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EIGHTY-SIXTH  ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF   THE 

TRUSTEES 

OF  THE 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

CITY  OF  BOSTON 

1937 


BOSTON 

PUBLISHED    BY    THE    TRUSTEES 

1941 


THE    PUBLIC    LIBRARY    OF    THE    CITY    OF    BOSTON:     PRINTIN6    DEPARTMENT. 

8,13,41  1   ISOOfSO 


TRUSTEES   OF   THE   PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


ELLERY  SEDGWICK,  President 

Terra  expires  April  30.   1938 

JOHN  L.  HALL 

Term  expires  April  30,   1941 

LOUIS  E.  KIRSTEIN  FRANK  W.  BUXTON 

Term  expires  April   30.    1939  Term    expires   April   30,    1940 

ROBERT  H.  LORD 

Term  expires  April  30,    1942 


MILTON    E.    LORD 
Director,  and  Librarian 


FORM  FOR  GIFTS  AND  BEQUESTS 

Gifts 

/  give  to  The  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library)  of  the  City  of 

Boston  the  sum  of 

to  be  used  at  the  discretion  of  the  Trustees  (or  for  a  purpose  to 
be  specified). 


Bequests  for  General  Uses 

/  give  and  bequeath  to  The  Trustees  of  the  Public  Librar}) 

of  the  Cit^  of  Boston  the  sum  of 

for  the  general  uses  of  the  Library. 


Bequests  for  Specified  Uses 

/  give  and  bequeath  to  The  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 

of  the  Cit^  of  Boston  the  sum  of 

„ for  the  purchase  of  books  (for  the 

purchase  of  books  on  a  specified  subject  if  desired,  or  for  some 
other  purpose  to  be  specified). 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  LIBRARY  DEPARTMENT. 

The  Library  is  a  unit  of  the  municipal  government  of  the  City  of  Boston  and  as 
such  is  known  as  the  Library  Department  of  the  City  of  Boston.  It  is  governed  by  a 
Board  of  Trustees. 

The  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston  v/ere  organized  in  1852. 
They  are  incorporated  under  the  provisions  of  Chapter  114  of  the  Acts  of  1878,  as 
amended.  The  Board  for  1852  v^^as  a  preliminary  organization;  that  for  1853  made 
the  first  annual  report. 

The  legal  title  is  The  Trustees  of  the  Puhlic  Library  of  the  Cily  of  Boston. 

The  Board  of  Trustees  is  made  up  of  five  citizens  at  large,  appointed  by  the 
Mayor  of  the  City  of  Boston  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.,    1926-1931.  Haynes,   Henry  Williamson,   A.M., 
Abbott,  Samuel  Appleton  Browne,  A.M.,  1880-94. 

1879-95.  Milliard,  George  Stillman,  LL.D., 
Appleton,  Thomas  Gold,  A.M.,  1852-56.  1872-75;    1876-77. 

Benton,  Josiah  Henry,  LL.D.,   1894-1917.  Kenney,   William   Francis,   A.M., 
Bigelow,  John    Prescott.   A.M.,    1852-68.  1908-1921. 

Bowditch,  Henry  Ingersoll,  M.D.,  1865-67.  Kirstein,  Louis  Edward,  A.M.,   1919- 

Bowditch,   Henry    Pickering,    MJ>.,  Lewis,  Weston,  1868-79. 

1894-1902.  Lewis,  Winslow,  m.d.,  1867. 

Boyle,   Thomas  Francis,    1902-12.  Lincoln,   Solomon,  A.M.,   1897-1907. 

Braman,  Jarvis  Dwight,   1869-72.  Lord,  Robert  Howard,  A.M.,  PH.D.,  1936- 

Brett,  John  Andrew,  LL.B.,   1912-16.  Mann,  Alexander,  DJ).,  1908-1923. 

Buxton,  Frank  W.,  A.B.,   1928-  Morton,   Ellis  Wesley,    1870-73. 

Carr.  Samuel,    1895-96.    1908-22.  Murray  Michael  Joseph.  LL.B.,  1921-26. 

Chase,  George   Bigelow,  A.M.,    1876-85.  O'Connell.  William  Cardinal.    1932-36. 

Clarke,   James   Freeman,   D.D.,    1879-88.  Pierce,  Phineas,   1888-94. 

Coakley,   Daniel   Henry,   1917-19.  Prince,  Frederick  Octavlus,  A.M..  1888-99. 

Connolly,   Arthur   Theodore,    1916-1932.  Putnam,  George,   D.D.,    1868-77. 

Currier,  Guy  Wilbur.   1922-1930.  Richards.  William  Reuben,  A.M.,  1 889-95. 

Curtis,   Daniel    Sargent,    A.M.,    1873-75.  Sedgwick,  Ellery,  A.B.,  LITTJ).,  1930- 

De  Normandie,  James,  D.D.,    1895-1908.  Shurtleff,  Nathaniel  Bradstreet,  LL.D., 
Dwight.  Thomas.  M.D.,  1899-1908.  1852-68 

Dwinnell,  Clifton  Howard,  B.S.,  1927-28.  Thomas,  .Benjamin  Franklin.  LL.D., 
Everett,  Edward,  LL.D.,  1852-64.  1877-78. 

Frothingham,  Richard,  LL.D.,   1875-79.  Ticknor.  George,  LL.D..  1852-66. 

Gaston,  William  Alexander.   LL.D.,  Walker,  Francis  Amasa,  LL.D.,  1896. 

1923-27.  Whipple,  Edwin  Percy,  A.M.,  1868-70. 

Green,  Samuel  Abbott,  M.D.,    1868-78.  Whitmore,  William  Henry,  A.M..  1885-88. 

Greenough.    William    Whitwell.    1856-88.  Winsor.  Justin,  LL.D.,   1867-68. 
Hall,  John  Loomer,  A.B.,  LL.B.,   1931- 


PRESIDENTS  OF  THE  TRUSTEES 

Edward   Everett.    1852-1864 
George    Ticknor     1 865 
William  W.  Greenough     1866-88 
Henry  \V.  Haynes.  May  7.  1888-May   12,  1888 
Samuel  A.  B.  Abbott,  May   12,   1888-Aprll  30.  1895 
Frederick  O.  Prince,  October  8,   1895-May  8.   1899 
Solomon  Lincoln.  May   12.    1899-October   15,    1907 
James  De  Normandie,  January  31,   I90&-May  8     1908 
Josiah  H.  Benton     May  8,   1908-February  6,   1917 
William  F.  Kenney,   February    13,    1917-May   7,    1920 
Alexander  Mann.  May  7,   1920-January  22.    1923 
Arthur  T.  Connolly.  April   13.   1923-June    13.   1924 

May  2.  1927-June  22.  1928 
Louis  E.  Kirstein.  June   13.    1924-June   19,   1925 

June  22,    1925-June  21      1929 

May  15.  1931 -May  20.  1932 

May  6.  I93^May  7.  1937 
Michael  J.  Murray.  June   19     1925-July  2.   1926 
Guy  W.  Currier.  July  2.   1926-May  2.    1927 
Gordou  Abbott.  June  21,   1929-June  20     1930 
Frank  W.  Buxton,  June  20,   1930-May   15.   1931 

May  6.  1935-May  6.  1936 
Ellery  Sedgwick.  May  20.   1932-May  5,1933 

May   7,    1937- 
John  L.  Hall.  May  5,  1933-May  18,  1834 
William  Cardinal  O'Connell.  May   18.   1934-May  6.   1935 


LIBRARIANS 

From  1852  to  1858  the  chief  officer  of  the  Library  bore  the  title  of  Librarian; 
from  1858  to  1877  Superinlendenl ;  from  1877  to  1923  Librarian;  from  1923  to  1934 
Director;  since  1934  Director,  and  Librarian. 

Capen.  Edward.  Librarian,  May   13,   1852-December    16     1874. 

Jewett,  Charles  C,  Superinlendenl,  1858-january  9.  1868. 

WiNSOR    Justin.  LL.D..  Superintendent,  February  25.   1868-September  30.    1877. 

Green,  Samuel  A.    M.D.,  Trustee,  Acting  Librarian,  October  1,  1 877-September  30, 

1878. 
Chamberlain.  Mellen,  ll.d..  Librarian,  October  I,  1 878-September  30,  1890. 
DwiGHT,  Theodore  F.,  Librarian,  April  13,  1892-April  30,  1894. 
Putnam,  Herbert,  ll.d..  Librarian    February  11,1 895-April  3,  1 899. 
Whitney,  James  L.,  a.m.,  Acting  Librarian,  March  31,  1 899-December  21,   1899; 

Librarian,  December  22     1899-January  31,    1903. 
Wadlin.  Horace  G.,  LrrT.D.,  Librarian    February  1,  1903-March  15,  1917;  Acting 

Librarian,  March   15.   1917-June   15,   1917. 
Belden,  Charles  F.  D.,  a.m..  ll  b..  litt.d..  Director    March  15,  1917-October  24, 

1931. 
Lord,  Milton  E.     A.B.,  Director  and  Librarian,  since   February    I,    1932. 


LIBRARY  SYSTEM,  JANUARY  1,  1937 


Departments 
^Central  Library,  Copley  Square  . 
*East   Boston    Branch,   276-282   Meridian   St. 
§South  Boston  Branch,  372  West  Broadway  . 
llFellowes  Athenasum   Branch,  46  Millmont  St. 
*CharIestown  Branch,  43  Monument  Square 
♦Brighton  Branch,  40  Academy  Hill  Road  . 
JDorchester    Branch,   Arcadia,    cor.   Adams   St. 
■fLower  Mills  Branch,  1110  Washington,  cor.  Richmond  St. 
JSouth  End  Branch,  65  West  Brookline  St. 
■f  Jamaica  Plain  Branch,  12  Sedgwick,  cor.  South  St. 
IRoslindale  Branch,  4210  V/ashington  St. 
*West  Roxbury  Branch,   1961   Centre  St. 
*Mattapan  Branch,  8-10  Hazleton  St.  . 
*North  End  Branch,  3a  North  Bennet  St. 
§Neponset   Branch,  362   Neponsel  Ave. 
§Mt.  Bowdoin  Branch,  275  Washington  St. 
§AIlsfon   Branch,    161    Harvard    Ave.   . 
fCodman  Square  Branch,  Washington,  cor.  Norfolk  St. 
$Mt.  Pleasant  Branch,  335  Dudley,  cor  Vine  St. 
ITyler  Street  Branch,   130  Tyler,  cor.  Oak  St. 
*Wesl  End  Branch,    131   Cambridge  St. 
JUpham's    Corner   Branch,    500   Columbia   Rd. 
JMemorial   Branch,  cor.  Warren  and  Townsend  St». 
§Roxbury  Crossing  Branch,  208  Ruggles,  cor.  Tremont  St. 

*Boylston  Branch,  433   Centre  St 

§Orient  Heights  Branch,  5   Butler  Ave. 
JCity  Point  Branch,  Municipal  Bldg.,  Broadway  , 
*Parker   Hill  Branch.    1497  Tremont  St.        .  .         . 

*Hyde  Park  Branch,  35  Harvard  Ave.,  cor.  Winthrop  St. 

*Faneuil    Branch,   419    Faneuil   St 

§Andrew  Square  Branch,  394  Dorchester  St. 
'Jeffries  Point  Branch,  222  Webster  St.         .  .  . 

JBaker  Library,  Harvard  Graduate  School  of  Business  AdminisJ 
*KirsteIn  Memorial  Library  Building:  20  City  Hall  Ave. 

Business    Branch,   first   and   second   floors; 

Kirsfein     Branch,     third    floor, 
§Phillip8  Brooks  Branch,  12  Hamilton  St.,  Readville     . 


<IOpe 

NED 

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 

June, 

1877 

.    Dec.  3, 

1878 

Jan,   6, 

1880 

Dec.  27. 

1881 

.    Oct., 

1882 

.    Jan.   1, 

1883 

.    Nov.  1, 

1886 

Mar.  11, 

1839 

Nov.  12, 

1890 

Nov.  12, 

1890 

Jan.  16, 

1896 

Feb.   1. 

1896 

Mar.  16, 

1896 

May  1. 

1896 

Jan.  18, 

1897 

Nov.  1, 

1897 

June  25, 

1901 

July  18, 

1906 

.    July  15, 

1907 

Jan.   1, 

1912 

Mar.  4, 

1914 

Mar.  5. 

1914 

Oct.  15, 

1921 

ation  Jan.  15, 

1927 

May  7, 

1930 

May  18. 

1931 

^In  the  case  of  the  Central  Library  and  some  of  the  branches  the  opening  was  in  a 
different    location    from    that    now    occupied.  *In    building    owned    by    City    and 

controlled  by  Library  Board,  tli^  building  owned  by  City,  and  exclusively  devoted 
to  library  uses.  Jin  City  building,  in  part  devoted  to  other  municipal  uses.  §Occupies 
rented  rooms.  i|The  lessee  of  the  Fellowes  AihenKum,  a  private  library  association. 
•  Under  agreement  with  Harvard. 


CONTENTS 


Report  of  the  Trustees  . 
Financial  Statement 
Report  of  the  Examining  Committee 
Report  of  the  Director  . 
Appendix 


I 

12 
18 
31 
54 


To  The  Honorable  Frederick  W.  Mansfield, 
Ma^or  of  the  City  of  Boston. 

Sir: 

The  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston 
present  the  following  report  of  its  condition  and  affairs  for  the 
year  ending  December  31,  1937,  being  the  eighty-sixth  annual 
report. 

ORGANIZATION   OF  THE  BOARD 

The  Corporation  organized  at  the  annual  meeting  on  May  7, 
1937  with  the  election  of  Mr.  Ellery  Sedgwick  as  President, 
Mr.  John  L.  Hall  as  Vice  President,  and  Miss  Elizabeth  B. 
Brockunier  as  Clerk. 

The  Reverend  Robert  H.  Lord,  whose  term  as  Trustee  ex- 
pired on  April  30,  was  re-appointed  for  the  term  ending  April 
30,  1942. 

BUDGET  ESTIMATES 

The  estimates  submitted  as  of  November  1 ,  1 936  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  Library  during  the  year  1937  were  later 
amended  and  reduced.  These  estimates  were  as  follows: 


Item 

Estimated 

Allowed 

A. — Personal    Service 

$970,379.40 

$985,000.00 

B. — Service  other  than  personal   . 

109,121.33 

86,486.00 

C. — Equipment                .... 

166,577.65 

85,048.00 

D. — Supplies 

38,392.00 

34,910.00 

E.— Materials 

22,336.00 

20,235.00 

H. — Emergency  relief  projects 

97,450.63 

78,750.00 

Total 

$1,404,257.01 

$1,290,429.00 

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  the  City  Council,  and  the  income  from  Trust 


[21 

Funds  given  to  the  institution  and  held  and  invested  by  the  City 
Treasurer.  During  the  year  1937  these  receipts  were: 


Annual    appropriation  ....... 

Income  from  trust   funds 

Unexpended  balajice  of  trust  funds  income  of  previous  years 
Unexpended  balance  of  special  appropriations  of  previous  years 
Unexpended  balance  of  deposits  in  London  of  previous  years 

Total 


$1,290,429.00 

59.839.65 

40,107.73 

23.408.32 

72.75 

$1,413,857.45 


Receipts  which  were  accounted  for  and  paid  into  the  City 
Treasury  for  general  municipal  purposes  during  the  year  were 
as  follows: 

From   fines $23,413.45 

From  sales  of  waiste  paper       .........  II 938 

From  sales  of  catalogs  and  other  publications  ......  252,76 

From  commission  on  telephone  pay  stations       ......  522.82 

From  payments   for  lost  books          ........  737.03 

Refunds,    fees.   etc. 8.80 

Total        .        .        .  $25,054.24 

EXPENDITURES  OF  THE  LIBRARY 

The  total  amount  expended  during  1937  was  $1 ,329,360.44. 
This  was  divided  as  follows : 

From   city    appropriations   .........     $1,267,066.88 

From   special    appropriations        ........  11,131.75 

From  the  income  of  trust  funds  ........  51,161.81 

ADDITIONS  TO  THE  LIBRARY 

The  number  of  volumes  added  to  the  Library  during  the  year 
was  67,582,  obtained  chiefly  by  purchase,  but  in  some  part  also 
by  gift  and  exchange. 

