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SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES
OF THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY
OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON
1922-1923
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1
BOSTON
PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES
1923
SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES
OF THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY
OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON
1922-1923
BOSTON
PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES
1923
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF THE CITY OF BOSTON: PRINTING DEPARTMENT.
MPe ; 6.23,23: 2SC.
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
ON FEBRUARY 1. 1923.
ALEXANDER MANN. President.
Term expires April 30, 1925.
Resigned January 22, 1923.
GUY W. CURRIER. MICHAEL J. MURRAY.
Term expires April 30, 1 923. Term expires April 30, 1 926.
LOUIS E. KIRSTEIN. ARTHUR T. CONNOLLY.
Term expires April 30, 1 924. Term expires April 30, 1 927.
LIBRARIAN.
CHARLES F. D. BELDEN.
ORGANIZATION OF THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
The Trustees of the Pubhc Library of the City of Boston, organized
in 1852, are now incorporated under the provisions of Chapter 1 14, of the
Acts of 1878, as amended. The Board for 1852 was a preHminary or-
ganization ; that for 1 853 made the first annual report. At first the Board
consisted of one alderman and one common-councilman and five citizens at
large, until 1867, when a revised ordinance made it to consist of one alder-
man, two common-councilmen and six citizens at large, two of whom retired,
unless re-elected each year, while the members from the City Council were
elected yearly. In 1878 the organization of the Board was changed to
include one alderman, one councilman, and five citizens at large, as before
1867; and in 1885, by the provisions of the amended city charter, the
representation of the City Government upon the Board by an alderman and
a councilman was abolished, leaving the Board as at present, consisting of
five citizens at large, appointed by the Mayor, for five-year terms, the term
of one member expiring each year. The following citizens at large have
been members of the Board since its organization in 1852:
Abbott, Samuel Appleton Browne, a.m., 1879-95.
Appleton, Thomas Gold, a.m., 1852-56.
Benton, Josiah Henry, ll.d., 1894-1917.
Bigelow, John Prescott, a.m., 1852-68.
Bowditch, Henry Ingersoll, m.d., 1865-67.
BowDiTCH, Henry Pickering, m.d., 1894-1902.
Boyle, Thomas Francis, 1902-12.
Braman, Jarvis Dwight, 1869-72.
Brett, John Andrew, ll.b., 1912-16.
Carr. Samuel, 1895-96, 1908-22.
Chase, George Bigelow, a.m., 1876-85.
Clarke, James Freeman, d.d., 1879-88.
CoAKLEY, Daniel Henry, 1917-19.
Connolly, Arthur Theodore, 1916-
CuRRiER, Guy Wilbur, 1922-
CuRTis, Daniel Sargent, a.m., 1873-75.
De Normandie, James, d.d., 1895-1908.
Dwight. Thomas, m.d., 1899-1908.
Everett, Edward, ll.d., 1852-64.
Frothingham, Richard, ll.d., 1875-79.
Green, Samuel Abbott, m.d., 1868-78.
Greenough, William Whitwell, 1856-88.
Haynes, Henry Williamson, a.m., 1880-94.
HiLLiARD, George Stillman, ll.d., 1872-75; 76-77.
Kenney, William Francis, a.m., 1908-1921.
KiRSTEiN, Louis Edward, 1919-
Lewis, Weston, 1868-79.
Lewis, Winslow, m.d., 1867.
Lincoln, Solomon, A.M., 1897-1907.
Mann, Alexander, d.d., 1908-1923.
Morton, Ellis Wesley, 1870-73.
Murray, Michael Joseph, ll.b., 1921-
Pierce, Phineas, 1888-94.
Prince, Frederick Octavius, a.m., 1888-99.
Putnam, George, d.d., 1868-77.
Richards, William Reuben, a.m., 1889-95.
Shurtleff, Nathaniel Bradstreet, ll.d., 1852-68.
Thomas, Benjamin Franklin, ll.d., 1877-78.
TicKNOR, George, ll.d., 1852-66.
Walker, Francis Amasa, ll.d., 1 896.
Whipple, Edwin Percy, a.m., 1867-70.
Whitmore, William Henry, a.m., 1885-88.
Winsor, Justin, ll.d., 1867-68.
The Hon. Edward Everett was President of the Board from 1852
to 1864; George Ticknor, in 1865; William W. Greenough,
from 1 866 to April, 1 888 ; Prof. Henry W. Haynes, from May 7,
1888, to May 12, 1888; Samuel A. B. Abbott, May 12, 1888, to
April 30, 1895; Hon. F. O. Prince, October 8, 1895, to May 8,
1899; Solomon Lincoln, May 12, 1899, to October 15, 1907;
Rev. James De Normandie, January 31, 1908, to May 8, 1908;
JosiAH H. Benton, May 8, 1908. to February 6, 1917; William F.
KeNNEY, February 13, 1917, to May 7, 1920; Rev. ALEXANDER
Mann, May 7, 1920, to January 22, 1923.
LIBRARIANS.
(From 1858 to 1877, the chief executive officer was entitled Superintendent.)
Capen, Edward, Librarian, May 13, 1852 - December 16, 1874.
Jewett, Charles C, Superintendent, 1858- January 9, 1868.
Winsor, Justin, ll.d.. Superintendent, February 25, 1868 -Septem-
ber 30, 1877.
Green, Samuel A., m.d.. Trustee, Acting Librarian, October 1 , 1 877 -
September 30, 1878.
Chamberlain, Mellen, ll.d., Librarian, October 1, 1878 -Septem-
ber 30, 1 890.
DwiGHT, Theodore F., Librarian, April 13, 1892 -April 30, 1894.
Putnam, Herbert, ll.d.. Librarian, February 11,1 895 - April 30,
1899.
Whitney, James L., a.m.. Acting Librarian, March 31, 1899 -De-
cember 21, 1899; Librarian, December 22, 1 899 - January 31,
1903.
Wadlin, Horace G., LITT.D., Librarian, February 1, 1903 -March
15, 1917; Acting Librarian, March 15, 191 7 -June 15, 1917.
Belden, Charles F. D., LL.B., Librarian, since March 15, 1917.
LIBRARY SYSTEM, FEBRUARY 1, 1923.
Departments,
■fCentral Library, Copley Sq.
tEasl Boston Branch, 276-282 Meridian St. .
§South Boston Branch, 372 Broadway .
IIRoxbury Branch, 46 Millmont St.
■fCharlestown Branch, Monument Sq. . .
tBrighton Branch, Academy Hill Rd. .
JDorchester Branch, Arcadia, cor. Adams St.
JSouth End Branch, Shawmut Ave. and West Brookline St.
■fjcimaica Plain Branch, Sedgwick, cor. South St. .
fWest Roxbury Branch, Centre, near Mt, Vernon St.
tWest End Branch, Cambridge, cor. Lynde St.
JUpham's Corner Branch, Columbia Rd„ cor. Bird St
fHyde Park Branch, Harvard Ave., cor. Winthrop St
tNorth End Branch, 3a North Bennet St.
^Codman Square Branch, Washington, cor. Norfolk St
^Roslindale Branch, Washington, cor. Ashland St.
§Warren Street Branch, 392 Warren St.
§Mount Bowdoin Branch, Washington, cor. Eldon St.
§Station A. Lower Mills Reading Room, Washington St.
Mattapan Reading Room, 7 Babson St.
Neponsel Reading Room, 362 Neponset Ave
AUston Reading Room, 138 Brighton Ave.
Mt. Pleasant Reading Room, Vine, cor. Dudley St.
Tyler Street Reading Room, Tyler, cor. Oak St.
Roxbury Crossing Reading Room, 208 Ruggles St.
Boylston Station Reading Room, The Lamartine, De
pot Sq. .......
Andrew Square Reading Room, 396 Dorchester St.
Orient Heights Reading Room, 1030 Bennington St
23. City Point Reading Room, Municipal Bldg., Broadway
24. Parker Hill Reading Room, 1518 Tremont St.
25. Faneuil Reading Room, 100 Brooks St.
26. Jeffries Point Reading Room, 195 Webster St.
§ •
D.
§ '
' E.
§ •
• G.
t •
• N
t •
* P.
§ •
• S.
§ •
' T.
§ •
' Y
§ *
• Z.
t '
• 23
^Opened.
May 2, 1854
28. 1871
Jan.
May
July.
*Jan..
*Jan..
Jan.
Aug..
Sept..
*Jan. 6,
Feb.
Mar.
*Jan.
Feb.
*Nov.
»Sept.
»Sepl.
»Feb.
June
Dec.
Jan.
Mar. 1 1
Apr. 29
Jan. 16
Jan. 18
I, 1
25.
Nov. 1
Mar. 5
June 25
July 18
July 15
Mar. 4
Oct. 15
872
1873
1874
1874
1874
1877
1877
1880
1896
1896
1912
1913
1914
1919
1919
1922
1875
1881
1883
1889
1892
1896
1897
1897
1914
1901
1906
1907
1914
1921
^ In the case of the Central Library and some of the branches and stations the opening
was in a different location from that now occupied. * As a branch, f J" building
owned by City, and exclusively devoted to library uses. % In City building, in part
devoted to other municipal uses, § Occupies rented rooms. || The lessee of the
Fellowes Athenaeum, a private library association.
CONTENTS.
Report of the Trustees
Balance Sheet .....
Report of the Examining Committee .
Report of the Librarian
Appendix to the Report of the Librarian
Index to the Annual Report 1922-1923
1
10
17
27
61
73
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Central Library: The Platform .
West Roxbury Branch Library .
West Roxbury Branch: Reading Room
Map of the Library System
Frontispiece
Facing page 22
" " 54
At the end
To His Honor, James M. Curley,
Mayor of the Cit]) of Boston.
Sir : — The Board of Trustees of the PubHc Library of
the City of Boston submits herewith the seventy-first annual
report of the progress of the Institution for the year ending
January 31, 1923.
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD.
The Board of Trustees organized for the year on May 12,
1922, by the election of the Reverend Alexander Mann, D.D.,
as President, Mr. Samuel Carr, Vice President, and Miss Delia
Jean Deery, Clerk. Mr. Guy W. Currier was appointed a
trustee for the term ending April 30, 1923, to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of Mr. Samuel Carr. The Rt. Rev. Msgr.
Arthur T. Connolly was reappointed a trustee for the term end-
ing April 30, 1927.
The death of Mr. Samuel Carr on May 29, 1922, ended a
career of long and faithful service on this Board. At a meeting
on June 23, 1922, the Trustees placed upon their records the
following resolution:
By the death of Mr. Samuel Carr, May 29, 1922, the Board of
Trustees of the Pubhc Library of the City of Boston has lost its oldest
member. Mr. Carr was appointed a trustee June 24, 1895, to fill out
the unexpired term of Mr. S. A. B. Abbott who had resigned. He
served until April 30, 1 896, and in June of that year the Trustees placed
upon record the following resolution:
"As Mr. Samuel Carr has ceased to be a Trustee of the Public Li-
brary by reason of the expiration of his term of office, his associates on
the Board desire to express and record their appreciation of his valuable
services. It is therefore
"Resolved, That Mr. Carr, by his faithful and successful discharge
of his official duties, is entitled to the gratitude of the citizens and friends
of the Library.
"Always manifesting deep interest in his trust, he was constant in at-
tending our meetings and ready at all times to perform his share of the
[2]
work. To the many important matters specially referred to his considera-
tion he gave faithful attention, exhibiting therein excellent judgment and
great executive ability.
"His thorough knowledge of business principles and methods enabled
him to render valuable assistance to the Board, and made his work useful
and beneficial.
"Resolved, That the Trustees gratefully accord to him the freedom
of the alcoves, with the customary privileges."
Mr. Carr was again appointed a trustee of the Library May 1 , 1 908,
and served continuously from that date to the time of his death. In Febru-
ary, 1917, he was elected Vice President which office he continued to hold
through the remainder of his career. His term of service therefore ex-
tended over twenty-seven years, almost the lifetime of a generation.
The City which can command a service like this of a man, prominent
in the financial and business world, burdened with many responsibilities,
who gladly gave to the work of the Library the benefit of his business
ability and wise judgment, may indeed count itself fortunate. To his
fellow trustees the death of Mr. Carr means not only a loss to the City,
but a personal sorrow.
Always courteous and considerate, singularly modest and self-effacing,
it is not too much to say that Mr. Carr through his long term of service
endeared himself to every member of the Board. With all his gentleness
of manner and speech there was also a quiet courage in standing always
for what he felt to be the highest interests of the Library. He has left to
the City which he loved a fine example of unselfish and efficient service
and to his friends of the Library Board a happy memory which they will
ever cherish.
Resolved, That this minute be placed upon our records and that a copy
be sent to Mrs. Carr and also to the press.
On October 20, 1922, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Arthur T. Con-
nolly was elected Vice President of the Board to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of Mr. Samuel Carr.
Later in the year the Board was faced with another loss in the
resignation of the Reverend Alexander Mann, D.D., its Presi-
dent, who had been elected Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Dr. Mann was first appointed a trustee of the
Library by Mayor George A. Hibbard on May 25, 1908, to
fill out the unexpired term of the Reverend James DeNormandie,
D.D., who had resigned, the term ending on April 30, 1910.
He was reappointed by Mayor James M. Curley, and again
reappointed by Mayor Andrew J. Peters, for a term ending
April 30, 1925. Since May 20, 1920, Dr. Mann has been
[3]
President of the Board. The Trustees have placed upon their
records the following resolution relative to Bishop Mann's re-
tirement :
The resignation of the Reverend Alexander Mann, D.D., as a trustee
of the Boston Public Library, ends fourteen years of generous service to
the city he loved so well. He was for several years President of this
Board. His departure from us supplies a fitting moment in which to
record our appreciation of the value of his dihgent and faithful work as
a member of this Board.
Dr. Mann was a loyal associate, prominent in the life of the community,
interested in public affairs, and intensely and assiduously devoted to all
matters that related to the welfare of the Boston Public Library, which
he regarded as one of the city's finest jewels. We shall ever fondly
remember his frank sincerity, his charming manner and the strength of
character which made up his splendid personality.
Voted, that Bishop Mann be accorded the freedom of the alcoves, and
that this expression be placed upon the records of the Board, and a copy
thereof transmitted to Bishop Mann, with assurances of our most dis-
tinguished consideration and respect.
RECEIPTS OF THE LIBRARY.
The money necessary for the maintenance of the Library
comes from the city of Boston by annual and special appropria-
tions, as vv^ell as the unexpended balance and income from Trust
Funds, vv^hich at the close of the year totalled $66,630.50.
Other sources of income are receipts from fines, from sales of
catalogues, commissions on telephone stations in the Library, sale
of waste paper, payments for lost books, and interest on bank
deposits, which are paid into the City Treasury for general
municipal purposes, and which for the past year amounted to
$14,633.6L
BRANCHES AND READING ROOMS.
"The New West Roxbury Branch Library building was dedi-
cated on Monday, April 1 7, 1 922. This attractive building,
for which an appropriation of $6 1 ,000 was made in 1 92 1 , is a
notable addition to the group of library buildings owned by the
City.
The South End Branch will soon be moved to its new quarters
[4]
in the Municipal Building just completed at the corner of West
Brookline Street and Shawmut Avenue.
South Boston is still in need of a new and separate library
building; the Trustees have called attention to this need for
many years. This Branch still occupies quarters in the second
story of a bank building.
Requests for the establishment of new reading rooms are re-
ceived from time to time, but the most immediate need for library
extension is the establishment of a business branch, which has
been repeatedly urged by the Examining Committee and the
Trustees.
ESTIMATES 1923-1924.
The estimates for the maintenance of the Library for the
coming year, presented in a Budget already submitted for your
consideration, amount to $849,716, of which $580,000 is for
personal service and $269,716 for general maintenance.
BOSTON RETIREMENT PENSION.
During the past year the enactment by the Massachusetts
Legislature of a law known as the Pension Bill, relative to the
retirement of certain employees of the City of Boston, was ac-
cepted by the City Government. The passage of such legisla-
tion has been urged by this Board for more than a dozen years.
At a meeting of the Board held on June 23, 1922, the following
action was taken concerning this piece of legislation :
Resolved, That in the opinion of the Board of Trustees and of the
Librarian of the Public Library of the City of Boston the Pension Bill
recently enacted by the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth, is
a wise, constructive and forward looking piece of legislation possessing
features of mutual benefit to the city and its employees; and, therefore,
the members of the Board and the Librarian on behalf of the employees
of the Public Library earnestly express their hope that it will receive the
favorable consideration of His Honor the Mayor and the members of the
City Council.
LANGDON L. WARD.
The service of the Library suffered a severe loss in the death
of Mr. Langdon L. Ward on August 15, 1922. Mr. Ward
[5]
had been connected with the Library in important work for
just over a quarter of a century. At a meeting of the Trustees
on October 6, 1922, the following resolution was adopted m
fond remembrance of his devoted service :
Resolved, That the members of the Board of Trustees of the Public
Library of the City of Boston place on record their appreciation of the
twenty-six years of faithful servic given by the late Landgdon L. Ward.
