USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Town annual reports of the several departments for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1886 > Part 8
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The largest daily delivery from the main library was on Feb. 13, 1886, 1,363 volumes. Smallest daily delivery April 6, 1886, 261 volumes. The increase in the use of books in the reference department has been very marked, the number delivered for use the last year having been 62,176, as against 43,414 in the year 1881, and 27,694 in the year 1876. The use of books by scholars and teachers has continued to increase and a new feature in the Library-work for their benefit has been the deposit of a small number of books of that class which would be most useful to the scholars and teachers in the rooms of the four upper grades of schools occupying the Dix street Grammar school Building ; this experiment has worked most successfully and has been most
152
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 41.
highly commended by the Principal and Teachers in said school and an extension of the same plan is recommended by the Librarian.
The Library Committee ask the City Government to appropriate the sum of $4,000 the present year to be expended for books for the general public and $1,000 additional for school purposes, which request has been approved by the Board of Directors.
The Reading-rooms are open every day and evening of the week except on Sundays when they are open from 2 to 9 P. M.
One hundred and fifty newspapers and one hundred and twenty- four magazines are provided for the free use of our citizens. The average number of persons using the rooms on Sunday is 270; during the other days of the week the rooms are frequently crowded. The principal of the Reading-room fund is $10,812, the income thereof the past year was $437.48, and the expendi- tures for newspapers and periodicals were $847, the balance above the income of the Reading-room fund having been paid from the appropriation for the Public Library.
The principal of the Green Library Fund is now $42,012, the income thereof during the year was $2,160.86. By the terms of the will of Dr. John Green, one-fourth of the income of said fund, is to be forever annually added to the principal, and three- fourths of the income of said fund, till the fund reaches the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, is to be applied to the pur- chase of books for consultation and reference, to be used only in the library building.
The number of books added by purchase to the Green Library during the past year has been 541, many of them rare and valuable.
The report of the Building Committee states that very little money has been expended on the building during the past year, but that it will be necessary to expend $500 during the next year for ordinary repairs and replacing some of the old radiators, by those of more modern construction. It will be necessary to fit up another room in the basement to accommodate the circulating library, the expense of which is estimated by the Superintendent of Public Buildings at $500. When this room has been filled with books there will be no more space available for future addi- tions to the circulating library.
153
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The Building Committee, the Library Committee, and the Librarian all express the most decided opinion that it is necessary at once to secure additional land, and to take immediate measures to enlarge the library building, in which opinion the Board of directors concurs, and they trust that the City Government will at an early day take favorable action to this end.
From the report of the Finance Committee it appears that the receipts of the Free Public Library for the past year from the City appropriation, the dog license money and other sources were $16,041.52, and the amount of expenditures the same, full details of which are given in the report of the Committee.
The Directors ask an appropriation for the requirements of the Free Public Library for the ensuing year, of the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, which is the least sum that in their judgment is required for all the many necessary expenditures, while making only a very moderate provision for the purchase of books. Full details of the estimated expenditures are set forth in the Report of the Finance Committee.
The Directors feel that considering the freedom and useful- ness of the Library to all classes of our citizens, the amount of the appropriation asked for is very moderate compared with ap- propriations asked by many other departments.
The report of the Standing Committees, together with the re- port of the Treasurer of the Reading Room, and the very full and interesting report of the Librarian, are herewith transmitted ; they state very fully and clearly the work of the last year.
The Librarian and his assistants have continued to aid in every way all who resort to the Library for information and investiga- tion, and all the duties of their several positions have been satis- factorily performed.
In behalf of the Directors,
FRANCIS H. DEWEY,
President.
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN
OF THE
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
To the Hon. Francis H. Dewey, President of the Board of Directors of the Free Public Library :
I herewith present the twenty-seventh annual report of the Librarian. It is the sixteenth which I have prepared.
The tables 'which usually form a part of this report will be found at its close. They show the receipts and expenditures of the library, its accessions, the number of volumes used by readers and students and the extent of the use of the reading-rooms on Sunday, and record such other facts in the history of the library the past year as it is our custom to call attention to.
