fi'~
S! N i V-... .V ENTH ANNUAL
OF THE
TRUSTEES
OF THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY
OF '^^'P
CITY OF BOSTON
<[
928
BOSTON
PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES
1929
* ■■■^
JOSIAH HENRY BENTON, LL.D.
From a portrait in oils by Jacob Binder in the possession of the
Boston Public Library.
SEVENTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
TRUSTEES
OF THE
PUBLIC LIBRARY
OF THE
CITY OF BOSTON
928
BOSTON
PUBLISHED BY THE TRUSTEES
1929
THE PUBLIC LIDRARV OF THE CITY OF BOSTON: PRINTINS DEPARTMENT.
7.31,29: 2501}
TRUSTEES OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
ON JANUARY 1. 1929.
LOUIS E. KIRSTEIN, President.
Term expires April 30, 1929.
FRANK W. BUXTON. ARTHUR T. CONNOLLY.
I erm expires .'Xpril 30, 1930. Term expires April 30, 1932.
GORDON ABBOTT. GUY W. CURRIER.
Term expires April 30, 1931. Term expires Apuii 30, 1933.
CHARLES F. D. BELDEN.
DIRECTOR.
ORGANIZATION OF THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
The Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston, organized
in 1852, are now incorporated under the provisions of Chapter 1 1 4 of the
Acts of 1878, as amended. The Board for 1852 was a preliminary or-
ganization; that for 1853 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 lo 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 I 878 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, Gordon, a.b., 1926-
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.
Buxton, Francis William, a.b., 1928-
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.
Dwinnell, Clifton Howard, b.s., 1927-28.
F-VERETT, Edward, ll.d., 1852-64.
Frothingham, Richard, ll.d., 1875-79.
Gaston, William Alexander, ll.b., 1923-27.
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.r.. 1921-26.
Pierce. Phinf.as. 1888-94.
F'rince. Frederick Octamus. a.m.. 1888-99.
Putnam. George, d.d.. 1868-77.
Richards. William Reuben, a.m.. 1889-95.
SiiuRTLEFF. Nathaniel Bradstreet. ll.d.. 1852-68.
Thomas. Benjamin Franklin, ll.d., 1877-78.
TicKNOR. George, ll.d.. 1852-66.
Walker. Francis Ama.'^a. ll.d.. 1896.
Whipple. Edwin Percy, a.m.. 1868-70.
Whitmore. William Henry, a.m.. 1885-88.
WiNsoR, Justin, ll.d., 1867-68.
The Hon. Edward EneretT was President of the Board from 1852
to 1864: George Ticknor. in 1865; William W. Greenough.
from 1866 to April, 1888; F'rof. Henry W. Haynes. from Mav 7.
1888, to Mav 12. 1888: Samuel A. B. Abmott. Mav 12. 1888. to
April 30. 1895; Hon. F. O. Prince. October 8. 1895. to Mav 8,
1899: Solomon Lincoln. Mav 12. 18^)0. to October 15, 1907;
Rev. James De Normandie. Jnnuarv 31, 1908, to Mav 8. 1908;
JosiAH H. Benton, May 8. 1908. to Febmarv 6, 1917; William F.
Kenney. February 13, 1917, to Mav 7. 1920: Rvx. ALEXANDER
Mann, May 7. 1920. to January 22. 1923: Msgr. Arthur T.
Connolly. April 13. 1923 to June 13. 1924; Louis E. Kirstein.
June 13. 1924 to June 19. 1925; HoN. MiCHAEL J. MuRRAY. June
19. 1925 to July 2. 1926; Guy W. Currier, July 2, 1926 to May
2, 1927; Msgr. Arthur T. Connolly, May 2. 1927 to June 22.
1928; Louis E. Kirstein since June 22. 1928.
LIBRARIANS.
(From 1838 to 1877, the chief executive officer was called Superintendent: sinre
1923, Director.)
CaPEN. Edward. Librarian, May 1 3. 1852 - December 16. 1874.
Jewett. Charles C. SupcrinlenJenL 1858- January 9. 1868.
Winsor. Justin, ll.d.. Supcrinlcndenl, February 25. 1 868 - Septem-
ber 30. 1877.
Green. Samuel A.. M.D., 'Irustec, Acting Librarian, October 1 , 1 877 -
September 30, 1878.
Chamberlain, Mellen, ll.d.. Librarian, October 1, I 878 -Septem-
ber 30. 1890.
Dwight, Theodore F., Librmian, April 13, 1892 -April 30. 1894.
Putnam, Herbert, ll.d.. Librarian, February 1 I. 1895 -April 30,
1899.
Whitney. James L., a.m.. Acting Librarian. March 31. 1899 -De-
cember 21, 1899; Librarian, December 22. 1899 -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., a.m., ll.b., Director, since March 15, 1917.
LIBRARY SYSTEM, JANUARY 1, 1929
Departments.
tCenlral Library, Copley Square . .
tEast Boston Branch, 276-282 Meridian St. .
§Soulh Boston Branch, 372 Broadway .
||Fellowes Athenaeum Branch, 46 Millmont St,
tCharlestown Branch, 43 Monument Square
tBrighton Branch, Academy Hill Road
JDorchester Branch, Arcadia, cor. Adams St.
JLower Mills Branch, Washington, cor. Richmond St.
JSoulh End Branch, 65 West Brookline St. .
■fjamaica Plain Branch, Sedgwick, cor. South St
fRoslindale Branch, 4210 Washington St.
tWest Roxbury Branch, 1961 Centre St. .
§Mattapan Branch, 7 Babson St. .
tNorth End Branch, 3a North Bennet St. .
§Neponsel Branch, 362 Neponset Ave. .
§Mt. Bowdoin Branch, 202 Washington St.
§AIlston Branch. 138 Brighton Ave.
^Codman Square Branch, Washington, cor. Norfolk St.
JMt. Pleasant Branch, Vine, cor. Dudley St.
JTyler Street Branch, Tyler, cor. Oak St. .
■fWesl End Branch, 131 Cambridge St.
JUpham's Corner Branch, 500 Columbia Rd.
:j:MemoriaI Branch, cor. Warren and Tovvnsend Sts
§Roxbury Crossing Branch, 208 Ruggles St. .
§BoyIston Starion Branch, The Lamartine, Depot Square
§OrienI Heights Branch, 1030 Bennington St.
JCity Point Branch, Municipal Bldg., Broadway
§Parker Hill Branch, 1518 Tremonl St. .
fHyde Park Branch, Harvard Ave., cor. Winthrop St
fFaneuil Branch, 100 Brooks St. .
§Andrew Square Branch, 396 Dorchester St.
§Jeffries Point Branch, 195 Webster St.
♦ Baker Library, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administrat
IJOPENED.
May 2, 1854
Jan. 28, 1871
May 1. 1872
July 16, 1873
Jan. 5, 1874
Jan. 5, 1874
Jan. 25, 1875
*June 7, 1875
Aug., 1877
27.
16,
11 In the case of the Central Library and some of the branches the opening was in a
different location from that now occupied. * As a delivery station. t I" building
owned by City, and exclusively devoted to library uses. J In City building, in pari
devoted to other municipal uses. § Occupies rented rooms. || The lessee of the Fel-
lowes Athenaeum, a private library association. * Under agreement with Harvard.
CONTENTS.
Report of the Trustees .
Balance Sheet
Report of the Examining Committee
Report of i he Director
Appendix to the Report of the Director
Index to the Annual Report 1928 .
11
28
34
67
84
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of Josiah Henry Benton
Map of the Library System .
Frontispiece
At the end
To Mis Honor Malcolm E. Nichols,
Mayor of the Citv of Boston.
The Trustees of the PubHc Library of the City of Boston
present the following report of its condition and affairs for the
year ending December 31, 1928, being the seventy-seventh an-
nual report.
ORGANIZATION OF THE BOARD.
Mr. Clifton H. Dwinnell died on March 13 and on August
18. Mr. Frank W. Buxton was appointed in his place for the
term ending April 30, 1 930. At the annual meeting on June 22,
Mr. Louis E. Kirstein was elected President, Mr. Gordon
Abbott, Vice President, and Miss Delia Jean Deery, Clerk.
NEEDS OF THE LIBRARY.
It is a gratification to report the steady progress of the work
undertaken in renewing and improving the equipment of the
Central Library and of the important repairs to the buildmg,
\vhich the passage of time has rendered necessary. The re-wiring
of the building and the installation of a modern switchboard, with
the improved lighting fixtures in many parts of the Library, have
added much to the convenience of readers and the efficiency of
the staff. The reconstruction of the old Manuscript Room, pro-
viding a modern projection room for slides and moving pictures,
and the re-arrangement of the Lecture Hall with new seats and
greatly improved stage quipment, have contributed greatly to the
comfort and pleasure of the large audiences who attend the lec-
tures and concerts given in the Library. The important work
on the roof of the building has gone steadily forward, and the
arduous task of clearing the North Gallery in preparation for its
reconstruction, has been successfully carried out with no inter-
[2]
ruption to library service. Thanks to the generous special ap-
propriation granted for the purpose, the work of making the
Special Libraries a fit and secure home for the treasures of the
institution will make great progress during the coming year.
But much remains to be done before the condition of the Cen-
tral Library will be such as to enable the Trustees to focus their
attention upon other matters. The completion of work on the
roof, the installation of additional precautions against fire, the
further improvement of the illumination of the Library, all re-
quire immediate attention. The granite platform in front of the
building shows signs of weakness, and there should be no delay
in providing for its thorough inspection with the possibility that
this platform with the walls and vaults supporting it may require
complete reconstruction.
The year has seen an important extension of the facilities of
two of the branch libraries, those at Boylston Station and City
Point; in each case increased circulation and greatly improved
service have been the result. A number of other branch libraries
are now seriously cramped by the lack of space or of proper
facilities for carrying on their work. The districts served by the
Allston, Mt. Bowdoin, Orient Heights, and Parker Hill bran-
ches are now suffering by reason of the total inadequacy of the
branch quarters, and the Trustees regard the improvement of
conditions at these branches as a primary need of the library
system. Larger and better quarters are demanded at various
other points where the public is ready to respond to the stimulus
furnished by improved facilities; at these four branches,. however,
the work of the Library is being definitely hampered and retarded
by the character of the quarters in which it is at present carried
on. It is the intention of the Trustees to present at an early date
a statement of the more pressing physical needs of the branch
libraries in the order of their relative importance.
Various sections of the city which are now without convenient
library facilities have a fair claim to the establishment of new
branches for their use. On the basis of a survey of the city re-
cently completed under the supervision of the Director, it will be
possible to submit an extension program whenever the opportunity
is presented. It is, however, the conviction of the Board of
[3]
Trustees that the proper support of the work now estahhshed
should take precedence of any further spread of tlie hbrary sys-
tem into parts of the city which, while they have a proper claim
to more convenient service, can still obtain books as at present by
going a little out of the way.
With the increasing recognition of the importance of the library
profession and the rapidly growmg competition among libraries
for properly trained and equipped workers, it becomes more and
more difficult to fill vacancies in the library staff at the salaries
now paid. If the Boston Public Library is to maintain its stand-
ing and to carry on to higher levels the quality of its service, the
salary scale must be advanced to keep pace with that current in
other American libraries of the first rank.
RECEIPTS OF THE LIBRARY.
The receipts which may be expended by the Trustees for the
maintenance of the Library consist of the annual appropriation
by the Mayor and City Council, and the income from Trust
Funds given to the institution and invested by the City Treasurer.
During the past year these recipts were:
Annual appropriation $1,138,004.00
Special appropriation Library Bldg., Fireproofing, etc.) . . . 114,215.73
Income from Trust Funds ....... 27,469.92
L'r.expended balance of Trust Funds income of previous years . . 61,465.58
$1,341,155.23
Receipts which are accounted for and paid into the City
Treasury for general municipal purposes during the past year
have been as follows: .
From fines $19,461.61
Sales of waste paper ......... 681.40
From sales of catalogues, etc. ........ I 12.99
From commission on telephone stations ...... 618.76
From payments for lost books ........ 1,348.35
Interest on bank deposits ......... 60.14
Refund 5.16
Total $22,288.41
[4]
ESTIMATES FOR 1929.
The estimates for the maintenance of the Library for the year
ending December 31, 1 929 in segregated budget form are as
follows:
A — Personal service ........ $797,115.00
B — Service other than persona] ...... 160,735.00
C — Equipment 171,975.00
D — Supplies 40,780.00
E — Materials 35,500.00
F — Special items 864.00
G — Miscellaneous . . . 40,000.00
Total $1,246,969.00
ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY.
During the year there were added to the Central Library and
its branches 96, 1 63 volumes as against 98,487 in 1 927. Of these
77,433 were acquired by purchase and 1 8,730 by gift, exchange,
etc. The total expenditure for books, periodicals, newspapers
and other library material from city appropriation and trust funds
income, was $154,436.42. The total number of volumes in the
Central Library and branches is 1 ,442,802.
CIRCULATION.
The total number of books issued for home use during the
year was 3,899,286 as against 3,705,657 for 1927, a gain of
193,629 volumes.
GIFTS AND BEQUESTS.
The Trustees are glad to report the following gifts and be-
quests other than books and related matehal, during 1928:
A bequest of $5000 under the will of Alfred Hemenway,
funded as the "Alfred Hemenway Fund"; a bequest of $2000
under the will of Gardner O. North, funded as the "Gardner
O. North Fund"; a gift of $1000 from Mr. Louis E. Kirstein,
to be added to the "Louis E. Kirstein Fund" established in 1925,
being the fourth contribution to the fund.
Two portraits, in oil, of Martin Bates, a city councillor in
1822 23, and his wife Sarah Sweetzer Bates, bequeathed to the
[5]
City ot Boston by Miss Ellen S. Bates; a reproduction in bronze
of the Declaration of Independence, given by Governor Fuller;
and in December, the offer of Mr. Louis E. Kirstein to erect and
furnish a library building in the business section of the city to be
used as a business branch and known as the "Edward Kirstein
Memorial Library" in memory of his father. In accepting Mr.
Kirstein's offer, the Trustees at their meeting on December 21
took the following action:
"WHEREAS Louis E. Kirstein, a trustee of the Boston Public
Library, has agreed in writing with the City of Boston to erect a
three and one-half story building which shall be satisfactory to the
Trustees of the Boston Public Library, fully equip|>ed for library
[nni)oses except for books, on the site of the abandoned Police
Station 2 on City Hall Avenue, and to make a gift of the said
building free and clear of all incumbrances after its erection to the
Trustees of the Boston Public Library, as a body corporate, as de-
fined in chapter one hundred and fourteen of the acts of eighteen
hundred and seventy-eight, for the purpose of maintaining therein
a branch library; and
"WHEREAS the said Louis E. Kirstein is desirous that such a
building be maintained by the said Trustees as a branch library of the
Boston Public Library as a memorial to his father, Edward Kirstein,
who had a sincere affection for the City of Boston;
"NOW, THEREEORE, BE IT VOTED that the Trustees
of the Boston Public Library, as a body corporate, or in any other
capacity, do hereby agree to accept such gift as described herein-
before and do hereby agree that when and if such a building is
d>"eded to the 7 rustees as aforesaid that they will accept and main-
tain the same as a branch library of the Boston Public Library and
will name said building, when completed and deeded, the 'Edward
Kirstein Memorial Library' in memory of Edward Kirstein, father
of Louis E. Kirstein, the donor."
Many important gifts of books and other library material have
been received during the year. A detailed statement of these
may be found in the Director's report.
In December, a satisfactory portrait of the late Josiah H.
Benton, painted by Jacob Binder, was hung in the Trustees'
room at the Central Library.
[6]
TRUST FUNDS.
The Trustees welcome bequests of money, and hope that
generous testators may remember the Library. It is from such
sources only that they can make purchases of rare works, which
give value and rank to a great educational institution, but for
which they hesitate to expend public funds appropriated for
more popular and pressing use.
As a matter of interest to the public, the Board has pleasure in
listing herewith the present trust funds of the Library, with ex-
planatory notes.
Artz Fund — Donation from Miss ViCTORINE Thomas Artz, of Chi-
cago; the income of this sum to be employed in the purchase of
valuable, rare editions of the writings, either in verse or prose, of
American and foreign authors. These books are to be known as the
"Longfellow Memorial Collection." Received in 1 896.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $10,000.00
Bates Fund — Donation made by JoSHUA BaTES, of London, in March,
1853.
"The income only of this fund is to be each and every year expended
in the purchase of such books of permanent value and authority as
may be found most needful and most useful." Payable to the
Mayor of the City for the time being.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $50,000.00
Bigelow Fund — Donation made by JoHN P- BiGELOW in August,
1 850, when Mayor of the city.
The income from this fund is to be appropriated for the purchase of
books for the increase of the library.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $1,000.00
Robert Charles Billings Fund — Bequest of Robert Charles Bil-
LINGS.
"The sum to constitute a permanent fund for said library, to be
called the Robert Charles Billings Fund, the income only to be used
for the purposes of the purchase of books for said library." Re-
ceived in 1903.
/nves/eJ in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $100,000.00
Bowditch Fund — Bequest of J. Ingersoll Bowditch. Received in
1890.
The whole income in each and every year to be expended in the
purchase of books of permanent value and authority in mathematics
and astronomy.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter
per cent Bond $10,000.00
[71
Bradlee Fund — Bequest of the Rfa'. Caleb Davis Bradlee to the
Boston Public Library. Received in 1897,
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-half p)er
cent Bond $1,000.00
Joseph H. Center Fund — Bequest of JOSEPH H. CENTER, the income
thereof to be at all times applied to the purchase of books and other
additions to the library. Received in 1905.
Invesled in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds $1 .600.00
City of Boston Three and one-half per cent Bonds 32,300.00
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Three and one-half
per cent Bond 6.000.00
Cash in City Treasury, December 31, 1928. 8.89
$39,908.89
Children's Fund — Bequest of JosiAH H. BeNTON of $100,000. to be
held as "The Children's Fund." and the income applied to the pur-
chase of books for the use of the young, to be applied for those pur-
poses only in years when the city appropriates for the maintenance
of the Library at least three per cent of the amount available for
department expenses from taxes and income in said city. In any year
when the cit>' does not thus appropriate at least three per cent of the
amount available for department expenses from taxes and income in
said City, the income given in said will for the purchase of books
shall be paid to the Rector of Trinity Church in the City of Boston
to be by him dispensed in relieving the necessities of the poor.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter per
cent Bond $15,000.00
City of Boston Four per cent Bond . . . 42,000.00
City of Boston Three and one-half per cent Bond . 20,000.00
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Three and one-
half per cent Bond 20.000.00
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Four per cent
Bond 6.000.00
Cash in City Treasury, December 31, 1928 . 1 1 7.74
$103,117.74
Clement Fund — Bequest of the late Frank Clement, of Newton, to
be known as the "Frank Clement Fund," the income to be appHed
to the purchase of books. Received in 1915.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $2,000.00
Henry Sargent Codman Memorial Fund — This is a contribution from
the friends of Henry Sargent Codman, to be used to perpetuate
the memory of Mr. Codman by the purchase of books ujwn land-
scap»e gardening. It is the desire of the subscribers that a sp>ecial
[8]
book plate shall be inserted in each of the volumes purchased, identi-
fying it as part of their memorial collection. Received in 1 898,
Invested in City of Boston Three and one-half per
cent Bond $2,800.00
Cash in City Treasury, December 31, 1928. 54.41
$2,854.41
Cutter Fund — Bequest of Abram E, CutTER of four thousand dol-
lars and his library of books, the income of the fund to be expended
for the purchase of books, and for binding. Received in 1901.