Against  the  above-mentioned  gain  there  was  a  total  loss  of 
60,236  volumes,  arising  chiefly  out  of  volumes  reported  lost 
or  missing,  condemned  copies  not  yet  replaced,  thus  making  the 
net  gain  for  the  year  7,346.  The  total  number  of  volumes  in 
the  Library  at  the  close  of  the  year  was  1 ,700,681 . 

The  total  amount  expended  for  books,  periodicals,  news- 
papers, photographs,  and  other  library  material  from  the  city 
appropriation  and  the  income  from  trust  funds  was  $131 ,1 64.30. 


[3] 


USE  OF  THE  LIBRARY 


The  total  number  of  books  lent  to  borrowers  during  the  year 
was  4,531,378.  The  use  of  books  and  other  library  materials 
within  the  Library's  premises  for  reference  and  study  is  for  the 
most  part  unrestricted,  and  it  is  therefore  impracticable  to  re- 
cord it. 

In  addition  to  the  above-noted  use  of  the  Central  Library  and 
the  thirty-three  Branch  Libraries,  deposits  of  books  were  made 
available  to  281  agencies,  including  schools,  institiitions,  and 
engine  houses. 


COMPARATIVE  STATISTICS  FOR  1936  AND  1937 

A  comparison  of  certain  statistics  for  1937  with  those  for 
1936  is  given  below: 


Total    expenditures:    city   appropriation 

and  trust   funds  income 
Elxpended  for  books  and  other  library 

materials  from  city  appropriation 

and  trust  funds  income 
Number  of  volumes  added   . 
Number   of  volumes   discarded 
Total  number  of  volumes  in  the  Library 
Number  of  volumes  lent  to  borrowers 
Number  of  card  holders 


1936 

1937 

$1,249,953.92 

$1 ,329.360.44 

1 1 1 .945.72 

54.620 

49.708 

1.693,335 

4,806,737 

176,982 

131,164.30 

67,582 

60,236 

1 ,700,681 

4,531.378 

178.097 

BOOKS 

The  amounts  appropriated  by  the  City  for  the  purchase  of 
books  during  the  last  ten  years  are  given  below  for  comparative 
purposes : 


1928 

$125,000 

1929 

140.000 

1930 

160.000 

1931 

175.000 

1932 

160.000 

1933 

75.000 

1934 

100.000 

1935 

100.000 

1936 

55.000 

1937 

75.000 

[4] 

With  appreciation  it  is  noted  that  the  amount  appropriated  in 
1937  represents  an  increase  over  that  made  available  in  1936. 
It  is  hoped  that  in  the  years  immediately  to  come  further  im- 
provement may  be  possible  in  this  respect  until  the  appropriation 
for  books  may  be  returned  at  least  to  the  level  which  the  ex- 
perience of  many  years  has  indicated  to  be  the  minimum  amount 
with  which  the  Library  can  function  to  advantage. 

SALARIES  AND  WAGES 

In  1936  it  became  increasingly  clear  that  the  Library  was 
not  receiving  sufficient  appropriations  year  by  year  for  develop- 
ing an  adequate  scale  of  remuneration  for  the  members  of  the 
librar}'  staff.  A  special  committee  of  the  Trustees  was  thereupon 
appointed  to  study  the  problem.  The  committee  continued  its 
inquiry  into  1937  and  presented  findings  and  recommendations 
in  the  matter  in  April. 

The  Trustees  wish  to  record  here  their  appreciation  of  the 
action  taken  by  the  Mayor  and  the  City  Council  in  making  avail- 
able to  the  Library  a  supplementary  appropriation  for  1937  in 
the  amount  of  $32,000  for  improvement  in  salaries  and  wages. 
This  was  made  effective  as  of  June  4th. 

On  June  1  st  there  was  announced  the  establishment  of  a  new 
Classification  of  Personnel  for  the  library  staff.  In  addition  to 
setting  up  uniform  lines  of  classification  for  the  library  personnel 
provision  was  made  for  a  series  of  Qualifying  Examinations  for 
probationary  assistants  who  desire  to  qualify  for  appointment 
to  the  permanent  service,  and  Promotional  Examinations  for 
assistants  in  the  permanent  service  who  desire  to  qualify  for  pro- 
motion and  possibilities  of  increased  remuneration.  By  these 
means  it  is  expected  that  there  can  be  achieved  an  improved 
classification  of  the  Library's  personnel,  and  also  provision  of 
definite  "steps"  with  which  a  system  of  "step  rate  increases  in 
pay"  can  be  easily  articulated.  The  new  arrangements  were  an- 
nounced to  become  effective  as  of  January  1 ,  1 938. 


[51 

BUILDINGS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

Early  in  the  year  an  examination  of  the  tower  of  the  old  West 
Church  building,  in  which  is  housed  the  West  End  Branch  Li- 
brary, revealed  a  structural  weakness  of  sufficient  extent  to  neces- 
sitate the  closing  of  the  entire  front  portion  of  the  building. 
Shortly  thereafter,  follov/ing  examination  of  the  structural  ele- 
ments of  the  rest  of  the  old  building,  it  appeared  desirable  to 
the  Building  Commissioner  to  order  the  entire  building  to  be 
closed  to  public  use.  Temporary  quarters  almost  directly  across 
the  street  were  promptly  rented  for  the  branch  library  and  its 
activities  until  the  old  building  could  be  made  safe  for  occupancy 
once  again. 

Emergency  repairs  were  made  upon  the  tov/er  at  once,  at  a 
cost  of  approximately  $7000.  Careful  examination  of  the  rest 
of  the  building  indicated  that  the  total  cost  of  repairs  would 
amount  to  approximately  $55,000.  For  lack  of  an  appropriation 
for  the  purpose  no  further  work  on  the  building  has  been  possible 
since  the  completion  of  the  emergency  work  in  March. 

Each  year  over  a  period  of  years  the  Trustees  have  included 
in  their  annual  budget  estimates  an  item  for  the  repair  of  this  old 
building.  Year  by  year  the  item  has  not  been  allowed,  until  finally 
an  emergency  situation  came  into  being.  The  old  church  building 
is  one  of  the  significant  historical  and  esthetic  monuments  of  the 
city;  it  is  also  one  of  the  only  two  remaining  public  edifices  of 
its  period  in  Boston.  It  is  therefore  important  that  provision  be 
made  for  its  renovation  and  repair  at  an  early  date. 

At  the  Central  Library  building  there  has  long  existed  a 
troublesome  situation  in  connection  with  the  tile  roofing.  There 
is  lacking  an  under  roof  with  the  result  that,  when  the  old  tiles 
crack  and  disintegrate  as  they  do  soon  or  late  in  a  northern  cli- 
mate such  as  ours,  there  is  nothing  underneath  to  prevent  the  re- 
sulting leaks  from  dcimaging  the  Library's  beautiful  rooms  and 
their  invaluable  contents.  Year  by  year  the  annual  cost  of  main- 
tenance and  repair  of  the  tile  roofing  has  ranged  from  ten  to 
twelve  thousand  dollars.  With  a  view  to  ascertaining  the  steps 
which  might  be  taken  toward  remedying  the  present  unsatis- 
factory situation  in  which  repairs  are  constantly  needed,   the 


[6] 

Trustees  engaged  Messrs  J.  R.  Worcester  and  Company,  long 
the  Library's  consulting  engineers,  to  make  a  thorough  study  of 
the  condition  of  the  tile  roofing  and  to  make  recommendations 
for  a  fundamental  and  permanent  treatment  of  the  problem.. 

The  report  of  the  Worcester  Company,  as  rendered  on  Sep- 
tember 13,  1937,  recommended  a  program  which  it  is  believed 
will  lead  to  a  reasonably  permanent  solution.  The  cost  will  be 
approximately  $256,000.  This  is  a  large  figure.  Yet  in  1937 
alone  there  had  to  be  expended  the  sum  of  $13,221.01  for  re- 
pairs upon  the  roof  as  it  now  stands.  Apparently  any  treatment 
accorded  to  it  will  be  costly.  The  present  practice  of  annual 
patching  and  repairing  will  prove  in  the  long  run  to  be  the  more 
costly,  however,  since  it  provides  for  no  more  than  keeping  a- 
breast  of  existing  difficulties  as  they  occur  in  cycles  year  by  year, 
and  as  they  are  likely  to  continue  to  do  so  more  or  less  indefinite- 
ly into  the  future.  The  Trustees  earnestly  request  therefore  that 
careful  consideration  be  accorded  to  the  recommendation  of 
their  engineers  looking  toward  a  fundamental  treatment  of  the 
problem  which  will  be  reasonably  permanent  in  its  results. 

FEDERAL  EMERGENCY  RELIEF  PROJECTS  CARRIED  ON 
UNDER  THE  SPONSORSHIP  OF  THE  LIBRARY 

During  the  year  the  Library  was  responsible  for  carrying  on 
three  separate  work  relief  projects  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration  of  the  Federal  Government. 
Two  of  these  were  in  continuation  of  projects  initiated  in  earlier 
years.  One  was  entirely  new. 

Work  was  continued  upon  the  extensive  preparatory  stages 
for  the  project  of  reclassifying  the  scholarly  book  collections  of 
the  Central  Library  on  a  modern  classification  scheme  such  as 
that  of  the  Library  of  Congress.  These  were  substantially  com- 
pleted by  the  month  of  November,  with  the  result  that  in  the 
remaining  weeks  of  the  year  it  was  possible  to  begin  the  actual 
work  of  reclassification  itself. 

On  July  1  st  an  entirely  new  project  was  initiated  along  similar 
lines  for  the  book  collections  of  the  branch  libraries  and  other 


[7] 

units  of  the  Circulation  Division.  Its  purpose  is  to  provide  a  uni- 
form cataloging  and  classification  of  books  in  place  of  the  several 
existing  varieties  of  procedure.  For  instance,  there  have  been  up 
to  the  present  four  different  classification  arrangements  and  six 
different  sizes  of  catalog  cards  in  use  in  the  Circulation  Division. 
In  one  branch  library  there  has  actually  been  no  card  catalog 
at  all.  This  extensive  new  project  will,  through  its  establishment 
of  a  uniform  basis  of  cataloging  and  classification  procedure,  ul- 
timately make  possible  a  orocess  of  centralized  cataloging  for 
the  branch  libraries,  with  appreciable  economies  in  operation  ex- 
pected to  follow  from  it.  It  will  make  use  of  a  simplified  foi-m  of 
Library  of  Congress  cataloging  and  a  simplified  and  modified 
form  of  the  decimal  classification  generally  known  as  the  Dewey 
Classification. 

There  was  also  continued  through  the  year  the  project  for  the 
cleaning  of  books  throughout  the  entire  library  system. 

All  of  these  projects  provided  work  for  several  hundred  indi- 
viduals. The  cost  of  their  wages  was  provided  by  the  Federal 
Government.  The  incidental  expenses  were  borne  by  the  City 
of  Boston  as  its  contribution  as  sponsor  of  the  projects. 

GIFTS 

As  usual  the  Library  received  many  important  gifts  of  books 
and  other  library  materials  during  the  year.  A  list  of  the  more 
important  of  these  is  to  be  found  in  the  Appendix  on  pages  70-7 1 . 

TRUST  FUNDS 

As  a  matter  of  interest  to  the  citizens  of  Boston  the  Trustees 
have  pleasure  in  listing  the  present  trust  funds  of  the  Library, 
with  explanatory  notes,  on  pages  72—84  in  the  Appendix  to  the 
Report. 

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  and  other  im- 
portant books  which  give  value  and  prestige  to  a  great  educa- 
tional institution  such  as  the  Library. 


[8] 

ADMINISTRATION  OF  TRUST  FUNDS  ESTABLISHED 
UNDER  THE  WILL  OF  THE  LATE  JOSIAH  H.  BENTON 

Under  the  twelfth  clause  of  the  Will  of  the  late  Josiah  H. 
Benton,  and  as  subsequently  modified  by  an  Agreement  of  Com- 
promise dated  January  15,  1935,  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Li- 
brary were  designated  as  the  residuary  legatee  of  the  Benton 
Estate.  The  Will  provided  that  the  residuary  estate  should  be 
divided  into  two  equal  parts,  to  be  designated  as  the  Benton 
Book  Fund  and  the  Benton  Building  Fund  respectively.  The 
Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  received  also  the  Children's  Fund, 
established  separately  under  another  provision  of  the  Will. 

In  1936  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library,  having  been 
found  to  be  legally  competent  to  hold  the  above-mentioned  funds, 
received  a  first  and  a  second  payment  of  the  cash  and  securities 
constituting  the  bulk  of  the  Estate,  and  delivered  them  to  the 
City  Treasurer  as  the  official  custodian  of  all  funds  and  securities 
to  which  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  hold  title. 

In  1937  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  engaged  the 
services  of  Messrs  Stewart,  Watts,  and  Bollong,  Public  Ac- 
countants and  Auditors,  to  carry  through  an  auditing  and  an 
accounting  of  the  Estate,  with  a  view  to  being  able  thereafter  to 
set  up  the  Benton  Book  Fund  and  the  Benton  Building  Fund  as 
required  under  the  terms  of  the  Will. 

Pending  a  final  settlement  of  the  Estate,  and  with  the  con- 
currence of  the  several  interested  parties,  the  Trustees  of  the 
PubHc  Library  distributed  in  1937  to  themselves  as  Trustees  of 
the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston  and  to  the  Rector  of 
Trinity  Church  in  the  City  of  Boston  one  half  of  the  total  in- 
come received  from  such  portion  of  the  residuary  estate  as  was 
then  in  the  possession  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  for 
the  period  extending  from  the  date  on  which  it  had  been  delivered 
to  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  up  to  the  time  of  taking 
the  action,  namely,  from  January  22,  1 936  to  March  31,1 937, 
inclusive.  The  effect  of  this  action  was  to  make  available  for  im- 
mediate use  a  substantial  part  of  the  current  income  from  that 
portion  of  the  residuary  estate  which  would  be  set  up  as  the 
Benton  Book  Fund  when  the  necessary  auditing  and  accounting 


[9] 

of  the  Estate  should  be  completed.  Under  the  terms  of  the  Will, 
as  subsequently  modified  by  the  Agreement  of  Compromise,  six 
tenths  of  this  income  was  paid  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Li- 
brary and  four  tenths  to  the  Rector  of  Trinity  Church.  The 
total  payments  amounted  to  $59,307.93.  Of  this  total  the  sum 
of  $35,584.76  was  paid  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 
and  the  sum  of  $23,723.1  7  to  the  Rector  of  Trinity  Church. 

That  portion  of  the  income  from  the  Benton  Book  Fund 
which  is  payable  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  is  to  be 
applied  by  them  "for  the  purchase  of  books,  maps  and  other 
library  material  of  permanent  value  and  benefit  for  said  Library; 
meaning  and  intending  hereby  that  such  income  shall  be  applied 
for  books  desirable  for  scholarly  research  and  use."  In  accord- 
ance with  this  provision  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  ex- 
pended the  sum  of  $  1 4,826.02  for  this  purpose  during  the  calen- 
dar year  1937. 

The  Will  requests  that  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 
pubhsh  in  their  annual  reports  a  detailed  statement  of  the  pay- 
ments of  the  income  from  the  Benton  Book  Fund,  and  also  "a 
certificate  that  said  income  is  expended  ...  in  accordance  with 
the  directions  of  said  will,  according  to  their  best  examination 
and  judgment  in  the  premises." 

In  accordance  with  this  request  the  Trustees  of  the  Public 
Library  have  made  above  a  detailed  statement  of  the  payments 
of  the  net  irxome  from  that  portion  of  the  Benton  Book  Fund 
which  was  in  their  possession  for  the  period  of  January  22,  1 936 
to  March  31,  1 937  inclusive. 

