Library Economy and History.

GENERAL.

Sella collection of mountain photographs, lent by the Appalachian Club. It was followed by an exhibition of paintings, containing examples of the work of many American artists; in February by a collection of original drawings from Outing, Scribner, the Century and Life, and then by the second annual exhibition of paintings and draw

LOCAL.

Boston P. L. The report recently made by Mr. Putnam on the results of allowing free access to the reference books in Bates Hall shows that of the 6000 books shelved there, but 47 were missing, after 11 months' use. Mr. Putnam is thus quoted on the subject: Many, if not most, of these will, I am confident, be found in the stacks, at the bindery, or otherwise misplaced. Taking the account as it stands, it makes the apparent loss only seven-tenths of I per cent. Considering the perfect freedom of access, and the lack of a distinguishing label, this seems to me a very satisfactory result of the experiment of allowing people to help themselves to the books. It will perhaps be noticed that one class has suffered more than any other. Twelve of the missing works are fine art reference books. None of these, however, are of any considerable value. The money value of the lost books, I should say, would be about $50."

Since January 1, the library has been obliged to curtail expenses with a stringent hand, and for the past few months no new books have been purchased. At the beginning of the year the trustees asked for an appropriation of $215,000 to defray the library expenses of 1895, but the city council appropriated only $175,000. The cost of moving, the necessity of employing more help, and the expenses which always follow when a new building is taken possession of, necessitated economy, and after due consideration it was decided to stop the purchase of new publications and refrain from replacing worn-out volumes for the present. Accordingly, since Jan. I no money has been expended for enlarging the branch libraries, and since March I there has been a cessation of purchase of books for the main library. It is not surprising that this policy should have given rise to many complaints; but the only remedy seems to be an additional city appropriation.

Bridgeport (Ct.) P. L. (14th rpt.) Added 2169; total 26,092. Issued, home use 124,175; ref. use 16,506; total 140,681 (fict. and juv. 72 %). Sunday attendance 10,082. New cards issued 1291; total registration 18,509. Receipts, $25.594.79; expenses $13,119.24.

The trustees have decided to adopt the twobook system, "to promote the cause of good reading."

The success of the art department, the opening of which was chronicled in last year's report, has continued unabated. The season began in September with an exhibition of the famous

were over 200 entries, against about 60 last year. An exhibition of the educational work of the Y. M. C. A. followed, in which an ingenious electrical display proved a magnet to many boys and young men, and the season closed with an exhibition of the work of the public schools in drawing, penmanship, and bookkeeping.

Carbondale, Pa. It is proposed to establish a free public library, in Carbondale by turning over the library of the local Young Men's Library Association to the town, to be controlled and conducted as a municipal organization, with a yearly appropriation from the town budget. The full details of the organization have been submitted to the town council for acceptance.

Chicago, Ill. Crerar L. The trustees of the John Crerar Library, on June 15, leased for a term of five years the sixth floor of the Marshall Field building, Wabash avenue and Washington street, to be used for the library. The question of location had been under consideration for some time, and it was decided that the best plan was to lease temporary quarters until the library was thoroughly established. The present rooms are within a block of the new public library building and easily accessible. The necessary alterations will be begun at once, and it is thought that by autumn the library will be in working order and open to the public.

When

Cleveland, O. Western Reserve Univ. On June 18, the corner-stone was laid of the Hatch Library building, given to Adelbert College by Mr. H. R. Hatch, of Cleveland. The building, which is to cost about $30,000, will, it is thought be ready for occupancy by November 1. completed, it will consist of a main building 33 feet by 94 feet, two stories high, with east and west wings, each 27 feet by 37 feet, one story high. The general character of the building will be English Gothic of the 13th century, adapted to the requirements of an American college, and it will be for the books of Adelbert College, and for the use of Adelbert College, the College for Women, and the Case School. The material is to be of Ohio sandstone, rock face, with cut-stone detail. The interior is to be finished in rough-cast plaster, with Georgia pine, and the floors are to have a natural finish. The entrance, in the tower at the angle formed by the main building and the west wing, will be through north and west doors, divided by a deep angle buttress into the entrance and waiting hall.

Danvers, Mass. Peabody Institute L. (28th rpt.) Added 436; total 16,540. Issued, home use 22,070; no record of ref. use kept. New registration 291; total cardholders 1347. Receipts $1100; expenses $1098.74.