Invested in City of Boston Three per cent Bond . $4,000.00
City of Boston Four and one-half per cent Bond 100.00
Cash in City Treasury, December 31, 1928. 70.00
$4170.00
Elizabeth Fund — Bequest of SaRAH A. MatcHETT, late of Brookline,
who died October 6, 1910, the object of which is stated in the fol-
lowing extract from her will:
"I give and bequeath to the Trustees of the Public Library of the
City of Boston, twenty-five thousand dollars, to be called the Eliza-
beth fund, to be received, held and securely invested, and only the
net income therefrom expended every year in the purchase of such
books of permanent value and authority as may be most useful in
said Library."
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $25,000.00
Daniel Sharp Ford Fund — A bequest of Daniel Sharp FoRD to the
Public Library of the City of Boston. Received in 1900.
Invested in City of Boston Three per cent Bond . $6,000.00
Franklin Club Fund — Donation made in June, 1 863, by a literary asso-
ciation of young men in Boston, who, at the dissolution of the asso-
ciation, authorized its trustees, Thomas Minns, John J. French and
J. Franklin Reed, to dispose of the funds on hand in such manner
as to them should seem judicious. They elected to bestow them on the
Public Library, attaching thereto only the following conditions:
"In trust, that the income, but the income only, shall, year by year, be
expended in the purchase of books of permanent value, for the use of
the free Public Library of the city, and as far as practicable of such
a character as to be of special interest to young men." The trustees
expressed a preference for books relative to government and political
economy.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter
percent Bond . . $1,000.00
Isabella Stewart Gardner Fund — Bequest of ISABELLA SteWART
Gardner.
"To the Trustees of the Boston Public Library, for the Brown
[9]
Musical Library, for a menioiial fo B. J. Lang." Received in
1924.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $5,000.00
Morris Gest Fund — Donation made by Mr. Morris Gf.ST in December
1925, the gross receipts from a benefit performance for the Library
of "The Miracle". — $2,652.50, the income to be used in the in-
terest of dramatic art.
Deposited in Hibernia Savings Bank . . . $2,652.50
Green Fund — Donations of Dr. SamUEL A. Green of $2,000. the
income of which is to be expended for the purchase of books relating
to American history. Received in 1878 and 1884.
Invested in
City of Boston Four per cent Bond . . . . 1.500.00
City of Boston Three per cent Bond . . . 500.00
$2,000.00
Charlotte Harris Fund — Bequest of CuARLOTTF. HARRIS, late of Bos-
ton, the object of which is stated in the following extract from her
will: "I give to the Charlestown Public Library $10,000, to be
invested of interest, which interest is to be applied to the purchase
of books published before 1850. I also give to said Public Library
my own private library and the portrait of my grandfather, Richard
Devens." Bequests accepted by City Council, July 31, 1877.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter
per cent Bond $10,000.00
Thomas B. Harris Fund — Bequest of Thomas B. HaRRIS, late of
Charlestown. for the benefit of the Charlestown Public Library.
Received in 1 884.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $1,000,00
Alfred Hemenway Fund. — Bequest of Alfred Hemenway. Received
in 1928.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds. . $5,000.00
Hyde Fund — Bequest of Franklin P. Hyde of Boston, to be known
as the "Franklin P. Hyde Fund," the income to be applied to the
purchase of books and other library material. Received in 1915.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $3,600,00
Cash, December 31, 1928 . . . . 32.40
$3,632.40
David P. Kimball Fund — Bequest of David P. KiMBALL.
"I give to the Public Library of the City of Boston, the income to
be used for the purchase of books, $10,000." Received in 1924.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $9,000.00
City of Boston Three and one-half per cent Bond 1 ,000
$10,000.00
[10]
Louis E. Kirslein Fund — Donation of $1,000 made by Mr. LouiS E.
KiRSTEIN in October 1925, "to be used for any purpose of the Li-
brary that the Trustees see fit to put it to."
October, 1925 $1,000.00
October, 1926 1,000.00
November. 1927 1,000.00
October, 1928. 1 ,000.00
Deposited in Hibernia Savings Bank . . . $4,000.00
Arthur Mason Knapp Fund — Extract from the will of KatherinE
KnaPP: "To the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of
Boston, the sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), to be known
as the Arthur Mason Knapp Fund, of which the income only shall
be used for the purchase of books for said library. And I hereby
request that such books be designated with an appropriate label or
inscription, bearing the name of the Fund." Received in 1914.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $10,000.00
Abbott Lawrence Fund — Bequest of AbBOTT LaWRENCE, of Boston.
Received in 1 860. The interest on this fund is to be exclusively
appropriated for the purchase of books for the said library having
a permanent value.
Invested in City of Boston Three and one-half per
cent Bond $10,000.00
Edward Lawrence Fund — Bequest of EdwARD LaWRENCE. of Charles-
town. Received in 1 886. The following clause from his will
explains its purpose:
"To hold and apply the income and so much of the principal as they
may choose, to the purchase of special books of reference to be kept
and used only at the Charlestown branch of said Public Library."
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $500,00
Mrs. John A. Lewis Fund — Bequest of Elizabeth Lewis, to be known
as the Mrs. John A. Lewis Fund: "I give and bequeath to the Bos-
ton Public Library the sum of $5,000 as a fund, the income of which
is to be used for the purchase of such old and rare books as shall be
fitly selected to augment the collection known as the John A. Lewis
Library." Received in 1903.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $5,000.00
Charles Greely Loring Memorial Fund — Donation from the family of
Charles Greely Loring, the income of which is to be expended
for the purchase of books for the West End Branch. Received in
1896.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $500,00
[II]
Charles Mead Fund — Bequest of CllARLES MkAD. to constitute the
Charles Mead Public Library Trust Fund for the promotion of the
objects of the Public l^ibrary in such manner as the government of
said library shall deem best, and so far as the government shall deem
consistent with the objects of the library to be used for the benefit
of the South Boston Branch Library. Received in 1 896.
Invested in Citv of Boston Four and one-half per
cent Bond' $2,500.00
Gardner O. North Fund — Bequest of Gardner O. North. Received
in 1928. $2,000.00
The Oakland Hall Trust Fund — By an interlocutory decree of the
Probate Court for the County of Suffolk, the amount of $1 1 ,781 .44
was received, the same being one-half of the net amount received from
the disposition of certain property held by the Trustees, under an
indenture between Amor Hollingsworth, Sumner A. Burt and Amor
L. Hollingsworth, all of Milton, Mass., and John H. McKendry,
of Boston, Mass., entered into the sixth day of August, 1870. The
above amount was accepted by the City, January 2, 1924, and the
Trustees of the Public Library voted to invest the same under the
name of "The Oakland Hall Trust Fund," the income to be applied
to the purchase of books and other library material for the Mattapan
Branch.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $1 1,780.00
Cash. December 31. 1927 1.44
$11,781.44
John Boyle O'Reilly Fund — Donation received from the PaPYRUS
Club to establish a fund in memory of John Boyle O'Reilly, late
member of said club, the income of said fund to be devoted to the
purchase of books for the Boston Public Library. Received in 1 897.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $1,000.00
Phillips Fund — Donation made by JONATHAN PHILLIPS, of Boston,
in April, 1853.
The interest of this fund is to be used exclusively for the purchase
of books for said library.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $10,000.00
Also a bequest by the same gentleman in his will dated September
20. 1849.
The interest on which is to be annually devoted to the maintenance O'f
a free Public Library.
Invested in City of Boston Three and one-half per
cent Bond $20,000.00
Both of these items are payable to the Mayor of the City for the
time being.
[12]
Pierce Fund — Danation made by Henry L. PierCE, Mayor of the
City, November 29, 1 873, and accepted by the City Council, De-
cember 27, 1873.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $4,000.00
City of Boston Three and one-half per cent Bond . 1,000.00
$5,000.00
Sarah E. Pratt Fund — Bequest from SaraH E. Pratt, late of Boston,
under the 14th clause of her will, for the benefit of the Dorchester
Branch, $500.00. Received in January, 1922.
Distribution of residue of estate in May, 1924, $964.30.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . 1 ,400.00
City of Boston Three and three-quarters per cent Bond 90.00
Cash in City Treasury, December, 1 928. 4.1 8
$1,494.18
Guilford Reed Fund — Bequest of Helen Leah Reed, as a memorial to
Guilford S. Reed ; the income to be applied to the purchase of books
of non-fiction.
Deposited in Dorchester Savings Bank . . . $1,000.00
John Singer Sargent Fund — Balance remaining in hands of surviving
trustees of fund originally raised to install in the Library decorations
by John Singer Sargent; the income to be used for the care and
preservation of the Sargent decorations, etc.
Deposited in Dorchester Savings Bank . . . $3,858.24
Scholfield Fund — Bequest of ARTHUR ScHOLFIELD, who died in New
York, January 1 7, 1 883. The interest to be paid to certain heirs
during their hves, and then to be used for the purchase of books of
permanent value. The last heir, Joseph Scholfield, died November
1 8, 1 889, and by his will bequeathed to the City of Boston the sum
of $1 1,766.67, which represents the income of said fund received
by him up to the time of his death, to which was added $33,33
accrued interest on deposit up to the time of investment, to be added
to the fund given by his brother.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $41,800.00
City of Boston Four and one-quarter per cent Bond 1 2,000.00
City of Boston Four and one-half per cent Bonds 6,000.00
City of Boston Three and three-quarters per cent Bonds 2,000.00
$61,800.00
Sewall Fund — Extract from the will of RiCHARD Black SewalL:
"Tenth. — I bequeath the following pecuniary legacies clear of lega-
cy tax, namely. To the Trustees of the Public Library of the City
of Boston $25,000 (twenty-five thousand dollars) to be added to
[13]
their funds and the income to be used for the purchase of books."
Received in 1918.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter per
cent Bond $23,000.00
Skinner Fund — Extract from the will of Francis Skinner:
"Eleventh. — All my books and library I give and bequeath to my
son, to be enjoyed by him during his life and after his death to be
distributed as he shall appoint among such public libraries, as he shall
judge fit, and in case he makes no such appointment then to the
Trustees of the Public Library of the City of Boston.
"Sixteenth. — All the rest and residue of my said property of what-
ever kind, I give and bequeath to Augustus P. Loring and J. Lewis
Stackpole in trust to pay the net income to my son Francis Skinner,
Jr., during his life, or to apply the same to his maintenance and sup-
port, or the maintenance and support of any issue of his, as they shall
think best during his life; and at his death to apply the income to the
maintenance and support of his issue until his youngest child shall
reach the age of 2 1 years and then to distribute said property among
said issue, the issue of a deceased child to take the share a parent
would have taken if living.
"If there shall be no issue surviving at the time of my son's death,
then to turn the said property into cash and to divide it equally
among the following legatees: The Trustees of the Public Library
of the City of Boston, the Museum of Fine Arts of Boston, Massa-
chusetts, the Massachusetts General Hospital, the Medical School
of Harvard University, and the Free Hospital for Women, Brook-
line, Massachusetts." Received in 1914.
Invested in City of Boston 1 hree and one-half per
cent Bond $40,000.00
City of Boston Four per cent Bonds ... I 0,250.00
City of Boston Four and one-half per cent Bond 200.00
I 6 shares Worcester Street Railway Company . 1 ,280.00
Cash, December 31, 1928 2.14
$51,732.14
South Boston Branch Library Trust Fund — Donation of a citizen of
South Boston, the income of which is to be expended for the benefit
of the South Boston Branch Library. Received in 1 879.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter per
cent Bond $100.00
Mary Elizabeth Stewart Fund — Bequest of Mary ELIZABETH STEW-
ART of $3,500 to the Trustees of the Boston Public Library. The
Trustees voted under date of June 29, 1923, that the income be
[14]
applied to the purchase of books and other library material.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $3,500.00
James Jackson Storrow (Harvard '57) Fund — Gift of Helen Storrow
and Elizabeth Randolph Storrow as a memorial to James Jackson
Storrow, Senior ; income to be used for the purchase of Italian books.
Deposited in Boston Five Cent Savings Bank . $10,000.00
" Dorchester Savings Bank . . 5.000.00
" Suffolk Savings Bank . . . 10.000.00
$25,000.00
Patrick F. Sullivan Bequest — Extract from will: "I give and bequeath
to the Trustees of the Boston Public Library the sum of five thous-
and dollars, the principal or income of said sum to be expended by
them for the purchase of Catholic standard books, said books to be
approved by the Archbishop of the diocese of Boston. Mass.. or by
the President of the Trustees of Boston College, in Boston, Mass."
Received in 1908.
This bequest, together with interest amounting to $339.61, has been
expended for books.
Ticknor Bequest — By the will of George Ticknor, of Boston, he
gave to the City of Boston, on the death of his wife, all his books and
manuscripts in the Spanish and Portuguese languages, about four
thousand volumes, and also the sum of four thousand dollars. After
the receipt of said sums the city is required to spend not less than
one thousand dollars in every live years during the twenty-five years
next succeeding (i.e., the income of four thousand dollars, at the
rate of five per cent per annum) in the purchase of books in the
Spanish and Portuguese languages and literature. At the end of
twenty-five years the income of said sum to be expended annually in
the purchase of books of permanent value, either in the Spanish or
Portuguese languages, or in such other languages as may be deemed
expedient by those having charge of the library. The books be-
queathed or purchased are always to be freely accessible for reference
or study, but are not to be loaned for use outside of the Hbrary build-
ing. If these bequests are not accepted by the city, and the trusts
and conditions faithfully executed, the books, manuscripts and money
are to be given to the President and Fellows of Harvard College.
In order that the city might receive the immediate benefit of this
contribution, Anna Ticknor, widow of the donor, relinquished her
right to retain during her life the books and manuscripts, and placed
them under the control of the city, the City Council having previously
accepted the bequests in accordance with the terms and conditions of
said will, and the Trustees of the Public Library received said be-
quests on behalf of the city, and made suitable arrangements for the
[I5J
care and custody of the books and manuscripts. Received \n 1871.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-half per
cent Bond $4,000.00
William C. Todd Newspaper Fund — Donation by WiLLIAM C. ToDD.
accepted by order of the City Council, approved October 30, 1897,
the income to be at least two thousand dollars a year, to be ex-
pended by the Library Trustees for newspapers of this and other
countries.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . $25,000.00
City of Boston Three and three-quarters per
cent Bond $25,000.00
$50,000.00
Townsend Fund — Donation from William Minot and William Minot,
Jr., executors of the will of Mary P. TOWNSUND, of Boston, at
whose disposal she left a certain portion of her estate in trust for such
charitable and public institutions as they might think meritorious.
Said executors accordingly selected the Public Library of the City
of Boston as one of such institutions, and attached the following con-
ditions to the legacy: "The income only shall, in each and every
year, be expended in the purchase of books for the use of the library;
each of which books shall have been published in some one edition
at least five years at the time it may be so purchased." Received in
1879.
Invested in City of Boston Three and one-half per ^
cent Bond . : $4,000.00
Treadwell Fund — By the will of the late DanieL TreADWELL. of
Cambridge, late Rumford Professor in Harvard College, who died
February 27, 1872, he left the residue of his estate, after payment
of debts, legacies, etc., in trust to his executors, to hold during the
life of his wife for her benefit, and after her decease to divide the
residue then remaining in the hands of the Trustees, as therein pro-
vided, and convey one-fifth part thereof to the Trustees of the Public
Library of the City of Boston.
By order of the City Council, approved May 1 7, 1 872, said bequest
was accepted and the Trustees of the Public Library authorized to
receive the same and invest it in the City of Boston Bonds, income
of which is to be expended by said Trustees in such manner as they
may deem for the best interests of the Library.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-half per
cent Bond $1,000.00
City of Boston Four and one-quarter per cent Bonds 3. 1 00.00
City of Boston Four per cent Bonds. . . . 9,850.00
Cash in City Treasury. December 31, 1928. . . 37.69
$13,987.69
[16]
Tufts Fund — Bequest of NathAN A. TuFTS, of Charleslown, to be
known as the "Nathan A. Tufts Fund," the income to be applied
at all times to the purchase of books and other additions to the library
to be placed in the Charlestown Branch. Received in 1906.
Invesied in City of Boston Three and one-half
per cent Bond $ 100.00
Invested in City of Boston Four per
cent Bonds 10.000.00
Cash in City Treasury, December 31, 1928. . 31.77
$10,131.77
Twentieth Regiment Memorial Fund — Donation on account of the
Twentieth Regiment Memorial Fund, the income to be used
for the purchase of books of a military and patriotic character, to be
placed in the alcove appropriated as a memorial to the Twentieth
Regiment. Received in 1897.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter per
cent Bond $5,000.00
Wales Fund — Extract from the will of George C. Wales :
"After the foregoing bequests I direct that the sum of five thousand
dollars be paid to the Trustees of the Public Library of the City of
Boston, the same to be held, managed and invested by them, so as
to produce an income, and the said income to be applied to the pur-
chase of such books for said Library as they may deem best." Re-
ceived, in 1918.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-qnarter per
cent Bond $5,000.00
Mehitable C. C. Wilson Fund — Bequest of MehITABLE C. C. Wil-
SON, the income to be expended for the purchase of books for the
Boston Public Library. Received in 1913.
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds . $1 ,000.00
Whitney Funds — Bequests of JamES LymAN WhitnEY, who died Sep-
tember 25, 1910.
Alice Lincoln Whitney Fund — The twelfth clause of his will di-
rected that: One-tenth of said remaining income of the principal
fund, I direct to be paid to the Trustees of the Public Library of the
City of Boston, to be held and accumulated by said Trustees and
permanently invested and re-invested. The first five thousand dollars
of income so accumulated, including the income thereon arising during
the period of accumulation, I request to be funded in the name of
my sister, Alice Lincoln Whitney, and the income of said fund after
its accumulation or so much of said income as may be required, to
be paid to such employees of the said Library, who are sick and in
need of help, as the Trustees may in their discretion deem most
[17]
worthy (there are often such cases). Any amount of Income from
said accumulated fund not needed for the purpose just mentioned
shall be used for the purchase of books and manuscripts.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-quarter
per cent Bond 1.000.00
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bonds. . 4.000.00
$5,000.00
James Lyman Whitney Fund — The Alice Lincoln Whitney Fund
having been established, all amounts of income of the principal fund
paid to said Trustees, after the accumulation of said fund of five
thousand dollars shall be held as the James Lyman Whitney Fund,
and invested and re-invested and the income used in equal shares,
one share for the purchase of rare and expensive books, and one share
for the purchase and care of manuscripts; one half at least of the
share devoted to manuscripts to be expended for their cataloguing
and proper care.
Invested in City of Boston Four and one-half per
cent Bonds' $1,200.00
City of Boston Four and one-quarter per cent Bonds 2,000.00
City of Boston Four per cent Bonds. . 11.300.00
City of Boston Three and three-quarter per cent Bonds 800.00
Cash in City Treasury, December 31, 1928. . 9.64
$15,309.64
In addition to the above Mr. Whitney created a trust, directing that
of the net income seven hundred dollars a year be paid to the Trustees
of the Public Library of the City of Boston, to be expended on
bibliographic work for the benefit of the Library.
Central Library Building Fund — Donations in response to an appeal by
the Trustees in Apiil, 1925, setting forth the needs of the Library,
from
Percy Lee Atherlon . ..:... $25.00
William York Peters 25.00
John T. Spaulding 100.00
Invested in City of Boston Four per cent Bond . . $1 50.00
Donations — Besides the preceding, the following donations have been
made to the Public Library, and the amounts have been appro-
priated for the purchase of books, according to the intention of the
donors, viz. :
J. Ingersoll Bowditch $6,800.00
Samuel Appleton, late of Boston. . . . 1.000.00
Sally Inman Kast Shepard 1.000.00
Carried forward $8,800.00
[18]
Brought forward $8,800.00
James Brown, late of Cambridge .... 500.00
Andrew Carnegie 980.75
Nathaniel I. Bowditch 200.00
James Nightingale 100.00
Dorchester and Milton Circulating Library, for the
benefit of the Dorchester Branch Library . . 335,13
$10,915.88
[191
RECAPITULATION OF PUBLIC LIBRARY TRUST FUNDS.