There has been a considerable increase in the use of the refer- ence department the past year. It is interesting to note occa- sionally the growth in the use of this department. Sixteen years ago it was not used at all. The figures which represent its use during the last sixteen years are as follows: 7,321, 12,408, 15,672, 20,550, 22,833, 27,694, 27,694, 30,079, 34,311, 40,866, 43,414, 48,846, 52,305, 57,497, 58,036 and 62,176. In making a comparison between the record of the year now reported on and that of the carlier years, in which present plans were used, it should be borne in mind that there has not only been a large. increase in the number of volumes used in the reference depart- ment from year to year, but that the character of the books. used has changed.
155
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
Whereas when the new plans were adopted we had room enough to give out large numbers of volumes of illustrated papers and stories to be examined within the building, for several years past we have had to restrict users of the reference depart- ment to an almost exclusive use of books needed for study and serious reading.
The use of the papers, magazines and reviews to be found in the Green Library room is not included, of course, in the number of volumes reported as representing the use of volumes in the reference library room.
For the first time during several years there appears a falling off in the use of the circulating department. The number of volumes given out the past year is larger, however, than that of the year before the last and is still very large. The decrease may readily be accounted for by the gratifying fact that men and women have been more generally at work the past year than they were the year before.
The whole number of volumes given out to readers and stu- dents the past year is 199,319. This use is divided among the different departments as follows : Circulating department 136,745; reference department 60,725; Sunday reference use 1,849.
14,062 persons have used the reading-rooms on Sunday as against 12,958 last year.
The use of books by scholars and teachers, in the library building and in the school-houses, continues to increase. 800 volumes belonging to the library are in use in the different school-rooms of the city, on the average, every day that the schools are in session besides those in the special libraries imme- diately to be spoken of.
Some new experiments in work done by the library for schools have been successfully tried the past year.
At the beginning of the school year, last September, a small library of the books that would be most useful to the scholars and teachers it was designed to aid was put into the room of each of the four upper grades of schools occupying the Dix street gram- mar school building.
156
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 41.
These libraries are to remain there at present. Additions will be made to them occasionally, and books which cease to be of value for school uses will be returned to the general library. It was thought that if the teachers could have a considerable num- ber of books always at hand, the studies of the schools could be pursued to greatly increased advantage.
This has proved to be the case and the teachers in the rooms of the Dix-street School-house, which have been provided with libraries, are enthusiastic in their expressions regarding the ben- efit they have been to themselves and the scholars in doing school work.
I am inclined to think, too, that the enthusiasm and intel- ligence displayed by the principal and his assistants in the use of the books placed at their disposal has been such that not only have they been found of great value as aids in study, but also, that the teachers, by means of them, have practically controlled the home reading of the scholars under their charge and turned it into good channels. This latter work has been accomplished without the exertion of force and without interference with the natural impulses of, pupils. It has been done by the simple means of exciting an interest in a subject and then giving the scholar a book to satisfy the desire for knowledge awakened, or by creating an interest in some book by pointing out the enter- taining features in it. It is noticeable, but not surprising, that parents, also, like to read the books provided for their children.
I have received the following report from the Principal of the Dix-street school in regard to the use of the libraries in the School-house between the dates of September 6 and November 23: 925 volumes were used for home reading, and the books were used for reference certainly 1,451 times and probably 1,651 times. This use of books in the Dix-street School is additional to that of books taken out on Teachers' and Pupils' cards held by the teachers and on cards belonging to individual scholars, or used by them, although taken out by their parents or older brothers and sisters.
It is additional, also, to the use of fifty or sixty copies of Coffin's Boys of '76 and Mrs. Richardson's History of the
157
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
United States furnished to the Principal of the school to enable the scholars in the ninth grade to study the history of the Amer- ican Revolution topically.
The copies of Mrs. Richardson's history having served their purpose in the Dix-street School for the present year will now be furnished to another school, which will use them in reviewing topically the study of the Revolution.
The figures just given are not included in those presented in an earlier portion of this report to show the use of the reference and circulating departments of the library. They ought properly, however, to be added to them, and if we add them and also the home use of the books by Coffin and Mrs. Richardson, called 120, the total use of the reference library would be 62,176, and of the circulating department 137,790. Then adding to these amounts the Sunday use and we should have a grand total of 201,815 as the use for the year of the books of our library, sup- posing, which is far from being the case, that the books taken home are only read by one person.
Other smaller experiments besides those already mentioned have been tried with success during the past year for the benefit of the schools, but I will not pause to describe them.
