USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > Cincinnati, the Queen City, 1788-1912, Volume II > Part 54
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In 1858 and 1859 the tax was again imposed, and the school report for 1859 said, "This recent appendage of our schools proves more and more useful and popular as it becomes better known." March 10, 1860, the part of the act of 1853 that related to the assessment of taxes for the purpose of furnishing and increasing school libraries and apparatus was repealed. The report of 1860 said, "Henceforth the excellent public library in the possession of the city must stand upon the favor of our citizens."
At that time the contents of the library numbered 22,648 volumes, besides the more than 3,000 books of the Ohio Historical Society.
In 1861 and 1862 Mr. King appealed to the public earnestly for financial aid for the library, as state help had been cut off. Money was needed for new books and rebinding old, and for other expenses. There was but little response to these appeals.
In 1864, Messrs. Sargent, Wilson and Hinkle, the school book publishers, do- nated the sum of $500 toward replenishing the library, a gift which was cordially acknowledged by Mr. King in his annual report.
At this time the circulation fell off to a marked degree, a fact attributed by the librarian "to the absence of so many of our habitual readers in the army."
During this year, Mr. E. M. Shield concluded a donation of five hundred volumes.
On account of laxity in the observance of rules a great many volumes had been lost. A change had come in the class of juvenile books in demand, so that many on the shelves were now useless. There was a general decline in the use- fulness of the library.
At this point, April 22, 1866, Lewis Freeman became librarian. For the year 1866-67 the library committee was composed of the Rev. J. M. Walden (a noted Methodist divine, now bishop,) James F. Irwin, Herman Eckel, Robert Brown, Jr., and Thomas L. Harper. The chairman, Dr. Walden, proved a man of good business tact and sense, and the committee set itself to work to bring about the much needed improvement of the library.
The librarian made successful appeals to the public and received subscrip- tions of about $5,000. A measure was presented to the general assembly, result- ing in legislation that created a fund for the support and increase of the library.
Second period. The legislation referred to was the passage March 18, 1867, by the general assembly of Ohio, of an act "To provide for the enlargement and maintenance of the school library in cities of the first and second class." April 3, 1867, an act was passed "to authorize boards of education in certain cities to constitute standing committees for the management of libraries under their control."
The expenses of maintaining the library, outside of the cost of books, was always borne by the board of education from its general contingent fund until the passage of a further act April, 1898.
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The library tax authorized under the law of 1867 secured for the purchase of books, it being limited to that, about $13,500 annually.
The restoration of public aid in 1867 placed the library upon a sound foot- ing, at least as to books, and started it upon a career which made possible its present success.
In 1868, there was to be sold at sheriff's sale a property on the west side of Vine street, near Seventh, that had been designed as an opera house. It stood upon a lot eighty feet front on Vine street, the north line being about one hun- dred feet south of Seventh street, by one hundred and ninety feet deep to Col- lege street. The enterprise had failed, and the property was deemed very de- sirable for a public library, location and everything being considered. Subse- quently it was purchased by the committee for the sum of $83,000, one-third of which was paid in cash, according to the terms of sale, and notes given for the balance of the purchase money. There had been expended in improvements upon the lot by the previous owner more than $50,000, most of which could be made available for the new library building. The report said, the lot, if vacant, was worth much more than the committee paid for the lot and improvements to- gether.
Plans for the new library were prepared by James W. Mclaughlin, architect, and consisted of three buildings, a front, an intermediate and a rear building. The front building, which the former owner had nearly completed, was easily changed for library purposes. The main library hall was to occupy the rear building. It was to be one hundred and five feet long, seventy-five feet wide and fifty-five feet high. Around this hall were to be five tiers of alcoves, reach- ing to the ceiling, and so arranged as that all of them would be properly lighted and could be easily approached. The report said: "When completed this will be the finest and most imposing library hall in the United States." It was to be fireproof.