Ariz Fund
Bates Fund
Bigelow Fund
Robert Charles Billings Fund
Bowditch Fund
Bradlee Fund
Joseph H. Center Fund
Central Library Building Fund
Children's Fund
Clement Fund
Henry Sargent Codman Memorial Fund
Cutter Fund .
Elizabeth Fund
Daniel Sharp Ford Fund
Franklin Club Fund
Isabella Stewart Gardner Fund
Morris Gest Fund
Green Fund .
Charlotte Harris Fund
Thomas B. Harris Fund
Alfred Hemenway Fund
Hyde Fund .
David P. Kimball Fund
Louis E. Kirslein Fund .
Arthur Mason Knapp Fund
Abbott Lawrence Fund .
Edward Lawrence Fund
Mrs. John A. Lewis Fund
Charles Greely Loring Memorial Fi
Charles Mead Fund
Gardner O. North Fund .
The Oakland Hall Trust Fund
John Boyle O'Reilly Fund .
Phillips Fund
Pierce Fund
Sarah E. Pratt Fund
Guilford Reed Fund
John Singer Sargent Fund
Scholfield Fund
Sewall Fund
Skinner Fund
South Boston Branch Library Trust Fund
Mary Elizabath Stewart Fund
J2unes Jackson Storrow (Harvard '57) Fund
Ticknor Fund
Willieon C. Todd Newspaper Fun
TowTisend Fund
Treadwell Fund
Nathan A. Tufts Fund
Twentieth Regiment Memorial Fund
Wales Fund
Alice Lincoln Whitney Fund
James Lyman Whitney Fund .
Mehitable C. C Wilson Fund
$ 10.000.00
50.000.00
1. 000.00
100,000.00
10.000.00
LOOO.OO
39,908.89
1 50.00
103,117.74
2.000.00
2.854.41
4,170.00
25,000.00
6.000.00
1. 000.00
5.000.00
2.652.50
2.000.00
10,000.00
1. 000.00
5,000.00
3.632.40
10.000.00
4,000.00
10.000.00
10.000.00
500.00
5,000.00
500.00
2.500.00
2,000.00
11.781.44
1. 000.00
30.000.00
5.000.00
1494.18
1.000.00
3.858.24
61.800.00
25.000.00
51.732.14
100.00
3.500.00
25,000.00
4.000.00
50.000.00
4.000.00
13.987.69
10.131.77
5,000.00
5,000.00
5,000.00
1 5,309.64
1 ,000.00
$764.681 .04
[20]
EXAMINING COMMITTEE.
The Trustees gratefully acknowledge the assistance rendered
by the Examining Committee of the year. Their recommenda-
tions have received careful attention. The membership of the
Committee consisted of the following persons:
Miss Anna M. Bancroft.
Mr. Sidney C. Conrad.
Mr. Henry V. Cunningham.
Hon. James M. Curley.
Mr. Frederic H. Curtiss.
Mr. William J. Davidson.
Prof. Arthur S. Dewing.
Mrs. David A. Ellis.
Mr. Albert W. Finlay.
Miss Susan J. Ginn.
Mr. Francis E Higginson.
Mr. David H. Howie.
Mrs. Barrett Wendell.
Mr. Henry Lewis Johnson.
Mr. Melville D. Liming.
Mr. Percival Merritt.
Miss Jane L. Mesick.
Mr. George R. Nutter.
Mr. Winfield S. Quinby.
Mr. Roger L. Scaife.
Mr. Samuel Silverman.
Mrs. Francis E. Slattery.
Mr. William B. Snow.
Rev. William M. Stinson, S.J.
Prof. H. W. Tyler.
CONCLUSION.
The members of the Board wish to emphasize the recom-
mendations contained in the appended report of the Examining
Committee. The Committee has submitted a detailed statement
of its findings, and with many of its recommendations the Board
is heartily in accord. It has long been conscious of many of the
needs mentioned and is ready to proceed at once along the lines
suggested, as soon as the necessary appropriations are made
available. The report of the Director, which follows, is an in-
teresting and encouraging account of the progress of the work of
the institution. We wish to stress the need of more money for
the purchase of books; we hope both for larger City appropri-
ations for this purpose and for gifts from individuals for the
establishment of book funds. A public-spirited citizen can leave
no better memorial than a fund which shall supply a steady
stream of valuable new books for the use of the public ; such a
fund is a spring of intellectual nourishment contributing richly to
the life of the community. Provided with a proper book-plate,
each book is a worthy reminder during untold years to come of
[211
the man or \\oman whose generosity has brought it into the hands
of the reader who needs it.
The reports which follow show how successfully the Central
Library and its branches have been carried on during the year
under the able guidance of the Director. We desire to com-
mend not only his fidelity but that of all the members of the staff
to the interests of the Library and the City.
Louis E. Kirstf.in
Arthur T. Connolly
Frank W. Buxton
Gordon Abbott
Guy W. Currier
[22]
Dr.
BALANCE SHEET, RECEIPTS AND
Central Library and Branches:
To expenditures for
Permanent employees (exclusive of Printing and
Binding employees) $568,520.76
Temporary employees ...... 106,161.11
Service other than personal
Contract work (outside) ...... 191.55
Advertising 83.00
Transportation of persons ..... 678.56
Cartage and freight 12,339.13
Light and power 16,071.62
Rent, taxes and water 18,228.32
Surety bond and insurance ..... 18.50
Communication ....... 2,464.60
Cleaning, towels, etc. ...... 1,236.86
Removal of snow and ashes ..... 198.15
Expert 8,814.39
Fees 89.00
Photographic and blueprinting 1,000.00
General plant repairs ...... 81,679.51
$674,681.87
143,093.19
To expenditure for equipment
Machinery
. • . .
1,407.48
Motorless vehicles
.
322.50
Furniture and fittings
8,569.17
Plus overcharge deducted
from Printing
44.00
8.613.17
Education and recreational
.
368.00
Office
. . .
1.052.59
Books:
City appropriation
114,089.51
Trust funds income
(including transfer to
(London account)
33,333.91
147,423.42
Newspapers:
City appropriation
1.237.12
Trust funds income
2.205.24
3,442.36
Periodicals (city)
• •
10.962.76
Photographs:
City appropriation
6.25
Trust funds income
201.15
207.40
Lantern slides (funds)
• • • •
942.82
Music:
City appropriation
7.39
Trust funds income
1.415.52
1,422.91
Tools and instruments
1,781.48
General plant equipment
.
1.575.53
170 COT /)o
1 l7^jLL.*^L
Carried forTi>ard
.
%9912^1A^
[23]
EXPENSES. DECEMBER 31. 1928
By Qty Appropriation 1928
Income from Trust funds . . . . . ■ .
Income from James L. Whitney Bibliographic account
Interest on deposit in London .....
Transfer from Domestic Funds to London account
Library Building, Fireproof ing, Improvements, etc.
Loan issued 1928 $100,000.00
Transferred from 1927
Library Building Addition,
equipping and furnishing 11,799.39
Library Building Addition 2,416.34
$1,138,004.00
27.469.92
700.00
224.60
10,000.00
114,215.73
Cr.
-$1,290,614.25
Carried fonuard
$1,290.61425
[24]
Dr.
BALANCE SHEET, RECEIPTS AND
Brought for'WarJ
To expenditures for supplies
Office
Food and ice
Fuel
Forage for animals
Medical
L.aundry, cleaning, toilet
Agricultural
Chemicals and disinfectants
General plant supplies
To expenditures for material
Building
Electrical
General plant material
To Special items
Pension .....
A. L. Whitney Fund (Employees' sick benefit)
To Binding Department:
Salaries
Stbck
Equipment
Light
Repairs
Supplies
Outside Work
To Printing Department:
Salaries
Stock
Equipment $4,216.06 \
Less credit 44.00
Light
Repairs .......
Supplies .......
Freight, travelling expenses, telegrams
Insurance ......
Outside work .......
To Special Appropriation: ~
Central Library Building Fireproofing, improvements, etc.
To Amount Paid into City Treasury:
Fines .......
Sales of catalogues, bulletins and lists
Commission on telephone stations ....
Payments for lost books ......
Interest on bank deposit ......
Refund .......
Sales of waste paper ......
8.525.42
510.42
22,110.44
29.40
23.13
2,076.36
507.72
184.50
2.472.95
9,304.46
3.835.23
4.166.09
863.50
34.75
55.755.93
6.255.41
362.22
55.09
173.17
21.43
.90
14.553.07
2,607.60
4,172.06
36.72
17.44
21.04
31.36
89.61
158.02
19.461.61
112.99
618.76
1.348.35
60.14
5.16
681.40
$997,297.48
36.440.34
17,305.78
898.25
62,624.15
21,686.92
1 5,553.97
Carried forward
22,288.41
$1,174,095.30
[25]
EXPENSES, DECEMBER 31, 1928
Cr.
Brought forxvard
By Balances Brought Forward from 1
Trust funds income, City Treasury .
Trust funds income on deposit in London
City appropriation on deposit in London
James L. Whitney Bibliographic account
$L290.6I4.25
927:
60.332.04
1.133.54
4.410.43
7.138.33
73.014.34
Carued formard
$1,363,628.59
Dr.
[26]
BALANCE SHEET, RECEIPTS AND
Brought foriuard
$1,174,095.30
To Balance, December 31, 1928:
Trust funds income on deposit in London .
. $ 5,064.76
City appropriation on deposit in London .
3.107.38
Trust funds income. City Treasury .
55.737.35
James L. Whitney Bibliographic account .
7.838.33
Interest on deposit in London . . . .
224.60
71.972.42
To Balance Unexpended:
General appropriation . . . . .
41.187.52
Central Library Building, Fireproofing,
Improvements, etc. . . . .
98.661 .76
139,849.28
$1,385,917.00
[271
EXPENSES, DECEMBER 31. 1928
Cr.
Drought forward
By Receipts:
From Fines .....
Sales of catalogues, bulletins and lists
Commission on telephone stations .
Payments for lost books .
Interest on bank deposit .
Refund ....
Sales of waste paper
$1,363,628.59
$ 19.461.61
112.99
618.76
1.34835
60.14
5.16
681.40
22.288.41
$1,385,917.00
REPORT OF THE EXAMINING COMMITTEE.
To THE Trustees of the Public Library
OF THE City of Boston.
Gentlemen :
The Examining Committee takes pleasure in submitting its
report for the year 1928.
The twenty-five members of the Committee appointed for the
year 1928 were divided into six sub-committees, each charged
with the duty of reporting upon a separate aspect of the Library
and its work, while the branches were allotted to a committee of
the whole, each branch being assigned for consideration to desig-
nated members of the committee. The Examining Committee
has accepted the reports of its sub-committees substantially as
made and commends their recommendations to the Trustees.
administration and finance
The Committee is glad to report that the work recommended
by last year's Committee has in the main been completed, and
that for the most part the repairs and alterations needed for the
coming year have been approved by the city authorities.
The Committee is impressed by the low level of the salaries
paid by the Library, as a result of which it is very difficult for the
Director to get satisfactory individuals to fill important vacancies.
Unless salaries are so increased as to make it possible to secure
competent assistants, the service of the Library is bound to de-
teriorate.
The sum available for the purchase of books is quite inade-
quate to meet the steadily increasing demands made on the
Library, both at the Central building and at the branches. The
Committee is informed that on account of the insufficient supply
of books in current demand, four out of five applications for these
books have to be refused.
[29]
It is gratifying to report tliat the Budget Commissioner of the
City of Boston has approved an addition of $15,000 to the Li-
brary appropriation for the purchase of books for the new busi-
ness branch on City Hall Avenue.
BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT
Central Lihnuv. Practically all the facilities of the Central
Library building are now being taxed to their full capacity. 1 he
appreciation and use of the Library by all the citizens of Boston
lays upon the city a special responsibility for the proper main-
tenance of this beautiful structure which is a source of such pride
to Boston.
During the year 1928, the following major works of renova-
tion were completed.
1 . A new electrical wiring system was installed, with a
switchboard of modern type.
2. The stacks were provided with greatly improved lighting
equipment.
3. Portions of the condensation roof were renewed.
4. The ridge cresting of the roof was replaced.
5. The old Manuscript Room adjacent to the Lecture Hall
was remodeled, providing a modern projection room for slides
and moving pictures and a new work room for the Children's
Department.
Such fine progress has been made in the repair and renovation
of the building that the Committee is encouraged to recommend
the following improvements and replacements as a means of
keeping the building in good condition and increasing the useful-
ness of the institution. The Committee recommends that these
be carried out as soon as possible.
1 . New floors should be laid in the Newspaper Room,
Periodical Room, elevator lobby, south corridor to Court, Blag-
den Street lobby. Bates Hall and the Exhibition Room. In all
these rooms the floors are quite badly out of repair.
2. The service stairs on the Blagden Street side of the build-
ing are in dangerous condition from excessive wear and should be
replaced or repaired at once.
3. The illumination of the mam stairway and the stairs to
Sargent Hall is inadequate and we earnestly recommend the in-
[30]
stallation of new lighting fixtures befitting the dignity of the
staircase hall and in harmony with its decorations. The stair-
case to Sargent Hall should be lighted both from the arch which
spans the lower flight and from the doorway to the balcony over-
looking Bates Hall. At present this stairway is both gloomy
and unsafe.
4. The Tube Room of the Issue Department should be
renovated so as to bring it into harmony with the adjoining De-
livery Room. In spite of the service equipment which it contains,
it is, we believe, possible to make it much more attractive.
5. The Court which adds so much to the beauty of the build-
ing should receive greater care. The fountain basin should be
kept in better repair, and trees or other decorations should be in-
stalled in the arcade in order to make this Court more comparable
to similar courts in European buildings.
6. The wooden cabinets and lockers in the dressing rooms
should be replaced with metal equipment as a precaution against
fire.
7. The renovation of the roof begun in 1 928 should be con-
tinued until the entire roof is in first-class condition.
8. The granite platform in front of the building must be
renovated, if not completely rebuilt, at once. We understand
that this work cannot be done until the supporting walls and
vaulting below have been thoroughly inspected. Attention
should be given to this matter without further delay, as the con-
dition of the platform may be dangerous.
Branches. We are glad to note that the branch quarters
throughout the city are in process of steady improvement. The
plumbing of the Brighton Branch has been renovated and the
roof has been repaired. At the North End Branch exterior
stone work has been repointed and exterior wood work painted ;
the roof has also been renovated. The roofs of the West End
and Hyde Park branches have been repaired and the electric
wiring system at the West End has been renovated. Illuminated
signs have been installed at thirteen of the branch libraries and
much work has been done on the grounds surrounding the library
buildings.
1311
The protest of last year's Committee against the housing of
branch Hbraries in stores and other business buildmgs is repealed.
We feel that so far as possible branch libraries should have
buildings devoted exclusively to library purposes. If this is not
possible, they should at least have quarters with independent
entrances in school houses or other public buildings.
The Committee recommends an appropriation of $40,000 for
repairs at branch libraries in the current year. Only $10,000, a
very inadequate sum, has thus far been allowed. The matter
should again be brought to the attention of the Budget Com-
missioner and an effort made for an increased appropriation for
this very necessary work.
SPECIAL LIBRARIES
Excellent progress is being made in the work of the Division
of Fine Arts in the classification and cataloguing of pictures ex-
emplifying the various schools of painting.
The Committee urges greater attention to the bindings of
books in the Barton-Ticknor and Brown Music Libraries. In
many instances valuable bindings are cracking and otherwise
show the need of more care in handling and preservation. We
recommend the appointment of a special committee to investigate
methods of caring for fine bindings and the adoption of all pos-
sible means for the effective preservation of the Library's rare
books.
PRINTING AND BINDING
The Bindery appears to be well equipped and efficient and to
be turning out satisfactory work. We recommend the employ-
ment of a capable proof reader as a necessary step toward the
greater efficiency of the Printing Department.
BRANCHES
The Committee is heartily in sympathy with the suggestions
contained in a letter from Mr. George R. Nutter to the effect
that in conference with the cit}' authorities a comprehensive plan
of branch library development, covering a number of years,
should be worked up with a view to improved housing and a
more adequate equipment of books for the branches.
132]
In visiting the branch libraries, the Committee has sought to
observe both the physical condition of the branches and the ef-
fectiveness of their v^ork. On the whole, the branch libraries
appear to be kept as neatly and attractively as conditions allov/.
The librarians are courteous and show a spirit of enthusiasm and
interest in their work. The Committee is pleased to note that
local conditions are being carefully studied to the end of a more
intelligent service to the public.
Several branches require more room, but the most urgent need
is for more books. Some improvement can be made in the il-
lumination and ventilation. It is quite clear that branch libraries
are most effective when housed in buildings used exclusively for
library purposes; a separate building for each branch library is
an ideal to be earnestly sought.
Comments on the needs of the separate branches, arranged in
alphabetical order, are given below ; these are based on the obser-
vations of visiting members of the Committee. We wish to em-
phasize the special needs of the Allston, Mt. Bowdoin, Orient
Heights, and Parker Hill branches, where the facilities are very
inadequate and the work is being conducted under serious diffi-
culties.
Boyhlon Station. A proper rest room for the staff is needed
and the heating facilities should be improved. A better build-
ing should be provided for this branch in the near future.
Brighton. More room is needed for both children and adults.
The interior should be repainted in lighter color and a new floor
covering should be laid. Immediate attention should be given to
this branch in order to keep up with the needs of the district.
Codman Square. A separate children's room should be pro-
vided here, as the crowding of the building with children is at
present keeping adults away. The reading tables need repair.
Faneuil. More room is needed here with larger accommoda-
tions for adults. The interior is dark and somewhat gloomy.
H^de Park, '^^is library appears to be well equipped, ex-
cept for magazine racks and grills for the better protection of
certain books.
Lower Mills. More room could be used here.
[33]
Maliapan. This branch is very crowded and needs both
more room and better ventilation.
Memorial. The approach to this hbrary up the long stone
steps might be made easier and safer for elderly people if hand
rails were provided. Fuller use might well be made of the
ground floor for lectures or other library purposes.
Mount Borvdoin. This branch is desperately in need of
more space and should be among the first to receive attention.
A proper rest room for the staff should be provided.
Mount Pleasant. This branch needs more room with larger
stack space for books. A suitable rest room should also be
provided here.
Orient Heights. 7 he location of this branch should be
changed as soon as possible. At present it is in a rented building
said to be infested with rats. Above the library is a hall used for
entertainments which often disturb readers in the library. A new
building should be erected in this section, which is growing
rapidly.
Parser Hill. The use of this branch is growing rapidly and
its facilities are madequate. It needs better ventilation and
other repairs at once.
Roslindale. This branch is located directly under a noisy
gymnasium, the use of which seriously interferes with library
work. More room is needed and might be found in the hall of
the adjacent municipal building. The rest room should be im-
proved.
Roxbur]; Crossing. More tables and chairs should be pro-
vided for children at this branch.
Tyler Street. The quarters of the library should be remodel-
ed for more satisfactory service ; this could be done without great
expense.
West Roxbury. This attractive branch needs more stack
room and better arrangements for lighting.
More room could also well be used at Andrew Square,
Jamaica Plain, and South Boston.
Adopted as the Report of the Examining Committee, March
25. 1929.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
To THE Board of Trustees :
I respectfully submit my annual report for the year ending
December 31. 1928.
In the pages which follow, as in every year, a detailed account
is given of the activities of the various departments of the Library.
Figures are quoted throughout and speak for themselves. Libra-
rians are often thought to lay too great emphasis upon statistics.
It is true that they, as well as the general public, are impressed by
numbers; but however apt this criticism may be in other fields,
in marking library progress, as in all matters of education, figures
are of moment. The larger the number of persons benefitted by
an institution like the Boston Public Library, the better both
for the people and for the institution. Figures are certainly not
everything. But when figures stand for human understanding,
they are immensely important. The year 1928 was a year of
healthy expansion. The number of books added to the Library,
the number of books lent by the Library, the number of readers
using the Library for borrowing and for reference all show a
satisfying increase.