Entering the employ of the Library in 1 896 as Custodian of the Broad-
way Extension Reading Room, Mr. Ward was appointed Supervisor of
Branches in 1898, the position which he held at the time of his death.
During the years of his employment the branch system was greatly enlarged
and popularized. His patience, enthusiasm, fairness and learning brought
him the respect and goodwill of his colleagues throughout the Library
Department. His passing marks the close of a long and efficient term of
service of a public servant of the City of Boston.
TABLE OF TRUST FUNDS.
A detailed statement of these funds, and the income therefrom,
is contained in the report of the City Auditor, but a condensed
statement of them is as follows :
RESTRICTIONS OF GIFT.
For the purchase of valuable and rare editions of
the writings, either in verse or prose, of American
and of foreign authors, "to be known as the Long-
fellow Memorial Collection."
To buy "books of permanent value."
Purchase of books.
For the purchase of books.
For "the purchase of books of permanent value and
authority in mathematics and astronomy," to be
added to the Bowditch Collection.
Unrestricted.
Unrestricted.
For the purchase of books for the use of the young.
Available only in years when the City appropriates
for the maintenance of the Library at least 3% of
the amount available for department expenses from
taxes and income in said City.
For the purchase of books.
For the purchase of books upon landscape gardening.
For the purchase of books and for binding for the
Abram E. Cutter Collection.
FUND.
Artz .
•
AMOUNT.
$ 10,000.00
Bates .
Bigelow
Billings .
Bowditch
•
50,000.00
1 ,000.00
100,000.00
10,000.00
Bradlee .
Center .
"Children's" (under
Benton Will) .
1,000.00
39,543.14
100,000.00
Clement .
Codman
Cutter .
2,000.00
2,854.41
4,100.00
Carried forward $320,497.55
[6]
Brought forward
"Elizabeth" (under
Matchett Will)
Ford
Franklin Club
Green . .
Charlotte Harris
Thomas B. Harris
Hyde .
Knapp .
Abbott Lawrence
Edward Lawrence
Lewis .
Loring .
Mead .
O'Reilly
Phillips .
Pierce .
Pratt .
Scholfield
Sewall .
Skinner .
South Boston
Ticknor .
Todd .
Townsend
Treadwell
Tufts .
Twentieth Regiment
Wales .
Alice L. Whitney
James L. Whitney
Wilson .
Total .
$320,497.55
25.000.00
6.000 00
1. 000.00
2.000.00
10,000.00
1. 000.00
3,632.40
10,000.00
10.000.00
500.00
5,000.00
500.00
2.500.00
1.000.00
30.000.00
5,000.00
500.00
61.800.00
25,000.00
51,732.14
100.00
4,000.00
50.000.00
4,000.00
13,987.69
10,131.77
5,000.00
5,000.00
5,000.00
7,337.68
1,000.00
$678,219.23
For the purchase of books of "permanent value and
authority."
Unrestricted.
Books of permanent value, preferably books on
government and political economy.
Books relating to American history.
Books for Charleslown Branch, published before
1850.
For benefit of the Charlestown Branch.
Unrestricted.
For the purchase of books.
Books having a permanent value.
"To hold and apply the income and so much of the
principal as they [the Trustees] may choose to the
purchase of special books of reference to be kept
and used only at the Charlestown Branch of said
Public Library."
For the purchase of old and rare books to be added
to the John A. Lewis library.
Memorial Fund, from the income of which books
are to be bought for the West End Branch.
Unrestricted.
From the Papyrus Club for the purchase of books
as a memorial of John Boyle O'Reilly.
"To the maintenance of a free public library."
"Purchase of books,"
"Books of permanent value for the Bates Hall."
For the benefit of the Dorchester Branch.
To be used for books of permanent value.
For the purchase of books.
Unrestricted.
For benefit of the South Boston Branch.
Books in Spanish and Portuguese, five years old in
some one edition.
The income to be expended annually for current
newspapers of this and other countries.
Books five years old in some one edition.
Unrestricted.
For the benefit of the Charlestown Branch.
"For the purchase of books of a military and
patriotic character, to be placed in the alcove appro-
priated as a Memorial of the Twentieth Regiment."
For the purchase of books.
For the benefit of sick and needy employees and
the purchase of books.
For books and manuscripts.
For the purchase of books.
[7]
EXAMINING COMMITTEE.
The Trustees call attention to the Report of the Examining
Committee which is appended hereto and included, as required
by the city ordinance, as a part of this report. Many of the
suggestions and recommendations embodied in the study of the
Examining Committee have the sympathy and general approval
of the Board. The carrying out of certain of the recommenda-
tions, however, would necessarily require a larger appropriation
than can at present be expected. Those who served as mem-
bers of the Examining Committee for the fiscal year are as fol-
lows :
Mr. Henry Abrahams. Miss Mary E. T. Healy.
Miss Esther G. Barrows. Mr. Victor A. Heath.
Paul F. Butler, M.D. Miss Heloise E. Hersey,
Mr. Francis M. Carroll. Hubert T. Holland, M.D.
Mrs. William H. Devine, Mr. Vincent A. Keenan.
Miss Rosanna M. Dowd, WilHam Jason Mixter, M.D.
Mr. Walter F. Downey. Mr. Cornelius A. Parker.
Mrs. Carl Dreyfus. Rev. W. Dewees Roberts.
Mr. Henry Gideon. Prof. Frank Vogel.
Mr. Henry E. Hammond. Mr. Robert F. Waul.
PRIVATE AID FOR THE LIBRARY.
The Public Library is the only source to which the great
masses must turn for their reading. An examination of the
Table of Trust Funds printed as a part of this report will show
how small is the possible income to be derived therefrom. The
last fiscal year it amounted to $23,523. 1 4. It will be noted that
there are only eight funds in excess of $25,000. Attention may
well be called to the fact that the income from one of the two
largest funds of $100,000 each has not been available for any
year since its receipt. This is the "Children's Fund" under the
will of the late Josiah H. Benton, the income of which is avail-
able only in years when Boston appropriates for the maintenance
of the Library at least 3 per cent of the amount available for
[8]
department expenses from taxes and income in the said city. In
the years when such amount is not appropriated, the income
goes to the poor of the City of Boston.
For many years this Institution has held a high position among
the libraries of the country because of its scholarly collections,
many of them unique, and in some respects unexcelled. It is
apparent, however, with the development of the Library and the
extension of its service through branches, reading rooms and de-
posit stations in all sections of the municipality, the growing and
reasonable demands for the more popular books of both fiction
and non-fiction, that the financial burden entailed cannot be met
by the city alone, generous as it has been in the past. Indeed,
the time has come M^hen the Library either must lose its scholarly
standing or must fail to serve the great reading public in its call
for recreational reading and the less solid books of non-fiction.
Without an increased income from trust funds it will soon be quite
out of the question to round out and maintain collections that
have been in the past of so great service to scholars and research
students not only in Boston and vicinity, but throughout the
world. Other big cities can boast of large gifts of money made
to their libraries by private individuals. On this score Boston,
holding a distinguished place for its culture among American
cities, has comparatively little in the way of memory with which
to thrill its citizens with civic pride. What a city gives for the
conduct of its public library indicates to the outside world its
interest in things aside from the mere physical necessities of its
people. The Trustees urge, therefore, upon private citizens
who have been able to provide splendidly equipped home libra-
ries for their own families, the crying need of Boston's thousands
who hunger for good reading, denied them because unable to
provide such for themselves, and the great service they may
render their fellow citizens and posterity by private benefactions,
the income from which will effectively help meet the ever in-
creasing demand upon the Central Library and its agencies.
Surely, Boston with its traditional pride needs but to know the
situation in which this great Library now finds itself, in order to
come generously to the rescue.
[9]
CONCLUSION.
The Board wishes, in conclusion, to express its warm appre-
ciation of the Librarian, the Assistant Librarian, and the whole
corps of faithful, intelligent and efficient workers who toil in-
cessantly under conditions not always encouraging, to preserve
the high place which the Boston Public Library has always held
among similar institutions throughout the country. Of their
splendid spirit of cooperation, without which our efforts must
signally fail, we cannot speak too highly.
Alexander Mann,
Arthur T. Connolly,
Louis E. Kirstein,
Michael J. Murray,
Guy W. Currier.
0]
BALANCE SHEET, RECEIPTS AND
Dr.
Central Library and Branches:
To expenditures for
Permanent employees (exclusive
Bindery Departments) .
Temporary employees
of Printing and
Service other than personal:
Contract work .
Postage
Transportation of persons
Cartage and freight .
Light and power
Rent
Premium on surety bond
Communication
Cleaning, towels, etc.
Removal of snow
Examinations
Expert and architect .
Fees
Medical ,
Extermination of insects
Boiler inspection
General plant repairs
To expenditures for equipment:
Furniture ....
Office ....
Books:
City appropriation .
Trust funds income
$361,781.74
100,088.44
) 19.39
1 ,769.01
254.04
12,119.13
9,924.40
16,945.19
5.00
1,246.73
882.91
650.10
115.50
400.00
2.40
36.00
6.00
36.00
5,495.60
Newspapers :
Todd fund income
Treadwell fund income
Periodicals
Tools and instruments
General plant equipment .
$91,464.12
19,615.44
$1,938.03
329.60
$461,870.18
1,930.67
549.16
111,079.76
2,267.63
9,568.68
737.17
578.84
49,907.40
126,711.91
Carried forward
$638,849.49
[Ill
EXPENSES, JANUARY, 31. 1923.
By City Appropriation 1922-1923 .... $741,993.00
Income from Trust funds ...... 23,523.14
Income from James L. Whitney Bibliographical Account 700.00
Interest on deposit in London ..... 208.72
Cr.
$766,424.86
Carried forvfard
$766,424.86
112]
BALANCE SHEET, RECEIPTS AND
Dr.
Drought forward .
Central Library and Branches;
To expenditures for supplies:
Office ....
Food and ice .
Fuel ....
Forage and animals .
Medical ....
Laundry, cleaning and loilet
Agricultural
Chemicals and disinfectants
General plant .
To expenditures for material:
Electrical ....
General plant .
Special items:
To expenditures from Alice L. Whitney Fund
Pension .......
Bindery Department:
To expenditures for salaries
Stock .
Equipment .
Contract work
Cleaning
Repairs
Light .
Small supplies
$ 3,571.29
453.90
21.922.38
9.65
6.85
957.26
191.35
34.00
1,717.14
$1,207.68
1.997.17
$ 75.00
462.88
$55,023.60
4,233.90
54.08
4.00
329.35
54.70
44.19
47.72
Printing Department:
To expenditures for salaries ...... $12,235.42
Stock 2,005.44
Equipment ......... 145.54
Contract work ........ 353.10
Cleaning 329.35
Repairs 87.91
Light , 3L15
Small supplies ........ 115.26
Jeffries Point Reading Room:
To expenditures for salaries .
Service other than personal .
Equipment ....
$377.62
706.75
716.96
$638,849.49
28,863.82
3,204.85
537.88
59,791.54
Carried forward
15,303.17
1,801.33
$747,992.08
[13]
EXPENSES, JANUARY, 31, 1923.
Brought forward
By Balances brought forward from February I, 1922
Trust funds income, City Treasury
Trust Funds income on deposit in London
City appropriation on deposit in London .
James L. Whitney Bibliographic Account
Jeffries Point Reading Room
$43,107.36
15,912.22
5,392.36
3,860.61
1,817.44
Cr.
$766,424.86
70.089.99
Carried forward
$836,514.85
[14]
BALANCE SHEET, RECEIPTS AND
Dr.
Brought forward
To Amount Paid into City Treasury:
From fines $12,831.46
Sales of catalogues, bulletins and lists .... 56.51
Commission on telephone stations 457.73
Sale of waste paper 396.24
Payments for lost books 849.09
Money found 13.22
Coal penalties 2936
To Balance, January 31, 1923:
Trust funds income on deposit in London ... $ 9,650.18
City appropriation on deposit in London . . . 4,357.00
Trust funds income balance. City Treasury . . . 50,934.27
James L. Whitney Bibliographic Account . . . 4,560.61
Interest on deposit in London ..... 208.72
Balance unexpended:
General appropriation ....... $18,795.88
Special appropriation (Jeffries Point Reading Room) 16.11
$747,992.08
14,633.61
69,710.78
18,811.99
$851,148.46
[15]
EXPENSES. JANUARY, 31, 1923.
Brought forroard .......
From fines $12,831.46
Sales of catalogues, bulletins and lists .... 56.51
Commission on telephone stations ..... 457.73
Sale of waste paper ....... 396.24
Payments for lost books 849.09
Money found 13.22
Coal penalties 29.36
Cr.
$836,514.85
14,633.61
$851,148.46
[16]
SPECIAL ACCOUNT 1921-1922.
Payments made to provide for the unpaid liabilities incurred
to January 31,1 922, inclusive.
Personal service:
Permanent employees .
Service other than personal:
Printing and Binding .
Transportation of persons
Cartage and freight
Light and power .
Rent, taxes and water
Communication
Cleaning
Removal of snow
Examinations
General plant
Equipment :
Machinery .
Furniture and fittings
Tools and instruments
General plant
Supplies :
Office .
Food and ice
Fuel
Medical
Laundry, cleaning, toilet
Chemicals and disinfectants
General plant
Materials:
Building
Electrical
General plant
$8,386.95
35.50
35.40
L086.68
2,620.52
1,662.50
209.76
73.71
39.50
10.50
212.74
$676.22
24,20
80.17
14.25
$1,070.78
86.70
1,794.03
7,35
131.55
2.40
49.96
193.00
85.89
,681.45
$14,373.76
794.84
3,142.77
1,960.34
$20,271.71
REPORT OF THE EXAMINING COMMITTEE.
To THE Trustees of the Public Library of the
City of Boston.
Gentlemen:
The Examining Committee herewith respectfully submits its
report, which is compiled from the reports of the sub-committees.
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE.
A larger appropriation for "Personal Service" is recom-
mended in order that the salaries, especially for those members
of the Library staff holding major positions, may be increased,
and in order that needed additional assistants may be added to
the staff of the Central Library and its branches.
The usefulness of the Library, the efficiency and economy of
operation, no matter how good the plan, cannot rise higher than
the intelligence and devotedness of the personnel of this depart-
ment. Given an efficient, intelligent and devoted Personal
Service, the Library will increase in its usefulness and it will
secure the support of the public for its material needs.
The competition of offices, and more recently of schools, for
the same kind of brains required for library service, has made
an increase imperative, if the Library is not to lower its stand-
ards of intellectual service. The salaries of secretaries, of
stenographers, of teachers, and also of librarians, in cities much
smaller than Boston, are now higher than those of the Boston
Public Library, and the result is that both men and women who
are worthy of positions of responsibility are not entering the
service.
A book appropriation equal to that of the past two years is
recommended in order to meet the insistent and reasonable de-
[18]
mands of the book reading public served by the Library. In
1916, the appropriation for this purpose was $45,000. To
make possible an equal purchase in 1922, because of increased
cost of books, it would be necessary to appropriate upwards of
$76,000.
Meanwhile, the circulation has increased from 2,050,238, in
1 91 6-1 7, to 2,768,984, on February 1 , 1 922, so that the same
service would require an additional increase of thirty per cent,
to keep pace with the increased circulation. This would make
necessary an appropriation this year of at least $ 1 00,000 which
would furnish no better supply than that furnished in 1916.
A miscellaneous appropriation sufficiently large, in order that
the proper equipment may be maintained and in order that the
necessary major repairs for the Central Library and its branches
may be carried out.
An addition to the Annex in order that the Cataloguing and
Ordering departments may be transferred, thus releasing valu-
able space on the ground floor of the Central Library for public
purposes.
Provision for new reading rooms, for which there is a present
demand.
Some relief must be extended to the over-crowded conditions
now existing in all departments, and the recommendation for the
installation of the two remaining floors of steel stacks will help
materially.
Relative to the addition to the Annex, a plan has been sug-
gested of opening a book storage building, planned purely for
utility at some point within a reasonable distance of the Central
Library, where land values are low, but sufficiently central for
convenience, to which little-used books for special uses could
be transferred, and to which readers could be directed. This
would release much floor space in the Central Library for use.
This project is for the future, but should be borne in mind for the
earl^ future.
The Committee recommends that all possible influence be
brought to bear by the Examining Committee and Trustees to
secure the co-operation of the Boston Chamber of Commerce
in establishing a Business Men's Branch in the new building.
[19]
BOOKS AND CATALOGUES.
The Committee heartily concurs with the report made by the
Committee last year, and desires to emphasize every point of
last year's report which has not been acted upon, also to add
that space could be gained in the catalogue end of Bates Hall if
the catalogue were set into the walls, as it now is in the same
room on the wall toward the reading room. This should not be
costly and would give one-third more room. The Committee
would also recommend that every branch reading room be
equipped with electric lights, suitably placed, as eyesight is of
more value to the possessor than most things.
SPECIAL LIBRARIES.