It is gratifying to remark that the plans for aiding schools systematically, which this library was a pioneer in adopting, and which it has been influential in proving to be advantageous and feasible, have during the last few years been finding their way into libraries all over the country in large cities, small cities, and in large and small towns. It would be easy to mention the names of one hundred places in which school work is made a feature and in nearly all libraries the importance of this kind of work is appreciated and such aid as can be given is informally or systematically rendered.
$1,000 will be asked for from the City Government to enable us to continue and add to the facilities now afforded to schools during the year on which we are now entering.
The whole number of volumes in the library is 66,909, an increase during the year of 2,968 volumes. These figures would have been larger if we had not sent away 760 duplicates and
158
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 41.
deducted this number from the numbers representing the total number of volumes in the library and the increase during the year.
The Superintendent of Documents, an officer of the United States Department of the Interior, has established in his rooms a kind of clearing-house for public documents. Libraries and individuals that have duplicates which they have no use for send such documents to him and with them lists of such publications of the government as they need, and an effort is made to supply all library wants in this way.
This library sent 200 volumes of government publications to Washington year before last, and during the past year, as has been stated, 760 volumes.
I shall give away other duplicates the coming year, so as to make as much room as possible for the yearly accessions of books.
Large numbers of books have to be condemned every year, because worn out by use, and taken out of the library.
The City Council will be asked to appropriate $4,000 to buy books with the coming year in addition to the amount asked for to aid in doing a portion of the school work. This is a small sum to use in meeting the reasonable wants of citizens ; such wants as we have led them to believe we are ready to attend to. Investigation increases apace and new subjects arise which excite attention. New books are being continually published treating of fresh subjects of interest, or adding to our knowledge respect- ing matters that are old or regarding them from new points of view. If there is to be life in a library it must constantly buy new books. It must buy, too, no inconsiderable numbers of them.
In my last report there occurred the following passage :
"It is my duty to call the attention of the Board again to the fact that the need for increased quarters for the storage of books and consequently for an enlargement of the library building is imminent. If the consideration of the matter is longer post- poned we shall soon find ourselves seriously inconvenienced."
159
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
I quote these words in order to emphasize them and to add my testimony regarding our needs to that of the Building Com- mittee.
A list of persons and institutions to whom we are in- debted for gifts is appended to this report. Our thanks are heartily given to all the givers. We owe especial gratitude to the Boston Athenaeum and Harvard College libraries for their great kindness the past year, as in previous years, in lending us books for the use of citizens of Worcester.
We have to thank several other libraries, also, for assistance rendered to us.
Following is my account of money collected for fines, etc., with the signatures of the three members of the Finance Com- mittee, which were attached to it after examination of the account by the Committee :-
CITY OF WORCESTER,
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY, December, 1886.
We have examined the Librarian's account from December 1, 1885, the date of the last settlement, and find it stands as follows :-
Cash balance in librarian's hands, December 1, 1885, $206 17
Received for fines,
503 54
from sales of catalogues and lists of books,
96 89
66 from deposits by persons not regularly allowed to take out books,
18 00
from money paid for books lost,
5 25
from the sale of books, waste-paper, etc.,
1 71
Paid in return of deposits,
$11 00
W. S. Barton, City Treasurer,
599 29
$610 29
Balance in librarian's hands, December 1, 1886,
221 27
$831 56
$831 56
FRANCIS H. DEWEY, JONAS G. CLARK, Finance Committee. A. G. BULLOCK,
160
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 41.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
RECEIPTS.
Municipal appropriation,
$12,394 28
Income from invested funds :- Green Library Fund, Reading-room Fund,
$1,659 55
437 48
$2,097 03
Receipts from dog licenses,
3,047 95
fines,
503 54
sale of catalogues,
96 89
Payments for missing and damaged books,
5 25
Sundries (including $7.00 the amount received from de- positors in excess of the amount returned to them),
8 71
$18,153 65
Cash on hand at last report :- Green Library Fund,
$2,552 82
Fines, catalogues, &c.,
206 17
$2,758 99
Reading-room fund (deficit),
20 57
$2,738 42
$20,892 07
EXPENDITURES. BOOK ACCOUNT.
Books :-
Green Library Fund,
$2,502 94
City appropriation,
4,480 09
Periodicals :-
Green Library Fund,
$100 19
City appropriation,
482 42
Reading-room Fund,
437 48
Binding,
1,105 50
BUILDING ACCOUNT.