On the last day of the year there were 1 48,67 1 card-holders,
7,270 more than a year before; 96,1 63 volumes had been added
to the collections, making now a total of 1 ,442,802 volumes in
the library system. The number of books taken out for home
use was 3,899,286, a gain of 193,629 over 1927. And there
has been busy lile in all the reading and study rooms where un-
counted people have consulted uncounted volumes taken from
both closed bookstacks and from the open shelves.
In spite of the somewhat slow growth of the city's population,
the home circulation of books has nearly doubled in the past ten
years. Particularly noticeable has been the gain in the last
three years : an average of over 289,000 volumes each year. Un-
[351
questionably this gain has been due mainly to the increase of the
annual city appropriation for the purchase of books, which,
during these three years, amounted to $125,000 as against
$100,000 in 1925 and $60,000 in 1920-21. This sum is still
far from adequate to provide the required number of copies of
good current books. Generally speaking, it is still true that three
times out of four a borrower is unable to secure the desired
volume at the Central Library or at any of its branches, not be-
cause the Library does not possess the book but because its ap-
propriation does not allow it to buy enough copies to meet the
reasonable number of requests. In many cases the Library owns
but a single copy of a worth-while book and consequently many
people must often be disappointed. - With a few copies only of
a best-seller the library cannot satisfy at one and the same time
a score of requests. On the other hand it is obvious that the line
must be drawn somewhere on books in passing popular demand.
One may question, indeed, whether the public has any right to
expect to find at its disposal every best-seller for which there
happens to be a rush at the moment and which is quite forgotten
six months or a year later. What is really regrettable is that the
Library cannot meet the reasonable and legitimate demand for
books of proven value. The cost of worth-while books is con-
stantly increasing. It is of significance to note that Cleveland,
a city whose population is comparable to that of Boston, has a
book appropriation exactly twice that of the Boston institution.
TTie increase in the book appropriation in the last three years,
however, has made it possible to keep somewhat more nearly
abreast of the demands of the public, especially in the branch
libraries, which, in earlier years, were wholly unable to cope
with the needs of the resident card-holders.
With all recognition of the helpful service freely given to the
countless everyday users of the Library, it must not be forgotten
that this Boston institution holds a peculiar position among the
public libraries of America. It should be the aim of the City and
its citizens to maintain its standing as one of the three great,
scholarly, free public libraries of the country. This cannot be
done without an adequate income devoted to this purpose. The
amount annuallv available from the present trust funds of the
[36]
Library is still below $30,000, so that the problem of keeping
our collections up to the old standard is becoming an increasingly
serious one. On that meagre income, aided by occasional per-
sonal donations of rare books, the Library depends almost wholly
for the yearly additions to its notable scholarly collections. The
city book appropriations must be expended for the more popular
books and in the interest of the average reader, rather than for
the scholar and research worker.
The Library needs generous friends who are willing to con-
tribute to the maintenance and development of its unique col-
lections. At present the university libraries seem almost to
monopolize the attention of such benefactors. Yet no assurance
is needed here that the book treasures which could be bought
from the income of larger benefactions would be entirely in their
proper place in this Library. The Boston Public Library, should
in ever increasing measure be able to fulfil, for persons other
than students and professors, a public service not within the scope
of private institutions of learning.
The great need for the proper protection of the valuable pos-
sessions of the Library is soon to be satisfied. Lender a special
appropriation of $250,000, work is now in progress on the re-
construction of the northern portion of the third floor, where
these collections have been located. The Music Room is to be
transformed into a Treasure Room where thousands of the Libra-
ry's choicest treasures will be protected and where some of them
may be constantly exhibited under ideal conditions. The present
Barton-Ticknor Room is to become the Music Room, in which,
for the first time, all the music material in the Library will be
brought together and made easily accessible to both students and
the general public. The Barton-Ticknor Division is to be moved
into the North Gallery, so remodelled as to accomodate a
larger number of books than in the past. In all of these rooms
the shelving will be of steel construction. It is, perhaps, not too
much to hope that this more adequate protection and enlarged
possibility of usefulness will in itself attract the attention of pros-
pective benefactors.
Much has been accomplished during the year toward "putting
our house in order." In the Central Library and at the branches
[371
various important repairs have been made, which are mentioned
in detail in their proper connection in this report. The Central
Library is now, on the whole, in a fairly satisfactory condition.
Unfortunately, this cannot be said of at least ten of the branches.
At Andrew Square, Codman Square, Jeffries Point, Mattapan,
Mount Bowdoin, Neponset, Orient Heights, Parker Hill, Ros-
lindale and South Boston the space available is far too small for
the work which is being carried on. Important improvements
have been made during the year at two branches. At Boylston
Station a well-equipped Children's Room has been added, and
at City Point a room has been equipped for the use of adults.
The Library has been doing its modest share in the field of
Adfilt Education. Special mention should be made of the ser-
vice of the Readers' Adviser, which was started on February 20
last. Judging from the large number of persons who have sought
the help of this office and who have followed up the courses pre-
scribed, a healthy growth of this service may be anticipated. The
use of the Lecture Hall by the Library and outside organizations
shows a steady increase. A notable feature of the season was
the large number of concerts. For the first time it has been
feasible to devote every Sunday evening to some sort of musical
program, and only on exceptional occasions has it been possible
to seat all those who have desired to attend the concerts. The
free Chamber Music Concerts presented by the Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Foundation, administered by the Library of
Congress, have received a particularly hearty response. The
Library Lecture Course has an honored place among the educa-
tional opportunities of Boston, and it is gratifying to note the
willingness of lecturers to contribute to the success of the course.
The people of Boston owe a real debt to the long line of able
and distinguished speakers and musicians who have given in-
struction and delight to the Library audiences without any
financial recompense,
ACCESSIONS AND GIFTS.
The total number of volumes added to the library collections
in 1928 was 96,163, acquired as follows: 77,433 by purchase,
14 43] by gift, 101 by exchange, 2,034 by binding of periodi-
[38]
cals, 2,002 by binding of serials and 162 by binding of news-
papers. Material other than books : lantern slides, photographs,
prints, phonograph records, etc. amounted to 13,140 pieces, of
which 5,033 were by purchase and 8,107 by gift. The total
number of volumes and pieces accessioned thus amounted to
109,303.
Of the 77,433 purchased volumes 13,827 were placed in the
Central Library and 63,606 in the branch libraries and in the
Deposit Collection at the Central Library which serves as a
reservoir for the branches. Of the 14,431 gift books 12,825
were placed in the Central Library. Here were placed also all
the bound volumes of the serials, newspapers and, with few ex-
ceptions, of the periodicals. In all, of the 96,143 volumes* ac-
quired during the year, 30,930 were placed in the Central Libra-
ry and 65,233 in the branches.
The total sum expended for purchase of books was
$154,436.42, of which $126,303.03 was taken from city ap-
propriations and $28, 1 33.39 from the income of trust funds. The
corresponding amount for the preceding year was $1 54,841.06,
including $27,413.40 paid from the trust funds income.
The city appropriation for books was the same as in the last
two years, namely, $125,000. All but two cents of this was
spent. The fact that, as shown by the balance sheet, the ex-
penditures from city funds exceeded the appropriation by
$1,303.03 is accounted for by the expenditure in England of
sums from previous appropriations that were on deposit there.
Of the $126,303.03 spent from the city appropriations,
$30,155.97 was for the Central Library and $96,147.06 for
the branches. It may be of interest to note how these funds were
used. In the Central Library: $22,51 7.01 was paid for 10,526
volumes, $7,141.06 for 1,479 periodicals, $488.51 for 278
newspapers, and the remaining $9.39 for photographs and mis-
cellaneous articles. In the branch libraries: $91,572.50 was
paid for 62,565 books, $3,821 .70 for 1 .738 periodicals, $748.61
for newspapers, and the remaining $4.25 for photographs.
Of the $28,133.39 spent from trust funds income, $27,213
was for the Central Library and $920.39 for the branches. In
the Central Library 3,301 books, 398 music scores, 4,403 Ian-
[391
tern slides, 277 photographs and other miscellaneous items were
bought, and 248 newspapers were subscribed to from this sum.
In the branches the whole amount was expended for the pur-
chase of 1,041 volumes.
These figures sho\v how much material was acquired, but do
not show how much more that was legitimately requested could
not be bought. The old complaint that the income of the trust
funds is not sufficient to maintain the scholarly and reference
collections of the Library is increasingly felt.
The following titles represent a brief selection of the items
bought mainly from the income of the trust funds:
Bedford. England . . . The church book of Bunyan Meeting. 1 650-1 82 1 .
Being a reproduction in facsimile of the original folio . . . with an
introduction by G. B. Harrison, London. J. M. Dent & Sons, Ltd.
1928.
Book, The, of popular science . . . edited by a group of distinguished
scientists, N. Y. The Grolier Society. (1928.) 16 v.
Browne. Sir Thomas . . . Religio medici. Engraved title-page by Wil-
liam Marshall. [London.]. Printed for Andrew Crooke, 1642.
First issue of the first unauthorized edition. In the same binding is
Observations upon Religio medici, by Sir Kemel M. Digby, 1643.
Childrey, Joshua . . . Syzygiasticon instauratum. Or, an ephemeris of the
places and aspects of the planets, as they respect the 0 as center of
their orbes, calculated for the year of the Incarnation of God, I 653
.... London. Printed by T. Mabb. 1653.
Collection of 197 numbers or groups of 17th, 18th, and 19th century
chap books.
Conklin, Edwin P., and others . . . Middlesex County and its people: a
history. N. Y. Lewis Historical Publishing Co., Inc. 1927. 5 v.
Dictionary of American Biography . . . Edited by Allen Johnson, N. Y.
Scribners. 1928. To be in 20 vols. Vol. I. (Two sets: one for
Central and one for Memorial Branch.)
Jones, Herschel V. . . . Adventures in Americana, 1492—1897 . . .
Being a selection of books from the library of Herschel V. Jones
. . . with a preface by Wilberforce Eames. New York. Rudge.
1928. 2 V. No. 52 of an edition of 200 copies.
Orderly Book of Company No. 6, Second Regiment, Legionary Brigade,
First Division, Massachusetts militia, commanded by Jonathan Whit-
ney Capt. Manuscript orderly book with entries 1809—1816 in-
cluding the entire period of the War of 1812.
Schubert, Franz. . . . Der Geistertanz. Original manuscript (One leaf)
of the first thirty measures of the song. Signed by the composer with
the date October 14. 1814.
[40]
Sylvester, Charles H., Editor . . . The writings of mankind. Selections
from the writings of all ages, with extensive historical notes, com-
ment and criticism. Chicago. Bellows-Reeve Co. [1924.]. 20 v.
W., B. . . . The young secretary's guide: or, a speedy help to learning.
Boston. Printed by B. Green for Nicholas Buttolph. 1 708. (The
only known copy of this edition of an interesting early Boston im-
print. The library has also the edition of 1707.)
Many of tlie fine arts books, printed in large folio or quarto
form and lavishly illustrated, are particularly expensive. As ex-
amples, the following items may be quoted:
La Faille, J. B. de L'oeuvre de Vincent van Gogh. Catalogue
raisonne. Paris. Van Oest. 1928. 4 v.
Nutting, Wallace. . . . Furniture treasury (mostly of American origin).
All periods of American furniture with some foreign examples in
America, also American hardware and household utensils. Fram-
ingham, Mass. Old America Company. (1928.) 2 v.
Ratta, Cesare. . . . L'arte del libro e della rivista jnei paesi d' Europa
d* America. Bologna. Cesare Ratta. 1927.]. 2 v.
Sonn, Albert H. . . . Early American wrought iron. N. Y. Scribners.
1928. 3v.
Three gifts of funds were received by the Library during the
year. From the executors of the estate of Mr. Alfred Hemen-
way, late of Boston, $5000, and from the executor of the estate
of Mr. Gardener O. North, late of Boston, $2000 were received.
Both these bequests were funded with the provision that the in-
come be expended for the purchase of books and other library
material until otherwise ordered by the Trustees. Mr. Louis E.
Kirstein made his usual donation of $1000, to be added to the
"Louis E. Kirstein Fund."
Hon. Alvan T. Fuller presented a copy in bronze of the
Declaration of Independence. The gift has been accepted by
the Trustees and the tablet permanently located, with the ap-
proval of the Art Commission, at the bottom of the stairway
which leads to Sargent Gallery.
The more important gifts have been listed monthly in the
Library's bulletin "More Books". A selected list of these may
be found on pp. 79-82 of the Appendix.
The business of the Ordering Department requires much
routine work. During the year 4,298 bills were entered, 31 ,598
periodical numbers were recorded and 3,125 engraved gift ac-
[411
knowledgments were mailed. Further, 3,922 books were re-
ceived on approval and 16,837 titles were examined.
Miss Tlieodosia Endicott Macurdy, for over thirty years Chief
of the Ordering Department, retired voluntarily, under the Bos-
ton Retirement Act, on February 29, 1928. Mr. Louis Felix
Ranlett, formerly librarian of the Millicent Library at Fair-
haven. Mass., was appointed to take her place.
CATALOGUE AND SHELF DEPARTMENT.
During 1928 the number of volumes and parts of volumes
catalogued was 108,472, covering 78,167 titles. Of these,
49,754 volumes (25,721 titles) were taken care of in the Cata-
logue Department, and 58,718 volumes (52,446 titles) were
assigned to the branch libraries and catalogued in the Central
Branch Department.
Of the books catalogued in the Catalogue Department 27,544
volumes and parts ( 1 7,552 titles) were new to the Central
Library; the number of serials added was 6,827; and 15,383
volumes and parts (8,169 titles) were recatalogued — thus
making the total quoted above.
The number of printed cards added to the catalogues of the
Central Library alone was 92,200, distributed as follows: 36,380
cards were filed in Bates Hall Catalogue, 38,237 in the Official
Catalogue and 1 7,583 in the Special Libraries Department. In
addition, 42,937 new printed cards were used for compiling
bibliographies or, for the larger part, set aside for such use in the
future; from this number, cards were also sent, as usual, to the
Harvard College Library and the Library of Congress. The
total of new printed cards, thus, was 135,137 — a gain of
69, 720 over last year.
In order to hasten the appearance of new books in the cata-
logues, 1 7,049 temporary cards have been typed and filed by
the Card Division to be replaced later by printed cards. As a
result of this practice, titles of recent accessions have been in
the catalogues as soon as the books have been placed on the
shelves.
For the use of the Editor in making up the List of New Books
in "More Books" — 5,437 cards have been typed. To replace
[42]
old cards the Division typed and filed, besides, 4,0] 3 other cards.
Corrections were made and new editions were indicated on
37,742 cards, a larger number than has ever been done before.
In addition, thousands of cards have been stamped to indicate
two or more copies, or removal to the Harvard Business Branch,
while thousands of other cards have been removed for books that
are lost, missing or condemned.
The Shelf Division has done much moving and temporary
adjusting of shelves during past year. The books and
cabinets in the North and West Galleries have been moved
and readjusted. The shelves of Stack 6 Annex have been closed
to secure place for the collections of the North (Barton) Gal-
lery. Part of Annex 4 has been rearranged. The Duplicate
Room has been partly cleared, and the duplicate city documents
and directories sorted and shelved.
There has been a noticeable increase in the number of requests
for photostats of books, plates, maps or manuscripts in the
Library. Most of the work was done by the Boston Photocopy
Print Company; occasionally also at Harvard, the Massachu-
setts Department of Archives, or the Massachusetts Historical
Society. The amount charged during the year was about
$],200, for photostats of about 3,100 pages and 325 plates and
maps. It would be a great saving of time — and it would be
much safer for the books and manuscripts — if an outfit could be
installed in the Library. A part-time operator could take care
of all the requests.
REGISTRATION DEPARTMENT.
On January 1, 1928, there were 141,401 "live" cards in the
hands of citizens of Boston, entitling them to borrow library
books for home use. Through the Central Library and its 3 1
branches, 31 ,047 new registrations have been added and 45,937
renewals made, giving a total of 76,984 cards added during the
year. On the other hand, 69,714 borrowers have allowed their
home-use privilege to lapse. Thus, the total number of "live"
cards on December 31, 1928, was 148,671 — a gain of 7,270
over last year. The gain in the number of card-holders the year
previous was 5,956.
143]
It is of interest to note that of 148,671 card-holders,
44.939 registered through the Central Library, and 103,712
through the branches. Other figures show the proportion of men
and women. In 1928 there were 67,549 male card-holders (of
these, 33,591 were under sixteen years of age) and 81,122
female card-holders (36,924 under sixteen). The number of
adult card-holders exceeds that of the juveniles, being 78,156 as
against 70,515.
Prior to January 1, 1928, 10,581 cards had been issued to
teachers. Of this number, 1 ,642 have been renewed and 405
others issued during the year, making a total of 2,047 teachers'
cards in use. Of the 4,008 special privilege cards issued prior to
January 1, 1928, there have been 394 renewals: in addition,
333 new cards have been issued, which makes the number of
special privilege cards in use 727.
ISSUE DEPARTMENT.
The number of books issued last year for home use from the
Central Library direct to readers was 347,958. Through the
branches 95,469 more books were issued to readers, and 235,407
to schools and other institutions. With these the circulation of
books from the Central Library would reach the figure of
678,834. However, the books issued through the branches, with
the exception of 17,1 49 volumes, were taken from the Deposit
Collection; thus these items are accounted for in the report of
the branches.
The circulation has shown a slight increase; it exceeded by
1 ,868 that of the preceding year. The average daily circulation
— not including the books which went through the branches —
was 983. The largest circulation on a single day, on February
23, was 1,686. The number of works of fiction was 168,126;
that of other books, 1 79,832.
Many people have the habit of retaining the books after they
are due. To recover these books, 42,822 mail notices and 4,486
messenger notices were sent out. The fines collected for these
delays amounted to $4,664.3 1 , and 658 volumes remained un-
recovered. For 140 lost and 35 damaged books $316.80 was
paid to the Library.
144]
The number of missing books (from the general collection,
Bates Hall, Special Libraries, Children's Room, Open Shelves,
Fiction) was 6,066. During the year 1 ,651 volumes reported as
missing w^ere found. 997 special requests were made to locate
certain books for unsuccessful applicants. In 327 cases the books
were delivered; in 259 they were reserved but not called for;
in 96 the call numbers were wrong or the book was charged out,
placed in other departments, etc. ; and finally in 3 1 5 cases there
were no definite records.
This department handles also the articles lost and found in the
building. 1 ,295 articles were found, of which 526 were re-
turned to the owners, 690 destroyed and the others carried over.
The sum of $312.16 found in the Library was returned to the
owners, and $10.51 to the finders.
The open shelves for recent fiction in the north-east corner of
the Delivery Room have been used by many people. Handi-
capped as the Library is by the limitation of space, it would be
• desirable to transfer these shelves to the Open Shelf Room where
the new non-fiction books are located.
EVENING AND SUNDAY SERVICE.
The total circulation in the evening hours and Sundays at the
Central Library amounted to 34,957, of which 9,549 were
charged from the Children's Room. This figure was included
in the general home circulation from the Central Library.
The largest home-use circulation on Sunday occurred on
December 2, when 1 ,066 books were taken out; and the largest
Sunday attendance in Bates Hall was on February 26, when,
at five o'clock in the afternoon, 293 persons were present.
BATES HALL AND REFERENCE WORK.
The attendance in Bates Hall has shown a steady mcrease.
The number of books sent to Bates Hall from the stacks was
266,968, a gain of 6,345 over the preceding year. During the
academic season the hall is usually crowded. The maximum
attendance was on January 7, at four o'clock in the afternoon,
when 358 readers were recorded. (Many of those present must
[45]
have been standing or consulting the catalogues, since the seating
capacity of the Hall is only 310.) During the summer the
situation is different : for August the maximum daily attendance
was 81. It is interesting to note that in January, with the con-
stantly large attendance, 26,962 books were sent to the hall from
the stacks, while in August, with the constantly low attendance,
15,329. In other words, in January about four times as many
people used the Hall as in August, and yet the number of stack
books sent to them was less than twice the number used in August.