TTie Committee wishes to reiterate a very pertinent criticism
of the committee of last year, namely that the lighting facilities
in the Art Library be improved. The poor lighting arrange-
ments are noticeable to a casual observer, to say nothing of one
who can appreciate proper light for this sort of work.
In the Music Library the ventilation is very poor and should
be improved. All music and books relating to music should be
collected in one room, and this might be done in the present Music
Room if all the shelving space were utilized.
In the Barton -Ticknor Room another assistant is needed,
as the attendant in charge has more work than one person can
attend to. The alcoves in this room are cold and inhospitable.
Another suggestion, which, unfortunately, means an outlay of
money, is to provide metal shelving for these valuable books;
the present shelving is irregular and certainly not fireproof.
PRINTING AND BINDING.
The conditions obtaining in both the Printing and Binding De-
partments are apparently unchanged from last year, excepting
a greater degree of efficiency is shown by the work accomplished.
In the Printing Department the equipment is in good condition,
but the Committee strongly recommends that the sum of at least
$600. be expended for the purchase of new fonts of type very
[20]
much needed in cataloguing books in foreign languages, and
which were not purchased because of expenditure during the
war period.
The Binding Department is greatly in need of a stitching
machine to be used to replace hand sewing of books needing
rebinding, as well as to keep old books in better condition. It is
a known fact that a new book of fiction to-day will circulate
six times on the average, whereas the same book re-enforced will
go thirty-five times.
The Committee was informed that with the same number of
employees as last year over thirty-one thousand books of fiction
alone were handled by this department, which is a great increase
over last year's output. The present force is working under a
severe strain and tension and the Committee finds it imperative
that the number of employees be increased when practicable.
The Committee concurs with the recommendation of the Ex-
amining Committee of the past two years that these two im-
portant departments be maintained in the Library building.
BRANCHES AND READING ROOMS.
The South End Branch Library has been getting ready to
move for several months, and now hopes to be established in the
new Municipal Building early in 1923.
The books have had a very thorough examination, and the
number has been reduced to about 14,000 volumes. Some of
the old ones weeded out have been resting unused in the stacks
for many years.
The story-telling gives great satisfaction, and it is anticipated
that in the new building more constant supervision can be given
since there the whole library will be on one floor.
The lighting and ventilating of the Andrew Square Reading
Room are faulty. There is urgent need of Polish books for
adults. The great volume of attendance is in the evening, and
discipline is at times difficult. Gas is the lighting medium here;
there is electricity in the building and it could be installed at
moderate expense in the library rooms. When it is a question
of conservation of sight, no expense should be considered.
[21]
The City Point Reading Room needs painting, both interior
and hallways, the latter being much defaced, cut, and generally
damaged; co-operation of school teachers and principals with
library authorities might stop this vandalism. The lighting sys-
tem is poorly placed. The traffic of cars in front of the building
and dancing upstairs continually dislodge the bulbs. Green
shaded desk lights for the six desks, lights for tables in adult
section of the room, and small lights over shelves would help
here. The ceilings need whitewashing, and after six years of
occupancy, new shades are needed at the windows ; as reported
last year, more space is needed. There is no opportunity for
quiet reading, and concentration is out of the question. More
space would materially add to efficiency of service.
The Tyler Street Reading Room is situated in the Municipal
Building on the floor below the gymnasium, and this is a most
undesirable location. The noise from the gymnasium is very
pronounced and annoying, and it is impossible to do any con-
centrated reading while the gymnasium is being used. The
lights are about ten feet above the tables, and inadequate for
proper reading. It would require very little expense to lower
these lights so that they might be of some practical use to the
readers. This reading room should be made more attractive,
as it is a centre where a great deal of good can be done in the
way of Americanizing a large foreign element.
With the exception of the Orient Heights Reading Room, the
quarters of the East Boston and Charlestown group of branches
and reading rooms are modern, adequate for present needs, and
in good condition. The lighting system at the East Boston
Branch should be improved. The Orient Heights Reading
Room is in urgent need of larger quarters. It has altogether
outgrown its present accommodations. The generous appro-
priation for books granted the past year has made possible a
larger supply of volumes at all the branches and reading rooms.
More books, however, are needed. A decided effort should
be made, especially through the public, to lessen the thieving
and mutilation of books. The Library employees are greatly
overworked.
[22]
The Committee recommends that larger quarters be found for
the Jamaica Plain Reading Rooms, if possible. More books
are needed in the Jamaica Plain and Brighton groups.
The Roxbury Branch is in a very good condition and contains
an ample supply of books for its requirements. The problem of
administration in this branch is laborious, owing to the library
being arranged on two floors. This plan requires additional
supervision and arduous service, and there is, in consequence, an
urgent need of either another assistant or of more money to
pay for extra service.
While the Roxbury Branch is well patronized by adults and
children, yet owing to changes in the local population of late
years, some utilization of social service might tend to increase its
efficiency. This, of course, is a problem to be solved in many
localities.
The room at the Mt. Pleasant Branch is a very desirable one,
except that the lighting does not seem to be satisfactory. The
room is a high studded one and the system of lighting is indirect.
The result is that there is none too much light at the tables, even
where they are directly under the reflectors, and in one corner
particularly where the reference books are located, it is too dark
to permit continuous reading. TTie walls of the room are in
shabby condition and should be painted.
In no place is there greater need of the positive social service
work of the library than at the Dorchester Branch. The popu-
lation needs the vision encouraged by such an institution. Un-
fortunately the location could hardly be worse. The situation
of the Library in the same building with the District Court does
not encourage attendance and it is believed that this is the reason
why the growth in circulation has not kept pace with the other
branches. Moreover the main room is not properly constructed
to give unobstructed view of the shelves and this doubtedless en-
courages the loss of books and makes the control of the users
more difficult. The renovation and rearrangement of the Chil-
dren's Room has helped greatly and the room in itself is well
arranged. The objection is its distance from the main room
on an upper floor. The supply of books is good. Probably
[23]
the new building needed is impossible of achievement at this
time.
The Neponset Reading Room is well located and has a good
collection of pictures for children and encourages work with the
schools. The library room is good in arrangement and the boys
and girls orderly.
The Lower Mills Reading Room has an excellent location
and its size is ample. It is supplied with a good collection of
books. The librarian should have a regular assistant.
The report of last year on the Mattapan Branch gave a pic-
ture of the deplorable lack of support. Since that time the
librarian has had a regular assistant granted her and that con-
stitutes an improvement. There is a great opportunity here in
a district with a large population of children. Need exists for
making the reading room a real social force. The location is
fair, but the room is inadequate with no opportunity for expan-
sion. There is a need here of more books, more tables, and
some arrangement should be made to place a rail or counter
about the librarian's station. The room is poorly lighted both
by windows and artificial light. The walls need painting and
the ceiling cleaning. The fixtures and the woodwork are dark
in color and add to the darkness of the room. The floor is of
hard pine and the tramping of the children coming and going
makes reading practically impossible. The supply of books for
school children is inadequate, especially the third, fourth and
fifth grades.
TTie Uphams Corner Branch is apparently doing well. Tlie
location is good, but it needs a new magazine case for the chil-
dren's room and more shelf room. The latter is a difficult
problem because the wall space is well occupied. This branch
seems to be very widely used not only for the purpose of reading,
but perhaps also because it furnishes social attractions for the
young people in the neighborhood.
The Mt. Bowdoin Branch, one of the most crowded as to
seating capacity, tables and shelf room, has been improved under
a new arrangement. Perhaps in no place has more been ac-
complished in the way of efficient handling of a very poorly
[24]
arranged and inadequate room. The time will soon come when
in this most important centre an adequate building must be furn-
ished.
The Codman Square Branch continues to be a most valuable
social and educational centre. The efforts to cooperate with the
schools to reach the children of the district, to act in educating
the literary taste of the mothers, and the fact that with some
drawbacks of construction the building is modern and centrally
located help to make it one of the most efficient in the city. Al-
ways to be borne in mind in regard to all these branches is the
need of more books, more assistants and higher pay in order to
enable the library to compete with the other professions and lines
of business to secure educated and efficient service.
The reading rooms of the North End Branch are cheerful,
inviting and wellordered. It does practically the work of a set-
tlement house and does it to the great satisfaction of both the
public and the workers in the Branch. Its patrons have the
unique distinction of caring less for novels than for books of
history and travel. A crying need is for books. They need
"easy" books, fairy tales, children's books of all kinds. These
should come in steadily, during every month of the year. If
the City is to do its duty by the Italian children who throng
the clean, home-like, well-ordered rooms of this branch, there
should be a constant stream of new books.
At the West End Branch, too, there is a large circulation of
books. Crowds of children are handled day after day with
efficiency. On a single day during the Christmas vacation eight
hundred and eighty-five volumes were given out. But at present
the branch is working under a heavy handicap of inefficient
housekeeping. It occupies one of the most notable buildings of
early Boston — the West Church, an object of just pride to
every lover of old Boston. It is undoubtedly a difficult house to
keep clean; but no pains should be spared to make its fine en-
trance and every inch of its good woodwork and suitable furnish-
ings a spotless memorial to a gracious past. It should be a shining
example of cleanliness, order and dignity to all the neighborhood
in which it is set. The Committee re-emphasizes the report of
[25]
last year recommending a more modern system of lighting for
the sake of efficiency and the saving of expense. The lighting
for the stacks is particularly inconvenient and inadequate as well
as expensive.
CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT AND WORK WITH CHILDREN.
In order to give adequate information relating to the Library
and the full facilities afforded there, the committee recommends
that circulars of information be distributed throughout all the
schools in the city. In this circular the opportunities available in
the main Library and in the branches should be set forth, to-
gether w^ith proper means of insuring co-operation between the
schools and the Library. If properly employed this should be
of great service to the teachers and pupils of the city and should
assist also in a reduction of the loss and mutilation of library
books. This is a matter which needs careful and persistent
attention, and only the most vigilant efforts on the part of all
concerned and a development of a high sense of responsibility
among the youth of the city can assist in reducing this annual
loss and destruction.
The Committee desires to express its approval of the use of
the story hour in various branch libraries under the supervision
of this department. The numbers that have attended these
meetings have shown unmistakably the wide-spread appreciation
of this work.
CONCLUSION.
The Committee as a whole desires to endorse the appeal
for better pay for the Library staff. It is undoubtedly the desire
of every good citizen to have the trusty staff of the City's great
treasure of books as well paid, as are the staffs of practically all
other large American libraries. We have one of the most im-
portant public libraries in the world, with service equal to any.
and we have, even in our own State of Massachusetts, several
smaller libraries paying better salaries. Your Committee de-
sires to see the Boston Public Library kept in the very first
rank in every respect. Indeed, several recent reports have been
[26]
made covering these matters, but little has been accomplished.
The Committee wonders whether our Boston spirit of leader-
ship has been lost. The Boston Public Library is the "mother"
of all public city libraries tax supported on our continent, and
should be kept well in the lead within the ability of our con-
stituency in every detail.
The main points of the subcommittees are : 1 . A satisfactory
scale of returns for all employees ; 2. Books; 3. Light; 4. Re-
pairs and upkeep. Of greatest importance for the whole sys-
tem is the establishment of a branch library for the business men
of Greater Boston in the new building of the Chamber of Com-
merce. The lighting should be gone over in every library and
reading room, and no expense avoided to render this first class
in every respect.
Adopted as the Report of the Examining Committee, January
29, 1923.
REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN.
To the Board of Trustees:
I respectfully submit my report for the year ending January
31. 1923.
INTRODUCTION.
An inadequate appropriation for the Library Department has
forbidden any important extension, either of service or of per-
sonnel, during" the year just closed. The Library System, how-
ever, has made more than satisfactory progress. Heads of de-
partments and many of the branch librarians report that never
in the history of the Institution has so great use been made of
the reading rooms and of the non-circulating collections. Bates
Hall, the reading rooms in the Special Libraries Department, the
Children's Room, the Teacher's Room, the Information Office
and the Open Shelf Room, in the Central Building, have often
been taxed beyond capacity. The same is true of reading rooms
in many of the branches throughout the system.
The large increase in circulation of a year ago — 223,870
over the year 1920-1921 — was a direct result of the purchase
of more books for circulation, made possible through the enlarged
book appropriation of $100,000. It was questioned whether
the circulation for the current year would show a marked gain,
but it is a satisfaction to report that the circulation for the past
year was 2,768,984; a gain of 96,338 over the year 1921-22.
In 1917-18 the total circulation of the Library System was
2,028,053 ; the five year period, therefore, including the cur-
rent year, shows a satisfactory gain in circulation of 740,931.
With more books, more branches, more service, the figures could
be enormously increased; the Library Department which re-
ceived 1 .03 cents on each dollar expended by the City last year.
[28]
is on the threshold only of its opportunity for a greatly enlarged
service.
REQUIREMENTS.
The major requirements for the Boston Public Library system
for the next fiscal year may be summarized as follows :
1. A larger personal service appropriation in order that
salaries, especially of those members of the Library staff holding
major positions, may be increased, and in order that the needed
additional assistants may be added to the staff at the Central
Library and branches.
The last general increase to employees was voted in April
1 920, when special consideration was given to the middle grade
employees, those receiving under $2000. The holders of the
more responsible positions received in most cases no increase in
wages. Increases were also given at that time to all employees
in the mechanical departments to meet the salary scales of the
various unions. The amount allowed for increases in pay in
1920 totalled some $80,000. Since then no general salary
increase has been voted.
2. A book appropriation equal at least to that of the past
two years, namely $ 1 00,000, in order to meet in part the insistent
and reasonable demands of the book-reading public served by
the Library.
3. Miscellaneous appropriations sufficiently large to make
possible the maintenance of the proper equipment and the carry-
ing out of the necessary major repairs at the Central Library,
branches and reading rooms.
4. Some provision for the rapid future growth of the Insti-
tution, especially
(a) Immediate installation of the two remaining floors of
steel stacks in the Annex ;
(b) The addition of two floors to the Annex to provide for
the transfer of the Catalogue and Ordering Departments, thus
releasing valuable space on the ground floor of the Central
Building for public purposes;
[29]
(c) New branches and reading rooms in various sections of
the city for which there is and has been a popular demand.
BOOKS.
The Library has acquired the past year 78,309 books, as
against 77,881 in 1921-22 at a total cost of $1 10,450.35.
Of this number 67,452 volumes were added by purchase,
8, 1 65 by gift, and the remainder by exchange, etc. The num-
ber of gifts represents only those volumes accessioned and cata-
logued; the total number of volumes received by gift was
12,968. Of the purchases, 4,701 volumes were bought with
trust funds at a cost of $18,986.23; 62,751 volumes and the
periodicals subscribed for throughout the Library System repre-
sent the outlay of the Budget allowance of $ 1 00,000. The cost
of periodicals was $9,585.16. Of the total number of books
bought with the current appropriation, 55,31 1 volumes (86 per
cent) were placed in branches and in the Deposit Collection
and included 29,798 volumes (53 per cent of the total) of books
for younger readers.
For the second time in the history of the Lib/ary the sum of
$100,000. has been allowed by the City for the purchase of
books and periodicals. While from all points of view this seems
a generous allowance, its chief use has been to supply the thirty-
two branch libraries with books for circulation. It should be
noted, however, that when the library year closed there were
nearly 7,000 titles of books, asked for by the branches for re-
placement of worn out material, which had been necessarily held
up during the fall months for lack of money. Taking out the
cost of periodicals, there was left about $90,000. to equip thirty-
two branches, the branch deposit collection, the Central Library
and all the distributing centres with new books, including
reference books, technical books, new fiction, replacements of
worn out books, and children's books.
In the last five years, the manufacturing cost of books has
almost doubled. Technical books especially are of high cost
and in constant demand. The call for more and more children's
[30]
books is insistent. For every University Extension course given,
the Library is asked to provide collateral reading. There is
seemingly no end to the demands made on the book appropria-
tion.
For the more important, rare and costly books which extend
the special collections of fine arts, architecture, music, Americana,
first editions, etc., the Library depends on the income of Trust
Funds, and in many cases it has been necessary to forego the
acquisition of desirable material in all these fields because of the
inadequacy of this income.
The fiscal year 1922-23 has been, nevertheless, a year of
opportunity in sales of early American literature and first editions
of modern authors. The Artz Collection, consisting of first
and rare editions, has been enriched to the extent of some three
hundred volumes, secured chiefly at auction sales.
A special collection of American poetry and plays covering
the period 1 786 to 1 850 was obtained at the sale of the Sturges
library in New York, an unusual assemblage of American litera-
ture by a collector of note. A complete examination of the
catalogue of the sale revealed the fact that this Library pos-
sessed 1 ,469 out of the 1 ,958 titles listed and purchases at the
sale increased this number by over one hundred volumes.
