hartford Young Men's Institute, S. F. Haven, 1
2 Massachusetts State Normal School, Worcester,
Hamilton A. Hill,
1
Samuel May,
Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio,
Geo. F. Hoar,
Alexander L. Holley,
J. W. Holmes, Elmer P. Howe,
Charles Hudson,
19 1
3 H. M. Paine, Peabody Institute, 5 Phillips Exeter Academy, 1
1 2 4
5 1 1
1
3 2
Emory Banister, 1
Boston Y. M. C. Union,
1
1 1 1 3 1 1
1 2
Pliny E. Chase,
1
Mercantile Library Association, San Francisco, Mercantile Library Company, Philadelphia,
2 1
1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Watertown Free Public Library, Woburn Town Library, 2 F. McCrelish & Co.,
Estes & Lauriat,
1
Geo. E. Francis,
1
1 1 3 1
1 Library of Congress, Mass. State Library,
1
Talbot W. Chambers,
1 Chicopee Town Library,
1
9 1
C. P. Morrison, 1 Museum of Comparative 44 Zoology,
Taunton,
Julius Dexter,
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CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 30.
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