These figures seem to bear out the observation that many of the
students from the neighbouring colleges and institutions are oc-
cupying the hall as a study room without using library books.
Furthermore, these students are often far from quiet so that it
may be necessary in the future to consider steps for guarding the
interests of the legitimate readers.
The Reference Collection is under constant revision. During
the year 365 volumes were added, 200 were returned to the
stacks as out of date, 236 were transferred to new locations and
40 were removed through condemnation or on account of the
difficulty of replacement. 135 current annuals or "continu-
ations" replaced earlier editions. Among the important new
tools which became available during the year should be men-
tioned the two publications of the H. W. Wilson Co, "The New
United States Catalogue of Books in print January I, 1928,"
and the "Union List of Serials in the Libraries of the United
States and Canada," both of them monumental examples of
bibliographical labor, which add greatly to the efficiency of
every library in which they are used. The appearance of the
first volume of the "New Dictionary of American Biography"
is also an event of importance to the reference work of American
libraries.
During the year 254 books disappeared from the shelves;
this figure, which is one hundred larger than that of last year is
accounted for by the fact that in 1 927 no inventory was made of
a number of ranges on which rearrangement was in process. The
average for the two years shows a loss distinctly belov/ the aver-
age of the last ten years. As a partial offset to the losses, 35
volumes missing in previous years reappeared during the year.
146]
In the Bates Hall Card Catalogue complete entries have been
made for every book now on the shelves of the hall.
TTie work of the Reference Department in general presents
few novelties. The ebb and flow of readers is constant and the
answering of questions goes on with little intermission. The use
of the telephone is increasing and it is clear that a telephone booth
must soon be installed at the Catalogue end of the hall to avoid
annoyance to readers. The correspondence was maintained at
about the same figures as last year. On genealogical subjects,
235 and on general subjects, 572 inquiries were answered by mail.
These inquiries were received from widely scattered sources with
Massachusetts leading and New York second. It is noteworthy
that in the field on genealogy 37 inquiries came from New York,
almost twice as many as those from Massachusetts, a discrep-
ancy undoubtedly due to the fact that most genealogical students
from Massachusetts were able to visit the Library or made use of
the library of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Requests for information were received from six foreign coun-
tries and from a number of the provinces of Canada. It is in-
teresting to note that many urgent calls for information are re-
ceived at this Library from writers in cities well equipped with
library facilities, a tribute to the wide prestige of the Boston
Public Library.
The demand for the various numbers of the "Reading with
a Purpose" series still goes on. During the year 2,766 copies
were sold, in addition to 1 4,049 copies sold since August 1 925
when the series was started. The Library has also given assis-
tance in the preparation of the 96-page list of "Better Books for
Christmas" issued by the Board of Trade of Boston Book Mer-
chants, and has distributed some 15,000 copies of this attractive
pamphlet, which is proving to be a valuable means of raising the
standard of the books purchased by the people of Boston. The
list is to be continued as a quarterly publication, in which the
Library will cooperate.
The equipment of Bates Hall has been improved by the re-
novation of the table lights and the installation of stronger lamps.
An additional table has been placed in the enclosure at the north
[47J
end of the Hall and the capacity ol the Card Catalogue has been
increased by three large cases of drawers.
The service of books to readers in the Hall will be far more
satisfactory when — as we hope, next year — the present pneu-
matic tubes will be replaced by new ones, less subject to accidents
with the resulting delays.
PUBLICATIONS.
"More Books." the Bulletin of the Library, has completed its
third year. The publication has been conducted along the same
lines as before, and has now an established position with our
public as well as in the library world of America. "More Books"
IS neither a strictly bibliographical nor a deliberately popular
journal; it attempts to combine both of these qualities, expressive
of the distinctive character of the Boston Public Library itself.
Nine issues of the Bulletin were published last year as against
seven in 1927 and six in 1926. The purpose is to publish ten
issues every year: nine monthly numbers during the season and
one quarterly for the summer. It is hoped that next year this
schedule may be kept without the necessity of issuing any double
number. In all, the Bulletin comprised last year 420 pages, six-
ty pages more than the previous year. Of each issue there are
printed 4,500 copies, of which about 750 are sent by mail to
other libraries, newspapers and subscribers, the rest being dis-
tributed at the Central Library and at the branches.
The leading article of "More Books" is usually an essay of
six or seven thousand words, written on the book treasures of the
Library or on some topic of library interest. Thus, the March
issue contained an article on medieval manuscripts, together with
a descriptive catalogue of such manuscripts in the Library.
Through the permission of the Director, this article was reprinted
in full in the July issue of "1 he Catholic Historical Review."
In the April issue about a dozen English tracts of the Civil War
and the Commonv/ealth, newly acquired by the Library, were
described, in the October, a detailed historical and bibliogra-
phical account was given of a number of rare astronomical works,
recently bought for the Bowditch Collection. In November, in
connection with an exhibit at the Library, an article was pub-
[48]
lished about children's books, illustrative of their development
from horn-book and battle-dore to the finely printed and deco-
rated modern children's books. The controversy about the
"finds" at Glozel was described and analysed in February, call-
ing attention to the Library's unusually rich source materials on
archaeological subjects. This article was commented upon at
length in the issue for April 1 of the "Mercure de France," of
Paris. The year 1 928 was a year of anniversaries ; commemo-
rative articles were published on Albrecht Diirer, Oliver Gold-
smith and John Bunyan, discussing also the books that appeared
for the occasion of these anniversaries or describing the rare
editions of the works of these men in the Library. In the May
issue was printed the Director's address "Library Service in an
Understanding World," delivered at the Annual Conference of
the American Library Association at West Baden, Indiana, May
30. Most of these articles were illustrated by facsimiles; in all
thirteen reproductions appeared during the year.
Each issue of the Bulletin carries a classified list of the books
recently acquired by the Library, with descriptive notes added to
a large number of the items. The rare books, fine editions and
other important new acquisitions as well as books of local in-
terest are discussed in special notes. A regular feature of the
publication is "Ten Books," in which ten of the outstanding new
books, ranging from art and literature to sociology and science
are reviewed in an informative rather than critical manner.
"Reading the Magazines," with short paragraphs about the cur-
rent issues of the leading American and foreign periodicals, also
gives a sense of timeliness to the Bulletin. The articles and notes,
in all, occupied 191 printed pages out of the total of 420.
Three numbers have been added during the year to the series
"Brief Reading Lists." No. 30 was entitled "Costumes"; No.
37 was a list on "Unemployment"; and No. 36 contained a list
of books on "Redemption," Tolstoy's play performed in Decem-
ber at the Boston Opera House. "Presidential Elections," No.
I 7 of the series, was reissued with substantial revisions.
Bibliographical lists have been printed, as in former years, for
the lectures on the programs of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
as well as for the free concerts given in the Lecture Hall of the
[49]
Library, prominent among which were the Chamber Music Con-
certs presented under the auspices of the Library of Congress,
Ehzabeth Sprague CooHdge Foundation.
The Library pamphlet "Opportunities for Adult Education
in Greater Boston," a list of free public lectures and public edu-
cational courses, was again published for 1928—29. Brief ac-
counts of forums and museums in and around Boston have been
added to the pamphlet which comprised this year 1 1 8 pages.
INFORMATION OFFICE. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT ROOM
AND OPEN SHELF ROOM.
Three different branches of service are united here under one
heading, the three being located in adjoining rooms.
The Information Office continues its double function: To
tourists, strangers and other vi.sitors it gives information about the
Library's many departments and services; besides, by ready-
reference files of Telephone and Business Directories, Chamber
of Commerce Reports and other business and vocational publi-
cations it satisfies the needs of regular patrons. The Information
Booth that has been installed in the Entrance Hall, and to which
the visitor naturally turns with his inquiries, relieves the Office
from answering many of the simpler questions about the Library.
As the charging desk has been put into the Open Shelf Room,
the public has now better access to the Vocational Guidance and
Business Files. Over 6,500 pieces of a vocational character
have been added to the file during the year. The college cata-
logues have been continuously consulted as well as the circulars
of vacation courses in Germany, France, Italy and England.
Thousands of University Extension bulletins have been dis-
tributed, apart from opportunities for studies abroad, the Travel
File offers admirable material for those interested in summer or
winter trips and excursions. The Business File has been care-
fully weeded out; if a bulletin was discontinued, another of the
same type was procured. During the year over 3,050 copies of
such publications were received and filed.
The service of the Government Document Room is supple-
mentary to that of the Information Office. Government publica-
tions, in number 9,428 have been filed here during the year, and
[50]
the number of persons who used them was 9,696. More and
more people realize the value of these varied publications. The
documents are invaluable for students writing theses or doing
other research work ; but information has been regularly solicited
also by business organizations, banks, statistical bureaus, the
Chamber of Commerce, as well as other libraries. The catalogue
of these "continuations" made in 1927, giving the Library call-
number for each document series and thus saving the incon-
venience of looking up the desired material in the Bates Hall
Catalogue, proves its worth to the public.
The clippings from the "United States Daily" posted on the
bulletin board in the Entrance Hall of the Library, have in-
creased in popularity. There have been 726 requests for such
clippings as against 246 in 1927. Furthermore, these articles
have attracted many additional inquirers to the Document Room.
The Open Shelf Room has been even busier last year than the
year before, the circulation rising to 47,574. During the sum-
mer months 559 additional volumes were used in the courtyard;
from these 87 volumes were charged for home use.
The collection in the Room is constantly refreshed with new
books. The place is so small that unless volumes are frequently
changed, the collection becomes stale to constant visitors. But
in spite of every effort, it is obvious that the Room cannot ade-
quately serve the public. In the evening hours during the winter
months it is often so crowded that one can hardly move. It is a
well-known fact that nothing stimulates reading more than free
access to the books — particularly to new books. There is no
lack of interest on the part of the public ; the problem is how to
meet that interest. It is much to be regretted that the Library is
unable to provide at present more space for this open shelf service.
NEWSPAPER AND PATENT ROOMS.
The Newspaper Room is almost always filled. The maxi-
mum attendance at one time was 115, on December 9 at four
o'clock in the afternoon. A considerable improvement has been
made in the lighting conditions of the room by the installation of
ten large chandeliers and a number of wall brackets.
[51]
The number of papers is the same as in the previous year:
two papers were added and two dropped. In all, 268 papers are
received, of which 189 are pubHshed in America and 79 abroad.
Of the American papers, 1 55 are daihes and 34 are weekhes; of
the foreign papers, 61 are dailies and 18 weeklies. Of the
American papers 15 are in foreign languages. The 79 foreign
papers are published in thirty-one different countries; among
them, 12 in England, 10 in Canada, 9 in Germany, 6 in Ireland
and 5 in France. The language of 44 of these papers is English,
of I 1 is German, and of 9 is French.
In all, 1 82 bound volumes of newspapers have been added to
the files, which now contain 9,539 volumes. During the year
19,349 readers consulted 34,603 volumes as against 19,264
readers and 33,174 volumes in 1927. Most of these bound
volumes are kept in the gallery of the Patent Room, where a
completely new lighting system has been installed and also new
shelving has been constructed.
The Patent Collection consists of 10,613 volumes, including
6S2 volumes added during the year. In the new additions the
United States was represented by 281 volumes, Germany by
228, Great Britain by 1 62 and five other countries by the re-
maining 1 1 volumes.
In the course of the year 20,708 persons used 111,183
volumes. But as practically all the shelves are accessible to the
public, it is impossible to give accurate figures of the use of the
Patent Room.
PERIODICAL DEPARTMENT.
The work of the Periodical Department is also steadily in-
creasing. The larger part of the readers consists of students,
consulting the files of periodicals for supplementary reading in
connection with their courses. From the colleges and high
schools of Greater Boston, thousands of young men and women,
boys and girls have used the room for this purpose.
Apart from the student body, business houses, insurance com-
panies and the large department stores frequently apply for
material that may help them in their current problems. Thus,
from the trade publications they derive information on com-
2
P.M.
4
P.M.
6
P.M.
8
P.M.
9.45
P.M.
37,261
39,173
41,863
43.819
26,192
27,129
29,214
29,746
15,357
16,043
[521
parative trade developments and the variation of prices. Many
club women, in preparing a paper or following up a recent lec-
ture, ask for material on a variety of subjects. In addition, a
great deal of reference work is done with the "general public,"
with people wishing to read a certain book review, a certain short
story, poem or article.
As a result, the reference room has been crowded throughout
the year: even the inner room, supposed to be reserved for the
general reader was often used by reference students.
The following figures give the gross number of visitors, show-
ing also the increase during the year :
ATTENDANCE ON WEEK DAYS..
At the hours: 10 12
A.M. M.
1927 . . . 19,374 22,197
1928 . . . 20,867 23.214
Sundays at 1 P.M.
1927 9,173
1928 10,547
Correspondingly higher was the number of magazines asked
for in 1928. In the day-time 68,449 and during evenings and
Sundays 25,732 bound volumes of magazines were consulted as
against 60,785 and 24,527 in the year before. There was a
similar rise in the use of back numbers of magazines not yet
bound. In the day-time 72,827 and during evenings and Sun-
days 32,538 were called for as against 66,246 and 30,124 in
the preceding year.
The number of bound volumes on shelves in the department
was, at the end of the year, 23,1 1 3.
The department has received during the year 1 ,292 current
periodicals, exclusive of those issued by state and federal govern-
ments. All these are kept on file in the department. In addition,
the Central Librar}^ receives 300 current periodicals filed in
other departments: 155 in the Special Libraries (Fine Arts and
Music Division), 21 in the Ordering Department, 55 in the
Statistical Department and finally, 63 in the Teachers' Refer-
ence and Children's Room.
(53)
This brings up the totnl number of periodicals currently re-
ceived in the Central Library to 1 ,592.
SPECLAL LIBRARIES DEPARTMENT.
The Special Libraries include all the collections housed on the
third floor of the Central Building, and comprise four separate
divisions: the Fine Arts, Technology, Music, and the Barton-
Ticknor Divisions.
Since the Fine Arts and Technology Divisions are located in
the same rooms, the charging out of books for home use is done
at the same desk. During the year 26,704 books have been
issued from the two Divisions as against 25,195 in 1927. The
hall-use of Fine Arts and Technical books has also increased,
but, with open shelves, it is impossible to gather definite statistics.
The lantern slide collection, augmented by recent purchases
to some 1 7.000 pieces, has proved its value. During the year
14,920 slides have been loaned as against 8,443 in 1927. The
increase in the size and scope of the collection has made neces-
sary a new arrangement of the slides which, now partly com-
pleted, greatly simplifies their handling.
Last year there was a further decrease in the circulation of
pictures to schools: 23,203 pieces were loaned as against 27,039
in 1927. This decrease is partly due to the re-organization of
the Fine Arts collection, and partly to the increase in the re-
sources of the branch libraries. Since most of the branches have
been lending pictures to teachers from their own collection, it
has been decided to put the whole circulation of pictures to
schools in the hands of the branches and use the Fine Arts col-
lection as a central deposit. It will remain important, however,
to have a sufficient number of pictures on general subjects in this
collection for use of designers, advertisers and the general public.
Considerable study has been given to the reference collection of
pictures, and, as a result, a start has been made on a compre-
sive plan of filing and indexing.
The reconstruction of the Barton-Ticknor Room has neces-
sitated the removal of several collections to temporary locations,
which makes it more difficult to give prompt service. But in
spite of the distance of these collections from the room, there has
[54]
been no unreasonable delay In the delivery of the desired
volumes. Because of the great value of the books in the collec-
tions of this division, it has been found necessary to discourage
the use of these copies when other editions could be found in the
main collection. Undergraduates who wished to use these early
and rare editions as texts have been referred to Bates Hall.
Incidentally, this has resulted in a great improvement of the con-
ditions for study, by advanced students and scholars, without
any appreciable decrease in the number of visitors. During the
year 12,412 books of the division have been used.
The projected removal of the Music Division to larger quar-
ters — namely, to the present Barton Room — will bring to-
gether its reference and circulating collections, and will afford an
opportunity for shelving these collections on a more modern plan.
Accordingly, a preliminary survey of the music classification of
the Library of Congress is being made with a view to adopting
it in a somewhat condensed form.
As in former years, the Music Division in cooperation with
the Extension Division of the Stale Board of Education, has or-
ganized a series of interpretive lectures on the Symphony Con-
certs and operas; and in connection with the lectures, book lists
and programme notes have been regularly printed. The use of
books and scores shows an increase over that of last year. Items
to the number of 9,690 have been used in the Music Reading
Room and 6,824 have been issued for home use. A year before
the corresponding figures were 9,623 and 6,688.
STATISTICAL DEPARTMENT.
The resources of the Statistical Department are constantly
sought for by business men and business women, and the students
of the high schools, colleges and universities. The unusually
active life of the stock market brought many inquiries from in-
vestors of both sexes and all ages; and the news and figures of
the financial magazines were eagerly followed by many visitors.
With 9 1 1 books added during the year, the Statistical Col-
lection now numbers 25,523 volumes. The larger number are
in the various fields of economy and sociology. Many volumes
are kept on open shelves, therefore no report can be given of the
[55]
numher of books consulted in the Department. The number of
\olumes sent to Bates Hall for use was 2,1 71 , while 2,598 books
were charged out for home use.
The number of financial magazines regularly received by the
Department is 97. Of these 61 are published in this country,
?nd 36 abroad. Of the foreign magazines, 8 come from En-
gland; 3 from Canada; 1 from Australia; 8 from France; 2
from Germany and the rest from ten other countries.
The Department has also very important source material in
the government publications. In addition to an almost complete
file of the state and federal documents, collections may also be
found in this Department of the English Parliamentary Papers
and the yearbooks and other publications of many European
countries.
Mr. Horace L. Wheeler, who had been in charge of the De-
partment since 191 1, retired under the Boston Retirement Act
on October 31, 1928. Mrs. Mary Watkins Dietrichson, pre-
viously connected with the Harvard School of Business Ad-
ministration and the Minneapolis Public Library, has been ap-
pointed his successor.
WORK WITH CHILDREN.
The home use of children's books amounted to 1 ,764,374, an
increase of 73,105 over the preceding year. Since the ap-
portionment of the book budget allowed this year a smaller share
to children's books than in 1927, the growth indicates a healthy
expansion. But the actual use of the Library by readers con-
sidered "juvenile" is even larger than would appear from the
statistics, because the required school reading for those under
sixteen no\v embraces a large number of titles which are
ordinarily classified as adult. A shorter stay in the "easy book"
stage is noticeable in different parts of the city, and the assistants
who have watched the change in the choice of books on the part
of children, have been prompt to suggest a more advanced type
of reading.
New rooms for the accommodation of children have been
opened at the Boylston Station Branch and the City Point
[56]
Branch. Additional comment may be found in this report under
the heading "The Branch System."
The reorganization of the branch hbrary staff has made it
possible to appoint six new children's librarians to the depart-
mental work. It is hoped that the number may be increased
every j'^ear until the proper quota is reached, and also that fur-
ther training may be given to assistants with the desired personal-
ity and ability for work in this special field. For the first time,
two members of the staff requested and were granted leave of
absence to take a nine months' course in work with children at
the Library School of Western Reserve University, Cleveland.
From their practical experience in the libraries of another system,
as well as from their formal academic study, these young women
should derive a broadening influence that will enable them to
contribute materially to the Library's service for children.
As new tides of children reach the reading age, they enter the
story-hour groups in the different branch libraries and thus be-
come acquainted with many fine stories through hearing them
told. It is significant that this old method has been extended in
some libraries by the practice of reading aloud, also to adults.