Repairs and additions,
$200 70
Furniture and fixtures,
50 56
Insurance,
324 46
Fuel,
802 99
Lights,
$6,983 03
$1,020 09
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
161
SALARY ACCOUNT.
Administration (including wages of janitor), Cataloguing, Extra service,
595 83
1,357 03
SUPPLY ACCOUNT.
Printing catalogues,
$152 85
Blanks and stationery,
139 86
Postage,
125 00
Sundries :- Water for elevator, etc.,
$112 30
Printing report,
43 91
Freight (foreign and domestic), expressage and minor running expenses,
276 55
Paper covers (covering paper),
0
$18,991 65
Cash on hand December 1, 1886 :
Green Library Fund,
$1,609 24
Reading-room Fund,
69 91
Money received from fines, sale of catalogues. etc.,
221 27
$1,900 42
$20,892 07
ACCESSIONS.
Increase of volumes by purchase :
Green Library,
-
541
Intermediate department,
566
Circulating department,
2,056
3,163
Increase of volumes by gifts :
Green Library,
1
Intermediate department,
315
Circulating department,
92
Increase of volumes by binding periodicals :
Green Library,
21
Intermediate department,
239
Circulating department,
24
284
408
$5,701 00
$432 76
162
CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 41.
Increase by placing unbound periodicals in the library : Intermediate department, 6
Number of missing volumes restored since last report,
3
Number of volumes withdrawn since last report :
Intermediate department, 760
Circulating department,
116
Number of volumes missing since last report : Circulating department,
20
Net increase for the year,
2,968
Number of volumes in the library as last reported :
Green Library,
21,324
Intermediate department,
15,159
Circulating department,
27,458
63,941
Total number of volumes in the library,
66,909
Increase of unbound pamphlets by purchase : Green Library,
3
Intermediate department,
64
67
Increase of unbound pamphlets by gifts :
Intermediate department,
332
399
Number of unbound pamphlets withdrawn,
97
Net increase for the year,
302
Number of newspapers subscribed for: Reading-room fund and City funds,
109
Number of newspapers given to the Reading-room,
41
Number of magazines subscribed for : Reading-room fund and City funds, 102 Green Library fund, 8
110
Number of magazines given to the Reading-room,
14
3,864
876
896
163
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
CIRCULATION.
Number of days the Circulating department was open,
307
Number of days the Reference department was open, 359
Number of days the lower Reading-room was open, Number of volumes delivered for home use, 365 *136,745
Number of volumes delivered for reference use,
+60,725 ·
Average daily use (home and reference), (Circulating department, 445 ; Reference department, 193), 638
Largest daily use (home and reference), February 13, 1886,
1,363
(Largest in Circulating department, February 13, 1098; in Reference department, January 20, 401).
Smallest daily use (home and reference), April 6, 1886, 261
(Smallest in Circulating department, April 6, 169 volumes; in Refence department, July 21, 24 volumes).
Number of books lost and paid for : Circulating department, 8
Number of books lost and not paid for : Circulating department, 12
Number of books worn out and withdrawn : Intermediate department,
760
Circulating department, 116
876
Number of notices to delinquents,
6,038
Number of volumes bound, 2,370
Number of names registered during the year,
1,585
Total number of names registered (a new registry made July 1, 1873), 28,535
SUNDAY USE.
The Reading-rooms are open from 2 to 9 P. M.
Number of persons using the upper room,
4,531
Number of persons using the lower room,
9,531
Total number,
14,062
Average number of persons, per Sunday, using the rooms,
270
Largest Sunday attendance, November 7,
419
Smallest Sunday attendance, July 4,
102
Number of volumes delivered (for use within the building),
1,849
Average number of volumes delivered per Sunday,
36
SAMUEL S. GREEN,
Librarian.
* Including circulation from branch libraries in Dix-street School-house, 137,790.
t Including use for purposes of reference of the books in the branch libraries in the Dix-street School-house, 62,176.
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CITY DOCUMENT .- No. 41.
APPENDIX.
GIFTS TO THE LIBRARY.
DONORS.
Pamphlets Books.
DONORS.
Books.