The report of 1870 showed that the number of books in the library was 22,- 537, and the circulation was 50,058.
This report recites the resignation of Mr. Freeman, the librarian, and the election of "Mr. William F. Poole, late librarian of the Boston Atheneum, and well known for his bibliographical attainments." He entered upon his duties November 5, 1869. The selection of that master librarian was one of the best strokes of library policy ever made by the board of managers of the public library. Mr. Poole at once recommended and put into effect the admirable card catalogue system for the library.
Third period-The library was opened in the front portion of the new build- ing December 9, 1870. The portion occupied was but the vestibule or outwork of the massive and fireproof building which was being erected in the rear and would be the main depository of books. The library room on the second story was eighty by thirty feet; it is now the newspaper room.
By a vote of the board of education February 27, 1871, the library was opened on Sundays for reference only. The circulation steadily and rapidly increased in the new building. In the old building it averaged about one thou- sand volumes per week. In a short time it reached over four thousand per week. .
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In 1872, 14,070 volumes and 2,072 pamphlets were added to the library, the total number then being 49,636, which included the library of the Cincinnati Hos- pital and the Theological and Religious Library.
Mr. King, chairman of the board of managers, said, "Each year's develop- ment of this library had been followed invariably by a responsive interest and seeking for its enjoyment by all classes of people."
There were nineteen persons employed in the library ; twelve on duty during the day and seven in the evening. The circulation for home reading was 190,880.
The fitting up of the southeastern room in the third story for the deposit and consultation of illustrated books was the beginning of the present noted art rooms.
While the library grew and improved greatly under the administration of Mr. Poole, he did not remain to witness its entry into the main building, for Chicago, recognizing his worth and merit, drew him away to take charge of a great public library of that city, then in its infancy, and the board reluctantly parted with him. In his place, Mr. Thomas Vickers was elected and assumed his duties January 1, 1874. He had high qualifications for the office, a broad and liberal culture, administrative ability of high order, excellent business capacity and a most comprehensive knowledge of books in general.
Fourth period-February 25, 1874, the main building was dedicated, the Hon. George H. Pendleton delivering the address of the occasion. It was then the most imposing library building in the country. But in the course of the years since this country has seen spring up from the east to the west and from the north to the south many finer buildings and many more convenient and better adapted to library service; many more costly, as the Congressional at Washing- ton, the Boston, the Newberry, the Chicago Public, and others.
On the occasion of the dedication, the building committee presented a com- prehensive report regarding the purchase of the lot and the construction of the new building. The total cost was, Main (rear) building, $237,480.82; front building, $59,203.71 ; lot and interest, $86,910.00; total $383,594.53.
This total cost was paid out of the regular annual income of the board of education, commencing with the purchase of the lot in 1868. There was no bonded indebtedness incurred on account of the new library.
The newspaper room was opened January 1, 1875.
Mr. Vickers made the first suggestion of branch libraries, or "deliveries of books in the outlying districts of the city." But it remained for the board of trustees in 1899 to establish delivery stations. Now all Hamilton county is pro- vided with these stations.
In 1878 the library had increased to 100,621 books and 11,229 pamphlets. The total use was 761,669. Borrowers had increased to 34,979. Large addi- tions were made to the scientific collection. The library was fortunate in secur- ing complete sets of the transactions and proceedings of the principal academies of science in Europe; for instance those of Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, Paris, St. Petersburg, and Vienna, amounting to about 1,000 volumes. It received also a grant of the British specifications of patents, amounting to some 4,000 volumes. The volumes are still received, the British government making the library a pres- ent of the same, the only cost to the library being the binding.
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June 10, 1879, a branch library was opened in Cumminsville, with some five thousand volumes upon the shelves, a subscription for rent, fuel and light having been obtained.
Timothy Kirby, a pioneer settler of Cumminsville, left a bequest from which the board received $12,000. Sarah Lewis also made a bequest. These two were the only bequests ever made to the library.