To the Brown Music Library the most striking additions have
been the full score of Mozart's Don Juan, Leipzig (179—?) ;
Schubert's Erlkonig, Wien, 1 82 1 ; Choral-Buch, enthaltend
alle zu dem Gesangbuche der Evangelischen Briider-Gemeinen
von Jahre 1 778 gehorige Melodien, Leipzig, 1 784, all secured
from Vienna ; a collection of autographs of the Members of the
Sacred Harmonic Society presented as a testimonial to Sir
Michael Costa in 1 865 on the Society's first performance of his
oratorio, Naaman; and 131 songs (with music) of the World
War.
Other interesting acquisitions include seven New England
almanacs issued before 1800, two of which were published in
Boston, and a number of early American periodicals, among
them The Broadway Journal, edited by Edgar Allan Poe,
New York, 1845.
[31]
To enable the Technical Division to supply the pressing de-
mand for books on radio telegraphy, a special purchase was
made of some sixty of the titles most frequently called for.
There was also bought in response to an urgent request from a
constituency of readers a collection of books in Ukrainian, a
language hitherto unrepresented in the Library.
In the following list are noted some of the most important
single works acquired during the year:
Baldass, Ludwig. Die Wiener Gobelinsammlung. Dreihundert Bild-
tafeln mit beschreibendem Text und wissenschaftlichen Anmerkungen.
Amtliche Ausgabe. Wien. 1 920. 1 5 parts. Plates, some colored.
Blake, William. Illustrations to the Divine Comedy of Dante. Lon-
don. Printed privately for the Nation Art-Collections Fund. 1922.
1 02 plates in collotype facsimile.
Blake, William. WiUiam Blake's designs for Gray's poems repro-
duced full-size in monochrome or colour from the unique copy belonging
to His Grace the Duke of Hamilton. London. 1922. Portrait. Plates,
some colored.
Boccaccio, Giovanni. II libro di Messer Giovanni Boccaccio, cittadino
fiorentino chiamato II decameron. Nella Stamperia Ashendeniana, Chel-
sea. 1 920.
British Museum. Department of Manuscripts. Catalogue of western
manuscripts in the old Royal and Kings collections. By Sir George F.
Warner and Julius P. Gilson. London. 1921. Text, 3 v. ; Atlas,
125 plates. An important work which has been in preparation since
1894.
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The workes of ovr ancient and learned poet,
Geffrey Chavcer, newly printed. (Edited by Thomas Speight.) Lon-
don. 1602. Illus. Portrait.
Dante Alighieri. La Divina Commedia. Facsimile del Codice
Landiano MCCCXXXVL Pubblicato in centosettantacinque esemplari
nel VI Centenario dalla morte del poeta. Olschki. Firenze. MCM-
XXI. Folio. 212 heliotype plates. Esemplare No. 35.
Darell, John. Strange news from th' Indies; or, East-India passages
further discovered. London. 1652.
Dryden, John. The medall. A satyre against sedition. London.
1 682. On a medal struck by the English Whigs to celebrate the acquittal
of the Earl of Shaftesbury on the charge of treason.
Evans, Sir Arthur John. The Palace of Minos. A comparative ac-
count of the successive stages of the early Cretan civilization as illustrated
by the discoveries at Knossos. Vol. 1 . London. 1 92 1 . Illus. Plates.
Gay, John. Fables. By Mr. Gay. London. 1727. Vignettes.
[32]
The vignettes are engraved by Fourdrinier, Van der Gucht, Gravelot
and others.
Hope, Sir WilHam Henry St. John. Windsor Castle ; an architectural
history. Collected and written by command of their Majesties Queen
Victoria, King Edward VII., & King George V. London. 1913.
Text, 2 V. Plates.
Japan. Imperial Commission to the Panama-Pacific International Ex-
position. Japanese temples and their treasures. Edited by His Imperial
Japanese Majesty's Commission . . . (from the pubHcation of the De-
partment of the Interior). Tokyo. 1915. Illus. Atlas, 529 plates,
some colored. (One of an edition of 200 copies.)
Kitton, Frederick George. Charles Dickens by pen and pencil. 31
engraved portraits, many being remarque proofs on India paper and
other illustrations and portraits. With supplement. London. 1889—
1890. 2v.
Libby Prison play-bill. The Libby Prison minstrels. Thursday eve-
ning, Dec. 24, 1863. Programme. Richmond. 1863. Original play
bill of a theatrical performance given by the Northern officers in Libby
Prison during their confinement there.
Louvre, Musee du, Paris. Le Musee du Louvre depuis 1914; dons,
legs et acquisitions. Paris. 1 9 1 9—2 1 . 3 v. Illus. Portraits. Plates,
Mather, Cotton. The life and death of the Reverend Mr. John Eliot,
who was the first preacher of the Gospel to the Indians in America. The
3d edition carefully corrected. London. 1 694.
Mercier, Desire Joseph, Cardinal, Archbishop of Malines. Patriotism
and endurance. Pastoral letter of Cardinal Mercier, Christmas, 1914.
Illustrated by the Benedictine Nuns of Maredret in the Gothic style of the
Xlllth and XlVth centuries. Turnhout (Belgium). 1921. 35 illumi-
nated plates.
Oakley, Violet. The holy experiment: a message to the world from
Pennsylvania. Series of mural paintings ... in the Governor's recep-
tion room and in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol at Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. Philadelphia. 1 922. Illus. 22 colored plates. Illumi-
nated coat of arms, borders and chapter headings. Autograph facsimiles.
Sadler, Anthony. The subjects joy for the Kings restoration, cheer-
fully made known in a sacred masque: gratefully made pubhque for His
Sacred Majesty. ( 1st edition.) London. 1660.
Shawn, Edwin C. Ruth St. Denis: pioneer and prophet. Being a
history of her cycle of oriental dances. (Decorations by W. F. Rauschna-
bel.) San Francisco. 1920. 2 v.
Simeoni, Gabriello. Figvre del vecchio (e del nvovo) testamento,
illustrate di bellissime stanza volgari da Gabriel Simeoni. Nuouamente
ristampate, et con dihgenza corrette. In Vinegia. 1 5 74. 2 v. in I .
370 woodcuts.
[33]
Shakespeare, William. (Works.) (The Vale Shakespeare.) Deco-
rated by Charles Ricketts. London. 39 V. 1900-1903.
Speidell, John. A geometricall extraction. Collected out of the best
and latest writers. London. 1616.
As has been stated, xthe gifts received during the year aggre-
gated 12,968 volumes, 13,078 isues of serials, 763 photographs,
349 lantern slides and 48 newspaper subscriptions from 5,936
givers, as compared with 11,193 volumes, 16,362 issues of
serials, 485 photographs, and 48 newspaper subscriptions from
5,41 1 givers in 1921.
The gifts constituted a rather larger number of volumes than
usual and those of especial interest have been noted as customary
in the Quarterly Bulletins. The Patent Office of Great Britain
continues to send its very valuable Patents for Inventions, the
British Museum has presented its important Subject Index of the
Modern Books acquired 1916-20, and A Catalogue of the
Persian printed books in the Museum. The Library is indebted
to the Siamese Legation at Washington for Buddhaghosa's Com-
mentary on the Four Nikayas of the Sutta Patika, twelve vol-
umes in the Pali language of Siam. The volumes constitute a
complementary issue to the Tripitaka, in 39 volumes, which
was given to the Library by the King of Siam in 1895. The
Prefecture du Department de la Seine, Paris, has sent the con-
tinuing volume (15) of the Histoire generale de Paris and
Sommier des biens nationaux de la Ville de Paris in two volumes.
The Library has also received during the year, through Mr.
William Minot, administrator, a bequest from Sarah E. Pratt,
late of Boston, the sum of $500. for the benefit of the Dorchester
Branch. The Trustees voted to fund this bequest as the Sarah
E. Pratt Fund, the income to be applied to the purchase of books
for the Dorchester Branch.
REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
On January 31 , 1922, there were outstanding 109,950 regis-
tration cards. Through the Central Library, its branches and
reading rooms, there have been added 34,708 new registrations
and 21,508 renewals, making a total of 56,216 cards added
[34]
during the year. There have been 52,283 borrowers who have
allowed their home use privilege to lapse, making a total of
113,883 "live" cards on February 1, 1923, a gain of 3,933
over last year. Among the borrowers who allow their cards to
lapse each year must be numbered those students who are no
longer in residence. At the close of the fiscal year there were
31,472 "live" card registrations of teachers; 712 of this num-
ber were new registrants — 473 residents of the city and 239
non-residents who teach in institutions of learning in the City of
Boston. Special privilege cards were voted by the Trustees to
1 68 persons ; these, added to the 228 that have been renewed,
make a total of 396 "live" special privilege cards.
With the growth of the Library registration and the develop-
ment of the geographical records, consideration must soon be
given to the need for more adequate filing cases in the department.
CATALOGUE AND SHELF DEPARTMENT.
The number of volumes and parts of volumes catalogued
during the fiscal year 1922-23 was 91 ,723, and the number of
titles 62,846. The number of cards added to the catalogues
was 212,635, of which 184,666 were added in the Central Li-
brary and 27,969 in the branches. Of the cards filed in the
Central Library 56,567 were placed in the Bates Hall and Issue
Department catalogues, 53,772 in the official catalogues, and
25,601 in the catalogues of the Special Libraries, and lists in
process. Temporary author and subject, or title cards, were
filed in the Bates Hall and Fine Arts catalogue within a few days
after the receipt of every new bound work. Printed catalogue
cards for all new books have been sent, as usual, to the Editor
as a basis for copy for the Quarterly Bulletin. One card for
every title printed was sent to the Library of Congress as in the
nineteen preceding years, in return for which this Library has
received galley proofs of the Library of Congress cards. One
card for each title has also been sent to the Harvard College
Library, which has sent in return its own printed cards.
Two vacancies of importance exist in the Catalogue Depart-
ment, both calling for expert knowledge of cataloguing and ac-
[35]
quaintance with foreign languages. Properly qualified persons
are apparently not to be found, even at a salary somewhat higher
than the amount at which the positions are graded. Unless
suitable assistants can be found, and unless vacancies of less
importance in the Shelf Department are filled, the work of the
Department will materially suffer. As stated in a previous re-
port, the work of recommending desirable titles found in bibli-
ographies, periodicals, lists and texts has been carried on as
usual. There are besides many instances of service of which
no record is kept ; translations are made, letters on bibliographical
and other matters are answered, and readers and investigators
helped in their researches. These activities cannot appear in
the statistics of this Department or of other departments, but the
wide reputation of the Library for generous and scholarly
service justifies the time given to this work.
The usual details for two successive years, presented by the
Chief of the Catalogue Department, may be found on page 65
of the Appendix.
PUBLICATIONS.
The fourth volume (Fourth Series) of the Quarterly Bulletin,
devoted primarily to the presentation of titles of new books, was
completed in December. It contained 462 pages — an increase
of about fifty pages over any preceding volume of the series.
This was due partly to the experiment tried out in the March
number, and continued through the year, of adding brief titles
under subject headings, where only the author's name had been
given heretofore; and partly to the inclusion of a short bibliog-
raphy in each number. The additional space thus demanded
was partially offset, however, by abolishing geographical head-
ings, which had been used in connection with such general sub-
jects as Literature, History, Economics, Travel, etc. These
innovations seem to have been generally approved and therefore
justified.
Each number, except that of September, has included editorial
material descriptive of some one of the special libraries, and all
have given reprints or facsimile reproductions of some valued
[36]
document, with explanatory or other notes. In March the
Bowditch Library, formerly the property of Dr. Nathaniel Bow-
ditch, was presented, with the assistance of material furnished
by Dr. Vincent Y. Bowditch, and Mr. James H. Bowditch
very kindly allowed the Library to make and use a reproduction
of Gilbert Stuart's portrait of his grandfather, now in his pos-
session. A facsimile of Boston's first city charter, to celebrate
the one hundredth anniversary of its granting, and a list of work
on Pageants and Masques, compiled by Miss E. Carolyn Merrill
of the Catalogue Department were the other features of the
March number. In June the Allen A. Brown libraries — both
the Music and the Dramatic collections — were treated, ac-
companied by a portrait of Mr. Brown after that by John H.
Garo, which was presented to the Library by friends of Mr.
Brown, and now hangs in the Music Room. A facsimile of a
manuscript account of a journey from Boston to Albany in July,
1 746, was included in the June number, with editorial notes on
the purpose of the journey and on the travellers. Books and
magazine articles on the Project Method of Education were
the subject of the special list, compiled by Miss Alice M. Jordan,
Supervisor of Work with Children. The Library having re-
cently purchased an original leaf of the Gutenberg Bible of
1450-55, one side of this leaf was reproduced in facsimile for
the September Bulletin; the only other special item was a list of
newspapers currently received in the News Room. This list
was so marked by asterisks as to show also the papers of which
files are preserved, and was mainly the work of Pierce E.
Buckley, Custodian of Bates Hall Centre Desk, Patent and
Newspaper Departments. In December the story of the Prince
Library was told, and the Old South Church and Society, by
whom the Prince Collection was deposited with the Public
Library, very generously allowed the Library to photograph
their copy of John Greenwood's portrait of Thomas Prince as a
frontispiece to the Bulletin. An original letter of the Rev. Jere-
my Belknap, dealing principally with political conditions in
Boston in 1 789, formed part of the December issue, and a list
of maps of Massachusetts, its counties and towns, compiled by
[37]
John Murdoch of the Catalogue Department, was added. The
September and December numbers, following the custom of
many years, gave space for the announcement of public lectures
and courses of instruction given, not only within the Library
building, but in many other centres throughout the city. As an
indication of educational ideals and standards these announce-
ments furnish very valuable data.
Each number of the Bulletin has been printed in an edition of
two thousand copies, with seventy-five copies on durable paper.
During the year the Library has also issued the following
publications:
Weekly Lists. 52 numbers in editions of 2,500 each, edited
by Lucien E. Taylor of the Catalogue Department. Beginning
with February 4, 1922, each list has contained a single-page
supplement entitled Ten-Book List. These supplements, 53 in
number, treat of subjects of current interest or in constant request,
and give the titles of books which, in text and illustrations, make
the subject vivid for the general reader. Each list has been
prepared and annotated by a person especially familiar with
the subject, usually a member of the Staff.
List of Books on Modern Ireland, (7) +90 pp., a reprint of
300 copies, with corrections, compiled by Lucien E. Taylor, of
the Catalogue Department.
Libri Italiani Moderni, (6) + 108 pp., compiled by Mary
H. Rollins, of the Catalogue Department; 1000 copies, 75 on
special paper.
A Guide to Serial Publications founded prior to 1918 and
now or recently current in Boston, Cambridge, and vicinity, com-
piled and edited by Thomas Johnston Homer; part 1 , A-Bibl.,
1050 copies, 50 on special paper, xvi, 96 pages. Eighty-five
libraries are covered by this union list, and part 1 contains 1 859
main entries. The remaining material will be printed as rapidly
as possible; it is, meanwhile, accessible for use in the Barton
Gallery of the Central Library.
Librar'^ Life, the Staff Bulletin, entered upon its second year
in October under the same general management, but with an
added and well-organized force of assistants, which should in-
crease its value in the particular fields where it gleans.
[38]
BATES HALL.
The revision of the Reference Collection, begun several years
ago, has proceeded until only the sections devoted to language
and geography await a systematic rearrangement. When those
shelves are completed, the Reference Collection will include
current books covering the various fields of knowledge as well
as the well tested books of earlier years. The changes in the
collection, as a matter of record for the year, total 932 titles
(1270 volumes). There have been placed on the shelves 400
new titles (516 volumes) and the current issues of 103 "con-
tinuations." The volumes on chemistry and physics have been
transferred to the Technical Division of the Library which has
assumed charge of those subjects. It is a gratification to note
that the missing list is smaller than in any year since the con-
clusion of the war. During 1922—23, 191 volumes disappeared
from the shelves, but the recovery of 23 volumes missing in
former years reduces the net loss to 1 68 volumes.
The year's correspondence has been somewhat larger than
that of last year. Answers have been sent to 642 inquirers, of
whom 619 live in the United States and 23 in foreign countries.
BATES HALL CENTRE DESK, NEWSPAPER AND PATENT ROOMS.
It is impracticable to record the use of the Bates Hall reference
collections, consisting of over ten thousand volumes on the open
shelves of the room. The attendance and use of the collections
has probably held its own in comparison with other years, even
though there has been a slight decrease in the number of books
sent from the Library stacks on "Hall Use" slips. The total
number of volumes sent to Bates Hall during the past three years
were as follows: 1920-21.224,501; 1921-22,251,141;
1922-23, 240,600. The largest daily circulation was 1,218
on March 4, 1922. The maximum attendance was 298 on
January 29, 1922, at 5 p.m., compared with 336 on October
30, 1 92 1 , at the same hour. It is inevitable that delays in the
delivery of books should sometime occur; but comparatively
[39]
few persons, compared with the large number using the Hall,
are inconvenienced. As was stated last year, no improvement
in service can be anticipated until some modern mechanical sys-
tem is installed connecting Bates Hall with the distant stacks
from which the books are sent.