In  addition,  as  requested,  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 
hereby  certify  that  according  to  their  best  examination  and  judg- 
ment the  expenditure  of  that  portion  of  the  income  of  the  Benton 
Book  Fund  which  is  payable  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Li- 
brary for  the  purchase  of  books,  maps  and  other  library  material 
of  permanent  value  and  benefit  has  been  made  in  accordance 
with  the  directions  of  the  Will,  as  modified  by  the  Agreement 
of  Compromise  of  January  15,  1935. 

In  accordance  with  the  terms  of  another  provision  of  the  Will 
the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  paid  in  1937  to  the  Rector 


[10] 


of  Trinity  Church  in  the  City  of  Boston  the  sum  of  $3,741 .22, 
representing  the  income  from  The  Children's  Fund  for  the  year 
ending  December  31,  1936,  and  the  sum  of  $1,840.61,  repre- 
senting the  income  for  the  period  of  January  1  to  June  30,  1937, 
inclusive.  The  Children's  Fund  was  given  to  the  Trustees  of  the 
Public  Library  under  the  Will,  with  the  provision  that  the  an- 
nual income  therefrom  should  be  available  to  the  Library  in 
any  year  only  if  certain  conditions  should  be  met  in  that  year. 
Inasmuch  as  these  conditions  could  not  be  met  for  the  year  end- 
ing December  31,1 936,  payment  of  the  income  for  that  year 
was  therefore  made  to  the  Rector  of  Trinity  Church  as  required 
by  the  Will.  So  likewise  was  payment  made  to  the  Rector  of 
Trinity  Church  of  the  income  for  the  period  of  January  1  to 
June  30,  1937,  inclusive. 

EXAMINING  COMMITTEE 

The  Trustees  acknowledge  gratefully  the  assistance  given  by 
the  Examining  Committee  of  1937.  Its  membership  included 
the  following  individuals: 


Mrs.  Gordon  Abbott 
Mr.  Walter  B.  Briggs 
Mr.  Henry  T.  Glaus 
Mrs.  William  H.  Dewart 
Mr.  Garl  Dreyfus 
Dr.  Albert  Ehren  fried 
Mr.  H.  B.  EUIston 
Miss  Susan  J.  Ginn 
Mr.  Arthur  L.  Gould 
Mr.  Chester  N.  Greenough 
Mr.  M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe 
Dr.  Henry  Jackson 
Rev.  John  S.  Keating 
Mr.  Carl  T.  Keller 
Mrs.  Augustus  P.  Loring,  Jr. 
Mr.  George  N.  Northrop 
Rev.  Charles  E.  Park 


Mrs.  Charles  B.  Perkins 
Mrs.  Edward  M.  Pickman 
Mr.  Gabriel  F.  Piemonte 
Hon.  Abraham  E.  Pinanski 
Rev.  Richard  J.  Quinlan 
Mr.  William  K.  Richardson 
Mr.  B.  M.  Selekman 
Mr.  Harlow  Shapley 
Mrs.  Arhur  A.  Shurcliif 
Mrs.  Francis  E.  Slattery 
Mrs.  Donald  C.  Starr 
Miss  Ruth  Tiffany 
Mrs.  Joseph  A.  Tomasello 
Mr.  John  P.  Vaccaro 
Dr.  Henry  R.  Viets 
Mr.  Robert  J.  Watt 
Mrs.  Frederick  Winslow 


The  City  of  Boston  is  fortunate  in  having  the  generous  and 
helpful  assistance  of  citizens  who  give  so  freely  of  their  time  and 
interest  in  examining  and  reporting  upon  the  Library  and  its  ac- 


[11] 

tivities.  Special  attention  is  called  to  the  interesting  report  of  the 
Committee,  which  appears  on  pages  1 8-30  immediately  follow- 
ing. 

CONCLUSION 

The  report  of  the  Director  of  the  Library  is  to  be  found  on 
pages  31-53  below.  It  gives  detailed  information  concerning  the 
significant  developments  within  the  Library  during  the  course  of 
the  year. 

The  Trustees  have  pleasure  in  expressing  here  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  varied  activities  in  which  the  library  staff  has  en- 
deavored throughout  the  year  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  citizens 
of  Boston. 

Frank  W.  Buxton 
John  L.  Hall 
Louis  E.  Kirstein 
Robert  H.  Lord 
Ellery  Sedgwick 


[12] 
STATEMENT  OF  EXPENDITURES 


Expenditures  for  Personnel: 

Permanent      and      Probationary      employees      (ex- 
clusive   of    Printing    r.nd     Binding    Department 


employees) 

.    $800,836.13 

Sundays  and  Evenings,  extra  and 

other  serv 
R  Than  F 

ice     .        .       102,413.11 

$903,249.24 

Expenditures  for  SER%acE  Othe 

'ersonal: 

Printing  and  binding     . 

30.50 

Advertising 

76.75 

Transportation   of  persons 

2,178.25 

Cartage    and    freight 

6,967.67 

Light,  heat  and  power  . 

19,593.53 

Rent,    taxes   and    water 

20,146.08 

Bond  and  insurance  premiums 

397.85 

Communication 

4,455.43 

Cleaning        .... 

1,407.58 

Removal   of   ashes 

21.10 

Expert            .... 

4,470.25 

Stenographic   and  copying 

1,226.81 

Fees                .... 

26.70 

Photographic    and    blueprinting 

95.78 

General    plant 

25,339.42 

Miscellaneous    services 

142.90 

86,576.60 

Expenditures  for  Equipment: 

Machinery 

803.70 

Electrical 

865.30 

Motorless   vehicles 

159.50 

Furniture   and    fittings    . 

1 ,762.63 

Office 

5,070.85 

Books : 

City    appropriation 

$72,516.85 

Trust    funds 

28,721.75 

Josiah   H.  Benton   Book 

Fund    Income 

14,819.1; 

'                       116,057.77 

Newspapers: 

City    appropriation 

1,524.7! 

) 

Trust   funds  income 

1,651.5C 

)                        3.176.25 

Music: 

City  appropriation 

507.3! 

> 

Trust    funds    income 

1,441.1^ 

\                          1,948.49 

Lantern    slides: 

City   appropriation 

37.5( 

) 

Trust    funds   income 

69.0C 

)                             106.50 

Periodicals: 

City   appropriation 

6,864.6^ 

1 

Trust   funds  income 

1 ,909.5f 

\ 

Josiah  H.   Benton  Book 

Fund    Income 

6,8! 

)                          8,781.07 

Photographs : 

City    appropriation 

7I.4( 

) 

Trust    funds   income 

.2! 

)                              71.65 

Manuscripts: 

Trust   funds   income 

1,022.57 

Tools    and   instruments 

1,225.63 

Wearing    apparel 

11.50 

General   plant 

350.70 

141,414.11 

Carried    forward 

$1,131,239.95 

13] 


AND  RECEIPTS.  DECEMBER  31,  1937 


Receipts  From: 

City   Appropriation.    1937 $1,290,429.00 

income   from  Trust   Funds 23,554.89 

Income  from  Josiah  H.  Benton  Book  Fund  Income       .         59,307.93 
Income  from  James  L.  Whitney  Bibliographic  account  .  700.00 

Income   from   Children's    Fund 3,711.22 


•$i,377,703.G4 


\ 


Carried  forward 


$1,377,703.04 


[14] 
STATEMENT  OF  EXPENDITURES 


Brought  fonvard 
Expenditures  for  Supplies 
Office 

Food  ... 

Fuel      .... 
Medical 

Laundry,   cleaning,   toilet 
Educational    and    recreational 
Agricultural 

Chemical   and  disinfectants 
General     plant 


Expenditures  for  Materials: 
Building        .... 
Electrical 
General    plant 


$1,131,239.95 


$8,090.06 

21.33 

17,703.58 

38.85 

1,660.52 

.20 

203.14 

213.94 

3,004.19 


3,705.41 
2,91 1 .41 
1,802.54 


W.  P.  A.  Library  Project 

Special  Items: 

J.  L.  Whitney  Bibliographic   account   .... 

Louis  Kirstein   Fund,  Cataloguing  .... 

A.   L.  Whitney  Fund,   Sick  benefit        .... 

Josiah  H.  Benton  Book  Fund   Income,  Trinity  Church 

Children's  Fund,    Trinity   Church  .... 


Binding  Department: 
Salaries 

Transportation   of  persons 
Gas       .... 
Repairs 
Equipment 
Supplies 
Stock 


Printing  Department: 

Salaries  .... 

Gas       ..... 

Photographic    and    blueprinting 

Repairs  .... 

Equipment 

Supplies         .... 

Electrical     maierial 

Stock  .... 

Outside    work 


Special  Appropriation  Expenditures: 
Fireproofing,    improvements,    etc.    . 
H.  C.    Bentley   Gift     . 


1,028.00 

100.00 

392.00 

23,723.17 

5,61 !  .83 


60.162.78 

.40 

72.78 

71.99 

5.70 

2.07 

6,817.02 


12,339.59 

48.52 

188.75 

259.38 

4.10 

2.10 

3.82 

4,020.41 

41.75 


11,131.75 
206.68 


30,935.81 


8,41936 
62,072.41 


30,855.00 


67.132.74 


16,903.42 


1 1 ,338.43 


Carried   forTvard 


$1,358,902.12 


[151 
AND  RECEIPTS,  DECEMBER  31.  1937 

Brought    forward $1,377,703.04 

Balances  Brought  Forward  From   1936: 

Trust  funds  income.  City  Treasury       ....  $37,546.70 

Trust   funds  income  on  deposit  in   London   .          .          .  .30 

City  appropriation   on   deposit  in   London     .          .          .  72.75 

James  L.   Whitney   Bibliographic   account      .          .          .  2,560.73 

Library   Building,   Fireproofing,   Improvements,   etc.        .  23,408.32 

H.  C.  Bentley  Gift 220.38 

Judaica    Bookshelf         .          .          .          .          .          .          .  159.17 

Children's   Fund 3,741.22         67,709.57 


Carried    forward 


$1,445,412.61 


[16] 
STATEMENT  OF  EXPENDITURES 


Brought   forrvard 
Amounts  Paid  Into  City  Treasury: 
Fines  .... 

Sales  of  catalogues,  bulletins 
Commission  on  telephone  stations 
Refunds,    fees,    etc. 
Sales  of   waste   paper   . 
Payments    for    lost  books 


Balances,  December  31,  1937: 

Trust  Funds  Income,  City  Treasury  . 
Josiah  H.  Benton  Book  Fund  Income 
James  L.  Whitney  Bibliographic  account 
H.  C.  Bentley  Gift  .... 
Judaica  Bookshelf  .... 
City  appropriation  on  deposit  in  London 
Children's    Fund    ..... 


$1,358,902.12 


Balances  Unexpended,  December  31,  1937: 
General  appropriation  ..... 
Central    Library    Building,   Fireproofing 


$23,413.45 
252.76 
522.82 
8.80 
119.38 
737.03 


25,794.10 

20,758.74 

2,232.73 

13.70 

159.17 

72.75 

1.840.61 


23362.12 
12,276.57 


25,054.24 


50.871.80 


35,638.69 


To    Balance 


$1,470,466.85 


17] 


AND  RECEIPTS.  DECEMBER  31,  1937 


Broughl  forward 
Receipts  From: 

From       Fines        .... 
Sales  of  catalogues,  bulletins  and  lists 
Commission    on    telephone   stations 
Payments   for    lost   books 
Refunds,    fees,    etc. 
Sales   of  waste    paper    . 


$1,445,412.61 


$23,413.45 
252.76 
522.82 
737.03 
8.80 
119.38 


25,054.24 


To    Balance 


$1,470,466.85 


[18] 

REPORT  OF  THE  EXAMINING  COMMITTEE 

To  The  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 
OF  THE  City  of  Boston. 

Gentlemen: — 

The  Examining  Committee  for  the  year  1937  respectfully 
submits  its  report. 

The  Committee  met  for  organization  on  June  7,  1937.  Short- 
ly thereafter  the  usual  sub-committees  were  appointed,  and  re- 
ports from  them  were  submitted  to  the  Vice  Chairman  early  in 
November.  These  reports,  with  their  detailed  findings,  observa- 
vations,  and  recommendations,  have  been  filed  with  the  Library 
for  reference,  examination,  and  study. 

The  Report  herewith  submitted  is  intended  to  be  a  summary 
of  the  important  and  prominent  features  and  outstanding  sug- 
gestions contained  in  the  sub-committee  reports.  Your  Committee 
presents  these  findings  and  suggestions,  conscious  of  the  fact  that 
the  Trustees  are  aware  of  the  conditions  which  need  improvement 
and  correction  and  of  the  defects  which  should  be  remedied.  It 
is  our  hope  that  reference  to  them  will  serve  as  the  impetus  to 
further  constructive  action,  and  may  impress  the  new  municipal 
administration  with  the  wisdom  and  necessity  of  making  appropri- 
ations which  will  be  adequate  to  permit  the  Boston  Public 
Library  (the  oldest  and  the  pioneer  among  the  great  public  li- 
braries in  the  United  States)  to  maintain  its  proper  place  as  a 
leader  in  the  performance  of  public  duty. 

Let  it  again  be  recorded  that  we  find  that  the  service  of  the 
Director,  his  assistants,  the  heads  of  the  various  departments 
and  branch  libraries,  and  their  respective  staffs,  has  been  loyal, 
admirable,  competent,  and  efficient.  The  Excimining  Committee 
is  indebted  to  them  for  their  hearty  cooperation  and  takes  this 
means  of  expressing  its  appreciation. 


[19] 
THE  NEED  OF  BOOKS 

The  20th  Century  may  answer  the  question  whether  our 
Democracy  is  capable  of  educating  itself  adequately  to  stave  off 
disaster  and  survive.  Meanwhile,  the  public  library  is  one  of  our 
steadying  influences.  It  is  generally  conceded  that  without  knowl- 
edge democracy  cannot  live.  Accurate  knowledge  can  be  ob- 
tained through  intelligent  library  service.  No  library,  public  or 
private,  can  long  endure,  unless  it  provides  new  books  as  needed. 
The  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston  is  severely  handi- 
capped in  this  respect.  It  requires  and  should  have  more  books  to 
meet  the  demands  upon  it. 

The  Examining  Committee  of  1936  focused  attention  upon 
this  subject;  and,  although  it  is  a  fact  that  the  appropriation  for 
this  year  has  been  increased  over  that  for  last  year  by  approxi- 
mately $20,000,  it  is  still  $25,000  less  than  the  appropriation 
in  1935  and  $100,000  less  than  in  1931. 

The  funds  for  the  purchase  of  books  come  from  two  sources 
—  ( 1 )  from  appropriations  made  for  that  purpose  by  the  Mayor 
and  the  City  Council,  the  larger  part  of  which  is  devoted  to 
obtaining  books  which  are  distributed  through  the  branch  li- 
braries; and  (2)  the  income  from  trust  funds,  which  for  the 
most  part  have  been  given  and  are  used  specifically  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  books  for  the  special  collections  in  the 
central  library. 

The  Boston  Public  Library  is  maintained  by  its  citizens  pri- 
marily for  the  acquisition  and  provision  of  books  for  the  use  of 
the  public.  Ninety  per  cent  of  the  total  circulation  of  its  books 
takes  place  in  the  33  branch  libraries,  and  consequently  they 
carry  the  brunt  of  the  burden  of  the  public  use.  They  supply 
chiefly  books  of  popular  and  general  interest,  and  books  used  by 
children  in  connection  with  school  work.  Education  for  children 
and  adults  has  been  expanding  with  an  increasing  emphasis  on 
the  part  of  teachers  and  class  leaders  upon  outside  reading.  Of 
necessity,  for  the  great  majority  this  must  mean  reading  public 
library  books.  Thus  the  branch  libraries  are  finding  themselves 
closer  and  closer  to  the  school  system  with  each  succeeding  year. 