Among the assistants, a small group has shown sufficient apti-
tude to story telling to make further training desirable. Mrs.
John J. Cronan, the library story teller, has given to this group
a short course of instruction with opportunities for practice under
supervision, with the result that the department is now able to
depend upon a larger number of assistants for this form of work.
The public schools have called upon the Library more than
ever before for visits from story tellers prepared to introduce
good literature to large classes of children. For this kind of
audience, expert story tellers are wanted, and the Library is
fortunate in being able to respond to the requests. A constantly
widening circle of teachers and headmasters, who would like to
claim the story tellers for an indefinite period, express their ap-
preciation of the type of literature which is included in the pro-
grammes, and of the effect which it has upon the young hearers.
The Library contact with the school is stronger than with any
other institution. On account of the growing importance of the
Junior High School there is an increasing demand for reference
[57]
material suitable for its pupils. All over the city the chil-
dren's rooms are establishing pamphlet files and special in-
dexes to provide information or supply source material, on in-
dustrial and commercial subjects. In some of the branches
definite effort has been made to teach the use of the card catalogue
rnd reference books. At Memorial Branch, for the girls of the
Memorial High School, one hundred and twenty such lessons
have been given. As usual, deposit sets for class room use were
supplied to schools all over the city. The Library has also co-
operated with the Woman's Municipal League by supplement-
ing with books certain traveling collections lent to schools through
this organization.
For several years past, the circulation of books from the
Children's Room of the Central Library has shown a decrease.
This is amply explained by the changing character of that part
of the city adjoining Copley Square. Business houses are taking
the place of many residences. The traffic dangers have also
greatly multiplied, so that parents are unwilling to allow their
children to cross the Square alone.
Two improvements have greatly benefitted the department:
the new work-room adjoining the picture booth above the rear of
the Lecture Hall and the new tiled covering of the floor of the
Children's Room. In the work-room the mending and repairing
of books, their preparation for the bindery, as also the typewriting
incidental to departmental routine, can be carried on more ex-
peditiously than has been hitherto possible. The warm-toned
floor covering has dignified the room, and has made also the
working conditions easier.
As usual, a number of exhibitions have been held during the
year. In connection with "Book Week" in November an ex-
hibit ^vas arranged in the Venetian Lobby, attracting also the
attention of many adults. Little, Brown and Company lent an
unusual displays of photographs, letters and personal belongings
connected with the Alcott family. The Children's Department
was also instrumental in obtaining for exhibition the choice col-
lection of old-fashioned children's books owned by Mr. Wilbur
Macey Stone of New York, From young children to fastidious
collectors, thousands of people viewed with the greatest interest
[58]
this exhibit, shown during November and December in the Ex-
hibition Room.
The Supervisor of Work with Children filled as customary,
a number of speaking engagements with schools and parents'
associations. She gave also two lectures at the Library School
in Cleveland and five at the New Hampshire Summer Institute
for Librarians. All these addresses related to children's books
or library work with children.
Two lists were prepared in the department, on "Vacation
Reading for Boys and Girls" and a second edition of "Inex-
pensive Books."
TEACHERS* ROOM.
While the Teachers' Room is actually supplementing the work
of the Reference Department and the Periodical Room, its loca-
tion and the history of its growth have combined to make it a
part of the Children's Department. Some of the persons who
seek information from the books shelved in the Teachers' Room
require also material belonging in the Children's Department,
but the majority of patrons are students of education in the neigh-
boring colleges and teachers who are pursuing advanced courses
of study. The facilities of the Room are much appreciated; in-
deed, at times not only every seat is taken, but the students over-
flow into the Children's Room — a situation not to be encouraged.
The Library subscribes to forty-one magazines on education,
keeping the current numbers in the Teachers' Room and the
bound volumes in the gallery of the Children's Room. At all
seasons there is a steady call for this periodical literature. Many
pamphlets covering courses of study in other cities, as well as
surveys of educational systems and curriculum programmes are
kept on file. The assistant-in-charge also makes note of bibliog-
raphies in books and magazines and prepares lists of books and
periodical articles on timely topics. In addition, the Teachers'
Room is becoming better prepared to give service to parents, who
wish to consult books on the psychology of childhood or on
studies of exceptional children.
[59]
THE BRANCH SYSTEM.
The total circulation through the branch libraries and the Cen-
tral Branch Department for the year was 3,331,328. This is a
gain of 192,361 over last year.
This total branch circulation was made up of the following
items: 3.003.391 books were issued for home use direct from the
branches; 432,468 books were issued to schools and various
institutions partly from collections of the branches (217,061)
and partly from the Branch Deposit Collection in the Central
Library (233,407) ; and finally, in response to calls from the
public at the various branches, 93,469 books were issued from
the Central Library through the branches — 78,320 from the
Deposit Collection and 17,149 from the stacks of the Central
Library.
Of the 3,003,391 volumes drawn out for home-use direct from
the branches, 1 ,303,408 were for adults and 1 ,699,983 for
juveniles. Among the books for adults there were 1 ,000,443
volumes of fiction and 302,963 of non-fiction; among the books
for juveniles there were 1 , 1 38,932 volumes of fiction and
341,031 of non-fiction.
The number of volumes sent on deposit from the Central
Branch collection to 364 agencies was 83,237. Among these
agencies are 3 1 branches, 33 engine houses, 1 0 high schools, 2 1 2
grammar schools, 1 7 parochial schools and 49 other institutions
of various kinds. To the 239 schools 61 ,231 volumes were sent
in all. Last year the number of agencies was 326 and the num-
ber of volumes sent on deposit, 93,269; to 232 schools 66,037
books were sent in 1927.
Besides books, 40,733 pictures were sent to schools. The
inter-library loans amounted to 2,213 volumes: 1,847 books to
libraries in Massachusetts and 368 to libraries outside of the
state. In all, 1 ,838 applications were received, of which 646 had
to_be refused.
Twenty-eight of the branches gained in circulation. The
greatest gains were at Mattapan, Uphams Corner, Boylston
Station, Andrew Square, East Boston, South Boston, Faneuil
and Roslindale. The largest circulation reached at a Branch
was 183,887 and the lowest, 38,428.
[60]
Important improvements have been made during the year at
the Boylston Station and City Point Branches. At the former
a w^ell equipped and very pleasant children's room has been
added which has greatly strengthened the work with children,
and at the latter the adult readers, formerly crowded out by the
children, have now a quiet and comfortable room. As a result
the circulation of books to adults has increased at both places; at
Boylston Station the increase amounted to 1,118. What is of
greater importance, there has been an improvement both in the
orderliness and in the quality of reference work in both of these
libraries. There have been also a number of minor improve-
ments in the other branches, by way of refinishing of shelving,
tables and chairs and the replacing of worn floor covering. At
the Brighton Branch new plumbing has been installed and at the
East Boston Branch an attractive iron fence has been erected
around the little front yard.
Twenty-one of the thirty-one branch library buildings are now
in satisfactory condition. At ten the conditions leave much to
be desired. More space is needed at the branches at Andrew
Square, Codman Square, Jeffries Point, Mattapan, Mt. Bow-
doin, Neponset, Orient Heights, Parker Hill, Roslindale and
South Boston. At several of these places the Library should
have its own building.
THE LIBRARY TRAINING CLASS
The first year of the Training Class, organized in October,
1927, ended in the middle of June, 1928.
Fourteen students were enrolled. They were divided into
two groups: the first group, with four students, gave full time to
the course and graduated in June, 1928; the second group, with
ten students (two of whom were young men) devoted half-time
to the course and will graduate in June, 1 929. The members of
this second group are on the staff of the Library. Selected by
the heads of their departments as capable of enlarged usefulness,
they were allowed to devote to training ten hours of library time
each week.
The full-time students completed the following courses : refer-
ence work, children's literature, library economy, book selection.
[61]
classification, and cataloguing. I he part-time students com-
pleted the first three courses, leaving the last three for the second
year.
The classes in reference work were held twice a week for
the eight months. About 275 reference books were examined
and discussed. The aim of the course in library economy, held
once a week, was to acquaint the class with the resources of the
Library, and v,'ith some of the problems of Library administra-
tion. Tlie development of children's books from the earliest
limes to the present day was studied. In the course of book
selection talks were given on reviews and annotations, and on
publishers and their special texts and editions: also visits were
made to downtown book-stores. Classification was studied dur-
ing the first half year. Classes were held twice a week, followed
by an hour and a half of actual practice. As a working basis the
Decimal Classification of Melvil Dewey was used. The origin
of the system in use in this Library was explained in special talks.
In the course of cataloguing the method used in the Library of
Congress was taught, simplified in the matter of minor details.
Another important feature of the training w^as the practical
work. To this the full-lime students devoted five afternoons a
week throughout the eight months, and the part-time students,
already more experienced in library work, five hours a week. In
the early fall each member of the class was assigned to one of
the branches, where a better idea of library work as a whole can
be obtained because of the smaller size of the place and the more
general nature of the service. Afterwards there was a general
shift every three weeks, and each student was sent to a different
department in the Library. As a result, it is possible to deter-
mine to which phase of library work the new assistants are best
suited. Of the four full-time students who graduated from the
course in June, 1928, one is now working in a branch and the
other three in the Central Library.
The course in children's literature was conducted by Miss
Alice M. Jordan, who is also chairman of the Library Training
Class Committee. The other courses were conducted by Mrs.
Bertha V. Hartzell, the Supervisor, who ^vas assisted by ad-
ditional talks on various subjects by members of the Library staff.
162]
Also persons not connected with the Library gave occasional
lectures. j, ,
READERS' ADVISER.
The Library's interest in adult education continues unabated
and has led to the establishment of the service of a Readers' Ad-
viser. Miss Laura R. Gibbs is in charge of this service, and has
been on duty ten hours a week since February 20 in an office on
the ground floor near the elevator. During this period, she has
been sought by 4 1 7 persons, 8 1 of whom have started definite
courses of reading under direction. Twenty-one of these courses
have been completed, 1 0 are still in process, 1 3 are in abeyance
for the time being, 3 were referred to another department, and 36
were dropped unfinished; 5 of the readers who dropped out re-
turned to school or college where their time was fully occupied.
Numerous lists of books varying in length from ten to thirty titles
have been made and sent from the office, and many visitors have
received suggestions for reading, often amounting to a list of
twenty or more titles. Some 50 applicants have been advised re-
garding schools or courses where they might find the courses of
which they were in search. Numerous inquiries about this work
have been received and the Readers' Adviser has frequently been
asked to give informal addresses on the subject before various
interested groups.
Of the Library's publication "Opportunities for Adult Edu-
cation in Greater Boston" an account has been given in another
section of this Report.
LECTURES — CONCERTS — EXHIBITIONS.
The Lecture Course, now in its thirtieth season, is given on
Thursday evenings, Sunday afternoons and Sunday evenings,
from the beginning of October to the end of April, with numer-
ous lectures or concerts on other days of the week.
During the year there were given in the Lecture Hall 1 06 free
lectures and entertainments under the auspices of the Library,
the Drama League, the Field and Forest Club, the Ruskin Club,
and other organizations. The subj.ects of the lectures, 71 in
number, may be classified as follows: travel, 26; literature, I 1 ;
[63]
drama, 9; music. 8; history, 6; art, 4; miscellaneous, 7. The
greater number have been iHustrated with lantern slides or mov-
ing pictures, which have recently been made available through
the installation of an excellent projector in connection with the
remodeling of the Lecture Hall. There have been 35 concerts
and recitals, of which 6 were provided through the Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Foundation.
The Lecture Hall has continued to be used by the Division of
University Extension of the State Department of Education. The
noise and confusion incident to the reconstruction of the North
Gallery, which is immediately over the Lecture Hall, will pre-
vent the day-time use of the Hall during the coming season.
The usual Lectures on the Concerts of the Boston Symphony
Orchestra, and shorter courses in connectieon with the opera
seasons of the year, were offered by the Massachusetts Division
of University Extension in collaboration with the Library. They
were under the supervision of Richard G. Appel of the Library
staff, who has had the generous cooperation of other musicians.
Twenty-seven exhibitions have been arranged during the year
in the Exhibition Room. These included two on aviation, for
which the material was lent in the first case by the Guggenheim
Foundation and in the second by Miss H. M. Murdoch. De-
signs for various competitions sponsored by the House Beautiful
Publishing Company occupied the Room en three occasions.
There was a similar exhibit for "Be Kind to Animals Week" ; at
another time the original work done by pupils in the public schools
of Boston was shown; the American Institute of Graphic Arts
lent the "Fifty Books of the Year" and also material for an ex-
hibit of "American Book Illustration." Mr. Henry T. Porter
lent a collection of autographed portraits of musicians. Mr.
Henry Lewis Johnson, examples of recent European and Ameri-
can printing; and Mr. Wilbur Macey Stone of New York City,
his unique collection of rare and old children's books. Many of
these exhibitions were supplemented by material from the Divi-
sion of Fine Arts. In April, the medieval manuscripts of the
Library were placed on view, and on other occasions interesting
editions of the Bible, works of the Merrymount Press, and fine
bindings were shown.
[64]
For a complete list of the lectures, concerts, and exhibitions
see Appendix, pp. 13—19.
THE BINDERY.
The work done in the Bindery has been greater than in any
previous year. The number of bound volumes was 7 1 ,963
as against 68,313, and the total of miscellaneous work done
amounted to 128,018 items as against 88,997 in 1927.
With the growth of the Library's activities, the demands on
the Bindery are naturally increasing. It is a source of satisfac-
tion that the Bindery is able to keep abreast with the current work
of the Library. With some new machinery and using the work-
ing force to its best advantage, the Bindery is doing now more
than double the work it did some years ago — when the person-
nel was actually larger. More than that cannot be expected.
As matters stand, however, much important work of the
Special Libraries, particularly of the Barton-Ticknor Division,
remains undone. There are hundreds of old books and as many
old maps which should be rebound or reinforced — a slow and
meticulous work which can be taken care of only through special
provision.
MECHANICAL AND OTHER REPAIRS.
Much has been accomplished, as I said earlier in the report,
toward "putting our house in order."
In the Central Library, particularly, the repairs were going
on inside and outside of the building during the whole year. The
repointing and replacing of the roof tiling was completed. About
one-half of the condensation roof has been repaired or replaced
and the remainder will be given attention next year. Two large
sky-lights were replaced; the ridge cresting was furnished with
new supports of brass. A sprinkler system was installed in prac-
tically the entire basement, in all elevator and air shafts. The
Printing and Bindery Departments were equipped with a thermo-
stat system of fire protection. The necessary sections of wall of
the building were provided with a "water curtain." The re-
wiring of the building has been all but completed. New light-
ing fixtures have been installed in the Division of Fine Arts and
[65]
the West Gallery, in the Issue and Registration Departments, and
in the Newspaper and Patent Rooms. The book-stacks and the
entire basement have been similarly equipped with new light-
ing fixtures. The general illumination and the stage lighting ef-
fects in the Lecture Hall have been improved.
During the year 465.000 kilowatts of electricity were gener-
ated, an increase of 15,000 kilowatts over the previous year.
The electrical output has now reached the point where it is neces-
sary to run two engines to carry the normal load. The general
overhauling of the heating system has resulted in a saving of fuel.
Many of the supply and return pipes buried away in the masonry
construction are constantly breaking and it requires much labor
to replace them. The coal burned during the year was 1,732
tons, a reduction of 1 67 tons from the quantity of coal used m
1927. The increase in electrical consumption may be contrasted
with satisfaction with the decrease in coal consumption.
A few other improvements may be mentioned. The Lecture
Hall has been furnished with new seats and provided with a
moving picture booth and equipment; also a new screen and
stage curtain have been added and the acoustical draperies have
been changed. In sections of the Entrance Hall and in parts of
the Delivery Room new marble blocks have been laid. The
furnaces were rebuilt under the boilers and new arch protectors
were installed; also a coal conveyor was added to the boiler-room
equipment. All the book stacks in the Central Library have
been repainted. In several of the branches — at Lower Mills,
South Boston, Mt. Pleasant, Boylston, Charlestown and City
Point — the furniture has been refinished. In other branches
new shelving has been installed.
The repairs of the condensation roof, marble floors, arch vault-
ing in basement, etc. will be continued next year.
RETIREMENTS.
During the year the following persons retired under the Bos-
ton Retirement Act: Ordering Department: Theodosia E. Ma-
curdy, Chief, (retired February 29, voluntary), entered service
June 24, 1889; Engineer and Janitor Department: Julia Connor,
cleaner, (retired February 29, voluntary), entered service Janu-
[66]
ary 9, 1909; Branch Department: Ida G. Denney, assistant,
(retired July 31, voluntary), entered service July 21, 1902;
Engineer and Janitor Department: Minnie Otto, cleaner, (re-
tired September 30, disability), entered service in September
1897; Statistical Department: Horace L. Wheeler, Chief, (re-
tired October 31), entered service July 23, 1900.
CONCLUSION.
A library is not merely a collection of books. It is an organi-
zation in which it is the duty of specially appointed persons to
help the public to get the desired books or information. This
human element is a most important factor in all library adminis-
tration. A library may be the richest in its resources and still
fail because of the inadequacy of its service.
The Director earnestly solicits reports of dissatisfaction v/ith
the service of the Library or of failure to obtain the desired in-
formation. It should be remembered, how^ever, that inquiries
requiring special knowledge should be made to chiefs of depart-
ments, branch librarians or major assistants, many of whom
have been long in the service and know the resources of the
system, rather than to minor assistants. Inquiries by telephone
at the Central Library or at the branches are also welcome. If
questions are asked which do not fall within the province of the
service of the Library, the inquirer will be directed, when possible,
to the proper source of information.
It is my privilege to record my continued appreciation of the
loyal cooperation of the Library Staff — in minor as well as
major positions. To Frank H. Chase, Reference Librarian, I
wish to extend my particular acknowledgment. To the faithful
and efficient service of the members of the Staff in all departments
is due the credit for the successful operation of the Library.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles F. D. Belden,
Director
APPKNDIX.
TABLE OF CENTRAL AND BRANCH CIRCULATION
1923-24
1924-25
1925*
1926
1927
1928
Central Library
576.997
623.024
608.852
644.896
657.977
678.834
Branches:
Aliston
57.705
60,358
63.434
74,297
81.984
86.960
Andrew Square
51.99!
68.196
68.772
89,662
92.926
104,563
Boylston Station
62.340
64.871
64.559
71.261
68,1%
81.405
Brighton
87.672
92.702
89.384
101,286
98,907
96.586
Charlestown
99.035
98.433
95,288
107,562
110,069
105,659
City Point
43.277
47.441
50,108
51,154
54,232
56,686
Codman Square
113.529
114.950
119.758
145,001
1 56,559
1 57,498
Dorchester
75.608
88.628
90,123
100.188
101,957
109,553
Ea«l Boston
125,968
128,771
125,820
138.691
140,379
151.099
Faneuil
27.004
30,443
31.560
43.782
50.212
60.143
Feilowes Athen.
71,673
76,007
84,765
85,151
89,479
91,463
Hyde Park
89.716
95.334
93.582
98,147
107,168
110.679
Jamaica Plain .
64,022
68.630
67.232
73,117
85.262
86.398
Jeffries Point
40.857
52.020
53.004
58,218
61,8f^3
63.185
Lower Mills
25.801
27,259
25.488
32.274
35,835
38.428
Mattapan
27.699
48,789
58.290
69,364
95,085
124.374
Memorial
122.159
136.981
135,913
147,263
171.034
178,142
Mount Bowdoin
98,961
107,679
112,320
125,907
129.487
132,424
Mount Pleasant
52,977
53,953
53,778
59,101
66.315
72,367
Neponset
40.353
41,466
39,479
43,349
48,331
48.639
North End
107,329
117,075
121,651
137,896
143.381
146.616
Orient Heights .
30,580
40,605
45.395
58.913
55,625
49,915
Parker Hill .