Newspaper Room. There are 267 newspapers regularly
placed on file in the Newspaper Room ; of this number 2 1 0 are
dailies and 5 7 weeklies ; 1 90 are papers published in the United
States and 77 in foreign countries. The bound volumes in the
newspaper collection now number 8,747, of which 96 volumes
were added during the current year. Readers applying for
bound files numbered 18,639 and consulted 33,364 volumes,
an increase over 1921 — 22 of 35 readers and 180 volumes con-
sulted. Below are listed the number of foreign papers received,
arranged by countries and by languages, and also the number of
American papers printed in foreign languages.
FOREIGN PAPERS BY COUNTRIES.
Argentine
Republic
1
Egypt .
1
Japan
Australia
,
4
England
10
New Zealand .
Austria .
I
Finland .
I
Newfoundland
Belgium .
,
1
France
5
Norway .
Bermuda
1
Germany
7
Panama .
Canada .
10
Holland .
1
Portugal
Cape Colony
1
Hungary
I
Scotland
2
Chile .
1
India
2
Spain
1
China
I
Ireland .
6
Sweden .
3
Cuba
2
Italy .
2
Switzerland
3
Denmark
2
Jamaica .
1
FOREIGN PAPERS BY L
ANGUAGES.
Danish .
^
2
French .
8
Norwegian
1
Dutch .
.
1
German .
9
Portuguese
1
English .
,
45
Hungarian
1
Spanish .
3
Finnish .
•
1
Italian
2
Swedish .
3
AMI
IRICAN
PAPERS IN FOREI
GN LANGUAGES.
Albanian
1
French .
1
Spanish .
I
Arabic .
^ ,
1
German .
3
Swedish .
2
Armenian
.
2
Greek .
2
Welsh .
1
Patent Room. The Patent collection now numbers 1 6,293
volumes, of which number 96 volumes were added during the
past year, from the United States, Great Britain, France, Cana-
da, Australia, and New Zealand. No files of German patents
[40]
have been received since 1914. The European agents of the
Library have been unable to obtain continuations, which is much
to be regretted.
INFORMATION OFFICE, GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND
OPEN SHELF ROOMS.
The service offered in these rooms, described in the reports of
the previous two years, continues to grow. Their position is
strategically excellent and they save much time for the visitor,
especially the stranger, who does not know the location of the
different departments and what they have to offer. In the
Information Office there are now available several hundred di-
rectories and telephone books, which are in constant use — a
service which is warmly appreciated by the public. TTiere are
also live files on banks and banking, budgets, foreign trade, etc. ;
news letters from banks, business organizations, and chambers of
commerce throughout the country are regularly received. The
vocational file has been brought up to date and is in use con-
tinually. Indexes have been made for the business and voca-
tional files and for the current government publications on the
shelves of the Document Room.
In the Open Shelf Room books on travel, biography, especial-
ly memoirs, psychology, business, essays, nature books, and the
collections in foreign languages, are popular. Books of plays
and dramatic criticism are much in demand, particularly when
the dramatic schools in the vicinity of Copley Square are in
session. The books are in a sense hand picked, with the excep-
tion of the new volumes of non-fiction ; the shelves are filled in
the main with books published several years ago, taken from the
main stacks of the Library. The collection is an ever changing
one and suggestions from the public are welcomed. One gentle-
man, an ardent reader of books on travel, lent the attendant a
card catalogue of the books he had read in the past five years;
a French teacher in one of the Boston high schools submits
an occasional list of modern French fiction ; a sociology teacher
enthusiastically suggests the selection of books on that subject.
[41]
A number of readers keep note books and jot down Open Shelf
Room suggestions as they occur. The chentele of the Open
Shelf Room, the Information Office, and the Government Docu-
ments Room is enthusiastically appreciative.
PERIODICAL ROOM, CENTRAL LIBRARY.
The Custodian of the Periodical Room reports the aggregate
number reading in the room at certain hours in each of the last
two years and the number reported Ave years ago, as follows :
ATTENDANCE.
At the hours
10
12
2
4
6
8
9.45
A.M.
M.
P.M.
P.M.
P.M.
P.M.
P.M.
1922-1923 .
. 14,871
16,263
27.826
33,109
22,241
26,310
13,216
1921-1922 .
14,264
1 5,875
25,943
31,762
21,786
25,619
12,827
1917-1918. ,
9,873
12,981
20,673
26,327
18,784
22,701
8,522
The use of bound and unbound files shows a large increase
over last year, as follows :
BOUND VOLUMES,
1922-23. 1921-22.
Volumes consulted during day 44,843 42,924
Volumes consulted during evenings and Sundays . . . 18,762 17,581
UNBOUND NUMBERS OF MAGAZINES.
1922-23. 1921-22.
Volumes consulted during day ....... 53,786 53,378
Volumes consulted during evenings and Sundays . . . 23,47f 22,736
The figures given show a steady gain over the year 1 92 1 —22
in the number of readers and in the number of bound and un-
bound magazines used. It is encouraging to be able to state
that the work of the Periodical Department has increased in
every way, not only in the number of periodicals called for, but
especially in the increase in the use of the department for reference
work. At times the staff has been taxed to its utmost in assisting
the large numbers of students that come from the universities,
colleges and schools seeking information on the topics of the
day. When funds are available a more modern equipment of
the Periodical Room should be installed. The periodical racks
are out of date and are the source of repeated complaints from
readers.
[42]
SPECIAL LIBRARIES.
Following is a brief indication of the scope of the Special
Libraries located on the third floor of the Central Building:
Fine Arts Department, containing books and periodicals in
the fields of the fine arts (architecture, painting, sculpture, etc.).
the industrial arts, applied sciences, and technology; also the
Library's collections of photographs and lantern slides for study
and for circulation.
Music Room, the Allen A. Brown reference collection of
music and literature of music; also a large collection of music
for home use, musical and dramatic periodicals, indexes and
scrap-books.
Barton 'Ticknor Room, special collections mainly restricted to
use within the building, — Shakespeariana, Americana, Spanish
literature, Civil War material, dramatic history, maps, etc.
The number of books issued for home use from the Special
Libraries during the year was 25,130, compared with 25,256
in 1 92 1 - 22 and 22,949 in 1 920 - 2 1 . The department added
601 lantern slides last year to its collection, 262 by purchase and
339 by gift, bringing the total to 9,736. During the same year
1,373 prints and photographs were accessioned. The total
number of photographs and process pictures now available for
circulation is 66,67 1 . During the year 6, 1 03 lantern slides
and 2,444 portfolios of pictures were issued. As each port-
folio consists of an issue of at least twenty-five pictures, the
circulation of the latter was something over sixty thousand.
The Technical Division has revised its shelf lists and the
classed catalogue of both technology and science, thereby making
the service to the public more efficient.
The department installed during the Library year thirty-two
exhibits; four of these were bibliographical — The Hopkins
Collection of Dickensiana, Musical Rarities, the First Hundred
Years of the City of Boston, and the Graphic Arts. Exhibits
of special local interest were Boston 100 years ago, Boston
school houses, Boston fires. All but eight of the exhibitions,
which may be found listed in the Appendix on pages 70 and 7 1 ,
were made up from collections owned by the Library.
[43]
For the convenience of the patrons of the Music Room a bul-
letin of the musical events of each week has been prepared and
posted, together with the pictures, when available, of the artists
appearing during the week. It is intended to file these bulletins
with the press criticisms, thus making a complete musical year
book of Boston, a compilation which should be of value and
interest.
The Division promoted in December a series of seven Library
lectures on Russian opera and, with the cooperation of the Uni-
versity Extension Division of the State Board of Education, the
lectures were brought to a successful conclusion.
WORK WITH CHILDREN.
The following paragraph from the Report of the Supervisor
of Work with Children forms an adequate text for a review of
the year's work :
Library work with children aims chiefly and ideally to make reading a
joy and not a task, and to estabHsh a love of good books as a permanent
satisfaction in life. Three factors are essential to accomplish this, the
books themselves, the service of properly equipped assistants and rooms
designed and furnished for the convenience and pleasure of children.
Books for children. The number added to the branch system
as replacements, additional copies, or new books for the use of
children, amounted to 29,798 volumes, and in addition there
were placed in the Children's Room at the Central Library 1 ,832
volumes. Of the total number of books purchased for the
branches, more than fifty per cent were assigned to children.
This apportionment was reasonable as in all but eight of the
branches and reading rooms the issue of books to children was
more than fifty per cent of the circulation, and in only two did it
fall below forty per cent. The issue of children's books for
home use throughout the system was 1 ,230,243 out of a total
of 2,768,984 volumes circulated. With such a degree of in-
terest in reading manifested by children, at least an equal num-
ber of books will be required during the next year in order to keep
the readers the system has gained and make an advance in at-
tracting others.
[44]
The book selection is one of the most important duties of the
Supervisor. New books are bought only after personal exami-
nation; replacements for worn out copies are considered in re-
lation to the supply and demand; titles are dropped from the
children's rooms and more timely ones take their place whenever
recent books of information or instruction supersede older ones.
A special demand from a locality is met by purchasing additional
copies, it may be of books for beginners in reading, or of some
other group to fill a special need. It is especially desirable that
standard books for children should be available in sufficient num-
ber so that no child need wait, for example, for a copy of the
Arabian Nights or Robinson Crusoe. Attention is also paid to
choice of editions, in order to secure the classics in inviting form
with clear type and good illustrations. Physical appearance
makes all the difference in the immediate appeal that determines
whether a child will read a book of his own initiative or only
through outside suggestion.
Endeavor is also made to keep the purchase of books for chil-
dren in proper ratio to the use of the branch or reading room by
children. At North End, where the percentage of juvenile
circulation is nearly 87 per cent of the whole, the book fund
should be spent mainly for children's books; at West Roxbury
and Faneuil, on the other hand, where the juvenile circulation is
less than 38 per cent, the allotment should be on another basis.
Service. The service required of those who come in contact
with children in a library is of an exacting nature, requiring
special preparation as well as a certain native fitness. The train-
ing of assistants to qualify for this work during the year was
furthered by a course in reference books and by the monthly
conferences held with the Supervisor. One appointment of a
trained children's librarian was made in the Charlestown Branch.
It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the person who knows
the books can exercise a marked influence on the children's
choice. By study of book lists, by discussion, but most of all
by comparative reading, the staff engaged in work with children
are gaining in ability to give help in book selection and in
reference work.
[45]
Stor]) Hour. An invaluable aid to the work of a children's
librarian exists in the story hour. This activity offers a per-
sonal introduction to books through the interpretation of a person
who appreciates literature and understands how to connect it with
the interests of boys and girls. The following quotation from
the report of the Story-teller, Mrs. Mary F. Cronan, indicates
a fruitful year in this field.
This year the children welcomed the Story Hour with even more en-
thusiasm than usual. With one or two exceptions attendance has been
large in spite of weather and illness. Owing to the anxiety about fuel, re-
sulting in discomfort and colds at home and school there seemed to be a
wide-spread feeling of depression among adults. Perhaps that was one
reason for the children's response to the Story Hour. They craved its
joyous atmosphere and its freedom from limitations and were glad to leave
the grown-up world behind. Since the children have not only had the
joy of one period a week listening to stories, but have been led to the reading
of many delightful books, the winter must have been lightened for them.
South Boston, Codman Square, West Roxbury, Charlestown, Faneuil
and North End have steadily maintained large groups of eager listeners.
Among these Faneuil had the Story Hour for the first time and the children
have shown much apreciation. West Roxbury has had two well attended
groups of different ages. The teachers in a neighboring school take a
special interest, as before the opening of the new branch building story-
telling was conducted at the school.
The majority in attendance at all the groups, with one exception, are
boys, but the girls who come regularly grow in concentration and extent
of interests.
An interesting experiment was the telling of Hugh Walpole's story of
"Jeremy and the Black Bishop," as an introduction to "The Talisman."
It is based on a boyhood experience of the author, which led him to his
delight in Scott. The children listened with absorption, quite sympathizing
with Jeremy's determination to read the book after he had bought it with
his own money, and as the world of romance was disclosed to them, from
one to half a dozen in each group attacked "The Talisman." One small
boy of nine years read it from cover to cover, later entering into the telling
in triumphant fashion, allowing no omissions that he considered important.
The Supervisor notes that the high quality of the stories con-
tinued by request from week to week is witness that there is no
occasion for substituting the trivial and mediocre for the best.
Lorna Doone, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, The Iliad,
King Arthur, Quentine Durward, and especially The Talisman,
have all had seasons of great popularity.
[46]
The Americanization Committee of the Boston Chamber of
Commerce, which for several years has financed story-telUng in
a number of schools, has this year directed its efforts to other
channels, resulting in a flood of urgent requests that the Library
carry on the work thus begun. Where library accommodations
are unfavorable, Mrs. Cronan has tried to meet the call from the
schools in some measure, if only for a few weeks. Among the
schools applying for this privilege have been several pre-voca-
tional schools in different parts of the city. From one of these a
teacher writes, "We have never had anything which has given
the boys such a stimulus to reading as the work of Mrs. Cronan
and her helpers last year." The Library may well feel gratified
by the statement of a principal of long experience and great
understanding: "The story tellers have made a distinct and
valuable contribution to the education of our pupils." It can-
not be too strongly emphasized that the best results of story telling
are achieved only when the libraries can supplement it by pro-
ducing the books.
Children s Rooms. The children's room in the new branch
at West Roxbury, opened in the spring of 1922, is greatly ap-
preciated by the community. Cramped and restricted in space
for readers and books, the old quarters made it impossible to
give the children a fitting idea of how to use a library. Now in
the new building, with their own large room, suitably furnished
and well-stocked with books, they are bound to acquire a better
sense of responsibility for the care and use of public property.
At Dorchester the improved arrangement has been in force for
about a year and has simplified some problems and solved others,
though under the drawbacks of the old Municipal building con-
ditions will never be entirely satisfactory.
Cooperation with the Children's Museum in Jamaica Plain,
previously limited to book deposits at the Museum, has entered
on a new phase and this year the Museum has begun to send
exhibits to the children's rooms. The Central Children's Room
and the Tyler Street Reading Room were selected to receive the
first exhibits as they are supplied with show cases in which ma-
terial may be satisfactorily displayed. In the Central Chil-
[47]
dren's Room thre collections have been shown, Indian relics,
winter birds, and minerals and shells. Tyler Street Reading
Room has had a collection of Chinese articles.
Central Children s Room. The Central Children's Room
has carried on its service of specialized work by preparing lists
of books, answering many letters of inquiry on topics relating to
children's reading and receiving classes for instruction on the
use of the Library, as well as meeting the ordinary calls of a
children's room. During the Supervisor's long absence because
of illness early in the year, the staff cheerfully and faithfully as-
sumed added responsibilities in carrying on the work of the
Department. One assistant has been advanced to a position
in a reading room where she is clearly demonstrating the value
of the training she received in the Children's Room at the Central
Library.
Teachers' Room. During the convention of the National
Education Association, in the summer, the New England Asso-
ciation of School Librarians arranged a display of books, charts,
and other material in the Teachers' Room and the department
was visited extensively by persons from different parts of the
country. The force was called upon to aid in the preparation
of the exhibition by supplying books and rendering other assis-
tance.
The collection of text-books shelved in the Teachers' Room
was revised and brought up to date to conform with the present
requirements of the city schools. Part of these books were
obtained by gifts from the publishers at the request of the Li-
brary, and part were purchased. This much needed revision
has greatly increased the usefulness of the collection along the
lines it attempts to cover, namely the text books required in the
Junior and Senior high schools of Boston.
The Teachers' Room gains in popularity with older students
and continues to present difficult problems of administration. A
striking growth in the demand for magazines relating to educa-
tion is noticed, attributable to the numerous courses on the theory
and practice of education, given at Boston and Harvard Uni-
versities. Current numbers are kept in the Teachers' Room,
[48]
but the needed references, listed in many bibliographies, are
largely in bound volumes, kept in the gallery of the Children's
Room. The call for these for the last three months amounted
to 1,739 volumes. The reading list on the Project Method in
Education, published in the June Quarterly Bulletin, has been
noted by the instructors as helpful material. Books have been
reserved for the use of students in the University Extension
Courses, in accordance with the practice of recent years.
The issue of pictures from the files in the Teachers' Room
has increased to 5,968, the largest number ever supplied by this
department to teachers and the general public.
The Supervisor of Work v^ith Children has filled numerous
engagements, both in the city and outside, to speak on topics
relating to children's reading, the home library, and the work of
a children's librarian.
BRANCHES AND READING ROOMS.