[20] 

During  the  recent  depression  period  the  use  of  the  branch 
libraries  increased  markedly.  In  1 932  and  1 933  it  increased  by 
42%  and  41  %  respectively  over  1929.  Since  1933  it  has  gradu- 
ally diminished,  but  to  a  point  which  is  still  2 1  %  above  1 929. 
During  this  long  period  of  over-use  of  library  materials  the  wear 
and  tear  upon  them  has  grown  in  ever  increasing  pyroportion,  so 
that  today  there  no  longer  holds  good  the  normal  estimate  which 
had  been  in  use  up  to  1929,  that  in  any  one  year  approxi- 
mately 60%  of  the  funds  available  for  the  purchase  of  books 
would  be  necessary  and  sufficient  for  the  replacement  of  the 
worn-out  books.  Coincidentally  with  this  increased  use  the  ap- 
propriations by  the  City  for  the  purchase  of  books  were  cut  sadly. 
The  average  of  the  annual  appropriations  for  the  five  years  from 
1928  to  1932  inclusive  was  $152,000,  while  the  average  for 
the  five  years  from  1933  to  1937  inclusive  has  been  only 
$81,000.  This  represents  a  cut  of  nearly  50%. 

The  result  of  this  combination  of  circumstances  has  been  most 
unfortunate.  The  branch  libraries  in  particular  have  been  serious- 
ly affected.  Not  only  have  they  been  stan'ed  for  new  material, 
so  important  to  maintain  the  interest  of  readers;  but  in  a  period 
of  abnormal  use  not  even  the  normal  replacement  of  worn-out 
material  has  been  possible,  and  the  general  collections  have 
become  sadly  depleted.  The  books  most  in  demand  —  actually 
the  best  of  the  library  materials  —  have  become  so  badly  worn 
that  many  have  had  to  be  discarded,  and  the  books  needed  by 
school  children  for  study  and  outside  reading  are  deplorably 
dirty.  Finally,  with  the  enormous  number  of  books  which  are 
being  published  in  these  times,  a  considerable  proportion  of 
which  a  proper  library  should  have,  it  seems  apparent  that  even 
if  the  whole  of  this  year's  appropriation  of  $75,000  were  avail- 
able for  new  books  alone  (quite  apart  from  replacements)  it 
would  not  be  adequate. 

The  Committee  renews  the  reconmiendations  of  its  predeces- 
sors that  appropriations  be  increased  to  a  level  which  will  be 
sufficient  to  provide  for  normal  demands  as  well  as  to  replace 
worn-out  and  discarded  books  —  a  need  arising  out  of  the 
cumulative  result  of  drastic  cuts  in  the  appropriations  for  the 


[21] 

last  five  years.  The  depleted  book  stocks  in  the  branch  Kbraries 
should  be  brought  back  to  more  nearly  standard  levels  by  the 
addition  of  the  new  items  necessary  to  supply  the  demands  of 
their  readers,  and  the  material  which  has  been  used  up  should  be 
freshened,  repaired,  and  replaced.  The  crying  need  of  the 
Library  is  Books  —  More  Books,  Replaced  BooJ?s,  Nexv  Books. 

OVERCROWDING  OF  THE  CENTRAL  LIBRARY  BUILDING 

An  early  and  radical  change  is  imperative  if  the  conditions 
resulting  from  the  overcrowding  of  the  Central  Library  building 
are  to  be  relieved  before  they  become  so  acute  as  to  bring  discredit 
upon  the  Library.  We  are  aware  that  these  difficulties,  which 
have  been  stated  and  emphasized  by  the  Director  and  your 
Examining  Committees  in  several  previous  reports,  give  you 
grave  concern,  and  that  you  have  been  helpless  in  the  situation 
from  lack  of  sufficient  appropriations.  Although  we  appreciate 
the  importance  of  economy  in  municipal  administration,  in  this 
situation  as  in  the  case  of  books  the  need  is  so  fundamental  that 
our  new  Mayor  and  City  Council  will  certainly  relieve  the  situ- 
ation if  they  are  made  aware  of  the  facts. 

The  facilities  in  the  Central  Library  building  at  no  time  were 
adequate  for  the  350  persons  regularly  employed  therein.  With 
the  addition  of  150  W.P.A.  relief  workers  conditions  have 
become  almost  intolerable.  The  problem  is  not  easy  of  solution, 
as  the  Director  has  said,  "in  a  building  of  such  architectural  im- 
portance and  stability."  Much  of  the  building  partakes  of  the 
nature  of  a  national  monument  and  as  such  is  quite  properly 
inviolate.  The  available  space  in  the  building  has  been  used  to 
such  advantage  that  few  specific  suggestions  can  be  made.  In- 
deed the  suggestion  of  minor  adaptations  and  improvements  is 
almost  an  impertinence  in  view  of  the  human  factors  and  im- 
portant issues  involved.  Only  a  radical  change  will  give  the 
space  necessary  to  adapt  the  library  facilities  to  a  decent  standard 
of  health  and  comfort  for  those  who  work  within  its  walls.  This 
is  clearly  indicated  in  the  detailed  and  comprehensive  report  of 
our  new  Sub-Committee  on  Staff  Facilities,  which  was  formed 


[22] 

this  year  for  the  first  time.  Here  we  can  only  reiterate  that  the 
rest  and  recreation  rooms  crowded  with  lockers,  the  inadequate 
and  unattractive  lunch  rooms,  the  lack  of  proper  drinking  water 
particularly  in  the  summer  months,  and  an  impossible  condition 
of  overcrowding  in  the  toilets  must  affect  the  comfort  and  the 
mental  health  and  reduce  the  working  time  and  power  of  the 
staff.  For  example,  in  one  section  of  the  building  one  small 
toilet  room  with  facilities  for  only  3  persons  at  a  time  has  to  serve 
for  approximately  1 1 5  women  members  of  the  staff,  plus  some 
100  additional  women  workers  under  the  auspices  of  the  W.P. 
A.  Unless  conditions  in  general  are  altered  at  an  early  date 
the  future  must  show  expensive  deterioration  in  equipment  and 
human  living.  If  a  few  temporary  alleviations  or  changes  which 
have  been  suggested  are  carried  out,  we  are  fearful  that  these, 
desirable  as  they  may  be,  may  tend  to  obscure  the  imminent 
necessity  of  radical  change  to  provide  essential  additional  space. 
The  reallocation  of  the  space  in  the  Central  Library  building 
is  a  vital  first  step  in  any  determined  effort  to  relieve  the  acute 
situation.  The  recommendations  of  previous  Examining  Com- 
mittees and  of  the  Director  that  space  be  found  outside  of  the 
central  building  for  certain  of  the  Library's  activities  and  that 
they  be  housed  in  some  central  location  are  deemed  important, 
are  re-emphasized  and  again  urged  upon  you.  Two  such  activ- 
ities are  the  following: 

( 1 )  The  Newspaper  Room  for  the  daily  reading  of  current  news- 
papers now  occupies  an  especially  valuable  front  corner  of  the 
ground  floor.  From  its  very  nature,  its  location  in  so  important  a 
spot  is  not  in  keeping  with  either  the  cultural  or  educational  atmos- 
phere of  the  building  or  its  aesthetic  importance.  It  could  be  re- 
moved to  some  convenient  central  location  outside  of  the  main  li- 
brary, without  impairing  its  usefulness,  and  at  a  moderate  cost.  The 
substantial  space  which  would  be  thus  released  is  urgently  required 
for  other  departments  which  cannot  be  housed  anywhere  except  in 
the  main  building. 

(2)  The  Central  Department  for  Branch  Libraries,  with  its  group 
of  clearly  related  activities,  and  large  reservoir  of  books  for  supple- 
menting the  collections  of  individual  branch  libraries,  is  for  the 
most  part  self-sufficient.  Its  removal  from  the  Central  Library  build- 
ing to  a  point  in  the  center  of  the  city,  convenient  for  book  ship- 
ments, would  not  impair  its  efficiency  or  the  work  of  the  Library. 


[23] 

Possibly  one  of  the  closed  public  school  buildings  could  be  obtained 
to  house  the  1  00,000  volumes  and  the  40  members  of  the  depart- 
ment. 

If  these  two  changes  can  be  accomplished,  then  the  readjust- 
ment or  reallocation  of  such  units  as  the  Fine  Arts  Department, 
the  Science  and  Technology  Department,  the  Cataloging  and 
Classification  Department,  the  Music  Department,  and  the  en- 
largem.ent  of  the  Rare  Book  Department  might  follow,  at  least 
in  part. 

The  economic  and  efficient  catering  to  the  public's  needs  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  proper  administration  of  the  Library. 
Here  again  your  Committee  is  impressed  with  the  lack  of  proper 
quarters  to  enable  the  Director  and  the  administrative  staff  to 
function  adequately.  Overcrowding  is  bound  to  interfere  with 
efficiency  of  management,  and  no  criticism  of  individual  de- 
ficiencies in  administration  is  fair  until  and  unless  the  manage- 
ment has  had  the  opportunity  to  house  its  departments  properly. 
The  problems  of  administration  arise  directly  from  the  inade- 
quacy of  quarters,  and  the  fundamental  requirement  is  more 
space. 

PUBLICITY 

To  the  end  that  there  may  be  a  larger  public  appreciation  of 
the  value  of  the  Library  and  a  better  understanding  of  its  needs 
and  problems,  the  Committee  recommends  again  the  appointment 
of  a  skilled  publicity  director.  Here  is  a  forward  step  which  we 
believe  should  not  be  longer  postponed.  Indeed,  it  is  our  judg- 
ment that,  if  the  regular  budget  funds  do  not  permit  such  expan- 
sion in  staff,  efforts  should  be  made  by  the  Trustees  to  secure  the 
necessary  funds  through  outside  contributions. 

It  has  been  the  experience  of  large  libraries  that  sound  pub- 
licity is  a  wise  investment.  In  many  instances  it  has  led  to  gener- 
ous subscriptions  for  special  purposes.  In  others  it  has  been  re- 
sponsible for  important  bequests.  In  all  it  has  helped  to  stimu- 
late public  enthusiasm  for  the  institutions  and  public  support  for 
their  manifold  activities. 

While  we  do  not  suggest  anything  in  the  nature  of  "bally- 


[24] 

hoo,"  it  is  obvious  that  the  eye  of  a  publicity  director  must  be 
constantly  on  the  human  and  dramatic  side  of  a  library's  life. 
This  is  the  field  of  which  the  people  have  scant  knowledge.  It 
is  likewise  the  field  which  must  be  explored  if  the  interest  of  the 
people  is  to  be  enlisted. 

By  way  of  further  suggestion,  designed  to  attract  favorable 
attention  to  the  Library,  it  is  recommended  that  some  members 
of  the  staff  be  prepared  to  lecture  entertainingly  about  the  insti- 
tution before  church  bodies,  fraternal  organizations,  labor  unions, 
and  other  community  groups.  Perhaps,  too,  members  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  can  be  prevailed  upon  to  grant  occasional  in- 
terviews relating  to  some  special  phase  of  the  Library's  work. 

Your  Committee  also  urges  again  the  enlargement  and  the 
further  development  of  the  admirable  monthly  bulletin  and  a 
wider  circulation  of  it,  particularly  in  the  newspaper  offices  of 
the  city  and  state. 

USE  OF  THE  LIBRARY 

It  is  recommended  that  there  be  a  return  to  the  practice  pre- 
vailing prior  to  the  depression,  whereby  some  of  the  branch  libra- 
ries in  the  crowded  sections  of  the  city  may  be  opened  for  two  or 
three  hours  on  Sunday  afternoon.  If  the  amount  of  use  justifies 
the  effort  and  additional  expense,  the  Sunday  afternoon  service 
can  later  be  extended  to  other  branches. 

To  meet  the  special  need  in  those  parts  of  the  city  where  the  use 
of  foreign  languages  prevails,  attention  might  be  given  even  fur- 
ther than  at  present  to  the  inclusion  in  branch  library  staffs  of 
appropriately  equipped  personnel.  Such  specialization  of  staff 
should  be  particularly  of  value  in  the  selection  of  suitable  foreign 
language  books. 

The  problems  arising  from  the  excessive  use  of  the  Central  Li- 
brary by  students  from  nearby  institutions  of  learning  continue 
to  give  concern.  Our  reading  rooms  should  not  become  study 
halls.  The  legitimate  requirements  of  these  student  groups  should 
be  met,  but  not  at  a  sacrifice  of  the  needs  of  the  general  public. 
We  consider  it  particularly  appropriate  for  the  library  adminis- 


[25] 

tration  to  prosecute  its  efforts  with  the  authorities  of  the  various 
institutions  involved,  in  order  to  bring  about  some  equitable  ad- 
justment of  a  situation  which  has  resulted  in  the  unnecessary 
crowding  of  general  readers. 

We  desire  especially  to  endorse  the  present  extensive  activi- 
ties of  the  Library  in  following  up  and  obtaining  the  return  of 
books  from  delinquent  borrowers,  as  well  as  the  careful  and 
thorough  investigation  of  cases  of  theft  and  mutilation.  Particu- 
larly do  we  wish  to  encourage  the  extension  and  even  the  further 
development  of  these  activities,  because  of  their  value  not  only 
in  books  recovered  but  also  in  public  education. 

CATALOGING  AND    CLASSIFICATION 

The  extensive  work  now  in  progress  upon  the  reclassification, 
and  in  many  instances  also  the  recataloging,  of  the  book  col- 
lections in  both  the  central  library  and  the  branch  libraries  has 
been  examined  with  some  care.  A  thorough-going  revision  of 
the  catalog  cards,  involving  both  size  and  content,  and  a  huge 
task  of  reclassification  in  accordance  with  the  best  modern 
methods,  is  going  forward  with  the  indispensable  aid  of  relief 
workers  employed  under  the  auspices  of  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment. The  nature  and  object  of  this  complex  undertaking  has 
been  described  by  the  Trustees  in  their  reports  of  previous  years. 
To  review  its  details  in  this  place  would  be  superfluous. 

Of  all  the  relief  undertakings  of  the  Federal  Government, 
this  has  been  the  largest  single  library  project  throughout  the 
country.  The  em:ployment,  primarily  for  relief  purposes,  of 
workers  whose  number  has  seldom  been  less  than  seven  hundred 
and  has  ranged  at  times  up  to  twelve  hundred,  over  and  above 
the  regular  library  staff  of  some  six  hundred  workers,  has  im- 
posed a  large  responsibility  of  direction  upon  the  administrative 
staff  of  the  Library.  The  temporary  workers  have  required  train- 
ing for  their  tasks,  and  the  results  of  their  work  have  called  for 
close  inspection  and  checking.  The  means  to  these  ends  appear 
to  have  been  devised  with  much  care  and  effectiveness. 

This  work  of  vital  importance  would  have  remained  beyond 
the  range  of  accomplishment  by  the  Library  in  normal  times. 


[26] 

Apart  from  its  central  object  of  relief,  the  project  has  made  an 
inestimable  contribution  to  the  immediate  and  future  value  of 
the  Library  as  a  workshop  for  scholarship,  both  elementary  and 
advanced. 

WORK  WITH  CHILDREN  AND  WITH  SCHOOLS 

The  work  with  children  is  already  being  successfully  and  ad- 
mirably carried  out  by  the  several  branch  libraries. 

It  is  the  opinion  of  your  Committee,  based  upon  the  results  of 
the  conference  which  its  sub-committee  held  with  representatives 
of  the  public  school  system,  the  pcirochial  schools,  and  the  private 
schools,  that  close  cooperation  between  the  Library  and  the 
schools  is  of  paramount  importance. 

The  branch  libraries  should  be  encouraged  to  cooperate  di- 
rectly and  continuously  with  the  schools  of  their  respective  neigh- 
borhood for  the  double  purpose  of  publicity  for  the  Library  and 
its  services,  and  instruction  in  the  proper  care  of  books  and  the 
use  of  library  privileges.  Such  activity  should  be  invaluable  in 
the  attempt  to  minimize  delinquencies,  thefts,  and  mutilations. 
It  is  suggested  also  that,  if  each  school  would  designate  one  of 
its  teachers  to  serve  as  a  liaison  officer  with  the  branch  library  in 
the  locality,  then  truly  constructive  work  might  be  accomplished 
in  the  prevention  of  mutilation  of  books,  the  education  of  children 
in  the  use  of  books,  training  in  the  use  of  reference  material,  and 
duty  toward  public  property.  Meetings  between  the  branch  li- 
brarians and  groups  of  teachers  to  discuss  these  and  related 
problems  should  be  fostered  and  encouraged.  A  definite  for- 
ward step  in  obtaining  the  help  and  enlisting  the  support  of  the 
public  schools  was  taken  when  the  Superintendent  of  Public 
Schools  invited  the  Director  of  the  Public  Library  to  present 
the  various  aspects  of  the  problem  before  a  recent  meeting  of  the 
principals  of  the  public  schools. 