44.081
37,038
39,860
43,719
45.862
51,412
Roslindale
89.336
94,888
93,154
105,074
113.150
122,260
Roxbury Crossing
57,869
67.143
58,634
62.462
77.770
78,269
South Boston
139.173
152.799
148.751
169,625
170,911
181,376
South End
1 1 1 ,682
117.845
112.578
118,315
116,226
117,982
Tyler Street
42.270
37,321
37,436
43,421
39,868
42,375
Uphanis Corner
109,731
95,975
100,288
126,010
152,140
171,260
\^;est End . .
1 54.267
157,321
1 52.043
169,142
175,683
183,887
\\ est Roxbury .
81,199
88^49
3.132.194
88.482
3,129.781
104.889
3,499,137
111,754
119,249
Total .
2.922.861
3.705.657
3,899,286
*A periodjof eleven months.
[68]
The net gains and losses in circulation are presented, apart
from the totals, in the following form :
1923-24 gain over preceding year
1924-25 gain over preceding year
1925* loss from preceding year
1926t gain over preceding year
1927 gain over preceding year
1928 gain over preceding year
(of 1 1 mont
1 53,877
209,333
12.413
369,356
306.520
193,629
USE OF BOOKS.
Circulation from Central by Months.
January. 1928
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Totals
HOME USE
DIRECT.
HOME USE
THROUGH
BRANCH DEPT.
SCHOOLS AND
INSTITUTIONS
THROUGH
BRANCH DEPT.
TOTALS.
34.941
9.607
24,230
68.778
34.646
9,386
24.330
68,362
36.433
10,298
25,805
72.536
31.365
8.231
26.035
65.631
29.278
8,247
29,525
67.050
21.083
6,673
15.775
43,531
22.199
5,470
6.497
34.166
19.511
5,604
6.175
31.290
21,975
6.009
8.575
36.559
31,947
8.524
16.965
57.436
32.934
8.801
25.365
67.100
31,646
8.619
26.130
66.395
347.958
95,469
235.407
678,834
Distribution of Total Circulation.
Central Library:
a. Direct .....
b. Through Branches
1 . Deposit Collection
2 General Collections
c. Schools and Institutions through
Branch Department
HOME
use.
. 347.958
. 78,320
17.149
schools and
institutions.
235,407
TOTALS.
678,834
Branches:
Allston ....
Andrew Square ....
Boylston Station ....
Brighton ....
Charlestown . . , .
86.960
104.563
81,405
75,968
97,684
20,618
7,975
28.593
86.%0
104.563
81 .405
96.586
105.659
Carried forward
446.580
475,173
* Eleven month period.
tGain over an approximation of preceding twelve months 233,279.
'691
City Point
Codman Square
Dorchester
East Boston
Faneuil
Fellowes Athena>um
Hyde Park
Jamaica Plain
Jeffries Point
Lower Mills
Mattapan
Memorial
Mount BoNvdoin
Mount Pleasant
Neponset
North End
Orient Heights
Parker Hill
Roslindale
Roxbury Crossing
South Boston
South End
Tyler Street
Upham's Corner
West End
West Roxbury
446.580
28.593
475,17^
S6.686
56.686
147.217
i 6.281
1 57,498
99.999
9,554
109.553
131.862
19.237
151.099
60.143
60,143
72.679
18,784
91.463
99.254
11,425
110,679
78.187
8,211
86.398
63.185
63.18'-i
38.428
38.428
124.374
124.374
175.376
" 2.766
178.142
128.118
4.306
132.424
72,367
72.367
48,639
48.639
144.910
' 1.706
146.616
49,015
49.01 5
51.412
51.412
1 1 1 ,827
10,433
122.260
78.269
78.269
156.051
25,325
181,376
101.921
16,061
117.982
42.875
42,875
1 70,870
' ' 390
171.260
1 55.902
27,985
183.887
97.245
22,004
119.249
3.003,391
217.061
These figures are condensed into the following
3,220,452
Books Lent for Home Use, including Circulation through
Schools and Institutions.
From Central Library (including Central Library books issued through
the branches) ..........
From branches (excluding books received from Central Library)
Total
678,834
3.220.452
3,899,286
Comparative.
Central Library circulation (excluding
schools and institutions).
Direct home use ....
Through branches ....
Branch Libraries circulation (ex-
cluding schools and institutions).
Schools and institutions circulation (in-
cluding books from Central throujh
the Branch system)
1927.
1928.
346,690
99.070
445.760
2.810,741
449.156
3,705.657
347,958
95,469
443,427
3.003.391
452.468
3,899.286
[70]
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 hbraries outside of Massachusetts
Total
Applications refused:
From libraries in Massachusetts .
From libraries outside of Massachusetts
Total
Borrowed from other libraries for use here
1927
1,723
264
1928
1,847
368
1,987
2,215
478
104
540
106
582
646
24
33
The classified direct circulation of the branches was as
follows, for two successive years :
1927 1928
VOLUMES. PERCENTAGE. VOLl'MES. PERCENTAGE.
Fiction for adults .
901,688
32
1 ,000,443
33
Non- fiction for adults
273.932
10
302.963
10
Juvenile fiction
1.107.625
39
1.158.952
39
Juvenile non-fiction
527,496
19
541,031
18
At the Central Library the classified direct circulation shows
the following percentages :
Fiction
Non-fiction
1927.
PERCENTAGE.
47.7
52.3
1928.
PERCENTAGE.
48.3
51.7
BOOK ACCESSIONS.
BOOKS ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE.
For the Central Library:
From City appropriation
From trust funds income
For branches :
From City appropriation
From trust funds income
1927.
9,870
2,688
66.424
3,289
12,558
69.713
1928.
10,526
3.301
— 13.827
62.565
1,041
63,606
Totals
82.271
77.433
[71]
The following statement includes the accessions by purchase
combined with books received by gift or otherwise:
CENTRAL. 1
^^'^^'"''- VOLUMES.
Accessions by purchase 13.827
63,606
77.43 J
Accessions bv gift 12,825
1.606
14,431
Accessions by exchange 101
101
Accessions by periodicals bound 2,013
21
2,034
Accessions by newspapers bound ... 162
162
Accessions by serials bound . 2,002
2.002
Totals 30.930
65,233
96,163
THE CATALOGUE.
1927.
1928
V<LS AND
PARTS. ^'^'-'^^
VOLS. AND
PARTS.
TITLES.
Catalogued (new) :
General collection, new books, (including continuations) .
27.133
Central Library Catalogue . . . 25,811 15,932
27,544
17,552
Serials 6,697 ....
6.827
Branches 67.602 57.543
58.718
52,446
Recatalogued 15,337 8.261
1 5.383
8,169
Totals
115.447 81.736 108.472 78.167
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:
Special collections, new books and transfers ...... 2,791
Books reported lost or missing in previous years, but now found, transfers
from branches, etc. ......... 1,651
31.575
Removed from Central Library shelves during the year:
Books reported lost or missing, condemned copies not yet replaced, trans-
fers, etc. 14,273
Net gain at Central Library 17,302
Net gain at Branches ......... 7,01 1
Net gain entire library system ......... 24,313
The total number of volumes available for public use at the
end of each year since the formation of the Library is shown m
the following statement :
1852-53 .... 9.688 1856-57 .... 34.896
1853-54 .... 16.221 1857-58 .... 70.851
1854-55 .... 22.617 1858-59 .... 78.043
1855-56 .... 28,080 1859-60 .... 85.031
[72]
1860-61 .
97,38e
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 .
1 52.796
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 .
321,010
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
1916-17 .
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
1887 . .
492.956
1922-23 .
1.284,094
1888 . .
505,872
1923-24 .
1,308,041
1889 . .
520,508
1924-25 .
1.333.264
1890 . .
536,027
1925
1363,515
1891 . .
556,283
1926
1,388.439
1892 . .
576,237
1927
1,418.489
1893 . .
597.152
1928
1 ,442,802
1894 . .
610,375
Volumes in entire library system .
, ,
1,442.802
Volumes in the branches
.
398,136
These volumes are located as
follows :
Central Library . . . 1,044,666
Matfapan . . . 8,376
Allston
7.301
Memorial
13,579
Andrew Square .
6,887
Mt. Bowdoin
9,933
Boylston Station
7,165
Mt. Pleasant
6.366
Brighton
19,500
Neponset
5.494
Chcirleslown
1 5.503
North End
1 1 ,999
City Point
10.176
Orient Heights .
5.385
Codman Square
12.621
Parker Hill
5.820
Dorchester
12.843
Roslindale
12,145
East Boston
21.400
Roxbury Crossing
6,972
Faneuil
7.510
South Boston
21.109
Fellowes Athenaeum
37.998
South End
14,424
Hyde Park
30.596
Tyler Street
6,336
Jamaica Plain
1 7.648
Upham's Comer
13.559
Jeffries Point
5,089
West End .
21.661
Lower Mills
,
,
4,644
West Roxbury
.
18.097
1927.
203
1928.
207
4.050
65.417
8.856
135.137
480
32.160
283
296
21.768
217
73]
THE BINDERY.
1927. 1928.
Number of volumes bound in various style* .... 68,313 7 1. 96-)
Magazines stitched 201 223
X'olumes repaired ......... 2.036 1,810
N'olumes guarded 1.684 1.895
Maps mounted ......... 41 287
[ 'holographs and engravings, etc. mounted .... 3,044 7,087
I ibrary publications folded, stitched and trimmed . 88,997 106.993
THE PRINTING DEPARTMENT.
Requisil:ons received and filled ......
Card Catalogue (Central Library) :
Titles (Printing Department count) ....
Cards finished (exclusive of extras) ....
Card CatalocTje (Branches) :
Titles (Printing Department) ......
Cards finished (exclusive of extras) ....
Signs ...........
Blank forms (numbered series) 3,127,019 3,478,578
Forms, circulars, and sundries (outside numbered series) . 46,317 53,960
Catalogues, pamphlets, and bibliographical programmes . 43,695 54,568
THE LECTURES OF 1928.
All lectures, except those marked with an asterisk (*) were
illustrated with lantern slides.
Jan. 5. Long Wharf and the Old Boston Waterfront; History
and Reminiscences. Gilbert R. Payson.
Jan. 8. ^Symbolism in Modern Drama. Robert E. Rogers, A. M.
(Drama League Course.)
Jan. 8. *Intersettlement Concert by pupils from the Music School
Settlements.
Jan. 9. *The Making of a Ruskin Collection. Charles E. Good-
speed. (Ruskin Club.)
Jan. 12. The Lure of New England. Percy A. Brigham. (Field
and Forest Club Course.)
Jan. I 4. Northern Italy and the Dolomites. Rev. A. E. Worman.
Jan. 15. ^Legends and Folk Songs of Finland. Aino Saari. Musi-
cal illustrations.
Jan. 15. '^Song Recital. Elsie Winsor Bird. Soprano.
Jan. 19. The Life and Art of Edgar Allan Poe. Joseph Lorraine.
Jan. 19. Flemish and Dutch Art: a comparison and valuation.
Adriaan M. DeGroot.
[74]
*Concert. Choral Society of the Massachusetts State
Federation of Women's Clubs.
^Modern Piano Music of the French, Russian and Enorlish
Schools. Elizabeth Siedoff. Lecture-piano recital.
*The Witch of Salem: Cadman's New American Opera.
Grace May Statsman. Musical illustrations. (Ruskin
Club.)
Evangeline Country at Apple-blossom Time. Edwin .A.
Freeman.
*The Educational Value of Play Producing in Schools.
Marie Ware Laughton, Director, The Out-Door
Players.
'^Concert. Hart House String Quartet of Toronto. (Eliza-
beth Sprague Coolidge series.)
Nature's Mysteries. Dan McCowan. (Contributed by
by the Bureau of Commercial Economics, Washington,
D. C.)
^Russian Music. Dr. John P. Marshall.
^Concert. The Players of Concerted Music.
The English Lake Country and its Poets. Olive C. Grigor.
(Field and Forest Club Course.)
*Our Social Comedies. Mrs. Carl L. Schrader, President,
Drama League of Boston. (Drama League Course.)
^Concert. Burgin and Durrell String Quartets of Boston.
(Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge series.)
*The Observance of John Ruskin's Birthday, February 8,
1818. (Ruskin Club.)
Unknown Newfoundland. Robert H. Tait. (Contributed
by the Bureau of Commercial Economics, Washington,
D. C.)
*The Odes of the Roman Poet Horace, in musical settings,
ancient and modern. W. B. McDaniel, II, A. M.
1 9. *Intersettlement Concert by Pupils from the Music School
Settlements.
Gainsborough, Painter of Beautiful Women, 1727—1927.
Martha A. S. Shannon.-
^Authors and Wives, Face to Face. John E. Pember.
^Concert. Gertrude Ehrhart, soprano, Carmela Ippolito,
violin, and Nicolas Slonimsky, piano.
Feb. 27. *The Purpose of Literature. Prof. Earl. Augustus Aldrich.
(Ruskin Club.)
Mar. 1 . Picturesque Germany. John G. Bucher. (Contributed
Mar. 4. ^Negro Writers and Composers. Recital. Dorothy
Richardson, contralto, Eleanor Trent Wallace, reader,
and Dorothy Wood, accompanist,
Jan.
22.
Jan.
22.
Jan.
23.
Jan.
26.
Jan.
29.
Jan.
29.
Feb.
2.
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
5.
5.
9.
Feb.
12.
Feb.
12.
Feb.
13.
Feb.
16.
Feb.
19.
Feb.
19.
Feb.
23.
Feb.
Feb.
26.
26.
[75]
Mar.
4
Mar.
8
Mar.
I 1
Mar.
11
Mar.
12
Mar.
15
Mar.
18
Mar.
18
Mar.
11
Mar.
25
Mar.
26
Mar.
29
Apr.
I.
Apr.
1.
Apr.
Apr.
5.
8.
Apr.
8.
Apr.
9.
Apr.
Apr.
Apr.
12.
14.
15.
Apr.
15.
Apr.
11.
Apr.
Apr.
23.
26.
^Concert. Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra. Joseph F.
Wagner. Conductor.
Mountain and Woodland Trails. Frank H. Sprague.
(Field and Forest Club Course.)
Folk Plays: the Foundation of Modern American Drama.
Albert Hatton Gilmer, A. M. (Drama League Course.)
^Concert. New ^ ork String Quartet. (Llizabeth Si)raguc
Coolidge series.)
^Ruskin's Country. Mrs. Herbert J. Gurney. (Ruskin
Club.)
*Varied Program. I he Strolling Players. Flelene Martha
Boll. Director.
^Concert. Orchestra of the Lincoln House Association.
Jacques Hoffman, Conductor.
*Intersettlement Concert by Pupils from the Music School
Settlements.
Pilgrim Land and Old New England Whaling. Rev.
George T. Plummcr.
^Music of the Church, the Home, and the Nation. Mme
Bcale Morey. Vocal and Instrumental illustrations.
The Beauties of Switzerland. Mrs. Arthur Dudley Ropes.
(Ruskin Club.)
General Allenby's Palestine Campaign. Lieut. Col. Girard
L. McEntee.
*The Shortest Trail to Bird Acquaintance, by Way of Song
and Call. Lester W. Smith.
^Concert. 1 he Pierian Sodality Orchestra of Harvard
University. Nicolas Slonimsky, Conductor.
Spain, the Land of History and Romance. Ellen E. Page.
^Reminiscences of Famous Shakesperian Actors. Helen
Adelaide Shaw.
^Concert. Lenox String Quartet of New York. (Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge series.)
A New Experiment in Balancing Education. .Arthur W.
Gilbert, Ph.D. Mile Berthe Hebert, soloist. (Ruskin
Club.)
Robert Burns. Charles S. Olcott.
^' Piano Recital for ^'oung People. Persis Cox.
^Platform arrangement of Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond
Rostand. Edward Abner Thompson, A. M.
*Intersettlement Concert by Pupils from the Music School
Settlements.
*The Modern Church Music Renaissance. Carl F. Pfat-
teicher, Th. D. Musical illustrations.
*Goya. Ellen E. Page. (Ruskin Club.)
From London to Land's End. Mrs. Arthur Dudley Ropes.
[76]
Apr. 29. ^Concert. Leonora Choral Society of Bradford Academy.
Frederick Johnson, Conductor,
May 3. Home Life in Japan. Marguerite Rand.
May 6. The New Art of Mobile Color. G. A. Shook. Color
Organ and Musical illustrations.
May 6. ^Concert. Rose String Quartet of Vienna. (Lender the
auspices of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.,
Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation.)
Oct. 4. Bermuda, the Ocean Playground. Marguerite Rand.
Oct. 7. ^Educational Opportunities for Adults in Greater Boston.
Harry E. Gardner, Department of Education.
Oct. 7. ^Concert. Choral Art Society. Gertrude Walker -Crowley,
Conductor.
Oct. 8. ^Reminiscences of Great Actors. Helen Adelaide Shaw.
Music by Alice Wentworth MacGreaor. (Ruskin
Club.)
Oct. I I . The National Parks of the United States and Canada.
Arthur H. Merritt.
Oct. 14. *The Playgoer Abroad. Maude W. Schrader, President
of the Drama League of Boston. (Drama League
of Boston. (Drama League Course.)
Oct. 1 4. *The Polish Chorus "Lira" of Boston. Anthony Nurczyn-
ski. Conductor.
Oct. 1 8. A Tale of the Ancient Whalemen. Chester S. Howland.
Oct. 21. The Evolution of the U. S. Flag. Illustrated with flags
famous in American History. Col. Harrison S. Ker-
rick. Coast Artillery Corps, U. S. A.
Oct. 2 1 . *Operatic and Ballad Recital. Mme Alice Baschi and
assisting artists.
Oct. 22. *Ruskin as a Social Reformer. Rev. Joseph P. Mac-
Carthy, Ph.D. (Ruskin Club.)
Northern Spain. Rev. Alwin E. Worman.
*The Folk Lore of Hallowe'en. Christine von K. Wade.
*The Music of the West Indies. Byron W. Reed.
Whales, Totem Poles and Indians. L. O. Armstrong.
(Field and Forest Club Course. Contributed by the
Bureau of Commercial Economics, Washington, D.C.)
Nov. 4. *The Pilgrim's Progress: A Study in Literary Immortality.
John Livingston Lowes.
Nov. 8. The Glory of the Italian Cities, Henry J. Kilbourn, D.D.
Nov. 1 1 . *A Schubert Program ; for Young People of All Ages.
Persis Cox.
Nov. 1 1 . ^Concert. Letz String Quartet. (Under the auspices of
the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C, Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Foundation.)
Oct.
25.
Oct.
28.
Oct.
28.
Nov.
1.
[77]
Nov. 15. Another U. S. A.: The Union of South Africa. John C.
Bowker. M. D.
Nov. 1 8. *DolIy Madison. Dramatic reading. In costume of the
period. Isabella Taylor.
Nov. I 8. *A Schubert Centenary Program. Catherine Smith Bailey.
Nov. 19. Japan. Andrew Oliver, Ph.D. (Ruskin Club.)
Nov. 22. Red Letter Days in Spanish Cities. Mrs. James Frederick
Hopkins.
Nov. 24. '^The Aims, Icieals, and Future of American Opera.
Vladimir Rosing and assisting artists. (American Opera
Company.)
Nov. 25. *Ye Old Tvme Thanksgiving Dayes and Wayes. Francis
Henry Wade, M.D.. Ph.D.
Nov. 25. *Folk Songs. (In costume.) Berthe Hebert, Contralto.
Nov. 26. *Home and School Responsibilities in the Time of John
Ruskin and the Present. Arthur B. Lord, .A.B.
Supervisor of Special Schools and Classes, Mas'-.a-
chusetts Department of Education. (Ruskin Club.)
The Visual Art of the Theatre. Walter Prichard Eaton.
^Literature at Woodchuck Lodge. Dallas Lore Sharp.
^Concert. Burgin String Quartet. (Under the auspices of
the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., Elizabeth
Sprague Coolidge Foundation.)