Mr. Vickers, having been appointed rector of the University of Cincinnati and professor of history in the academic department, resigned as librarian Jan- tary I, 1880 and Mr. Charles W. Merrill was elected librarian.
Mr. Merrill made the suggestion which brought about the publication of the finding list of 1884. He also furthered a plan for speeding the delivery of books. In 1882 the branch library at Cumminsville was closed and the books returned to the library. At this time the librarian had forty-four assistants. The report for 1884 showed a use of the library aggregating 730,544 books, pamphlets and newspapers.
In 1886, Mr. A. W. Whelpley was elected librarian. In 1888 the circulation increased to 852,151. In June of that year the circulation of current magazine literature was begun. The monthly sixteen page bulletins of new books, which had been so issued prior to 1889, were changed to quarterly issues of thirty-two pages in that year.
Mr. Whelpley in 1890 broached the subject of a new building "which shall be adapted in every way to our increasing library work."
Fifth period-In 1891, the library contained 167,735 books, 23,218 pamphlets. The total circulation was 408,083.
Mr. Whelpley suggested that the residents of the suburbs be entitled to draw books from the library and enjoy its full privileges.
But on account of financial straits at the time improvements seemed to be out of the question.
The matter of extending the privileges of the library throughout the county was brought up from year to year by Mr. Whelpley, until 1897. Then W. T. Porter prepared a bill to be presented to the legislature which would cover the case. The bill provided for a separation of the library from the Board of Edu- cation, so that the library board should have complete control of the library and of the funds set apart for its maintenance, and that the privileges of tlie library should be extended to the residents of the county at large. A levy upon the county duplicate was provided for, to be certified by the library board to the county auditor, the proceeds to be kept in the county treasury subject to the draft of the library board, and an appointment by the judges of the common pleas court of one trustee to take the place of the Board of Education.
The provision for a county levy necessarily took the matter out of the hands of the Board of Education of the school district of Cincinnati.
The bill was approved by the library board and ordered to be presented to the legislature, with a request for its passage. The Board of Education, after un- derstanding that the measure would relieve its funds of the annual drain for the expenses of the library and that the effect would be to leave in the funds of the board all the money which theretofore had been taken to pay the general
ORMSBY MACKNIGHT MITCHEL Founder of Cincinnati Observatory
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expenses of the library, finally recommended the bill. Being thus supported, the act passed the general assembly April 21, 1898.
The privileges of the library were at once extended to the residents of Ham- ilton county, although the board did not realize from the county levy until the be- ginning of 1899. In view of this latter fact it became necessary for the Board of Education to provide from their general fund for the maintenance of the library until January 1, 1899. At that date, a complete separation took place between the library and the Board of Education, and the library passed into the sole control of the Board of Trustees.
Sixth period-In June, 1898, the board organized under the new law by the election of W. T. Porter as president; Thomas P. White, vice president; L. L. Sadler, treasurer, and James A. Green, secretary.
As the Board of Education had provided by the transfer of the book fund into the general fund $35,000 for the expenses of the library until January, 1899, the trustees were now in a position to act at once as they should deem best for the public service.
In view of the transference of the fund referred to, the board, on July 21, 1898, passed the following resolution : "Resolved, That a levy of two tenths of one mill on each dollar valuation of the taxable property of Hamilton county, Ohio, be made for library purposes, under the act of the general assembly of Ohio, passed April 21, 1898, and that the president and secretary of this board are hereby authorized to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the auditor of Hamilton county, Ohio."
The county duplicate was $238,096,690.
The trustees now determined that they would thoroughly post themselves upon the practical workings of other libraries. The trustees directed the pres- ident and the librarian to attend the annual conference of the American Library Association, held at Lakewood, July 5-10, 1898. To that conference, and to the insight of library work and library methods received at that time, the Cincin- nati Library of today owes much of its progress.