BUILDINGS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

In  addition  to  that  which  has  been  said  in  connection  with  the 
overcrowding  of  the  Central  Library  building,  your  Committee 


[27] 

suggests  that  some  temporary  improvement  might  be  brought 
about  by  the  use  of  the  basement,  at  least  in  part,  for  extra  staff 
rooms,  toilets,  rest  rooms,  and  locker  space,  as  well  as  an  ade- 
quate lunch  room.  Possibly  this  space  could  be  made  available, 
as  a  makeshift  at  least,  if  arrangements  could  be  effected  whereby 
the  library  might  purchase  its  light  and  heat  from  outside  sources 
rather  than  engage  in  producing  them  itself  in  its  own  basement 
space  as  at  present. 

Otherwise,  outside  of  troublesome  and  recurring  difficulties 
with  the  tile  roofing,  the  general  structure  of  the  Central  Library 
building  seems  to  be  in  relatively  good  condition.  No  major  dif- 
ficulties have  occurred  in  the  past  year  in  the  matter  of  the  levels 
of  the  underground  water;  but  it  is  recommended  that  there  con- 
tinue to  be  given  the  regular  daily  examination  of  the  water  levels 
as  heretofore,  in  order  that  the  situation  be  kept  constantly  in 
hand.  It  is  not  recommended  that  the  outside  of  the  building  be 
cleaned.  The  lighting  of  the  Abbey  mural  paintings  of  the  Holy 
Grail,  and  possibly  also  of  the  Sargent  murals,  should  be  serious- 
ly considered  at  an  early  date. 

Among  the  branch  libraries  the  most  pressing  building  problem 
seems  to  be  that  of  the  West  End  Branch  Library.  The  old 
West  Church  building  housing  this  branch  library  had  to  be 
temporarily  abandoned  this  past  spring  because  of  emergency 
repairs  upon  its  tower.  It  v/as  subsequently  found  that  the  roof 
trusses  were  weak  and  the  ceiling  in  the  main  room  likely  to  fall, 
so  that  it  proved  not  possible  to  return  to  use  the  building  for  the 
present.  Rented  quarters  were  obtained  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood for  temporary  use  until  action  could  be  achieved  toward 
a  final  solution  of  a  difficult  building  problem.  It  has  been  sug- 
gested that  the  building  be  put  into  adequate  repair  for  continued 
use  as  a  branch  library,  or  that  it  be  repaired  for  subsequent  use 
as  an  historic  monument  and  that  other  space  be  provided  for  a 
modem  new  library  building.  Whatever  the  solution  may  be, 
and  we  recognize  that  this  will  depend  in  large  part  upon  the 
funds  which  the  City  can  and  will  make  available,  we  urge  that 
every  expedition  possible  be  given  to  the  problem,  to  the  end  that 
this  crowded  section  of  the  city  may  have  with  as  little  delay  as 


[281 

possible  adequate  provision  of  library  facilities.  Few  sections 
of  the  city  have  so  urgent  and  pressing  a  need  in  this  respect  as 
does  the  West  End. 

BRANCH  LIBRARIES  AND  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS 

Branch  libraries  are  the  chief  agencies  for  bringing  books  close 
to  the  people.  The  thirty-three  branch  libraries  of  the  Boston 
Public  Library  are  located  in  residential  areas.  Your  Committee 
is  of  the  opinion  that  splendid  service  is  being  rendered  by  them 
and  joins  in  the  universal  praise  of  their  staffs  and  the  educational, 
social,  and  cultural  aspects  of  their  excellent  work.  The  exami- 
nation of  these  branches  has  been  conducted  by  your  Committee 
divided  into  eleven  groups,  and  here  we  can  only  refer  to  their 
detailed  reports  of  findings  and  reconmiendations,  which  are  on 
file  with  the  Library.  We  do  wish  to  reiterate,  however,  that  the 
branches  which  are  housed  in  municipal  buildings  of  various  sorts 
or  in  leased  quarters,  as  distinguished  from  those  located  in  build- 
ings designed  specifically  for  library  uses,  suffer  from  various 
physical  handicaps  such  as  lack  of  space,  inadequate  staff  quar- 
ters and  shelf  room,  poor  ventilation  and  heating.  Important  re- 
pairs should  be  made  as  soon  as  appropriations  permit,  but  the 
fundamental  remedy  is  the  resumption  of  the  branch  library 
building  program  of  two  new  branch  libraries  a  year  which  was 
in  effect  up  to  1 932. 

The  need  of  the  special  departments  is  more  room,  and  the 
other  needs  are  insignificant  as  compared  with  this  one.  We 
subscribe  heartily  to  the  statement  of  your  Examining  Commit- 
tee for  1 936  that  "the  problem  of  the  special  libraries  is  tied  up 
definitely  with  the  problem  of  reallocation  of  space  within  the 
Central  Library  building."  We  invite  attention  to  the  detailed 
suggestions  contained  in  their  statement  and  in  the  report  of  our 
sub-committee. 

At  the  Business  Branch,  in  the  Kirstein  Memorial  Library 
building,  it  is  believed  that  there  is  need  of  the  third  in  addition 
to  the  lower  floors.  There  are  probably  controlling  reasons  why 
the  top  floor  Ccinnot  be  vacated  by  the  general  Branch  Library. 


[29] 

Its  location  where  it  is  at  present  is  desirable,  but  its  necessity  is 
not  apparent.  It  is  principally  a  convenience  for  people  who 
prefer  to  go  to  a  downtown  general  branch  library  rather  than 
to  the  branches  in  their  respective  localities.  Should  this  con- 
venience outweigh  the  proper  housing  of  the  Business  Branch? 
The  extensive  use  of  the  Business  Branch  is  a  tribute  to  the 
thought  which  originated  it.  The  importance  of  the  general 
Branch  Library  located  on  the  top  floor  of  the  Kirstein  building 
is  not  minimized.  On  the  contrary,  the  public  response  to  the 
recent  display  of  books  there  is  in  several  respects  remarkable 
and  is  certainly  heartening.  A  window  display  of  a  list  of  "  1  1  7 
books  that  make  a  college  education"  resulted  in  450  people 
climbing  the  two  flights  in  a  period  of  three  weeks  and  taking 
away  a  list  of  these  classics.  Incidentally,  the  discouraging  as- 
pect of  this  experiment  has  been  that  the  books  themselves, 
which  were  displayed  on  the  third  floor  and  were  taken  out  by 
the  public,  were  in  many  instances  very  old,  battered,  in  the 
smallest  t>'pe,  and  unattractive  in  form. 

CONCLUSION 

The  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston  is  one  of  the  most 
vital  instruments  by  which  our  Democracy  is  expected  to  edu- 
cate itself  and  thus  be  kept  alive.  The  importance  of  many  of  its 
needs  are  dwarfed  by  comparison  with  the  esssentiai  immediate 
requirements  of  more  books  in  all  departments  and  more  space 
for  certain  developm.ents  in  the  Central  Libraiy  building.  The 
latter  can  be  accomplished  by  the  relatively  small  expense  en- 
tailed in  housing  a  number  of  activities  outside  of  the  main  build- 
ing. Until  and  unless  these  needs  are  satisfied,  the  Public  Library 
cannot  perform  its  public  duty  in  accordance  with  the  standards 
which  the  citizens  of  Boston  have  a  right  to  demand. 


[30] 

Adopted  as  the  report  of  the  Examining  Committee,  Novem- 
ber 27,  1937. 


Abraham  E. 
Katharine  Abbott 
Walter  B.  Briggs 
Henry  T.  Claus 
Elizabeth  H.  Dewarl 
Carl  Dreyfus 
Albert  Ehrenfrisi 
H.  B.  ElHston 
Susan  J.  Ginn 
Arthur  L.  Gould 
Chester  N.  Greenough 
M.  A.  DeWolfe  Howe 
Henry  Jackson 
John  S.  Keating 
Carl  T.  Keller 
Rosamond  B.  Loring 
George  N.  Northrop 


Pinanski,   Vice  Chairman 

Charles  E.  Park 
Elizabeth  W.  Perkins 
Hester  Pickman 
Gabriel  F.  Piemonte 
Richard  J,  Quinlan 
William  K.  Richardson 
B.  M.  Selekman 
Harlow  Shapley 
Margaret  H.  Shurcliff 
Lillian  C.  Slattery 
Pauline  Starr 
Ruth  Tiffany 
Frances  Tomasello 
John  P.  Vaccaro 
Henry  R.  Viets 
Mary  W.  Winslow 


[31] 


REPORT  OF  THE  DIRECTOR 

To  THE  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 
OF  the  City  of  Boston  : 

I  submit  herewith  the  report  of  the  Director  of  the  Library 
for  the  year  ending  December  31,  1937. 

APPROPRIATIONS  FOR  THE  SUPPORT  OF  THE  LIBRARY 

The  City  appropriated  for  the  use  of  the  Library  during  1937 
the  sum  of  $1,290,429.00.  This  was  $92,563.00  greater  than 
ihe  amount  appropriated  in  1936. 

The  total  appropriation  included  an  amount  of  $48,750.00 
for  the  necessary  expenditures  incidental  to  the  unemployment 
relief  projects  which  the  Library  sponsored  on  behalf  of  the  City. 
By  excluding  this  amount  for  extraordinary  expenditures  the 
appropriation  for  the  ordinary  operating  expenses  of  the  Library 
was  $1,211,679.00.  This  was  $86,644.00  greater  than  the 
amount  appropriated  for  the  ordinary  operating  expenses  for 
1936. 

The  appropriation  for  the  purchase  of  books  was  $75,000. 
This  amount  represented  substantial  improvement  over  the  appro- 
priation of  $55,000  in  1936.  That  it  was  still  inadequate,  how- 
ever, is  to  be  seen  from  the  following  table,  setting  forth  the 
heavily  increased  use  of  the  Library  during  the  preceding  decade : 


YEAR 
1927 

1928 
1929 
1930 
1931 
1932 
1933 
1934 
1935 
1936 
1937 


AMOUNT  APPROPRIATED 


PURCHASE  OF  BOOKS 


$125,000 

125,000 

140,000 

160,000 

175,000 

160,000 

75.000 

100,000 

100.000 

55.000 

75.000 


NO.  OF  BOOKS 

LENT  TO 

DORROVVERS 

3,705.657 
3,899.286 
3,930,068 
4.133.459 
4.702,932 
5,567.681 
5,548.283 
5,194,351 
4,949,701 
4.806,737 
4,531.378 


[32] 

In  later  sections  of  this  report  there  is  more  detailed  presen- 
tation concerning  need  of  additional  provision  for  the  purchase 
of  books. 


USE  OF  THE  LIBRARY 


During  1937  there  were  lent  to  borrowers  4,531,378  vol- 
umes. This  figure  represents  an  increase  of  15%  over  that  for 
1 929,  the  last  of  the  pre-depression  years. 

The  following  table  shows  the  use  of  the  Library  during  the 
period  from  1929  to  1937,  inclusive: 


NO.  OF  BOOKS 

LENT  TO 

YEAR 

BORROWERS 

1929 

3.930,068 

1930 

4,133.459 

I93I 

4,702,932 

1932 

5,567,681 

1933 

5,548,283 

1934 

3,194,351 

1935 

4,949,701 

1936 

4.806,737 

1937 

4.531,378 

PERCENTAGE  OF 
INCREASE  OR  DECREASE 
OVER  PRECEDING  YEARS 


+5% 
+13% 
+18% 
-0.3% 

-6% 
-5% 
-3% 
-6% 


PERCENTAGE 

OF  INCREASE 

OVER  1929 

+5% 
+20% 
+42% 
+41% 
+32% 
+26% 
+22% 
+15% 

From  the  above  figures  it  appears  clearly  that  a  peak  of  increas- 
ing use  was  reached  in  1932  and  in  1933,  that  since  then  there 
has  occurred  a  declining  use. 

To  those  of  us  in  the  Library  who  are  close  to  the  situation 
it  is  clear  that  there  is  one  dominating  reason  for  this  declining 
use.  There  are  fewer  and  fewer  books  to  use.  In  the  branch  li- 
braries —  where  90%  of  the  borrowing  of  books  for  home  use 
takes  place  —  books  have  been  worn  out  from  heavy  use  in  the 
depression  years  faster  than  they  have  been  replaced.  For  ex- 
ample, in  the  three  years  1935,  1936,  and  1937  there  had  to 
be  discarded  143,851  books  as  compared  with  125,495  added. 
In  other  words,  at  the  end  of  1937  there  were  18,356  fewer 
volumes  available  for  use  in  the  branch  libraries  than  at  the  end 
of  1934.  Any  member  of  the  library  staff  in  any  one  of  the 
branch  libraries  can  give  eloquent  testimony  as  to  what  this  means 
both  to  school  pupils  and  to  adult  readers  in  general. 


[33] 

There  is  in  existence  a  demand  for  books  which  is  not  being 
met.  The  unfortunate  feature  is  that  a  demand  for  books  is  the 
sort  of  thing  that  with  careful  nurturing  turns  into  a  growth  of 
persisting  vigor,  without  nurture  quickly  dies  out.  It  is  all  too 
evident  that  too  many  of  the  Library's  newly  gained  readers 
during  the  depression  period  from  1929  to  1933  have  in  the 
succeeding  four  years  from  1934  to  1937  become  lost  to  it  be- 
cause the  Library  has  had  fewer  and  fewer  books  with  which  to 
meet  their  legitimate  reading  and  study  needs. 

THE  NEED  OF  BOOKS 

It  seems  so  self-evident  that  a  library  must  have  books  that 
one  v/onders  what  further  can  be  said  in  support  of  such  an  axiom. 

Yet  one  frequently  hears  the  query  as  to  why  more  books  are 
needed  anyway.  The  Library  has  enough  volumes  in  its  system 
already.  In  the  central  library,  for  instance,  there  are  1,195,704 
volumes  as  compared  with  the  504,977  volumes  in  the  branch 
libraries.  Why  should  not  some  of  those  in  the  central  library 
be  turned  over  to  the  branch  libraries? 

But  who  wants  to  choose  his  reading  from  the  sermons  of  the 
Reverend  Cotton  Mather  or  the  Bay  Psalm  Book  or  the  First 
Folio  of  Shakespeare  ?  Who  wants  to  read  volume  after  volume 
of  specifications  of  German  patents  or  of  the  Sessional  Papers 
of  the  House  of  Commons  in  the  19th  century  or  of  the  Atti 
delV Accademia  del  Lincei  of  fifty  years  ago?  Who  wants  to 
read  Boston,  Worcester  and  Springfield  city  directories  for  1 875 
or  the  Boston  Transcript  for  1833  or  Who's  Who  in  America 
for  1903?  Who  wants  to  read  Andreas  Vesalius  De  Humani 
Corporis  Fabrica  Libri  Septem  (Basle,  1555)  or  Frangois  Ap- 
pert's  UArt  de  Conserver,  Pendant  Plusieurs  Annees,  Toutes 
les  Substances  Animales  et  Vegetates  (Paris,  1810)  or  Fried- 
rich  Engels'  Die  Lage  der  Arbeitenden  Klasse  in  England 
(Leipzig,  1845)? 