The Experiences of a Press Photographer. Alton Hall
Blackinton of the Boston Herald.
*Marie Ware Laughton, Director of The Out-Door Players,
presenting a group of players in scenes from plays, and a
pantomime.
*The Play, from Author to Production. E. E. Clive, Direc-
tor of The Copley Theatre Players.
0. *John Ruskin Still Speaking. Jessie D. Hodder, Superin-
tendent of the Massachusetts Reformatory for Women.
(Ruskin Club.)
Dec. 1 3. Casual Pages from a Travel Diary: Tlie Rhine, Chamonix,
The French Pyrenees. Olive C. Grigor. (Field and
Forest Club Course.)
*Our Philippine Neighbors. Crayon Lecture. Jose M.
Castillo.
^Chamber Concert. Jane Leland Clark and assisting
artists.
Judea and Jerusalem. Harriet-Everard Johnson, A.B..
S.T.B., Dean, Tuckerman School of Religious Edu-
cation. (Ruskin Club.)
Dec. 20. Holland Humoresques: a personal Holland illustrated and
costumed. Alice Howland Macomber.
Nov.
Dec.
Dec.
30,
2.
2.
Dec.
6.
Dec.
9.
Dec.
9.
Dec.
10.
Dec.
16.
Dec.
16.
Dec.
17.
[78]
Dec. 23. Dickens' "Christmas Carol." Edward F. Payne, Presi-
dent, Boston Branch of the Dickens Fellowship.
Dec. 23. ^Famous Hymns and How to Sing Them. Rosabelle
Temple.
Dec. 27. Travel Talk on Peru. Arthur L. Sweetser.
Dec. 30. *Folk Song Recital, in costume: a comparative study of
folk songs from the British Isles, Russia, France and
America. Claramond Thompson, Contralto.
Dec. 30. *Gay Head Indian legends and traditions. With Indian
Songs. Nannetta Vanderhoop Madison, assisted by
other Indians.
PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS. 1928.
In Exhibition Room.
Installation
date
Jan. 9. Aviation: Material lent by the Guggenheim F'oundation;
Model of the East Boston Airport.
Jan. 23. Designs submitted in the Small House Competition, spon-
sored by the House Beautiful Publishing Company,
recent acquisition to the Fine Arts collection; Material
showing the history of book illustration.
Feb. 6. Plates from "Pieler Brueghel the Elder", by Dvorak, a
recent acquisition to the Fine Arts collection; Material
showing the history of book illustration.
Feb. 13. "Creative Design": original work by pupils of the public
schools of Boston, shown in connection with the meeting
of the National Education Association.
Mar. 6. "Research for Ornamentation in the Boston Public Libra-
ry": original designs and batik work by William Wal-
lace Garland { Selected design material from , the
Division of Fine Arts.
Mar. 26. Posters submitted by school children in Massachusetts in
a "Thrift Poster" competition sponsored by the Savings
Bank Association of Massachusetts.
Apr. 8. Mediaeval manuscripts from the Library collection; Alcott
photographs of the Burns country; Framed sketches of
the Zion Library, Brookline.
Apr. 1 6. "Be Kind to Animals Week": Posters submitted by school
children in contest sponsored by the Massachusetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Apr. 23. Posters submitted in Cover Design Competition of the
House Beautiful Publishing Company.
May 7. Selected examples of the work of Mr. Thomas M. Cleland,
illustrator, sponsored by the Society of Printers; Se-
June
7.
June
26.
July
2.
July
11.
Sept.
23.
Oct.
1.
[79J
lected books printed by the Menyinounl Press, from
the Library collection.
May 21. Autographed portraits of musicians, from the collection ol
Mr. Henry ^. Porter; Plates from L. O. Burnacim's
collection of designs for theatrical costume • — from
the Division of Fine Arts.
June 4. Photographs of the Arnold Arboretum: Views of jiarks in
and around Boston, from the collection in the Division
of Fine Arts.
F^hotographs from "Ramona", from the photoplay nov.'
showing in Boston.
Plates from "American Yachts", by Frederick Cozzens,
recently acquired by the Library.
"Advancing Aviation": Photographs taken by Miss H. M.
Murdoch, F.R.P.S. ; Airplane models lent by boys of
Greater Boston.
Illuminated manuscripts: Medici Prints: Mountain views:
Interesting editions of the Bible: Fine bindings.
"Fifty Books of the Year ', lent by the American Institute
of Graphic Arts.
"American Book Illustration", lent by the American Insti-
tute of Graphic Arts; Prints from the collection of the
Division of Fine Arts.
Oct. 2\ . "Color and Modernism in Printing" — examples of re-
cent European and American work, lent by Mr. Henry
Lewis Johnson.
Nov. 10. John Bunyan Tercentenary Exhibition; "Four Hundred
\ears of Children's Books.
Dec. 29. "Small Houses": Material from competition of the House
Beautiful Publishing Company, supplemented by books
from the Division of Fine Arts.
SELECTED LIST OF GIFTS AND GIVERS.
Adams, Edward Dear, New York City. Henry Admas of Somerset-
shire, England and Braintree, Massachusetts. His English ancestry
and some of his descendants. Compiled by J. Gardner Bartlett for
Edward Dean Adams. Privately printed. New York, 1927.
Adams. Randolph G., Librarian, William L. Clements Library. .Ann
Arbor, Michigan. The papers of Lord George Germain. A brief
description of the Stopford-Sackville papers now in the William L.
Clements Library. By Randolph G. Adams. Ann Arbor, I 928.
Benjamin Franklin's Proposals for the education of youth in Penn-
sylvania, 1749. By Randolph G. Adams. Ann Arbor, 1927.
Beggs, Mrs. Robert H., Denver, Colorado. The Book o* Beggs. A
genealogical study of the Beggs family in America, also gleanings
[80]
concerning this ancient Gaelic family of Beg-Begg-Beig-Begge-
Beggs. By Robert Henry Beggs and Clara Beardsley Beg^s.
(Denver, 1928.)
The Boston Browning Society. The ring and the book, by Robert Brown-
ing. Walter Hampden Edition. New York, 1927.
Scrittori Italiani e stranieri', poesia: Dramatis personae e altri poemi,
1924.
Uomini e donne e poemi varii, 1922.
Paracelso, 1916, di Roberto Browning. Traduzione di L. Pelle-
grini. Lanciono. (For the Browning GjUection. ) ^
Bradford, Gamaliel, Wellesley Hills. Life and I. An autobiography of
humanity, by Gamaliel Bradford, Boston, 1928.
Carbonell y Rivero, Jose Manuel, President, Academia Nacional de
Artes y Letras, Habana, Cuba. Twenty-eight volumes of Cuban
works, including Evolucion de la cultura Cubana, 1608-1927.
Recopilacion dirigida por Jose Manuel Carbonell y Rivero. 1 8
volumes. Habana. 1928. (Edicion oBcial.) (To commemorate
the celebration of the Sixth International American Conference in
the Capital of Cuba.)
Childs, Mrs. Arthur E. A group of 1 08 books including The American
cyclopaedia. New York, 1881, 1 7v., Chamber's encyclopaedia,
Philadelphia, 1863—1867, 10 v.. The Century dictionary. New
York, 1902, 8 v.. Life of St. Paul, by F. W. Farrar, New York.
1879, 2 v. Also works of history, biography, and 68 numbers of
the National Geographic Magazine and L' Illustration.
Clark, William Andrews, Jr. The Library of William Andrews Clark,
Jr., Los Angeles. Sonnets, by E. B. B. Reading, 1847. Printed
in facsimile for William Andrews Clark, Jr., by John Henry Nash
of San Francisco, 1927. 12°.
Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, with
some observations and a bibliographical note, by William Andrews
Clark, Jr. The frontispiece by William Wilke done in dry point
after a bas-relief by Helen Hall Culver. San Francisco. 1927.
Small folio. (No. 55 of 250 copies printed for private distribution.)
Columbia Phonograph Company, New York. Fifteen portfolios of its
"Masterworks" Series of recorded music. For the Allen A. Brown
Collection.
Fry, John Hemming, New York City. Greek myths and other symbols.
From a group of paintings by John Hemming Fry. With interpre-
tations by Lilian Whiting. Folio, on hand-made wove paper.
Tooled pigskin. (Philadelphia, 1927.) (An interpretation of
old legends in color half-tones, retouched by the artist.)
Great Britain. Commissioner of Patents. Specifications of inventions.
95 volumes.
Hall, T. Walter. Sheffield, England. Sheffield, Hallamshire. A de-
scriptive catalogue of Sheffield manorial records, from the eighth
[81]
vear of Richard II. to the Restoration. 2 v. Compiled and an-
notated by T. Waher Hall. 1926. 1928.
Yorkshire charters irom the Lindsay collection. 1 ranslations and
notes bv I . Walter Hall. Printed lor private circulation. Shef-
field. (928.
Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, California.
The Huntington Papers. The archives of the noble family of
Hastings. Parts 1—6. London, 1926. Colored coat-of-arms.
Facsimiles of charters.
1-roin Panama to Peru. The Conquest of Peru by the Pizarros,
the Rebellion of Gonzalo Pizarro and the Pacification of La Gasca.
An epitome of the original signed documents to and from the con-
quistadors, Francisco, Gonzalo, Pedro, and Hernando Pizarro.
Diego de Almagro and Pacificator La Gasca, together with the
original signed MS. royal decrees. London, 1925.
Four catalogues of maps of America from the sixteenth to the nine-
teenth centuries. Americana mainly dealing with the Revolution
and John W. Waler Catalogue of English Literature. All items
in these catalogues form a part of the collection of the Henry E.
Huntington Library.
Hispanic Society of America, The President and Trustees of. New York
City. Eighteen recent publications of the Society, for addition to
the set in the Ticknor collection of Spanish and Portuguese books.
Mather. William G., Cleveland, Ohio. The Mather literature, by
Thomas J. Holmes, Librarian of the William Gwinn Mather Libra-
ry. Privately printed for W''illiam Gwinn Mather. Cleveland, 1927.
Pershing, Edgar J., Philadelphia. The Pershing family in America.
A collection of historical and genealogical data, family portraits,
traditions, legends and military records. Philadelphia, 1924.
Prendergast, Julia C. Fifty-nine volumes of miscellaneous works, chiefly
fiction.
University of Michigan, General Library, Ann Arbor. Facsimile of the
Washington Manuscript of the Minor Prophets, in the Freer Col-
lection, and the Berlin fragment of Genesis. With an introduction
by Henry A. Sanders. (Copy No. I 3 of an edition of 400 copies.)
In morocco binding. Large folio. Ann Arbor, 1927.
Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, N. J. Twenty-five port-
folios of its "Musical Masterpiece Series of Victor Records". For
the Allen A. Brown Collection.
Welles, Misses Frances and Catherine, Minneapolis. Welles and allied
families. Genealogical and biographical. Prepared and privately
printed for Catherine J. W'^elles and Frances S. Welles, by the
American Historical Society, Inc., New York, 1927. Bound
by Stikeman, in full morocco, tooled, with Coats of Arms in color.
Folio.
|82|
Whitney, Mrs. Mary C, Cleveland, Ohio. Whitney, Wyne and allied
families. Genealogical and biographical. Prepared for Mrs.
Mary C. Whitney by the American Historical Society. New York.
1 928. Portraits, autograph facsimiles. In full rnorocco.
OFFICIALS OF THE LIBRARY.
Director, Charles F. D. Belden.
Reference Librarian, Frank H. Chase.
Executive Secretary, Delia Jean Deery.
Auditor, Helen Schubarth.
Bates Hall Centre Desk, Newspaper and Patent Department: Pierce E.
Buckley, Chief.
Newspaper Division, Frederic Serex, Assistant in Charge.
Patent Division, William J. Ennis, Assistant in Charge.
Bindery Department: James W. Kenney, Chief.
Branch Department: Edith Guerrier, Supervisor of Branches.*
Central Branch Issue Division, Alice V. Stevens, Assistant in Charge.
Branch Binding Division, Marian A. McCarthy, Assistant in Charge.
Shipping Division, Robert F. Dixon, Assistant in Charge.
Catalogue Department: Samuel A. Chevalier, Chief.
Card Division, T. Francis Brennan, Assistant in Charge.
Shelf Division, Michael McCarthy, Chief Classifier, in Charge.
Children's Department: Alice M. Jordan, Supervisor of Work with
Children.
Children's Librarian, Central Library, Mary C. Toy.
Editor: Zoltan Haraszti.
Engineer and Janitor Department: William F. Quinn, Supt. of Buildings.
Genealogy Division : Agnes C. Doyle, Assistant in Charge.
Information Office: John H. Reardon, Assistant in Charge.
Issue Department: Frank C. Blaisdell, Chief.
Library Training Class: Bertha V. Hartzell, Supervisor.
Ordering Department: Louis F. Ranlett, Chief.
Periodical Room: Francis J. Hannigan, Assistant in Charge.
Printing Department. Francis Watts Lee, Chief.
Registration Department: A. Frances Rogers, Chief.
Special Libraries Department: George S. Maynard, Chief.
Barton-Ticknor Division, Harriet Swift, Assistant in Charge.
Music Division, Richard G. Appel, Assistant in Charge,
Statistical Department: Mary W. Dietrichson, Chief.
Stock Room: Timothy J. Mackin, Custodian.
•For Branch Librarians, see below.
|8«M
Branch Librarians:
Allston, Catherine 1". Muldoon.
Andrew Square. Elizabeth H. McShane.
Boylston Station. Pearl B. Smart.
Brighton. Katrina M. Sather.
C harlestown. Kalherine S. Rogan.
City Point, Ahce L. Murphy.
Codman Square, Elizabeth P. Ross.
Dorchester, Marion C. Kingman.
East Boston. Laura M. Cross.
Faneuil. Gertrude L. Connell.
Fellowes Athenaeum. Mary E. Ames.
Hyde Park, Grace L. Murray.
Jamaica Plain. Katie F. Albert.
Jeffries Point. Margaret A. Calnan.
Lower Mills, Isabel E. Wethcrald.
Mattapan, Ada Aserkoff.
Memorial. Beatrice M. Flanagan.
Mount Bowdoin, Theodora B. Scoff.
Mount Pleasant, Margaret H. Reid.
Neponset. Margaret I. McGovern.
North End. Mary F. Curley.
Orient Heights, Catherine F. Flannery.
Parker Hill, Mary M. Sullivan.
Roslindale, Annie M. Donovan.
Roxbury Crossing, Edith R. Nickerson.
South Boston. M. Florence Cufflin.
South End. Margaret A. Sheridan.
Tyler Street, Lois Clark.
Upham's Corner, Beatrice C. Maguire.
West End. Fanny Goldstein.
West Roxbury. Carrie L. Morse.
INDEX.
Abbott, Gordon, elected Vice-Presi-
dent, 1.
Accessions, (See Books).
Bates, Ellen S., gift of portraits, 4.
Bates, Martin, and Sarah S., portraits
of, 4.
Balance Sheet, 22-27.
Bates Hall, 44-47.
Benton, J. H., portrait, 5.
Binder, Jacob, portrait of J. H. Benton,
5.
Bindery, 31, 64. 73.
Books, accessions, 4, 34, 37, 38, 71 ;
branches, 59, 70; catalogued, 41, 71 ;
. circulation, 4, 34, 67—71 ; expenditure,
4, 38; inter-library loans, 70; lost
and missing, 43-44; purchases, 35,
70; special items bought, 39-40;
total and location, 71-72.
Borrowers, (See Registration).
Branches, extension of facilities, 2; im-
provements needed, 37; books, 59,
70; circulation, 59, 67-70 Examining
Committee on, 30-33 ; repairs and
improvements, 60; v^^ork with children,
55-58.
Business Branch, offer of L. E. Kir-
stein, 5.
Buxton, Frank W., appointed Trustee,
1.
Catalogue Department, 41. 71.
Children, work with, 55-58.
Circulation, 4, 34, 43, 59, 67-68.
Declaration Of Independence, bronze
reproduction given by Governor
Fuller, 5.
Director's report, 34.
Deposits, 59.
Dwinnell, Clifton H., death, 1.
Employees. (See Staff).
Estimates, 4.
Examining' Committee, members of, 20;
report, 28-33.
Exhibitions, 57, 63, 78.
Finance, Balance Sheet, 22—27; books,
4, 35, 38; estimates, 4; Examining
Committee, 28; receipts, 3; special
appropriation for improvements, 36;
trust funds, 4, 6-19.
Fuller, Alvan T.. gift, 5.
Gifts and bequests, 4-5, 37, 40. 79-82.
Government Document Room, 49.
Hemenway, Alfred, bequest, 4, 40.
Information Office, 49.
Inter-library loans, 70.
Issue Department, 43.
Kirstein, Louis E., elected President,
I ; addition to fund, 4, 40; offers to
erect and furnish a business branch,
5.
Lecture Hall, improvements, 1, 29; use,
37, 63. 73-78.
Lectures and concerts, 37, 62, 73—78.
Needs of the Library, 1 , 36.
Newspaper Room. 50.
North, Gardner O., bequest, 4, 40.
Open Shelf Room, 49.
Ordering Department, 40.
Patent Room, 50.
Periodical Room. 51.
Printing Department, 31, 73.
Publications, 47-49.
Readers' Adviser, 37, 62.
Registration, 34, 42.
Retirements, 65.
Repairs and improvements, 1-2; Ex-
amining Committee, 29-30; branches,
60; mechanical, 64—65.
Shelf Department, 41, 71.
Special Libraries, 31, 36, 53.
Staff, needs trained workers, 3. officers,
82, retirements, 65.
Statistical Department, 54.
Sunday and Evening service, 44.
Teachers' Room, 58.
Training Class, 60.
Trust funds, 4, 6-19.
Trustees, organization, I, report, 1-21.
Central Library, Copley Square. 1
Branch Libraries, January 1, 1929.
City Proper.
North End Branch. 3» North Bennel Si. .
Soulh End Branch. Shawmul Ave. and WmI Brooklme Si,
WesI End Branch. Cambridj^e, co^. Lynde St,
Tyler Street Branch. Tyler, cor. Oak St. .
Brighton.
Brighton Branch. Academy Hill Road
Allston Branch. 138 Brighton Ave. .
Faneuil Branch. 100 Broolcj St. .
Charlestown.
Charlestown Branch, Monument Square, cor. Monument Ave
Dorchester.
Dorchester Branch, Arcadia, cor. Adams St. .
Codman Square Branch. Washinqlon, cor. Norfolk St,
Upham's Corner Branch, Columbia Road, cor. Bird St.
I ower Mills Branch. Washinslon. cor. Richmond St.
Maltapan Branch. 7 Babson St
Mount Bowdoin Branch. Washington, cor. Eldon St.
Neponsel Branch, 362 Neponset Ave. .
East Roston.
East Boston Branch, 276-282 Meridian St. .
Jeffries Point Branch. 195 Webster St.
Orient Heights Branch, 1030 Bennington St.
Hyde Park.
Hyde Park Branch. Harvard Ave., cor. Winthrop St
Jamaica Plain.
Jamaica Plain Branch, Sedgwick, cor. Soulh St.
Boylslon Station Branch, Depot Square
RoxBURY.
Fellowes Atheneeum Branch, 46 Milmont St.
Memorial Branch. Townsend. cor. Warren St.
Mount Pleasant Branch. Dudley, cor. Vine St.
Parker Hill Branch, 1518 TremonI St.
Roxbury Crossing Branch, 208 Ruggles St. .
South Boston.
South Boston Branch. 372 Broadway .
Andrew Square Branch, 396 Dorchester St. .
City Point Bran<h, Broadway, near H Si.
West Roxbury.
West Roxbury Branch, Centre, near Ml. Vernon Si.
Roslindale Branch, Washington, cor. Ashland St. .
Area of City (Land only) 45.60 Square mile
Population (Census of 1925), 779,620.
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