The number of branch libraries is seventeen, and the number
of reading rooms fourteen, as compared with sixteen branches
and fifteen reading rooms a year ago, the Mt. Bowdoin Reading
Room having been designated a branch, with extension of hours
and service, on February 1 , 1 922. The subsidiary agencies
served through the Branch Department include 59 fire engine
houses, 34 institutions, and 209 schools, of which 1 9 are parochi-
al schools. The total number of library agencies is 333 as com-
pared with 320 a year ago. The number of volumes issued on
borrowers' cards from the Central Library through the Branch
Department was 1 1 1,070, as against 106,556 in 1921-22 and
108,169 in 1920-21. These figures show a gain of 4,514
volumes issued during last year, as compared with the year
before. This is a normal gain and is largely due to the fact that
the Branch Deposit Collection was increased by the addition
of a number of new books, besides duplicate copies of older
ones. The proportion of unsuccessful calls for books was 49+
per cent as against 56+ per cent a year before. Of the total
unsuccessful requests 66,572 were calls for fiction, as against
63,288 last year. Of the total number of volumes sent out
[49]
from the Central Library through the branches 90,133 were
taken directly from the shelves of the Branch Deposit Collection.
During the year fourteen branches gained in circulation and
three lost ; eight reading rooms gained and six lost. The great-
est gains in the branches were at North End, West Roxbury,
West End, and Warren Street; the losses were at Dorchester,
Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. The greatest gains in the reading
rooms were at Jeffries Point, City Point, Allston and Orient
Heights; the reading room losses were at Mt. Pleasant, Roxbury
Crossing, Andrew Square, Lower Mills, Tyler Street and Mat-
tapan.
The number of volumes sent out on deposit to schools, insti-
tutions and other agencies from the Central Library were 45,286
as against 44,25 7 last year and 46,972 in 1 920-2 1 . The num-
ber of volumes sent to schools from the Central Library, branches
and reading rooms was 56,348 compared with 46,096 last year.
Of this number 1 8,524 were sent from the Branch Department,
Central Library, as compared with 1 7,222 the year before. The
number of books issued on deposit from the branch libraries,
chiefly to schools, was 37,824 compared with 28,874 the year
before. The number of individual teachers supplied was 1 ,200
as against 1 , 1 00 in 1 92 1 —22.
The total circulation of the branch system for the fiscal year
was 2,424,014 volumes compared with 2,318,059 the year
before, and 2,129,407 in 1920-21, or a gain of 105,955 vol-
umes over the year 1921—22.
The number of new books bought for the branches was
16,360, as against 17,477 in 1921-22. There have been re-
placements to the number of 18,290 volumes, compared with
1 4,600 the preceding year. The additions to the permanent col-
lections of the reading rooms were 1 1 ,9 1 6 compared with 1 6, 1 63
in 1921-22.
The number of books bound for the branch libraries this past
year was 23,465 as compared with 21,938 in 1921—22. The
recasing of new books prior to their being placed in circulation
has proved most satisfactory and has increased their potential
circulation nearly three-fold.
[50]
The following extracts from the reports submitted by the
librarians of various branches and reading rooms will be found
of interest.
Brighton. In the increased number of children coming to
borrow books, the work with the schools, and the story-hour,
much progress has been made. Many of the children who
come during the noon hours, Saturday mornings, and vacation
periods are Italians who have not had the home training neces-
sary to give much respect for the books, which they find con-
venient weapons to use for banging each other on the head.
CharlestoTvn. The Children's Room on the first floor is a
constant delight to many children in this congested district. After
school the room is always well filled not only with children
getting their school lessons, but also with many others who use
the library for recreational reading. During the day the chil-
dren come for books for parents who have no time to come
themselves. In the winter evenings every seat is occupied.
Teachers borrow collections of books and pictures, and reserve
volumes for their classes. The hall in the basement is frequently
used for the story-hour and for meetings of community interest.
Dorchester. Reference work is very important and takes an
increasing amount of time ; the corner set apart in the children's
room for reference has been in constant use.
East Boston. The branch serves a community which is now
composed,, in the main, of aliens from Italy, Canada, Russia,
Ireland, England, Sweden and Portugal. The library aims to
interest these newcomers in the branch and to teach them the
benefits gained thereby.
One little girl said recently, "I have left the library."
"Why," I questioned. "Because my hands get cold going
there." To hold the interest of children until they shall have
acquired such a love of literature that not even the elements can
deter them from seeking it, is our purpose.
Mt. Bowdo'in. Few adults remain longer in the library than
is necessary to obtain a copy of the newest fiction or a current
periodical. This is discouraging but not surprising, when one
[51]
considers the bustle and commotion which, because of cramped
quarters, the Hbrary presents during the crowded hours when
the room is filled with students from the schools and colleges.
Perhaps in the near future we may be able to offer peace and
quiet in a home-like atmosphere where grown-ups too will be
glad to tarry.
North End. A library which serves but a small percent of
its population is either in a wrong location or pursuing a wrong
policy. The location of the North End Branch is above criti-
cism. TTie work that can be done here for children is real and
great. At a low estimate there are ten thousand children who
should use the branch in this district; the children here have
double the time to form the library habit and become readers
between the ages of 7 and 1 1 , than they have between 1 0 and 1 4.
At 10 years the little sister is often housekeeper, nurse, and
earning money at home ; her brother is a small merchant, black-
ing shoes, and helping in the family store or running errands.
These children have little time to go out of their way for books,
but they make the time if the desire to read is there. Although
at times the branch may resemble a kindergarten and seem to
hand out more easy books than others, we must put our literary
dignity aside and step into line with the firm group of educators
who ask the early years of a child's life for formative purposes.
A splendid spirit of cooperation exists between the library and
all masters, teachers, social agencies, etc. In fact the spirit of
everyone is splendid and friendly; this helps to make our job
an interesting and happy one.
Roslindale. Reference work is a very important feature of
our service to the community. Pupils from the grammar and
high schools and students from many colleges come to seek in-
formation on all sorts of subjects. Very few people of foreign
birth come to the library, very seldom anyone who cannot speak
English, and never anyone who cannot understand English.
Roxbur}). In July 1873, this branch was first opened for
service to the public. For fifty years it has stood with its invita-
tion of books for recreation and study in a neighborhood that has
gradually changed in character. From one of families of
[52]
American ancestry owning their homes, it has become one of
apartments and tenements occupied by descendants of families
to many of which English was not the mother tongue. As ex-
pressions of appreciation of our service from persons no longer
residents of this section are frequently received, it is hoped that
our present service is also satisfactory and that the future will
give even greater opportunities of usefulness.
South Boston. The library gives assistance to men taking out
naturalization papers and has often guided and directed the
reading of others who have not time to go to night or day school.
Books on Americanization and easy English reach the parents
through the children, who usually take one book for themselves
and one for father or mother. The reading room is used and
appreciated, especially by men, many of whom work nights,
while others are temporarily out of employment or are too old to
work. Many persons who work in the district come to the li-
brary at the noon hour to read the magazines.
South End. The branch library has grown so completely
into the life of the people as to be a very vital part of the com-
munity. It is a place where all come for study and for recrea-
tional reading, for help and for advice. The newcomers in the
neighborhood, especially the foreigner who knows nothing of
our free institutions, are welcomed and helped. The library is
a common ground where all meet with equal privileges, where
light and heat and good reading attract, where courtesy and
good will help, and where the stranger is made welcome and
the older resident feels a proprietary interest.
Uphams Corner. The members of the Post of the American
Legion, which has headquarters in our building, use the library
and have many hotly contested arguments.
Warren Street. The branch serves a district in which be-
tween forty and fifty thousand Jewish people reside; the re-
mainder of our reading public is composed of Irish, Italian,
Swedish, Polish, Hungarian, French, German, and a few
Chinese.
West End. To many whose homes are small bedrooms in a
lodging house — and this section is largely made up of lodging
[53]
houses — the library is a place of wholesom recreation. Many
a pleasant friendship has found its beginning in the Hbrary.
West Roxbur^. This Hbrary is a community centre and it
tries in every way to cooperate with all the schools, churches and
clubs in the district.
Andrew Square. This district is without any local social
agency ; there is nothing to fill the need of a recreational centre
for clubs, classes, etc. We have to make up for this as best we
can. The children at least come to the library. They congre-
gate to study their lessons, to read, and to relate happenings at
school.
Ci/p Point. The people here appreciate their library privi-
lege. They are generous and seem grateful for the effort made
to serve them. The library's service to its public is reflected
not only in the upward curve of statistical and registration records,
but in the personal attitude of the community towards its library.
Faneuil. Material is furnished constantly for lectures and
debates. This work has caused a steady demand for books from
the Central Library ; at times people are unreasonable, but as a
rule appreciative. The chief calls have been for psychology
and English literature. The automobile books placed on the
shelves last summer have proved useful.
Jeffries Point. With five schools in this section, having an
enrollment of some three thousand children, a great amount of
reference work is done. The reading room has a large collec-
tion of books for children. The teachers do their utmost to co-
operate with the library working for the advancement of their
pupils.
Mattapan. The children are most enthusiastic about their
reading room, especially the Jewish children who show an un-
common interest. The Jewish people comprise quite a large
proportion of the community, although we have Irish, Swedish,
Italian and Armenian patrons.
Neponset. Although the majority of our adult readers do
not make a habit of using the library as a reading room, we
always have at least a few newspaper and periodical readers.
[54]
or an employee from Lawley's Shipyard, reading up on ship-
building. The reference work with the older boys and girls
plays an important part in our service to the public.
Orient Heights. Since we have so few adults using the
library, we devote almost our entire attention to the children
and place the library as much as possible at the service of the
schools, both public and parochial. The teachers and sisters
insist that the children procure library cards and then give them
assignments in home work which require looking up material in
the library.
Parser Hill. The circumstances of the people in this district
are such that books for ownership are not beyond their desires,
but beyond their pocketbooks ; these people are readers and
thinkers, who find much intellectual solace in a book. To many
boys, who at fourteen believed that knowledge was "usless
stuff," but who have found at twenty that knowledge is "dollars
and cents," the library has been of incalculable advantage. For
these young men the Library has built up a splendid collection
of books on elementary subjects.
Roxbur^ Crossing. Although most of our patrons are chil-
dren, the adults from an important factor in our work. Ours is
a very cosmopolitan community bringing into contact with each
other Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Italians, Swedes, Norwegians,
Irish and Negroes. Through their children they obtain books
in easy English and naturalization.
T^ler Street. The staff of the library is composed of assist-
ants who speak some of the many languages used in the district,
for example, Arabic, Italian, Yiddish and Greek. There is a
fairly good collection of books in these languages for circulation,
and a splendid collection of Americanization books, used prin-
cipally by the pupils of the Quincy Evening School.
THE NEW WEST ROXBURY BRANCH LIBRARY.
On Monday, April 1 7, 1922, the new West Roxbury Branch
building was dedicated with appropriate ceremony. The build-
ing is most attractive and convenient, consisting of a one-story
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[55]
brick structure, designed in the Colonial style with a flat roof.
The main floor consists of one large room 38 X 88 feet and 1 6
feet high, with an ell in the rear containing the librarian's office,
work room, and stairway to the basement of the building, the
latter so arranged that books from the Central Library may be
brought to the rear entrance and taken out of the building at a
point between the first story and the basement. The entrance
from the porch to the main floor is through a vestibule which is
heated when necessary in order to make it comfortable for those
working at the charging counter, located directly opposite the
entrance.
The floor space of the main room is divided by partitions
glazed with plate glass from a point three feet above the floor.
The central portion, 22 X 32 feet, is used for the delivery
room; the reading rooms on either side are 33 X 38 feet.
Bookcases are arranged around the walls of each room, with
three shelf cases along the partitions. As the partitions are only
1 0 feet high, the impression received on entering the building is
that of one large room.
The first story is finished in oak, stained medium brown to the
height of the bookcases; above the bookcases the plaster walls
are panelled with wood mouldings and painted a warm gray.
The finished floor of the entire first story is cork tile, Yl inch
thick, cemented direct to the concrete floor.
The basement has a hall with a seating capacity of 225,
anterooms, lunch and rest rooms, toilet rooms, two storage rooms
for books, heater and coal storage. All the basement rooms
are well lighted. The main entrance of the lecture hall is direct
from the street at one end of the building.
The only wood used in the structure is the standing finish and
floor rafters, the latter supported on steel girders. The founda-
tion walls are of cement, the wall above of brick — water struck
brick being used for all face work — and the first floor of rein-
forced concrete. The basement floors are of concrete finished
with granolithic. The stairs from the basement to the first floor
are of iron.
The Superintendent of Buildings and the Library Depart-
[561
ment received every consideration and the heartiest cooperation
during the construction of the building from the architect, Mr.
Oscar A. Thayer, a resident of West Roxbury devoted to the
interests of the community.
LECTURES AND EXHIBITIONS.
Lists of the free lectures in the Library courses of the season,
of the lectures given in the Library under the auspices of various
civic associations, and of the public exhibitions held at the Cen-
tral Library during the year, may be found on pages 67—70 of
the Appendix. As in former years, the record covers the
period from the fall of 1922 through the spring of 1923. The
Lecture Hall at the Central Library has been used again and
again to its capacity. In addition to the Library lectures given
on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, the public meet-
ings and lectures on alternate Monday afternoons of the Ruskin
Club, and the meetings of many civic associations, the Hall was
used every week-day evening by the various extension courses
offered by the State Board of Education. Through death and
for other causes, several changes were made in the lecture pro-
gram as originally published in the October Bulletin of the Li-
brary. On account of the large number of disappointed persons
who could not gain admittance to the Hall, two lectures were
graciously repeated, as follows:
On November 29, The Passion Play of 1922, by Dr. J. C.
Bowker.
On February 1 1 , The High History of the Holy Grail, by
Rev. W. N. Stinson, S.J.
TTie lectures on music were illustrated by the lecturers with
the use of the piano, or by church choirs or college glee clubs,
who gave their services, including transportation.
Attention is again called to the vital need of improvement in
the ventilation of the Lecture Hall. So evil are the present
conditions that unless relief can be given, it would seem ad-
visable to consider the discontinuance of public meetings until
the necessary repairs shall have been made. The dingy appear-
% [57]
ance of the room itself calls for fresh paint. The need of a
motion picture equipment grows more apparent each year. Offers
of several interesting lectures have been declined, because the
picture rolls illustrating them could not be displayed.
STAFF INSTRUCTION.
Five members of the Library Staff availed themselves of the
privilege of registering for the second term, January - March,
1922, in the Library School of Simmons College, for the fol-
lowing courses ; three in library work with children, one in refer-
ence, and one in history.
Fifty-five members of the staff attended the twenty lectures on
the Outlines of English Literature, a special survey for librarians,
by Prof. R. E. Rogers of Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
presented on request through the Extension Division of the State
Board of Education, beginning January 6, 1922. Twenty-
eight took the examination at the end of the course, thirteen of
whom passed and received certificates from the Commonwealth.
So much enthusiasm resulted from Prof Rogers' course that
two additional series of lectures on the History of American
Literature were announced for workers in public and special li-
braries, beginning November 1 7, 1 922. The first was a course
of twenty lectures on American Literature from its beginnings
through the Civil War; the second, a supplementary course of
ten lectures on American Literature since 1 870. These courses
were made possible through the cooperation of the Extension
Division as last year. Fifty members of the staff enrolled for the
first course of lectures. In general the younger assistants who
felt the need of this particular instruction in the performance of
their library work, were encouraged to attend, in preference to
those who had already passed a Grade B examination, or whose
duties do not bring them in direct contact with the public.
The outcome of the series of Informal Talks and Round Table
Conferences planned for the younger members of the staff weekly
from January 5 to April 27 inclusive, was most successful.
The following talks were interspersed each month with informal
[58]
discussions at which the assistants were encouraged to express
their opinions and at which papers by the pupils were read and
criticised: The Hbrary assistant in the eyes of the pubHc, Mr.
George H. Tripp; How I became a Hbrarian, Mrs. Bertha V.
Hartzell; What is a Hbrarian, Mr. George H. Evans; The
working child and the library. Miss Louise C. Keyes; The
ethics of a librarian, Mr. Truman R. Temple; Amenities of a
children's librarian, Mrs. Mary E. Root ; Loyalty : an essential
trait, Mr. Harold T. Dougherty; What one can get from a
summer library course. Miss Harriet E. Howe; The library
assistant as a reader, Mr. Robert K. Shaw; The apprentice
system in Springfield, Mr. Hiller C. Wellman; Duties and
rewards of a village librarian, Mrs. Evelyn L. Warren; Your
future in the library profession, Mr. Charles F. D. Belden.
No examination was held, but as an incentive to take the
experiment seriously and in the hope of bringing out unrecog-
nized abilities, the Librarian offered a prize of a book for the
best paper on the addresses of each month, and at the end of the
course two cash prizes, $ 1 5 and $ 1 0 respectively, for the two
best papers on the lectures of the entire course.
A course of ten lectures in Elementary Reference Work, given
by senior members of the Staff to junior assistants in the Central
Library and general assistants in the branches and reading rooms,
began on November 21, 1922. In order to obviate the absence
from duty of too many assistants at a time, the lecture course
will be repeated, beginning February 8, 1 923.
Nineteen library assistants attended the first presentation of the
course, and at the examination, held at its conclusion, sixteen
passed.
It is a pleasure to record that the custodian of the Patent
Room, Central Library, attended, last Fall, a course of ten
voluntary lectures on Patent Law at the Law School of Boston
University.
CONCLUSION.
