1903-Annual Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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109 Upon consulting these guides, which will be as complete as possi- ble, it will be a very simple matter for one to find the book or class of books desired. It is hoped, too, that with the coming year steps may be taken to circulate books through the schools to those children living on the outskirts of the town who find it difficult to use the library now. This problem of reaching the outlying districts has been solved in many towns by the establishment of travelling libraries in the school rooms, and I feel assured, that with the cooperation of our teachers, it will prove a success here. Perhaps the step which has been watched with the greatest inter- est is that of the morning opening of the library. Beginning with July 20 the library was open from 9 to 12 a. m. I will not dwell upon this step because the statistics given elsewhere in the report speak for themselves. GENERAL USE OF THE. LIBRARY. The total number of volumes loaned for home reading, from the main library was 27,002 volumes; from the branch library 3,097 volumes, making a total 80,099 volumes delivered for home reading. Of this number 2,505 volumes were circulated through the branch, which with the 3,097 volumes circulated from the shelves there, makes a total home circulation through the branch of 5,602 vol- umes. It is almost impossible to keep any record of books used in the reference and reading roNms. Indeed, all attempts prove very un- satisfactory, but so far as we have done so, our records show 3,564 volumes which with 38 volumes used at the branch makes a total of 3,602 volumes used only for reference. Added to the home circu- lation of 30,099 we have a total of 33,701 volumes. ITO The number of families using the library and branch is 685. New resident cards taken out number 84. To the temporary list of borrowers we have added 69 cards. At the branch the plan has been adopted of circulating all maga- zines but those of the current month. This plan has proved very popular and will be continued. The number circulated was 205. INCREASE OF THE LIBRARY. The library now numbers (Dec. 31, 1903) 22,277 volumes of which there are : At the main Library, At the branch, To the main library there have been added 796 volumes : By purchase, By gift, By binding periodicals, To the branch library have been added 75 volumes : By purchase, By gift, By binding periodicals, 19,083 2,194 22,277 667 61 68 49 11 15 Total accessions for 1903, All gifts have been duly acknowledged. 796 75 871 Vols,