Upon the return of these delegates, the trustees determined upon an inspec- tion trip of the principal libraries of the east, in order to post themselves and prepare for the introduction of contemplated improvements in the library. On August 23, 1898, Messrs. Porter, Sadler, West, Hopkins, Mithoefer, and Libra- rian Whelpley started upon their inspection trip, which included visits to the libraries at Cleveland, Buffalo, Boston, Lowell, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Pittsburgh, spending some two weeks in search of information.
The conclusions and recommendations made were that, the charging system should be changed, and the book slip and book pocket adopted; a public card catalogue should be prepared; club assistance should be given by way of card catalogue; two books, one of fiction, should be allowed to be drawn by each borrower; a library school should be established; magazines should be covered and placed in racks for the free use of readers, without request or slip; branch libraries and delivery stations should be established as soon as possible; a children's room should be opened, furnished with suitable books, and the chil- dren should be allowed to draw and return the books in that room.
The library committee recommended the adoption of the system of delivery in use in the public library at Buffalo; to issue two books on a card at one time, Vol. II-28
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one only to be a work of fiction; to place the delivery room on the second floor in the present periodical room, and to enlarge the elevator facilities ; to build a room over the present periodical room to be used for the same purpose ; to in- stitute what is called a children's department, in which all the juvenile literature can be placed, and in which books can be drawn and returned; the room to be under the charge of a competent attendant, who will be able to guide the selection of books, and that a suitable catalogue be prepared for its use.
Contracts were accordingly made for the building of a new periodical room and for a new elevator.
In January, 1899, the board instructed the committee on branch libraries and delivery stations to visit St. Louis and Chicago to obtain information re- garding delivery stations in those cities and report as soon as practicable. At that time Chicago had fifty-seven stations in operation and St. Louis thirty-five; in those cities the delivery was limited to the city boundaries, while in the case of the Cincinnati Library the delivery includes the limits of the county of Ham- ilton, which is nearly twenty-five miles square.
The committee on its return recommended that the system of delivery sta- tions in use in Chicago be adopted for use in Cincinnati, with the exception of their wagon deliveries,-a special contract. They recommended a contract for delivery with one of the suburban delivery companies, or the street railway com- pany, or both. They further recommended that the station keeper be paid one cent per volume for the first thousand books, and one half cent thereafter. The board adopted the committee's report and ordered a room in the rear library building on College street prepared for the department.
Mr. W. A. Hopkins, who had been a member of the board since 1891, re- signed his position on the Board of Trustees, to accept the position of super- intendent of the delivery station department. The success of the department was largely due to Mr. Hopkins' careful oversight of every detail connected with it.
June 10, 1899, fifteen delivery stations were put into operation, a contract having been made with the Cincinnati and Suburban Delivery Company for the carriage of the books between the central library and the different stations.
Just as the library was getting accustomed to the new order and everything under the changed system was beginning to work smoothly Librarian Whelpley died, February 19, 1900 at his home in Clifton. He had been librarian since No- vember 26, 1886. Assiduous in his attention to duty and zealous in his many good works, he had made himself felt as a power in the community.
On April 20, 1900, the board chose as the new librarian Nathaniel Dana Carlile Hodges. Mr. Hodges is of the class of 1874 of Harvard University. He spent two years in the study of physics and chemistry at Heidelberg, and taught physics at Harvard for some time after his return. He was elected a fellow of the American academy of arts and sciences in 1879; a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in the following year, and a fellow of the same society in 1882. For a period of ten years following 1883 he was editor of the well known publication Science. After terminating his connection with that magazine, in 1895 he entered library work with the New York Public Library in the Astor collection. In 1897 he was elected by the corporation of
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Harvard University to a life position in the library of that institution. He is a member of the American Library Association.
The library has never been the recipient of large gifts, comparable to those made to other worthy institutions in the city. The total donations to the library reach only $32,300. It is in need of a liberal benefactor.
CARNEGIE BRANCH LIBRARIES.