Note is properly here made of the service records of the fol-
lowing employees who have recently left the Library.
[59]
On March 27, 1922. Mr. John F. Locke of the Shelf De-
partment, who entered the service of the Library on December
1 0, 1 894, was retired on half pay under the provisions of Chap-
ter 113 of the Acts and Resolves of the General Court of
Massachusetts in the year 191 1, providing for the retirement of
veterans of the Civil War. Mr. Locke was a faithful, much
loved assistant; he carries vsath him the good will and respect
of all his colleagues.
On May 15, Miss Barbara Duncan, in charge of the Allen
A. Brown Music Room, who entered the service in December
1907, resigned to become librarian of the Music Library of the
Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, New York.
Miss Duncan is particularly qualified to meet this opportunity
for enlarged responsibility, and her associates bespeak success for
her in the new and attractive position to which she has been
called. Mr. Richard G. Appel was appointed temporarily in
charge of the Music Room on August 21,1 922.
On August 15, Mr. Langdon L. Ward, Supervisor of
Branches, who entered service in December 1896, died. His
death, although not unexpected, came as a shock to all his
associates. He was a kindly, conscientious, learned gentleman,
devoted to the problems of his department. His loss will long
be felt in library circles. Miss Edith Guerrier, Supervisor of
Circulation, was appointed on October 20, 1 922, to the position
of Suprvisor of Branches left vacant through the death of Mr.
Ward.
On September 1 , Miss Josephine E. Kenney, Librarian of the
North End Branch who entered service in June 1906, resigned
to accept appointment to the librarianship of the Jamaica Train-
ing School for Teachers, Jamaica, Long Island. Miss Kenney
had been on leave of absence from the Boston Public Library
since September 7, 1 92 1 . On September 8, Miss Florence M.
Bethune, Librarian of the West End Branch, who entered
service in 1903, resigned and soon thereafter married. Both
Miss Kenney and Miss Bethune were valued and efficient ad-
ministrators and librarians.
Acknowledgment is again gratefully made for the continued
[60]
cooperation of those members of the staff of the Library Depart-
ment who, in their several places, have faithfully performed
the routine work of the institution. I record also my continuing
appreciation of the efficient service of Mr. Otto Fleischner,
the Assistant Librarian.
Respectfuly submitted,
Charles F. D. Belden,
Librarian.
APPENDIX.
TABLES OF CENTRAL, BRANCH AND READING ROOM
CIRCULATION.
1917-18
1918-19
1919-20
1920-21
1921-22
1922-23
Central Library
439.827
441,582
507.038
551.190
591,640
590.655
Branches:
Brighton
58,038
58,764
71,720
75,273
79,397
83.238
Charlestown
78.549
70.828
80,900
91,455
98,780
101.140
Codman Square
87.038
78,694
85,246
91,721
101,792
103.810
Dorchester
59.719
60,513
68.173
68,873
70,396
67.810
East Boston
101.119
94,971
1 1 5,062
111,813
120,234
120.993
Hyde Park
75.726
70,363
78.444
79,592
80,855
82.498
Jamaica Plain
48.978
48,306
55.771
58,228
60,507
59.970
Mt. Bowdoin
....
....
• • • .
. • • •
83.376
North End
51.406
42,123
59.'676
69.846
85,187
96.359
Roslindale
....
....
66,798
73,310
80,879
82.597
Roxbury .
74.919
71,418
74,024
80,469
80,933
79.125
South Boston
91,503
89,478
100,602
104.979
121,194
124.809
South End
94,470
87.465
94,386
99,751
97,403
99.543
Upham's Corner
108,170
100.009
111.186
113,846
119.375
120.257
Warren Street
....
88.720
94,991
104.412
108.665
West End .
112,255
167J81"
114,162
123,137
136,431
142.470
West Roxbury
47,341
51.519
55,273
54,956
66.470
74.970
Reading Rooms:
Allston
38,257
41.217
43,492
41,369
47,328
53,598
Andrew Square
27,264
27.266
29,726
30,761
33,944
33,413
Boylston Station
33,700
33.163
40,758
44,829
50,033
55,672
City Point .
48.503
43.744
33,784
34,510
30,300
38,381
Faneuil
22.625
21.571
22,626
24,001
24,913
24,944
Jeffries Point
. .
....
10,309
35,925
Lower Mills
18.546
l'7!897
l'8',3b8
18,040
17.765
17,577
Mattapan .
14.068
14.757
16,351
16,439
20.499
20.497
Mt. Bowdoin
52.790
53.200
68.177
73,620
80.492
....
Mt. Pleasant
40.092
42.690
48.098
49,949
57,562
53,846
Neponset .
15,530
18,474
19.433
22,630
28,789
33.263
Orient Heights
13,777
14,967
21.133
21,934
27,970
34,240
Parker Hill
46,250
40,044
52.846
48,891
49,209
49,459
Roslindale
51,399
56,918
....
. . . .
Roxbury Crossin
g 32,873
37.652
43,232
47!036
571609
55,91 1
Tyler Street
16,632
12.556
1 5.587
31,343
40.039
39.973
Warren Street
73,096
78.723
....
....
....
. . . .
Total
2,074,455 2,028,053 2,300,732 2,448.776 2,672,646 2.768,984
[62]
The net gains and losses in circulation are presented, apart
from the totals, in the following form :
VOLUMES,
1917-18 gain over preceding year ........ 24,217
1918-19 loss from preceding year 46,402
1919-20 gain over preceding year ........ 272,679
1920-21 gain over preceding year ........ 148,044
1921-22 gain over preceding year 223,870
1922-23 gain over preceding year 96,338
USE OF BOOKS.
CIRCULATION FROM CENTRAL BY MONTHS.
HOME USE
DIRECT.
HOME USE
THROUGH
BRANCH DEPT.
SCHOOLS AND
INSTITUTIONS
THROUGH
BRANCH DEPT.
TOTALS.
February, 1922 . . 39.088
14,904
13,723
67,715
March,
36,804
12,405
15,775
64,984
April,
35,173
12,456
15,575
63,204
May,
29,178
9,242
20,420
58,840
June,
23,468
7,655
1 5,838
46,961
July,
18,590
5,561
1,980
26,131
August,
20,022
5,261
1,679
26,962
September,
19,443
4,862
1,468
25,773
October,
24,897
6.478
6,420
37,795
November,
33,907
10,569
13,000
57,476
December,
34,179
12.097
14,050
60,326
January, 19
23
30,221
9,577
14,690
54,488
Totals
344,970
1,067
134,618
590,655
DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CIRCULATION.
Central Library:
a. Direct ......
h. Through branches and reading rooms
c. Schools and institutions, through
Branch Department
Branches:
Brighton
Charlestown
Codman Square
Dorchester
East Boston
Hyde Park .
Jamaica Plain
Mt, Bowdoin
Carried forward
home
SCHOOLS AND
TOTAL.
USE.
INSTITUTIONS.
344,970
1 1 1 ,067
134,618
590,655
47,801
35,437
83,238
90,232
10,908
101,140
97,474
6,336
103,610
59,027
8,783
67,810
101,469
19,524
120,993
76,533
5,965
82,498
50,120
9.850
59.970
83.376
....
83.376
699.451
99.743
799,194
[63]
Brought forward
Roslindale
Roxbury
South Boston
South End .
Upham's Corner
Warren Street
West End .
West Roxbury
Reading Rooms:
Allston
Andrew Square
Boylston Station
City Point .
Faneuil
Jeffries Point
Lower Mills
Mattapan
Mt. Pleasant
Neponset
Orient Heights
Parker Hill .
Roxbury Crossing
Tyler Street
HOME
SCHOOLS AND
USE.
INSTITUTIONS.
699.451
99,743 799.194
78.933
3,664 82.597
62,090
,17,035 79,125
109,044
15,765 124,809
85,731
13,812 99,543
1 11 .568
8.689 120.257
107,470
1,195 108,665
123,287
19,183 142,470
62,333
12,637 74,970
1.439,907
191.723 1,631.630
53,598
53.598
33,413
33.413
55,672
55,672
38,381
38.381
24,944
24,944
35.925
35.925
17,577
17,577
20.497
20.497
53.846
53.846
33,263
33.263
34,240
34.240
49,459
49.459
55,91 1
55.91 1
38,992
981 39.973
545.718
981
546.699
These figures are condensed into the following :
Books lent for home use, including circulation through
schools and institutions.
From Central Library (including Central Library books issued through the
branches and reading rooms) ........
From branches and reading rooms (excluding books received from Central) 2,
590.655
1 78.329
Total
Comparative. 1921-22.
Centra! Library circulation:
Direct home use .... 354,587
Through branches and reading rooms 106.502
Branch Department circulation:
Direct home use
From branch collections . . 1.335,018
From reading rooms . . . 575.930
Schools and institutions circulation (in-
cluding books from Central through
the Branch System)
2
1922
768.984
i-23.
461.089
1.910,948
300,609
344,970
1 1 1 .067
1,439,907
545,718
456.037
,985.625
327.322
2.672,646
2,768,984
[64]
Under the inter-library loan system with other libraries the
following use of books for the purpose of serious research is
shown for two successive years:
Volumes lent from this Library to other libraries in Massachusetts
Lent to libraries outside of Massachusetts .
Totals .....
Applications refused:
From libraries in Massachusetts
From libraries outside of Massachusetts
Totals
Borrowed from othe
lib
raries ror use here
1921-22.
1,315
306
1922-23.
1,344
282
1,621
346
75
421
40
,626
442
110
552
28
The classified "home-use" circulation of the branches and
reading rooms was as follows, for two successive years:
1921
-22
1922-23.
Branches:
VOLUMES. PERCENTAGE.
VOLUMES.
PERCENTAGE
Fiction for adults .
399,455
30
435,081
30.31
Non-fiction for adults
144,243
11
1 52,036
10.6
Juvenile fiction
515,342
39
537,641
37.5
Juvenile non-fiction
269.694
20
309,622
21.5
Reading Rooms:
Fiction
397,402
69
370.559
67.8
Non-fiction
175,528
31
175,159
32.2
At the Central Library the classified "home-use" circulation
shows the following percentages :
1921-22.
1922-23.
PERCENTAGES. PERCENTAGES.
Fiction 48.66+
Non-ficrion 51.33+
47.86+
52.13+
BOOK ACCESSIONS.
BOOKS ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE.
For the Central Library:
From City appropriation .
From trust funds income
For branches and reading rooms:
From City appropriation
From trust funds income
By Fellowes
Branch)
Totals
Athenaeum (for the
Roxbury
1921-22
7,709
3,461
— 11,170
53,875
53,875
1,140
66,185
1922-
7,440
4,701
55,311
23.
12,141
55,311
622
68,074
[65]
Of the 668 volumes acquired by the Fellowes Athenaeum
during the past year, 622 were purchases, 30 were gifts, and 1 6
were of periodicals bound.
The following statement includes the accessions by purchase
combined with books received by gift or otherwise :
Accessions by purchase (including 622 volumes
by Fellowes Athenaeum for Roxbury Branch)
Accessions by gift (including 30 volumes through
Fellowes Athenaeum for Roxbury Branch)
Accessions by Statistical Department .
Accessions by exchange .....
Accessions by periodicals bound (including 1 6
through Fellowes Athenaeum for Roxbury
Branch) .......
Accessions of newspapers bound
CENTRAL.
BRANCHES.
TOTAL
VOLUMES.
12,141
55,933
68,074
7,369
796
8,165
129
....
129
47
....
47
1,664
133
1,797
97
....
97
21,447
56,862
78,309
THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogued (new) :
Central Library Catalogue
Serials ....
Branches ....
Recatalogued
Tota
VOLS. AND
TITLES.
PARTS.
1921-22.
31,022 14,608
4,040
46,591
18,872
39,512
6,129
100,525 60.249
TITLES.
VOLS. AND
PARTS.
1922-23.
25,533 15,731
4,127
48,007
14,056
39,937
7,178
91,723 62,846
SHELF DEPARTMENT.
The number of volumes shelved and thus made available for
public use, taken from the report of the Shelf Department, is :
Placed on the Central Library shelves during the year:
General collection, new books (including continuations) .... 21,822
Special collection, new books and transfers ...... 1 ,868
Books reported lost or missing in previous years, but now found, transfers
from branches, etc. .......... 1 ,765
25,455
Removed from Central Library shelves during the year:
Books reported lost or missing, condemned copies not yet replaced, trans-
fers, etc 11.438
Net gain. Central Library 14,017
Net gain at branches (including reading rooms) ...... 11,866
Net gain, entire library system ......... 25,883
[66]
The total number of volumes available for public use at the
end of each year since the formation of the Library is shown in
the following statement:
1852-53 .
9.688
1887 .
492,956
1853-54 .... 16,221
1888 .
505,872
1854-55 .... 22,617
1889 .
520,508
1855-56
28,080
1890 .
536,027
1856-57
34,896
1891 .
556.283
1857-5S
70,851
1892 .
576,237
1858-59
78,043
1893 .
597,152
1859-60
85,031
1894 .
610,375
1860-61
97,386
1895 .
628.297
1861-62
105,034
1896-97
663.763
1862-63
110,563
1897-98
698,888
1863-64
116,934
1898-99
716,050
1864-65
123,016
1899-1900
746,383
1865-66
130,678
1900-01
781,377
1866-67
136,080
1901-02
812,264
1867-68
144,092
1902-03
835,904
1868-69
152,796
1903-04
848,884
1869-70
160,573
1904-05
871,050
1870-71
179,250
1905-06
878,933
1871-72
192,958
1906-07
903,349
1872-73
209,456
1907-08
922,348
1873-74
260,550
1908-09
941,024
1874-75
276,918
1909-10
961,522
1875-76
297,873
1910-11
987,268
1876-77
312,010
1911-12
. 1,006,717
1877-78
345,734
1912-13
1,049,011
1878-79
360,963
1913-14
. 1,067,103
1879-80
377,225
1914-15
1,098,702
1880-81
390,982
1915-16
1,121,747
1881-82
404.221
191^17
1,139,682
1882-83
422,116
1917-18
1,157,326
1883-84
438,594
1918-19
1,173,695
1884-85
453,947
1919-20
1,197,498
1885 .
460,993
1920-21
. 1,224,510
1886 .
479,421
1921-22
1,258,211
1922-23
1,284,094
Volumes in entire library system
,
1,284,094
Volumes in the branches and reading rooms
•
325.163
These volumes are located as
follows :
Central Library . . . 958,931
Roxbury :
Brighton
1 7,308
Fellowes Athenaeum 30,973
Charlestown
15,414
Owned by city 5,462
Codman Square
8.393
Total, Roxbury . . . 36,435
Dorchester .
1 7,930
South Boston
18,152
East Boston
20,725
South End .
14,052
Hyde Park.
32,124
Upham's Corner
1 1 ,844
Jamaica Plain
17,285
Warren Street
7,504
Mt. Bowdoin
7.699
West End .
20,458
North End .
8,975
West Roxbury
11,731
Roslindale
10,619
Allston
3,973
167]
Andrew Square
Boylslon Station
City Point .
Faneuil
Jeffries Point
Lower Mills
Mattapan .
3,628
Mt. Pleasant
5,423
4,290
Neponsel
2,575
5,600
Orient Heights .
3.480
3,405
Parker Hill
2.344
1,894
Roxbury Crossing
4.261
1,684
Tyler Street
4.089
1,869
THE PRINTING DEPARTMENT.
Requisitions received and filled ....
Card Catalogue (Central Library) :
Titles exclusive of Stack 4 (Printing Dept. count)
Cards finished (exclusive of extras)
Card Catalogue (Branches) :
Titles (Printing Dept. count) ....
Cards finished (exclusive of extras) .
Signs .........
Blank forms (numbered series) ....
Forms, circulars and sundries (outside numbered series)
Catalogues and pamphlets .....
1921-22.
337
15,438
214,898
656
30,960
1,775
5,695,995
46,767
162,460
1922-23.
299
12,816
184,666
480
27,967
1,603
4.202,276
30,352
177.000
THE BINDERY.
Number of volumes bound in various styles
Magazines stitched
Volumes repaired ....
Volumes guarded ....
Maps mounted ....
Photographs and engravings mounted
Library publications folded, stitched and trimmed
1921-22.
1922-23.
44,587
48,544
239
265
2,436
2,141
1,381
1,169
93
64
4,492
2,929
163,747
175.532
THE LECTURES OF 1922-1923.
All lectures, except those marked with an asterisk (*) were illustrated
with lantern slides.
1922
Oct. 5
Oct
America in the Pacific. Sarah Ellen Palmer.
8. *The Creative Genius of the American Negro. James Weldon
Johnson.
Oct. 9. Florence: her Art, Literature and Social Life. Miss Lilian
Whiting. (Ruskin Club.)
Oct. 14. Flower Arrangement. Clarke Thayer. (N. E. Home Eco-
nomics Association.)
Oct. 15. Christopher Columbus. Rev. William M. Stinson, S.J.
Oct. 1 9. A Trip through the Land of EvangeHne. Rev. A. T. Kemp-
ton.