It  is  of  items  of  the  above  sort  —  in  single  copies  only,  for 
the  most  part  —  that  the  excellent  book  collections  of  the  central 
library  are  made  up.  They  do  not  contain,  available  for  use  in 


[34] 

multiple  branch  libraries,  multiple  copies  of  books  of  the  sort 
which  the  average  citizens  of  Boston  frequenting  the  branch  li- 
braries wish  and  need  for  their  regular  reading.  What  the  central 
library  has  is  the  vast  accumulation  of  materials  which  are  needed 
by  the  students  or  the  scholar  engaged  in  serious  research  and 
investigation.  And  for  the  upkeep  and  further  development  of 
its  collections  of  this  sort  it  has  special  support  in  the  form  of 
trust  funds  which  have  been  given  for  the  purpose  and  for  no 
other. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  on  the  branch  libraries  that  there  falls 
the  brunt  of  the  book  demands  of  the  citizens  of  Boston  at  large. 
Ninety  percent  (90%)  of  the  books  borrowed  from  the  entire 
library  system  are  asked  for  and  obtained  from  the  branch  li- 
braries.  Yet  to  meet  this  demand  the  branch  libraries  have  book 
collections  which  total  only  30%  of  the  book  holdings  of  the 
entire  library  system.  A.nd  the  discouraging  feature  is  that  the 
number  of  volumes  in  the  branch  libraries  is  decreasing  rather 
than  increasing.  In  1 935  the  branch  libraries  had  to  discard  as 
worn  out  4,257  volumes  more  than  they  could  add;  in  1936 
they  fell  short  by  9,091  volumes;  in  1937,  by  3,930  volumes. 
In  other  words,  in  1 935  they  discarded  53,996  books  and  added 
only  49,739;  in  1936,  they  discarded  41,859  volumes  and 
added  only  32,768;  in  1937,  they  discarded  44,346  books 
and  added  only  40,4 1 6. 

It  is  for  that  reason  that  more  books  are  needed  for  the  branch 
libraries.  And,  inasmuch  as  the  branch  libraries  possess  few 
trust  funds  for  the  purchase  of  books,  that  is  why  a  return  to  the 
former  higher  level  of  book  appropriations  by  the  City  is  urgently 
needed. 

The  amount  appropriated  by  the  City  for  the  purchase  of 
books  in  1 937  was  $75,000  as  compared  with  $55,000  in  1 936. 
Such  improvement  was  most  welcome.  It  is  nov/  to  be  hoped 
that  in  the  years  immediately  to  come  continued  improvement 
will  follow.  The  appropriation  for  books  needs  sorely  to  be  re- 
turned to  at  least  the  level  which  the  experience  of  many  years 
has  indicated  to  be  the  minimum  amount  with  which  the  Library 
can  function  to  advantage  —  nzimely,  $150,000  annually. 


[35] 


MISUSE  OF  BOOKS 


In  1937,  as  in  the  immediately  preceding  two  years,  constant 
effort  was  directed  to  making  the  most  of  the  available  book 
stock,  particularly  through  preventing  the  misuse  of  books. 

In  the  matter  of  books  unrecoverable  from  borrowers  from 
the  branch  libraries  continuing  close  attention  to  each  individual 
delinquent  case  made  it  possible  to  hold  the  number  of  these 
volumes  in  1 93  7  at  the  reduced  level  which  came  into  being  fol- 
lowing the  special  attention  given  to  the  problem  in  1935  and 
1936.  From  1930  to  1934  inclusive  the  average  number  of 
volumes  unrecoverable  from  borrowers  annually  had  been  2322. 
In  1 93 1  the  number  had  been  as  high  as  2598.  In  1 934  it  was 
2262,  By  persistent  effort  it  was  reduced  to  1399  in  1935  and 
to  953  in  1936.  In  1937  it  was  kept  at  the  reduced  level,  with 
only  979  volumes  unrecovered  from  borrowers.  This  figure  for 
1937  represents  a  reduction  of  58%  from  the  average  of  2322 
volumes  annually  unrecoverable  from  1930  to  1934  inclusive. 
It  is  a  loss  of  only  one-fortieth  of  1  %  of  the  more  than  3,500,000 
volumes  lent  from  the  branch  libraries  in  the  course  of  the  year. 

Likewise  in  the  matter  of  missing  books  in  the  branch  libraries 
continuing  close  attention  throughout  1937  resulted  in  substantial 
reduction  of  the  number  found  to  be  missing  at  the  time  of  the 
annual  inventory.  During  the  ten  year  period  ending  in  1934 
the  average  number  of  books  so  missing  annually  from  the  shelves 
of  the  branch  libraries  had  been  as  high  as  12,000.  In  1935  it 
was  12,769.  In  1936  it  was  reduced  to  1  1,012.  In  1937  it  was 
reduced  still  further  to  8,786.  This  figure  for  1937  represents 
a  reduction  of  31  %  from  the  figure  of  1935. 

In  recapitulation,  the  combined  figures  for  these  two  sources 
of  losses  have  been  as  follows : 


MISSING  FROM 

UNRECOVERABLE 

TOTAL  OF 

YEAR 

FROM  SHELVES 

FROM  BORROWERS 

COMBINED  LOSSES 

1935 

1936 
1937 

12,769 

11,012 
8,786 

1,399 
953 
979 

14.168 
11.965 
9.765 

[36] 

At  an  average  of  $1 .50  per  volume  the  value  of  these  books  so 
lost  each  year  has  been  as  follows : 


1935 

.        $21,252.00 

1936 

17.947.50 

1937 

14.647.50 

The  above  figures  of  losses  appear  very  considerable  as 
figures.  It  must  be  remem.bered,  however,  that  they  are  gross 
figures.  The  branch  libraries  are  open  approximately  300  days 
in  the  year.  Thus  the  daily  loss  is  seen  to  be  only  32  volumes. 
And  such  a  daily  loss  of  32  volumes  is  spread  throughout  a 
branch  library  system  of  33  branch  libraries.  Certainly  the  loss 
of  a  single  volume  per  day  for  each  branch  library  on  the  average 
is  not  indicative  of  careless  administration. 

A  very  substantial  reduction  in  these  losses  has  been  achieved 
in  the  last  two  years.  It  is  believed  that  still  further  reduction 
can  be  accomplished  in  the  year  ahead. 

UNEMPLOYMENT  RELIEF  PROJECTS 

The  Library  continued  during  1937  the  two  work  relief  pro- 
jects which  it  had  initiated  in  earlier  years  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Works  Progress  Administration  of  the  Federal  Government. 
In  addition  it  initiated  a  third  new  project  beginning  on  July  1  st. 

There  was  continued  through  the  year  the  project  for  the 
cleaning  of  books  throughout  the  entire  library  system. 

There  was  continued  also  the  work  upon  the  extensive  pre- 
paratory stages  for  the  project  of  reclassifying  the  scholarly  book 
collections  of  the  central  library  on  a  modem  classification 
scheme  such  as  that  of  the  Library  of  Congress.  Difficulties  of 
an  administrative  nature  had  held  back  the  carrying  on  of  this 
complex  and  difficult  task  for  many  months  in  1936.  Only  in 
the  last  weeks  of  1936  had  they  been  resolved  in  favor  of  the 
Library.  During  the  early  part  of  1937  there  therefore  had  to 
follow  a  considerable  period  of  adjustment,  as  well  as  of  selec- 
tion and  further  training  of  personnel.  Thereafter  the  preparatory 
stages  were  completed  promptly,  and  by  November  1937  it  was 
finally  possible  to  begin  the  actual  work  of  reclassification  itself. 

On  July  1  st  an  entirely  new  project  was  initiated  along  similar 


[37] 

lines  for  the  book  collections  of  the  branch  libraries  and  other 
units  of  the  Circulation  Division.  Its  purpose  is  to  provide  a  uni- 
form cataloging  and  classification  of  books  in  place  of  the  several 
varieties  of  procedure  existing  heretofore.  For  instance,  there 
have  been  up  to  the  present  time  four  different  classification 
arrangemxcnts  and  six  different  sizes  of  catalog  cards  in  use  in 
the  Circulation  Division.  In  one  branch  library  there  has  ac- 
tually been  no  card  catalog  at  all.  This  extensive  new  project 
will,  through  its  establishment  of  a  uniform  basis  of  cataloging 
and  classification  procedure,  ultimately  make  possible  a  process 
of  centralized  cataloging  for  the  branch  libraries,  with  appreci- 
able economies  in  operation.  It  will  make  use  of  a  simplified  form 
of  Library  of  Congress  cataloging  and  a  simplified  form  of  the 
classification  commonly  known  as  the  Decimal  Classification 
(the  Dewey  Classification). 

These  three  projects  provided  work  for  several  hundred  indi- 
viduals. The  cost  of  their  wages  was  provided  by  the  Federal 
Government.  The  incidental  expenses  were  borne  by  the  City 
of  Boston  as  its  contribution  as  sponsor  of  the  projects. 

BUILDINGS  AND  EQUIPMENT 

Early  in  the  year  there  arose  an  emergency  situation  at  the 
West  End  Branch  Library.  This  has  been  housed  in  the  old 
West  Church  building  on  Cambridge  Street.  When  the  old 
church  was  taken  over  in  1894  for  the  West  End  Branch  Li- 
brary, it  was  put  into  good  condition.  Thereafter,  however,  little 
was  done  by  v/ay  of  repairs.  More  recently,  during  the  last  half 
dozen  years,  an  item  for  the  repair  of  the  old  building  has  been 
included  each  year  in  the  annual  budget  estimates  of  the  Library. 
Year  by  year  the  item  has  not  been  allowed.  Finally  in  the  early 
part  of  1937  an  emergency  situation  came  into  being. 

In  March  an  examination  of  the  tower  revealed  a  structural 
weakness  of  sufficient  extent  to  necessitate  the  closing  of  the  en- 
tire front  portion  of  the  building.  Shortly  thereafter,  following 
examination  of  the  structural  elements  of  the  rest  of  the  building, 
it  appeared  desirable  to  the  Building  Commissioner  of  the  City 
of  Boston  to  order  the  entire  building  closed  to  public  use.  Tem- 


[38] 

porary  quarters  were  promptly  rented  almost  directly  across  the 
street  until  the  old  building  could  be  made  safe  for  occupancy 
once  again. 

Emergency  repairs  were  made  upon  the  tower  at  once.  These 
cost  approximately  $7000.  Careful  examination  of  the  rest  of 
the  building  indicated  that  the  total  cost  for  its  repair  would  be 
likely  to  amount  to  as  much  as  $55,000.  For  lack  of  an  appro- 
priation in  this  amount  no  further  work  has  been  carried  on 
since  the  emergency  work  W2ts  completed  in  March. 

The  old  church  building  is  one  of  the  significant  historical 
and  esthetic  monuments  of  the  city.  It  is  also  one  of  the  only 
two  remaining  public  edifices  of  its  period  in  Boston.  It  is  there- 
fore important  that  provision  be  made  for  its  renovation  and  re- 
pair at  an  early  date. 

At  the  Central  Library  there  has  long  existed  a  highly  un- 
satisfactory situation  in  the  need  for  constant  repair  of  the  tile 
roofing.  Year  by  year  for  a  substantial  period  the  annual  cost 
of  maintenance  and  repair  of  the  tiles  has  ranged  from  ten  to 
tvv^elve  thousand  dollars.  With  a  view  to  ascertaining  the  steps 
which  might  be  taken  toward  remedying  this  unsatisfactory 
situation  in  v/hich  repairs  are  constantly  needed,  Messrs  J.  R. 
Worcester  and  Company,  long  the  Library's  consulting  engin- 
eers, were  engaged  during  the  year  to  make  a  thorough  study  of 
the  condition  of  the  tile  roofing  and  to  make  recommendation  for 
a  fundamental  and  permanent  treatment  of  the  problem. 

The  report  of  the  Worcester  Company  was  rendered  on  Sep- 
tember 13,  1937.  It  recommended  a  program  which,  it  is  be- 
lieved, will  lead  to  a  reasonably  permanent  solution.  The  cost 
will  be  approximately  $256,000.  This  is  a  large  figure.  Yet  in 
1937  alone  there  had  to  be  expended  the  sum  of  $13,221.01 
for  repairs  upon  the  roof  as  it  now  stands.  Clearly  any  treatment 
accorded  to  it  will  be  costly.  The  present  practice  of  annual 
patching  and  repairing  will  prove  in  the  long  run  to  be  the  more 
costly,  however,  since  it  provides  for  no  more  than  keeping 
abreast  of  existing  difficulties  as  they  occur  in  cycles  year  by 
year,  and  as  they  are  apparently  likely  to  continue  to  occur  more 
or  less  indefinitely  into  the  future. 


[39] 

As  to  the  central  library  in  general  the  crowding  of  the  build- 
ing became  in  1937  even  more  acute  than  heretofore.  The  book 
collection  housed  there  increased  by  nearly  25,000  volumes. 
For  them  there  was  necessary  an  additional  half  mile  of  shelving 
in  a  building  in  which  the  shelves  have  been  filled  to  capacity 
for  several  years  already. 

As  to  the  branch  libraries  in  general  no  action  was  possible 
in  1937  other  than  to  attempt  to  maintain  the  buildings  in  as 
adequate  fashion  as  the  limited  appropriations  for  the  year  per- 
mitted. Important  repairs  could  not  always  be  accomplished. 
These  cannot  be  allowed  to  go  without  attention  indefinitely 
without  serious  difficulties  arising  soon  or  late. 

THE  SALARY  SITUATION  IN  THE  LIBRARY  PRIOR  TO 
JUNE  4.  1937 

In  1936  it  became  increasingly  clear  that  the  Libraiy  was  not 
receiving  sufficient  appropriations  for  personnel  year  by  year 
for  developing  an  adequate  scale  of  remuneration  for  the  mem- 
bers of  the  library  staff.  The  preceding  period  of  economic  de- 
pression had  contributed  materially  to  make  acute  a  situation 
which  had  already  been  highly  unsatisfactory  before  the  depres- 
sion had  set  in  in  1 929. 

The  salaries  of  the  library  workers  in  the  Boston  Public  Li- 
brary had  long  been  recognized  as  low.  They  were  low  as  com- 
pared with  library  salaries  elsewhere.  They  Vs^ere  low  as  compared 
with  the  salaries  paid  elsewhere  in  the  City  of  Boston  service 
for  work  of  a  nature  more  or  less  similar.  They  were  low  as 
compared  with  the  salaries  and  wages  paid  to  the  mechanical 
and  similar  workers  even  in  the  Boston  Public  Library  service. 

The  following  tables  are  of  interest  as  showing  the  distribution 
of  the  various  employees  of  the  Library  by  salary  ranges  as  of 
December  31,  1936: 


[40] 


SALARY 

Under 
Under 
Under 
Under 
Under 
Under 
Under 
Under 


RANGE 
$15.00 

20.00 
25.00 
30.00 
35.00 
40.00 
45.00 
50.00 


per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  Week 
per  week 
per  week 
per   week 


From 
From 
From 
From 
From 
From 
From 
From 


$10.00 
15.00 
20.00 
25.00 
30.00 
35.00 
40.00 
45.00 


to  $14.99 

to  19.99 

to  24.99 

to  29.99 

to  34.99 

to  39.99 
to    44.99 

to  49.99 


per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  week 
per  week 


%0F 
TOTAL  NUMBER  OF 
LIBRARY  WORKERS 

5.2% 
31.2% 
54.7% 
78.4%, 
83.6% 
89.7% 
96.5% 
97.1% 

5.2% 
26.0% 
23.5% 
23.7% 

5.2% 

6.1% 

6.8% 

0.6% 


%0F 
TOTAL  NUMBER  OF 
MECHANICAL  WORKERS 
1.6% 
16.9% 

32.2% 
37.9% 
58.8% 
61 .2% 
86.2% 
95.1  % 

1.6% 
153% 
15.3%, 

5.6% 
20.9% 

2.4% 
25.0% 

8.8% 


From  the  above  tables  it  is  to  be  seen  that  the  library  workers 
were  at  a  disadvantage  in  remuneration  as  compared  with  the 
mechanical  workers.  Nearly  one-third  (31.2%)  of  the  library 
v/orkers  were  receiving  under  $20.00  per  week  as  compared  with 
only  one-sixth  (16.9%)  of  the  mechanical  workers.  Over  one- 
half  (54.7%)  of  the  library  workers  were  receiving  under 
$25.00  per  week  as  compared  with  only  one-third  (32.2%)  of 
the  mechanical  workers.  Nearly  four-fifths  (78.4%)  of  the  li- 
brary workers  were  receiving  under  $30.00  per  week  as  com- 
pared with  only  two-fifths  (37.9%)  of  the  mechanical  workers. 
To  name  specific  workers,  seven-eighths  (29)  of  the  33  branch 
librarians  —  who  have  the  responsibility  of  being  in  charge  of 
whole  buildings  —  were  receiving  no  more  than  $41.00  per 
week,  while  rank  and  file  firemen  and  watchmen  were  receiving 
$41.50,  carpenters  and  painters  $42.00,  bookbinders  $43.50, 
printers  $44.00,  and  engineers  $48.00.  For  the  mechanical 
workers  these  rates  were  entirely  proper  in  terms  of  the  rates  pre- 
vailing for  such  work  in  the  community.  It  is  nevertheless  to  be 
noted  that  a  preferred  treatment  in  remuneration  was  thereby 
being  accorded  to  the  group  of  workers  whose  activity  is  actu- 
ally on  the  margin  of  the  main  work  for  which  the  Library  exists. 
To  the  much  larger  group  of  library  workers  whose  activity  is 


[411 

in  essence  the  real  work  of  the  Library  the  community  was  ac- 
cording not  nearly  as  favorable  treatment. 