Pamphlets
Abbot, George Maurice, Phila- delphia, Pa.,
Alden, John B., New York City, Aldrich, P. Emory,
Alger, William R., Boston,
American Antiquarian Society, 1 sheet, 46 newspapers,
35
American Board of Commission- ers for Foreign Missions, American Forestry Congress, American Institute of Mining Engineers,
1
8 Brown University, Providence, R. I.,
Burbank, Charles H., Lowell,
1 Cambridge, England, Public Free Library,
2 Cambridge, Public Library,
3 Superintendent of Public Schools,
1
14 Cambridge University, Cam- bridge, Eng.,
1 Canfield, Mrs., Penelope S. and Miss Penelope W. S.,
80
Astor Library, New York City, 1
Bacon, George A., Syracuse, N. Y., 1 Baker, Frances M., 1 number of a periodical. 2 1 2 2 1 1
Barrow-in-Furness Free Public Library,
1 Chelsea, Public Library,
1 Chicago Historical Society,
1 Childs, George W., Philadel- phia, Pa.,
20
Christian Association of Cornell University,
Cincinnati, Ohio, Public Library, 4 Clarke, Robert & Co., Cincin- nati, O.
1 1
Birmingham Free Library Com- mittee,
Blanchard, F. S. & Co.,
Bliss, Richard, Newport, R. I., Bodleian Library, Oxford, Eng., Boston, City Council, City Messenger, 3
4
1
Boston, Public Library, School Committee,
1 Boston Society,
1 Boston University,
Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., 2 Bradlee, C. D., Boston,
Brookline, Public Library, Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn,
5 N. Y.,
3 2 1 2 2 1 1 3
1 1 1 1
1 American Ornithologists' Union, American Social Science Asso- ciation,
Andover Theological Seminary, Anonymous, 1 sheet, 3 folded sheets,
Apprentices' Library Company of Philadelphia, Archæological Institute of America,
3 Central Committee for Protect- ing and Prohibiting the Sep- aration of Church and State, New York, 3 folded sheets, Chalmers, Patrick, London, Eng., Chamberlain, Mellen, Boston, Chase, William L.,
Barrows, Samuel J., Boston, Bartlett, William H.,
Berry, John M., 1 newspaper. Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze,
Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Vittorio Emanuele di Roma, Bigelow Free Public Library, Clinton,
1 Columbia College, New York City, Concord, Free Public Library,
1 Concord, N. H., Public Library, 1 Connecticut Agricultural Exper- 1 iment Station, New Haven, Conn.,
1 Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y., Cox, William R., M. C ..
1 5 1
1
2
1 1
4 1 1
FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
DONORS.
Books.
Pamphlets
DONORS.
Books.
Pamphlets
Damon, Mrs. Charles B., Dante Society,
1
Hawley, Goodrich & Co., Hart- .
1 ford, Conn.,
Darling, Charles W., Utica, N. Y.,
1 Heich, John B., Cincinnati, O.,
Heywood, H., Princeton, 1 sheet.
1 Highland Military Academy,
1 Worcester,
1
Hoar, George F., U.S.S., 51 Howland, Henry J.,
18 1 1
Denny, C. C., Leicester,
1 1
1 Huling, Ray Greene, Fitchburg, Huntington, William R., New York City,
Indian Rights Association, 1
1 sheet, 1 folded sheet, 7 fold- ed leaves, 3 leaflets,
17
1 |Jenks, Henry F., Canton,
1
Earle, Sarah F.,
Earle, T. K., Manufacturing Co., Eaton, Thomas E. N.,
3
Enoch Pratt Free Library, Balti- more, Md.,
Estes & Lauriat, Boston,
Ferguson, R. Henry, Newton, Fitchburg Public Library,
1 1
Fletcher Free Library,
Foster, William E., Providence, R. I., 1 part of a newspaper. Friends' Free Reading Room and Library, Germantown, Pa., Fuller, Homer T.,
Furnivall, F. J.,
1 6
Leominster, Town of,
Library Company of Philadel- phia, Pa.,
2
Gibson, A. M., New York City, 1
Gilman, D. C., Baltimore, Md., Glasgow, Edward B.,
1 3
1 Lynn Public Library, McCarty, J. F.,
1
1
2 McClurg, A. C. & Co., Chicago, Ill.,
1
McDonnell Brothers, Chicago, Ill.
1
36 Maimonides Library, New York City, 1
Maine Charitable Mechanics Association Library, Port- land, Me.
2
Malden Public Library,
Manchester, England, City of,
1 Manchester, N. H., City Library,
Hartford Library Association,
Hartford Steam Boiler Inspec- tion and Insurance Co., Harvard University,
1
7
Clerk of the House of Repre- sentatives, 1
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