Nov.
2.
Nov.
5.
Nov.
9.
Nov.
12.
Nov.
13.
Nov.
16.
Nov.
18.
[68]
Oct. 22. The Times of Shakespeare. Frank Chouteau Brown.
(Drama League Course.)
Oct. 23. What's What in Books. John Clair Minot. (Ruskin Club.)
Oct. 26. The American and Philippino Achievements in the Philippines.
Mme. J. C. DeVeyra.
Oct. 29. Interesting Experiences w^ith Birds and Animals. Ernest
Harold Baynes.
Transportation. James M. Kimball.
Old Opera Days and Opera Singers. Francis Henry Wade.
Our National Forests. Philip W, Ayres. (Field and Forest
Club Course.)
Life in the Australian Bush. Captain William Payne.
Ruskin: John the Baptist of Social Reform. Rev. Davis
Wasgatt Clarke, D.D. (Ruskin Club.)
16. §The Passion Play of 1922. John C. Bowker.
The Social Bond of Everyday Art. Herbert J. Spinder.
(N. E. Home Economics Association.)
Nov. 19. Famous Productions of Shakespeare. F. W. C. Hersey.
(Drama League Course.)
Nov. 23. The Romance of Arizona. W. D. O'Neil.
Nov. 26. *The Music of the Western Church. Wallace Goodrich.
With musical illustrations.
Nov. 27. Sunny Italy. Mrs. James Frederick Hopkins. (Ruskin
Club.)
^Modern Anglo-Irish Poets. Norreys Jephson O'Conor, A.M.
From Sea to Sea in South America. Emma G. Cummings.
^Message of Music, or the Art Work of the Future. Mme.
Beale Morey. With musical illustrations.
Ruskin Memories in Italy and England. Mrs. May Smith
Dean. (Ruskin Club.)
White Mountain Trails. Walter CoUins O'Kane. (Field
and Forest Club Course.)
^Intelligent Buying of Clothing. Harriet Ainsworth. (N. E.
Home Economics Association.)
*Franz Liszt, the Man and the Artist. Lecture-recital. John
Orth.
Luca della Robbia. Charles Theodore Carruth.
^Reading: "The Christmas Carol." Prof. Walter Bradley
Tripp. (Dickens Fellowship.)
Dec. 24. *The Development of Mechanical Music. Geoffrey O'Hara.
With musical illustrations.
Dec. 28. Stained Glass as an Artist's Medium. Charles J. Connick.
Dec. 31. Japan: her People and her Art. Marie A. Moore.
§ Repeated on November 29.
Dec.
3.
Dec.
7.
Dec.
10.
Dec.
11.
Dec.
14.
Dec.
16.
Dec.
17.
Dec.
21.
Dec.
21.
[69]
^Modern Development in Radio Communication: Wireless
Telephony, etc. Emory Leon Chaffee.
Trip through the National Parks and the Northwest. Charles
H. Bayley.
The Camp Fire Girl : through Nature to Womanhood. Rev.
Charles W. Casson. (Field and Forest Club Course.)
*Food as a Factor in Social Work. Bailey B. Burritt. (N.
E. Home Economics Association.)
*Music in Adversity. Archibald Thompson Davison. With
musical illustrations.
Some Early American Arts. Edwin James Hipkiss. (Under
the auspices of the Museum of Fine Arts.)
^Shakespeare in the Twentieth Century. E. Charlton Black.
(Drama League Course.)
The Wonderland of America. Mrs. Arthur Dudley Ropes.
(Ruskin Club.)
Opening the Pyramids of Ethiopian Kings. Ashton Sanborn.
(Under the auspices of the Museum of Fine Arts.)
§The High History of the Holy Grail. Rev. William M. Stin-
son, S.J.
Boston in Fiction. Martha A. S. Shannon.
*The Orators and Oratory of Shakespeare. Henry Lawrence
Southwick. (Drama League Course.)
*The Anniversary of John Ruskin's Birth. Rev. Joseph P.
MacCarthy, Ph.D. (Ruskin Club.)
On the Ridgepole of the Continent: first Lessons in Moutain-
eering. Marcus Morton, Jr. (Field and Forest Club
Course.)
*What is Poetry to you? Horace G. Wadlin.
* Wordsworth. Mrs. Carolyn Hillman. (Ruskin Club.)
Washington's Visits to Boston. Charles F. Read.
*The Problem of Popularizing Good Music. Leo R. Lewis.
With musical illustrations.
^Portia the Wife. Martha Moore Avery.
^Washington and Franklin: their Part in the Triumph of the
American Revolution. Joseph M. Whipple. (Ruskin
Club.)
City Planning. Elisabeth M. Herlihy.
^Romance of Sicily. Vincent Ravi-Booth.
Some Less Familiar Portions of Germany. Harvey N.
Shepard. (Field and Forest Club Course.)
Mar. 10. Design all about us. Grace A. Cornell. (N. E. Home
Economics Association.)
§ Repeated on February 1 1 .
1923
Jan. 4.
Jan.
7.
Jan.
II.
Jan.
13.
Jan.
14.
Jan.
18.
Jan.
21.
Jan.
22.
Jan.
25.
Jan.
28.
Feb.
Feb.
1.
4.
Feb.
8.
Feb.
8.
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
II.
12.
15.
18.
Feb.
Feb.
25.
26.
Mar.
Mar.
Mar.
1.
4.
8.
[70]
Mar. 1 1 . *Poetry in the Making. John Livingston Lowes.
Mar. 12. Ruskin's Significance To-Day. Agnes Knox Black. (Rus-
kin Club.)
Mar. 15. Recent Municipal Activities in Boston. His Honor, the
Mayor, James M. Curley.
Mar. 18. *Back to Shakespeare: the Technique of the Spoken Drama.
Robert E. Rogers. (Drama League Course.)
Mar. 19. Stamp Collecting as a Hobby. Ralph N. Hall. (Boston
Philatelic Society.)
Mar. 22. Bird Banding: the Why and the How. Charles B. Floyd.
Mar. 25. Getting Back to Nature. How we Answered the Call of the
Wild. Manly B. Townsend.
Mar. 26. ^Finding Culture for Oneself. Henry Austin Higgins. (Rus-
kin Club.)
Mar. 29. The Fountains of Rome. Cav. L. Melano Rossi.
Apr. \. Dramatizing the Master Dramatist: Recent Plays upon
Shakespeare. Albert H. Gilmer. (Drama League
Course. )
Apr. 5. The Art of Drawing: as a Means to an End, and as an End
in Itself. Alfred Mansfield Brooks. (Under the auspices
of the Museum of Fine Arts.)
Apr. 9. Spain. Ellen Page. (Ruskin Club.)
Apr. 23. '^The American Drama. Gordon Hillman. (Ruskin Club.)
PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS. 1922-1923.
1922
May. Boston in 1 822.
July. Early School-books and Boston School-houses.
Boston, 1817—1921. (Books, prints and drawings.)
Aug. The Graphic Arts.
Sept. Hazard's Red Cross painting "For Humanity."
Samuel Adams.
Recent Accessions in the Fine Arts.
Oct. The Work of the American Negro.
History of Transportation. American Locomotives.
Nov. Semi-Centennial of the Great Fire of Boston. Boston Fires.
Forestry.
The Beggar's Opera,
Modern Stagecraft.
Photographs by Hamilton Revelle.
Dec. Mothercraft and Child Welfare.
The White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Luca della Robbia. The Nativity in Art.
The Art of Stained Glass.
[71]
1923
Jan. Early American Art.
Egypt.
The Drama and Eric Papa's original drawings for Chinese stage-
settings of "The Flame of Love."
Feb. Mountains of America.
George Washington.
"House Beautiful" Cover Design Competition.
Bicentenary of Death of Sir Christopher Wren.
Mar. Modern Boston. (Public buildings, parks, etc.)
Boston Philatelic Society.
Fountains of Italy.
April. Reproductions of Drawings by Old Masters.
Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Poster-Design Competition.
American Merchant Marine Library Association Book-plate
Competition.
McGreevey Collection of Baseball Photographs.
Original paintings of Book-illustrations by N. C. Wyeth.
CHIEFS OF DEPARTMENTS AND LIBRARIANS OF BRANCHES
AND READING-ROOMS.
As at present organized, the various departments of the Li-
brary and the branches and reading-rooms are in charge of the
following persons :
Otto Fleischner, Assistant Librarian.
Samuel A. Chevalier, Chief of Catalogue Department.
William G. T. Roffe. in charge of Shelf Department.
Theodosia E. Macurdy, Chief of Ordering Department.
Frank H. Chase, Custodian of Bates Hall Reference Department.
Pierce E. Buckley, Custodian of Bates Hall Centre Desk, Patent ar
Newspaper Departments.
Frederic Serex, in charge of Newspaper Room.
Wilham J. Ennis, in charge of Patent Room.
Winthrop H. Chenery, Chief of Special Libraries Department.
Walter Rowlands, in charge of Fine Arts Division.
George S. Maynard, in charge of Technical Division.
Richard G. Appel, in charge of Allen A. Brown Music Room.
Francis J. Hannigan, Custodian of Periodical Room.
Frank C. Blaisdell, Chief of Issue Department.
John H. Reardon, in charge of Information Office.
Edith Guerrier, Supervisor of Branches.
[72]
Alice V. Stevens, Chief of the Central Branch Issue Division.
Marian A. McCarthy, in charge of Branch Binding.
Robert F. Dixon, in charge of Shipping Division.
Timothy J. Mackin, Custodian of Stock Room.
Alice M. Jordan, Supervisor of Work with Children.
Mary C. Toy, Children's Librarian, Central Library.
A. Frances Rogers, Chief of Registration Department.
Horace L. Wheeler, in charge of Statistical Department.
Mary H. Rollins, Editor of Publications.
Francis Watts Lee, Chief of Printing Department.
James W. Kenney, Chief of Bindery Department.
Henry Niederauer, Chief of Engineer and Janitor Department.
Marian W. Brackett, Librarian of Brighton Branch.
Katherine S. Rogan, Librarian of Charlestown Branch.
Elizabeth P. Ross, Librarian of Codman Square Branch.
Elizabeth T. Reed, Librarian of Dorchester Branch.
Laura M. Cross, Librarian of East Boston Branch.
EHzabeth Ainsworth, Librarian of Hyde Park Branch.
Mary P. Swain, Librarian of Jamaica Plain Branch.
Beatrice M. Flanagan, acting Librarian of Mt. Bowdoin Branch.
Mary F. Curley, acting Librarian of North End Branch.
Grace L. Murray, Librarian of Roslindale Branch.
Helen M. Bell, Librarian of Roxbury Branch.
M. Florence Cufflin, Librarian of South Boston Branch.
Margaret A. Sheridan, Librarian of South End Branch.
Mary F. Kelley, Librarian of Upham's Corner Branch.
Beatrice C. Maguire, Librarian of Warren Street Branch.
Fanny Goldstein, Librarian of West End Branch.
Carrie L. Morse, Librarian of West Roxbury Branch.
Mary A. Hill, Librarian of Lower Mills Reading Room.
Emma G. Capewell, Librarian of Lower Mills Reading Rooms.
Ellen C. McShane, acting Librarian of Neponset Reading Room.
Katherine F. Muldoon, Librarian of Allston Reading Room.
Margaret H. Reid, Librarian of Mt. Pleasant Reading Room.
Edith F. Pendleton, acting Librarian of Tyler Street Reading Room.
Katrina M. Sather, Librarian of Roxbury Crossing Reading Room.
Edith R. Nickerson, Librarian of Boylston Station Reading Room.
Mary Golden, acting Librarian of Andrew Square Reading Room.
Catherine F. Flannery, Librarian of Orient Heights Reading Room.
Alice L. Murphy, Librarian of City Point Reading Room.
Mary M. Sullivan, Librarian of Parker Hill Reading Room.
Gertrude L. Connell, Librarian of Faneuil Reading Room.
Margaret A. Calnan, acting Librarian of Jeffries Point Reading Room.
INDEX.
Accessions, 29-33, 49; tables, 64-65.
Allston Reading Room, 49.
Americana, 30.
Andrew Square Reading Room, 20, 49,
53.
Artz Collection, 30.
Balance sheet, 10-16; receipts, 3;
special account, 16.
Barton -Ticknor Room, 42.
Bates Hall, Centre Desk and Reference,
19, 27, 38.
Benton, Josiah H., trust funds, 7, 8.
Bethune, Florence M., resignation, 59.
Bindery, 20, 67.
Books, 24, 26, 29; accessions, 49, 64-
65; appropriations recommended, 17,
28; circulation, 18, 27, 43-44, 48;
Polish, 20; storage plant, 18.
Boston Retirement Pension, Resolution
by Trustees, 4.
Botvditch Library, 36.
Branches and reading rooms, 3, 20-25,
27-28, 48-49; estimates, 4; requests
for establishment of, 4, 18, 29.
Brighton Branch, 50.
Brown Music Library, 30, 36, 42-43.
Business Branch, establishment urged by
Trustees, 4; recommended by Ex-
amining Committee, 18, 26.
Card-holders, 33, 34, 48.
Carr, Samuel, elected vice-president, 1 ;
decease, and resolution by the Trustees,
1-2.
Catalogue and Shelf Department, 34-
37, 65-67.
Central Library, annex, 18, 28; pri-
vate aid for library, 7-8.
Chamber of Commerce, Americaniza-
tion committee, 46; business branch
library, 26.
Charlestown Branch, 44-45, 50.
Children's Department and work with
children, 25, 27, 36, 43-47, 50-51.
Children's Museum, 46.
Circulation, Bates Hall, 38; branches
and reading rooms, 48—49; Children's
Room, 43^4; increase, 18, 27; News-
paper Room, 39; Open Shelf Room,
40; Periodical Room, 41 ; Special
libraries, 42; tables, 61-64.
City Point Reading Room, 21. 49. 53.
Codman Square Branch, 24-25.
Connolly, Msgr. Arthur T., reappointed
a trustee, I ; elected vice president, 2.
Currier, Guy W., appointment, 1.
Dorchester Branch, 46, 49, 50.
Duncan, Barbara, resignation, 59.
East Boston Branch, 50.
Employees, 17, 20-23, 34-35, 59;
chiefs of departments, 71-72; salaries,
25-26, 28; staff instruction, 57.
Estimates, 4.
Examining Committee, members of, 7;
recommendations of, 17-18; report
I 7-26.
Exhibitions, 42, 56, 70-71.
Faneuil Reading Room, 45, 53,
Finance, appropriations recommended,
17, 27; balance sheets, 10-16; re-
ceipts, 3 ; trust funds, 5-8.
Fine Arts Department, 42.
Government documents. (5ee In-
formation Office.)
Information Office, Government docu-
ments and Open Shelf Room, 27, 40.
Jamaica Plain Branch, 49.
Jeffries Point Reading Room, 49, 53.
Kenney, Josephine E., resignation, 59.
Lectures, 56-58, 67-70.
Librarian, report of, 27-60.
Library Life, 37.
Library staff. (5ee Employees.)
Locke, John F., retirement, 59.
Lower Mills Reading Room, 23, 49.
Mann, Rev. Alexander, D.D., President
of the Board, 1; resignation, 2; reso-
lution by Trustees, 3.
Mattapan Reading Room, 49, 53.
[74]
Mt. Bowdoln Reading Room, 23, 50.
Mt. Pleasant Reading Room, 22. 49.
Neponset Reading Room, 23, 53.
Newspaper Room, 39.
North End Branch, 24, 44-45, 49, 51.
Open Shelf Room. (5ee Information
Office.)
Orient Heights Reading oom, 21, 49,
54.
Parker Hill Reading Room, 54.
Patent Room, 39.
Periodical Room, 41 .
Prince Collection, 36.
Printing Department, 19, 67.
Publications, 35-37.
Registration Department, 33-34.
Roslindale Branch, 51.
Roxbury Branch, 22, 49, 51.
Roxbury Crossing Reading Room, 49,
54.
Salaries. (5ee Employees.)
South Boston Branch, 4, 45, 52.
South End Branch, 3, 20, 52.
Special Libraries, 19, 27, 42.
Story Hour, 25, 45-46.
Teachers' Room, 47.
Technical Division, 31, 38, 42.
Trust funds, appeal for, 7-8; expendi-
tures, 11, 13; statement of, 5-6.
Trustees, organization of, I.
Tyler Street Reading Room, 21, 46, 49,
54.
University Extension Courses, 30, 56-
57.
Upham's Corner Branch, 23, 52.
Ward, Langdon L., decease of, 4, 59;
resolution by Trustees, 5,
Warren Street Branch, 49, 52.
West End Branch, 24, 49, 52.
West Roxbury Branch, 44-46. 49, 53;
dedication of new building, 3, 54;
description of, 55-56.
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Sketch Map
BOSTON
Public Library System
— Clfy BoaaOarln
^— Pnitcpsl Thent^/ihnt
Area of City (Land only) 45.60 Square mile
Population (Census of 1920). 748,060.
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K;.?,tf„»'C LIBRARY
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