As  compared  with  library  salaries  elsewhere  those  paid  in 
the  Boston  Public  Library  were  low.  The  beginning  rate  for 
high  school  graduates  had  generally  been  as  little  as  $1  1 .00  and 
$12.00  per  week.  For  college  graduates  it  had  been  in  most 
cases  no  more  than  $15.00  per  week,  with  occasional  instances 
of  as  much  as  $20.00  per  week.  Sometimes  a  library  school 
graduate  might  begin  in  the  Boston  Public  Library  at  $20.00 
per  week,  but  more  commonly  it  would  be  at  $15.00,  the  same 
rate  as  for  college  graduates  in  general  who  had  not  had  the 
additional  technical  library  training  of  a  library  school.  Natu- 
rally not  many  library  school  graduates  were  interested  in  enter- 
ing the  service  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  at  rates  such  as 
these  when  better  remuneration  was  to  be  had  elsewhere.  The 
average  beginning  rate  for  the  graduates  of  the  School  of  Li- 
brary Science  in  Simmons  College  was  approximately  $25.00 
per  week  ($1300  per  year).  And  graduates  of  the  School  of 
Library  Service  in  Columbia  University  were  frequently  ob- 
taining beginning  positions  at  $30.00  per  week  ($1600  per 
year) . 

As  compared  with  salaries  paid  in  other  City  of  Boston  de- 
partments for  work  of  not  dissimilar  kind  the  salaries  paid  to  the 
library  workers  in  the  Library  Department  were  notably  low. 
And  in  these  other  city  departments,  in  contrast  with  the  Library 
Department,  there  appeared  to  be  adequate  provision  available 
year  by  year  for  moving  step  by  step  from  lower  beginning  rates 
to  higher  eventual  rates.  In  the  Library  Department,  on  the  other 
hand,  it  was  becoming  increasingly  clear  that  from  lack  of  suffi- 
cient appropriations  it  was  not  being  possible  to  provide  year  by 
year  regular  step  rate  increases  in  pay  to  all  to  whom  they  were 
properly  due.  In  fact,  the  tendency  was  in  quite  the  opposite 
direction,  as  the  following  table  shows : 

NO.  OF  INDIVIDUALS 
YEAR  RECEIVING  INCREASES  IN  PAY 

1934 203 

1935 173 

1936 149 


[42] 

In  1 932  and  1 933  there  were  given  no  increases  in  remuneration 
at  all  in  the  Library  Department.  And  in  the  immediately  pre- 
ceding years  there  had  never  been  sufficient  funds  to  permit  ac- 
tion for  the  nearly  450  individuals  in  the  Library  Department 
who  had  not  already  reached  adequate  maxima  in  their  remuner- 
ation. 

Many  library  workers  in  the  central  library  had  had  no  in- 
creases toward  the  maximum  remuneration  of  their  positions 
since  1 927,  and  some  even  since  1 926  and  1 925.  Their  remuner- 
ation had  been  low  for  a  very  long  time.  In  order  to  increase 
their  low  basic  salaries  to  a  more  nearly  adequate  living  wage 
many  had  engaged  in  extra  work  evenings,  in  positions  on  the 
evening  force  which  cared  for  the  service  of  the  central  library 
from  6  to  1 0  P.M.  The  result  was  that  there  were  numerous  in- 
dividuals who  were  working  regularly  two  or  three  or  more 
evenings  a  week,  in  addition  to  their  regular  full  day's  work 
on  those  days.  Such  an  arrangement  was  not  for  the  best  for 
either  the  Library  or  the  individuals  themselves.  Nearly  one 
hundred  had  been  so  employed.  In  1 933  a  beginning  was  made 
toward  the  abolition  of  this  necessity  for  extra  work  evenings 
through  action  looking  toward  the  eventual  establishment  of  a 
shift  or  platoon  system  of  personnel  for  the  covering  of  the  cen- 
tral library  service  evenings.  Progress  had  been  slow,  however. 
Action  could  be  taken  only  as  individual  members  of  the  staff 
received  increases  in  their  basic  remuneration  and  could  thus  be 
relieved  of  the  necessity  of  extra  work  in  the  evening  to  a  corres- 
ponding amount.  Action  had  been  possible,  in  fact,  only  in  the 
cases  of  30  out  of  the  88  individuals  engaged  in  such  work 
evenings. 

SALARY  ADJUSTMENTS  AS  OF  JUNE  4,  1937 

It  was  against  such  a  background  as  this  that  it  became  clearly 
evident  in  1936  that  special  action  was  needed  for  providing 
more  adequate  remuneration  for  the  library  workers  in  the  Li- 
brary Department.  The  special  committee  which  the  Trustees 
had  appointed  in  November  1936  to  study  the  situation  and 
present  findings  to  the  city  administration  made  its  presentation 


[43] 

in  the  following  April.  Shortly  thereafter  a  special  additional 
appropriation  of  $32,000  was  made  to  the  Library  Department 
for  the  purpose  of  salary  adjustment. 

As  of  June  4,  1937  increases  in  pay  were  given  to  the  follow- 
ing categories  of  workers: 

Establishment  of  $15.00  per  week  as  the  rate  of  pay  for  all  in- 
dividuals in  the  service  of  the  Library  who  had  not  qualified  by 
passing  the  required  Entrance  Examinations  for  the  Graded 
Service,  but  had  passed  those  for  the  Ungraded  Service; 

Establishment  of  $20.00  per  week  as  a  minimum  for  all  assistants 
who  had  qualified  by  passing  the  required  Entrance  Examina- 
tions for  the  Graded  Service ; 

Increase  of  $2.00  per  week  for  all  other  individuals  in  the  Graded 

Service  v/ho  had  not  reached  the  maxima  of  their  positions  as 
follows. 

Assistants  up  to   maximum  of   $37.00 

Second  Assistants  up  to   maximum   of  $4 1 .00 
First  Assistants  and 

Children's  Librarians  up  to  maximum  of   $45.00 
Branch  Librarians  and 

Chiefs  of  Departments  up  to  $2500  per  annum; 

Increase  of  $2.00  per  week  for  individuals  employed  in  depart- 
ments other  than  bibliothecal  departments  who  had  not  reached 
the  maxima  generally  prevailing  for  similar  positions  in  City  of 
Boston  departments; 

Additional  increase  in  basic  pay  to  certain  individuals  in  liquidation 
of  extra  work  evenings,  in  continuation  of  the  program  for  the 
establishment  of  the  shift  system  in  the  central  library; 

Increase  in  the  minimum  hourly  rate  of  pay  for  part  time  work  from 
25  cents  to  30  cents  per  hour,  as  of  June  7,  1937. 

This  action  of  June  1937  made  provision  primarily  for  the 
lower  paid  groups  of  library  workers.  For  23  individuals  em- 
ployed on  a  non-permanent  basis  and  not  fully  qualified  for  en- 
trance into  the  Graded  Service  of  the  Library  it  provided  a 
$15.00  per  week  rate  of  pay.  For  1  13  individuals  fully  qualified 
for  the  Graded  Service  it  established  a  minimum  rate  of  $20.00 
per  week.  To  303  other  individuals  it  provided  an  increase  of 
$2.00  per  week  toward  the  maximum  of  their  positions.  It  made 
no  provision,  however,   for  the  higher  paid  group   of  library 


[44] 

workers.  Nor  did  it  make  any  provision  for  the  mechanical  and 
similar  workers  in  general.  Both  of  these  groups  were  already 
reasonably  well  remunerated.  Toward  the  abolition  of  the  neces- 
sity of  extra  work  evenings  in  the  central  library  it  permitted 
action  to  a  substantial  degree.  Up  to  June  1937  it  had  been 
possible  to  abolish  this  extra  work  evenings  for  only  30  out  of 
the  88  individuals  concerned.  By  the  action  of  June  4,  1937  it 
was  abolished  for  41  other  individuals.  There  remained  there- 
after only  1  7  individuals  for  whom  further  action  v/ould  have 
to  be  taken  eventually.  In  effect  the  shift  or  platoon  system  of 
personnel  had  finally  been  established  for  taking  care  of  the 
service  of  the  central  libraiy  evenings.  This  was  in  itself  one  of 
the  most  substantial  accomplishments  in  the  Library  in  many 
years,  and  one  which  had  been  desired  long  and  urgently. 

The  average  of  all  salaries  in  the  Library  —  including  the 
lowest  and  the  highest  —  had  been  raised  from  a  figure  in  the 
neighborhood  of  $1400  per  annum  to  $1530  per  annum.  Even 
after  action  on  so  widespread  a  basis  the  average  of  salaries  in  the 
Library  Department  was  still  low  as  compared  with  the  averages 
prevailing  in  other  city  of  Boston  departments,  as  the  following 
table  shows: 


AVERAGE  SALARIES   IN  CITY  OF    BOSTON   DEPARTMENTS 

(Compiled  from  data  contained  in  Officials  and  Emplo\}ees 

of  the  Ci'/p   of  Boston.    1937) 


Transit    Department    . 

Law  Department 
Finance  Commission  . 
School  Buildings  Department 
Treasury  Department  . 
Election  Department  . 
Building  Department  . 
School    Department     . 

Street  Laying-Out   Department 
Auditing  Department  . 
Weights  and  Measures    Department 
Boston   Traffic  Commission 


3,761.26 

2,962.53 
2.840.10 
2,729.00 
2,604.76 
2,597.62 
2,592.2! 
2,537.80 

2,360.68 
2,313.94 
2,240.00 
2,124.70 


[45] 

Park  Department,  Cemetery  Division 
Assessing    Department 
City    Clerk    Department 


2.063.38 
2,020.17 
2,009.53 


Soldiers'   Relief    Department        .         .         .  1,925.65 

Collecting    Department         ....  1,728.58 

Supply   Departnnent 1,718.60 

Park  Department    (excluding  day   laborers)  1 ,690.43 

Library   Department 1,530.15 

The  above  departments  are  for  the  most  part  the  "white  collar" 
departments.  In  the  case  of  the  remaining  city  departments  the 
figures  for  the  average  salaries  are  not  available  for  one  reason 
or  another.  For  the  Health  Department,  the  Hospital  Depart- 
ment, and  the  Institutions  Department  figures  comparable  with 
those  in  other  city  departments  are  not  easily  obtainable,  since 
many  of  the  medical  men  are  employed  on  only  a  part  time 
basis,  and  many  of  the  other  workers  are  given  food  or  quarters 
(or  both)  in  addition  to  cash  salaries.  For  the  Fire  Department 
and  the  Police  Department  the  basic  salaries  paid  are  $2100 
per  year,  to  which  the  firemen  and  policemen  progress  by  annual 
increments  of  $100  per  year  from  a  beginning  rate  of  $1600 
per  year.  An  actual  average  figure  for  all  employees  of  these 
two  departments  ^vas  not  attempted,  in  view  of  the  several  thou- 
sand employees  in  each  department.  In  the  Public  Works  De- 
partment most  of  the  workers  are  laborers  on  a  per  diem  basis, 
so  that  the  figures  for  this  department  are  not  easily  comparable 
with  those  for  the  other  city  departments.  And  the  Public  Wel- 
fare Department  seems  not  to  be  organized  on  a  permanent 
basis,  so  that  its  figures  appear  not  entirely  pertinent  for  com- 
parative purposes. 

As  compared  with  the  salaries  paid  to  the  mechanical  and 
other  workers  in  the  Library  Department  itself  those  paid  to  the 
library  workers  in  the  Library  Department  are  shown  in  the 
following  comparative  table  presenting  the  figures  after  the  action 
of  June  4,  1937: 


[46] 


%0F 

% 

OF 

TOT.AL  NUMBER  OF                TOTAL  NUMBER  OF 

SALARY  RANGE 

LIBRARY  WORKERS            MECHANICAL  WORKERS 

Under   $15.00   per    week 

,          . 

0.0%         ....           0.0% 

Under      20.00   per    week 

2.9% 

16.5% 

Under      25.00   per   week 

47.6% 

32.3% 

Under     30.00    per   week 

67.3% 

37.9% 

Under     35.00   per   week 

82.8% 

58.87o 

Under     40.00    per   week 

87.4% 

61 .2% 

Undar      45.00  per    week 

96.4% 

86.2% 

Under      50.00    per   week 

97.0% 

95.1% 

From  $10.00  to  $14.99  per 

week 

0.0% 

0.0% 

From      15.00  fo      19.99  per 

week 

2.9% 

16.5% 

From     20.00  to     24.99  per 

week 

44.6% 

16.5% 

From     25.00  fo     29.99  per 

week 

19.6% 

5.6% 

From     30.00  to     34.99  per 

week 

15.5% 

20.9% 

From    35.00  to     39.99  per 

week 

4.5% 

2.4% 

From     40.00  to     44.99  per 

week 

9.0% 

.        25.0% 

From     45.00  to     49.99  per 

week 

0.6% 

8.8% 

From  these  tables  it  is  clearly  to  be  seen  that  the  action  of 
June  4,  1937  was  primarily  for  the  benefit  of  the  lower  paid  li- 
brary v/orkers.  Prior  to  June  4,  1937  one-third  (31 .2%)  of  the 
library  workers  were  being  paid  under  $20.00  per  week;  there- 
after only  2.9%.  Prior  to  that  date  slightly  over  one-half 
(54.7%)  of  the  library  workers  were  being  paid  under  $25.00 
per  week;  thereafter  slightly  less  than  one-half  (47.6%).  Prior 
to  then  78.4%  of  the  library  workers  were  being  paid  under 
$30.00  per  week;  thereafter  67.3%. 

On  the  other  hand  the  library  workers  as  a  group  were  after 
June  4,  1937  still  in  an  unfavorable  position  as  compared  with 
the  mechanical  workers.  Whereas  nearly  one-half  (47.6%)  of 
the  library  workers  were  still  receiving  under  $25.00  per  week, 
only  one-third  (32.3%)  of  the  mechanical  workers  were  re- 
ceiving under  that  amount.  Whereas  tw^o-thirds  (67.3%)  of 
the  library  workers  v/ere  still  receiving  under  $30.00  per  week, 
only  two-fifths  (37.9%)  of  the  mechanical  workers  were  re- 
ceiving under  that  amount. 