In 1902, an offer was made by Mr. Andrew Carnegie of $180,000 for the building of six branch libraries. For a time the acceptance of this offer was halted by legal technicalities, but later satisfactory arrangements were made, and several of these Carnegie branches have been constructed and others are under way.
In July, 1902, the public library of Cincinnati was made a depository for the Congressional library catalogue. The result is that there is being accumulated, in card form, a catalogue of all the books in the Congressional Library, from which library any one entitled to the use of the public library of Cincinnati is privileged to draw books at any time. This is a matter of great importance and convenience to the public, as costly books, which it is not to the interest of the library here to purchase, can be procured at any time by readers. It is certainly a great privilege to have access to the books of the great Congressional Library, without cost to the borrower.
It is also true that arrangements have been made by our librarian with other great libraries throughout the land, so that, under conditions, it is possible for the citizens of Cincinnati to draw upon the shelves of many of the other important public libraries throughout this country.
In 1902 six branch libraries were in operation, viz: Wyoming, Madisonville, Lockland, Pleasant Ridge, Harrison and Hartwell. In addition to these branches there were in use, as part of the public. library of Cincinnati, forty-two delivery stations, twenty traveling libraries, thirty-six firemens' libraries, thirteen school deposit libraries.
Since February, 1901, the story hour has been conducted each Saturday morning, lasting from forty-five to sixty minutes. Stories have been read or told to the children in attendance, stories which have been not only entertain- ing but likely to arouse a deeper interest in good literature.
BOOKS FOR THE BLIND.
Requests are constantly received from other cities for information in regard to what has been accomplished for the blind, at the public library of Cincinnati. In some cases this information has given the initiative to like movements else- where. The public library houses the books and furnishes rooms for the read- ings and entertainments, but credit for the success of the work belongs to the subscribers of money who have made it possible to carry it on; to the regular readers, who are now giving six readings each week; to the substitutes, who make certain that these readings are continuous; to the guides, who kindly conduct to and from the library those who have no one upon whom they can call for.
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such service; to those who read music to the blind; to others who have given special readings or musical entertainments or have helped in visiting; and to the secretary of the library society for the blind, Miss Georgia D. Trader, and her sister, Miss Florence B. Trader, who devote all their time to its interests
An index of the appreciation by the blind of what has been done for them is given by the number of free rides supplied in one year by the different street railway companies: from the Cincinnati Traction Company 10,775 tickets ; from the Cincinnati Interurban Company 602; from the Cincinnati, Dayton & Toledo Traction Company 18 passes ; from the South Covington & Cincinnati Street Rail- way Company $90.00 for use in paying fares. Since the teaching was begun in July, 1901, 74 have been taught to read, 6 have been taught to read music, 31 have been given instruction in writing, 70 have been supplied with writing boards, 29 have been taught to thread needles, 55 decks of cards have been distributed, and 9 have been reported for pensions.
In February, 1903, Mr. William A. Procter purchased Clovernook, the former home of Alice and Phoebe Carey, and gave it in trust to the Misses Trader as a home for the blind. While this is an independent charity it is a direct outgrowth of what has been done at the library.
In February, 1903, the board, acting on this offer of Mr. Carnegie decided to erect a $40,000 building on the lot on Walnut Hills and invited competitive plans and specifications from nine prominent architects. In course of time plans were received from all of above, also from others not invited, under their respective noms de plume. After long and tedious work the board selected the plan sub- initted by Messrs. Mclaughlin & Gilmore. After some changes, which were found to be necessary, bids for the building under these plans and specifications were invited and are now pending.
The city of Norwood expecting a gift of $40,000 from Mr. Carnegie for a library petitioned the board for an annual sum sufficient to maintain same. As part of Norwood's taxes go to the public library fund, the board granted a sum of $4,000 per year for this purpose, in case the sum above mentioned is donated by Mr. Carnegie and provided that the library of Norwood he under the sole con- trol of the board of trustees of the public library of Cincinnati.
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