Most of the illustrated books have been re

moved from the reading-room, on account of indiscriminate use by the children. The librarian recommends the issue of extra non-fiction cards to all desiring them.

Elmira, N. Y.

Steele Memorial L. The cor

ner-stone of the new Steele Memorial Library building was laid on the afternoon of May 27. The building is given to Elmira by Mrs. Esther Baker Steele as a memorial to her husband, Dr.

Joel Dorman Steele. It was at first intended that the building should be erected jointly by Mrs. Steele and the local Y. M. C. A., to serve as library and association hall, and by 1892 about $40,000 had been raised for this purpose, of which Mrs. Steele contributed $10,000. There were, however, difficulties in the way of the plan, and in 1893 a friendly separation was effected and Mrs. Steele undertook the erection of an independent library building, towards which the Y. M. C. A. gave a site. On September 26, 1893, the Steele Memorial Library Association was incorporated, with a board of II trustees. It is estimated that the building will cost about $35,000, and the fittings and stocking from $25,000 to $30,000 additional. Mrs. Steele has also provided for the endowment of the library after her death.

Fairhaven, Mass. Millicent L. In the summary of the year's work at the library, given in the June L. J. (20:216), the circulation was inadvertently given as 5199 instead of 51,991. As the latter figures are remarkable in a town of 3000 population, we are glad to make the proper correction.

Gloversville (N. Y.) F. L. (15th rpt.) Added 1087; total 12,634. Issued, home use 59,636 ; lib. use 3759; visitors to reading-room 25,103. New cards issued 653.

The two-card system had been in use for one month at the time the report was issued, and during that time 35 "special privilege" cards had been issued and 77 v. drawn on them.

The work of the library with the schools has been "even more successful than in preceding years. It is believed that the teachers have made more general and more systematic use of the resources of the library in supplementing their work drawn by the teachers for this special work. The pupils of all grades have used the library extensively. They are mostly in search of books on collateral reading, and in this way supple

at school. More than 1000 books have been

ment their text-books. Histories and books of

travel are constantly asked for, to enlarge the scope of information in history and geography.

Books on natural history have attracted the younger children, while boys with an inclination to mechanical pursuits have read elementary books on mechanics and electricity, never tiring of information on the steam engine and the electric battery." The age limit has recently been abolished.

"The library has been awake to the interests of the workshop in the same measure as it has endeavored to aid the schools. It contains valuable books on tanning, and will in a short time own all publications pertaining to the leather in

dustry, also techno-chemical receipt books, all of which have been used by a large number of our workmen."

Appended to the report is a "List of books added since January, 1894." (26 p.)

15,104. Issued, home use 63,434 (fict. .79 %); Helena (Mont.) P. L. Added 2528; total ref. room attendance (estimated) 40,000. cards issued 615; total registration 4536.

New

space, increased facilities, and larger appropriaThe most urgent needs of the library are more tions. The strict economy of administration that is necessary seriously retards development.

The librarian says: "Considering the extraordinary demands upon us for books in all branches is quite inadequate. Instead of 15,000 volumes, of learning and industry, the size of our library we should have 100,000. One of the special calls is for books on mining. We are in the need to make large additions to technical midst of a very important mining region, and works on subjects connected with the business

and profession of mining. The sum of $10,000 would be well spent in this one department

alone.

of means, obliged to get along without the ser"From the end of June last we were, for lack vices of our cataloger, to the great disadvantage of the institution. Especially is this so, as the old catalogs are very nearly all sold, and we are unprepared to issue another, even if there were means to pay for the printing."

The library is open on Sundays and holidays, and additional help is much needed. The librarian recommends the purchase of more juvenile books, and an increased circulation of current magazines.

Hoboken (N. J.) P. L. A site for the new library building, for the erection of which $26,000 was recently contributed by several members of the Stevens family, of Castle Point, Hoboken, was selected early in May. The price agreed on is $15,000. Plans for the building will probably be submitted in competition.

the board of trustees held June 14, it was deJersey City (N. J.) P. L. Åt a meeting of cided to ask the concurrence of the board of finance in the purchase of a site for a new library building. The board has in hand the sum of $29,878.74, which has been accumulated for a new building will soon be definitely made. for this purpose, and it is probable that plans The library's present rooms, in a bank building, have been long outgrown, and additional reading-room space as well as more room for books are pressing necessities.

Manchester (N. H.) City L. (41st rpt.) Added 1147; total 38,351. Issued, home use 55,054; lib. use 9873. New cards issued 576; total registration 9660. Receipts $8143.83; expenses $4724.06.

"As we have no reference-room and no quiet room for study, persons who are investigating a subject for which they need many books are invited to make use of the tables in the book-room, and are allowed free access to the shelves. Of the books consulted in this way no account can

conditions of modern life. At the same time it is well to point out that a statement which has appeared in print in regard to the percentage of fiction used in this library ludicrously, though obviously unintentionally, misstates it. ['75 per cent.' This figure has never been reached in this library. The nearest approach to it was in the second year of its history (73 per cent.), but 60.42 is the highest which has been reached in the past 10 years.] The attitude of the library towards the matter, as already stated, is that of interesting itself in the development of reading in other departments, believing that the question of fiction will take care of itself, and this belief is abundantly justified by the experience of the past 17 years.'

"

to be used according to the discretion of the trustees. In the cellar are storage-rooms and heating apparatus.

Schenectady (N. Y.) P. L. The new public library will be in working order within a few months. The erection of shelving is now in progress, and the library room is being fitted and altered. The directors have had much help in their work from Mr. Peck, of the Gloversville Library. Henry Glen is librarian.

Springfield (0.) P. L. (23d rpt.) Added Issued, home use 90,541 767; total 16,830.

Rindge, N. H. Ingalls Memorial L. On June 13 the new Ingalls Memorial Library, given to Rindge by Hon. Rodney Wallace, of Fitchburg, Mass., a native of Rindge, was formally dedicated. It is a memorial to Mr. Wallace's first wife, a daughter of Thomas Ingalls, of Rindge. There was a large attendance at the dedicatory exercises, the business of the town being suspended for the day, and the schools closed. Mr. Wallace formally presented the library to the town with a brief speech, which was responded to by one of the selectmen. The address of the day was by Hon. Ezra Stearns, Secretary of State of New Hampshire; and a short speech was made by S: S. Green, of the Worcester Public Library. Dinner was served to the guests of the day at the hotel and to the general public in the lower town-hall.

In June, 1894, Mr. Wallace offered to build the library, at a cost of not less than $5000, and present building and site to the town, on condition that the town raise $500 within one year after completion of the building, to be used in the purchase of books, a further sum of $1000 to be raised for a permanent fund for books or other expenses.

The building was completed last winter and has been in use for the past five or six months. It is 47 x 40 feet, in the Romanesque style, built of Trenton pressed brick and brown-stone, with base course of granite. An elaborately carved entrance arch leads to a tiled vestibule 10 x 13, from which opens, on the right an art-room, 21 x 12, and on the left a reading-room of the same size. In the rear is the delivery-room and the book-room, with shelving capacity for 8500 V. The second story is devoted to a small hall,

University of State of N. Y., Albany. A library for teachers is soon to be established in the Department of Public Works under the provisions of chapter 546 of the laws of 1895. Its objects and methods are thus set forth in a circular recently issued by the department:

known at the department, or recommended by "Any teacher, or person intending to teach, superintendents or commissioners, may make application for any book named on the list, but must agree to return such book to the department, postage paid, at the end of one month. Blanks will be furnished by the state superintendent for such applications, and the book will be forwarded, postage paid, to the address named. At the end of the month the teacher may return the book, or purchase it by remitting its price to the department. By special arrangement the price will be very near wholesale rates, and will be marked plainly on the second page of the cover of the book, along with other regulations."

Versailles (Ky.) P. L. A. The Versailles Public Library Association, which lost its library by fire in February, has been reorganized. It is the purpose of the new association to establish the library and reading-rooms upon a larger scale than formerly and to place it upon a solid foundation.

Wilkesbarre, Pa. Osterhout F. L. The library board has decided that current numbers of six of the popular periodicals of the day shall hereafter be circulated for home use; they may be kept for four days at a time. Extra non-fiction" cards are also issued to all readers desiring them. Magazines cannot be drawn on these cards. These new rules went into effect July 1.