The  remaining  need  for  salary  improvement  is  for  the  middle 
paid  group  of  library  workers.  Most  of  them  are  entirely  inade- 
quately remunerated  considering  the  nature  of  their  work  and 
the  training  necessary  for  it.  And  now,  through  the  substantial 
raising  of  the  beginning  rate  for  library  workers,  the  relative 


[47] 

progression  of  steps  in  remuneration  has  been  thrown  far  out  of 
balance.  Many  individuals  who  began  at  $12.00  or  $15.00  per 
week  and  are  finally  receiving  as  much  as  $22.00  or  so  per  week 
find  that  now  after  several  years  of  experience  in  the  Library 
their  remuneration  is  only  a  dollar  or  two  more  per  week  than 
that  of  the  newest  member  of  the  staff  who  has  entered  the  library 
service  at  $20.00  per  week. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF  PERSONNEL  AND  STAFF   EXAMINATIONS 

Perhaps  the  m.ost  substantial  accomplishment  for  the  Library 
and  for  the  members  of  its  staff  for  the  long  period  ahead  was 
the  announcem_ent  on  June  1 ,  1937  of  new  arrangements  for  the 
classification  of  personnel  and  for  staff  examinations,  to  go  into 
effect  as  of  January  1 ,  1 938.  These  new  arrangements  were  in- 
tended to  provide  a  basis  upon  which  to  achieve  a  classification 
of  personnel  which  would  be  uniform  in  its  application  through- 
out the  entire  library  system.  They  v/ere  to  provide  also  for  the 
further  development  of  the  incomplete  examination  system  which 
had  been  previously  in  effect  in  the  Library. 

The  new  arrangements  are  based  on  two  fundamental  assump- 
tions. The  first  of  these  is  that  individuals  are  not  naturally  equal 
in  their  respective  capacities  and  accomplishments,  that  some 
can  and  wil!  progress  faster  and  farther  than  others,  that  there 
must  therefore  be  provided  a  ladder  with  easily  recognizable 
steps  up  which  individuals  may  climb,  thus  achieving  a  classify- 
ing and  grading  of  themselves  largely  through  their  own  efforts. 
In  other  words,  the  belief  is  that  in  general  the  personal  quali- 
fications of  an  individual  are  likely  to  afford  a  better  basis  for 
financial  recognition  than  does  the  relative  standing  of  a  par- 
ticular position  in  which  the  individual  happens  to  find  himself 
and  to  which  a  particular  rate  of  pay  happens  to  be  attached 
at  the  moment. 

The  second  fundamental  assumption  is  that,  beyond  the  pos- 
session of  the  common  background  which  all  librarians  ought  to 
have  of  the  ordinary  tools  and  techniques  of  their  work,  they 
ought  also  to  be  possessed  of  specific  excellence  in  some  particular 
direction  or  directions.  The  discovery  of  such  competence  or  ex- 
cellence in  the  members  of  the  library  staff  is  of  the  highest  im- 


[48] 

portance  in  the  further  development  of  a  staff  adequate  to  the 
needs  and  standing  of  the  Boston  Public  Library. 

With  these  two  fundamental  assumptions  as  background  there 
has  been  set  up  a  framework  with  ten  steps.  The  first  five  steps 
are  those  of  the  Probationary  Service,  the  second  five  are  those 
of  the  Permanent  Service.  With  these  steps  the  system  of  staff 
examinations  has  been  articulated.  Five  Qualifying  Examinations 
are  provided  for  the  five  steps  of  the  Probationary  Service,  by 
which  Probationary  Assistants  will  qualify  for  appointment  to 
the  Permanent  Service.  Five  Promotional  Examinations  are 
provided  for  the  five  steps  of  the  Permanent  Sei"vice,  by  which 
Assistants  in  the  Permanent  Service  will  qualify  for  promotion 
and  increased  remuneration.  With  these  steps  and  these  exami- 
nations a  system  of  promotional  increases  in  pay  is  to  be  articu- 
lated. The  promotional  increases  will  take  the  place  of  the 
automatic  step  rate  increases  which  have  been  heretofore  in 
effect  in  the  Library. 

The  five  Qualifying  Examinations  will  test  the  Probationary 
Assistant's  knowledge  of  the  ordinary  tools  and  techniques  of 
library  work  at  the  elementary  level.  They  will  be  offered  in  the 
three  fields  of  General  Book  Selection,  Cataloging  and  Classi- 
fication, and  General  Reference  Work.  In  addition  two  others 
will  be  offered  to  test  the  Probationary  Assistant's  knowledge 
of  the  Boston  Public  Library  system  —  one  treating  of  the  Cen- 
tral Library  and  the  other  of  the  Bramch  Libraries.  A  limited 
period  will  be  allowed  for  meeting  the  requirements  of  the  five 
Qualifying  Examinations.  The  Probationary  Assistant  will  pro- 
gress in  his  remuneration  step  by  step  as  rapidly  as  he  meets 
successfully  individual  Qualifying  Examinations.  Upon  success- 
ful completion  of  the  requirements  of  all  five  of  the  Qualifying 
Examinations,  and  after  successful  meeting  also  of  the  additional 
requirement  of  favorable  executive  evaluation  and  recommenda- 
tion, the  Probationary  Assistant  will  be  eligible  for  appoint- 
ment as  an  Assistant  in  the  Permanent  Service. 

Likewise  in  the  Permanent  Service  there  will  be  five  Promo- 
tional Examinations.  These  will  test  the  individual  Assistant's 
possession  of  a  competence  or  excellence  in  som.e  specific  direction 
or  directions.  They  will  progress  ordinarily  from  the  general 


[49] 

to  the  special.  For  the  first  step  there  will  be  a  Promotional  Ex- 
amination which  will  be  comm.on  to  all  departments  of  the  Li- 
brary. This  will  attempt  to  assay  the  understanding  which  the 
individual  Assistant  possesses  of  the  nature  of  the  public  library 
as  an  institution.  For  want  of  a  better  name  its  field  will  be  desig- 
nated as  The  Public  Library  as  an  Institution.  With  the  second 
and  third  steps  the  fields  of  the  appropriate  Promotional  Exami- 
nations will  begin  to  differ,  varying  as  the  individual  Assistant 
may  be  employed  (or  may  be  interested  in  eventual  employment) 
in  the  branch  libraries  and  related  units  or  in  the  special  subject 
departments  of  the  central  library.  For  the  branch  libraries  the 
Promotional  Examination  fields  for  the  second  and  third  steps 
will  be  the  general  fields  of  the  Social  Sciences  and  History  and 
of  Literature  respectively.  In  the  central  library  the  Promotional 
Examination  fields  will  be  in  most  cases  an  advanced  knowledge 
of  the  French  and  German  languages  for  the  second  step  and 
a  general  knowledge  of  a  subject  field  (such  as  the  Fine  Arts, 
Music,  Science  and  Technology,  Social  Sciences  and  History, 
Literature,  etc.,  etc.)  for  the  third  step.  For  the  fourth  and  fifth 
steps  in  all  units  of  the  library  service  the  two  Promotional  Ex- 
aminations will  have  to  do  respectively  on  the  one  hand  with 
the  subject  knowledge  and  the  bibliographical  knowledge  of  a 
special  field  to  be  selected  from  within  the  subject  field  chosen 
for  the  third  step  or  on  the  other  hand  with  similar  aspects  of  a 
specialized  library  activity  (such  as  Cataloging,  Classification, 
Extension  Work,  Work  with  Schools,  Children's  Work,  Library 
Administration,  etc.,  etc.).  The  Assistant  will  progress  in  his 
remuneration  through  the  first  three  steps  as  rapidly  as  he  meets 
successfully  the  required  Promotional  Examinations.  As  he  meets 
thereafter  the  Promotional  Examination  requirements  for  the 
fourth  and  fifth  steps  he  will  become  eligible  for  promotion  and 
for  corresponding  promotional  increases  in  remuneration  when 
and  as  there  are  vacancies  to  be  filled  in  the  group  positions  of 
the  fourth  and  fifth  step  levels. 

The  salary  schedules  with  which  these  Qualifying  Exami- 
nations and  Promotional  Examinations  are  to  be  articulated  are 
as  follows: 


[50] 

SALARY  SCHEDULES  FOR  THE  GRADED   SERVICE 
(To  be  effective  when  and  as  financial  conditions  permit.) 

The  Technical  Library  Service  (Grades  B  &  C) 

probationary  service  (crade  c) 


Probationary   Assistant, 

Beginning     . 

.      $20.00 

Probationary  Assistant, 

1st  Step 

21.00 

Probationary  Assistant, 

2nd  Step 

22.00 

Probationary  Assistant, 

3rd  Step        . 

23.00 

Probationary  Assistant, 

4th   Step       . 

24.00 

Probationary  Assistant, 

5th  Step        . 

.        25.00 

NENT    SERVICE    (cRADE 

B) 

Assistant,    Beginning 

.        25.00 

Assistant,    1st    Step     . 

29.00 

Assistant,  2nd  Step  . 

33.00 

Assistant,   3rd   Step   . 

37.00 

Second  Assistant 

44.00 

First  Assistant  . 

45.00 

The  Professional  Library  Service    (Grade  A) 

CHIEFS   OF   DEPARTMENTS    AND   BRANCH    LIBRARIANS 

Basic  rate    .  .       $2610  per  annum  ($50.00  per  week) 

Upper  rate  .         .         3 1 30  per  annum  ($60.00  per  week) 

OTHER   OFFICERS 

Rate  of  remuneration  to  be  determined  for  each  case  in- 
dividually. 

Complete  dependence  upon  examinations  is  to  be  avoided  by 
requiring  at  certain  points  executive  evaluation  and  recommenda- 
tion in  addition  to  examination  accomplishment.  These  points 
will  be  as  follows :  ( 1 )  in  the  original  instance  of  employment, 
after  passing  of  the  Entrance  Examinations  and  before  the  in- 
dividual is  taken  into  the  library  service;  (2)  after  the  passing 
of  the  Qualifying  Examinations  and  before  the  individual  be- 
comes eligible  to  be  appointed  to  the  Permanent  Service;  and 
(3)  particularly  before  an  individual  becomes  eligible  to  be 
appointed  to  the  positions  of  Second  Assistant,  First  Assistant, 
and  all  positions  of  equal  or  higher  rank.  For  appointment  to 
the  positions  of  chiefs  of  departments,  branch  librarians,  and  all 
general  officers,  the  examination  system  will  not  be  used  at  all. 
For  these  a  choice  will  be  made  primarily  upon  executive  evalu- 
ation and  recommendation,  though  generally  the  individual  can- 


[51] 

didates  will  have  undergone  the  competition  of  examinations  in 
earher  stages  of  their  Hbrary  careers. 

The  new  classification  of  personnel  and  the  new  examinations 
will  be  effective  for  all  individuals  entering  the  library  service 
beginning  January  1 ,  1 938.  Such  individuals  must  meet  the  re- 
quired Qualifying  Examinations  and  Promotional  Examinations 
in  the  order  and  under  the  conditions  specified,  in  order  to  qualify 
for  appointment,  promotions,  and  increases  in  remuneration.  The 
proposed  new  arrangements  will  not  affect  individuals  already 
in  the  library  service  prior  to  January  1 ,  1938  unless  they  them- 
selves elect  to  take  advantage  of  the  new  arrangements.  For 
them  the  taking  of  the  new  examinations  will  be  on  a  voluntary 
basis,  except  in  the  case  of  qualifying  for  promotion  to  positions 
of  the  fourth  and  fifth  step  levels. 

A  detailed  description  of  the  new  arrangements  was  published 
under  the  title  Classification  of  Personnel  and  Staff  Examinations 
on  June  I,  1937. 

Much  faith  is  held  for  the  successful  working  out  of  these 
new  arrangements  because  of  their  being  based  on  fundamental 
assumptions  which  recognize  qualities  inherent  in  human  beings 
as  such.  The  individual  members  of  the  library  staff  will  in 
reality  be  achieving  a  classifying  and  a  grading  of  themselves 
largely  through  their  own  efforts  and  in  terms  of  their  individual 
abilities.  Further  they  will  be  having  an  opportunity  to  indicate 
their  eligibility  for  promotional  advancement  through  demon- 
strating their  possession  of  specific  excellence  or  competence  in 
some  particular  direction  or  directions. 

TRAINING  OF  PERSONNEL 

Five  years  ago,  in  anticipation  of  the  time  when  there  could 
be  put  into  effect  a  classification  of  personnel  and  a  system  of 
staff  examinations  on  a  wide  basis  such  as  that  just  described, 
there  was  a  recasting  along  enlarged  lines  of  the  activities  of 
the  Library's  Training  Class  which  had  existed  since  1927.  In 
the  place  of  the  single  class  affording  instruction  to  a  limited 
group  of  fifteen  or  so  individuals  throughout  the  year,  there  was 


[52] 

instituted  an  extensive  and  wide  program  of  single  courses,  open 
to  all  full^ime  members  of  the  library  staff. 

This  extended  program  of  training  courses  entered  upon  its 
fourth  academic  year  in  October  1936.  During  the  academic 
year  1936-37  there  were  151  members  of  the  staff  enrolled  in 
thirteen  full  courses  (three  terms  of  ten  weeks  each)  and  two 
one-term  courses.  These  individuals  took  1 66  courses,  of  which 
133  were  completed  satisfactorily.  This  enrollment  of  151  in- 
dividuals taking  a  total  of  166  courses  is  to  be  compared  with 
194  individuals  taking  207  courses  in  1935—36,  192  persons 
taking  260  courses  in  1934-35,  and  261  individuals  taking  268 
courses  in  1933—34.  Over  the  four  years  433  different  persons 
have  been  enrolled.  The  percentage  of  courses  passed  was  80% 
in  1936-37,  74%  in  1935-36,  83%  in  1934-35,  and  77% 
in  1933-34. 

Enrollment  in  the  courses  is  voluntary.  The  individual  has  to 
undertake  the  work  on  his  own,  not  in  library  time.  Courses  are 
offered  in  all  five  of  the  fields  which  are  to  be  covered  by  the 
new  Qualifying  Examinations  and  also  in  certain  of  those  to  be 
covered  by  the  new  Promotional  Examinations. 

It  is  a  fact  of  no  Httle  importance  to  the  Library  and  to  the 
public  at  large  that  each  year  as  many  as  from  1 50  to  200  mem- 
bers of  the  library  staff  are  engaged  in  courses  of  study  and 
training  such  as  these. 

PERSONNEL  CHANGES 

TTie  following  appointments  to  titular  positions  were  made 
during  the  year:  Rebecca  E.  Willis,  to  be  Branch  Librarian, 
Jamaica  Plain  Branch  Library;  Edith  H.  Bailey,  to  be  Branch 
Librarian,  Phillips  Brooks  Branch  Library;  M.  Florence  Cuf- 
flin,  to  be  Branch  Librarian,  Allston  Branch  Library;  Mary 
A.  C.  Kavin,  to  be  Branch  Librarian,  South  Boston  Branch 
Library;  Dorothy  F.  Nourse,  to  be  Branch  Librarian,  Tyler 
Street  Branch  Library;  William  B.  Gallagher,  to  be  Chief  of 
the  Printing  Department;  Elizabeth  L.  Wright,  to  be  Chief  of 
the  Periodical  and  Newspaper  Department;  Christine  Hayes, 


[53] 

to  be  Chief  of  the  Book  Selection  Department  in  the  Reference 
Division ;  and  Edna  G.  Peck,  to  be  Chief  of  the  Book  Selection 
Department  in  the  Circulation  Division. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Boston  Retirement  Act  the  fol- 
lowing individuals  retired  from  the  library  service:  George  H. 
Connor,  Assistant,  after  45  years  service;  Joseph  A.  Maier, 
Assistant,  after  45  years  service;  Francis  W.  Lee,  Chief  of  the 
Printing  Department,  after  43  years  service;  Frederic  Serex, 
Assistant  in  Charge,  Nev/spaper  Department,  after  42  years 
service;  Katherine  F.  Muldoon,  Branch  Librarian,  Allston 
Branch  Library,  after  41  years  service. 

As  of  the  date  of  retirement  the  honorary  title  of  Chief  of  the 
Printing  Department,  Emeritus  v/as  bestow^ed  upon  Francis  W. 
Lee  and  the  honorary  title  of  Branch  Librarian,  Emeritus  upon 
Katherine  F.  Muldoon. 

By  death  the  Library  lost  the  services  of  William  N.  Gould, 
Carpenter,  David  G.  F.  Schromm,  Elevator  Attendant,  and 
Ella  M.  Keenan,  Unclassified  Assistant. 

CONCLUSION 

The  year  1937  was  one  of  substantial  accomplishment.  Some 
of  the  more  important  developments  are  chronicled  in  the  above 
reports.  Others  are  set  forth  in  statistical  form  in  the  Appendix 
which  follows  immediately  after  this  Report.  More  have  to  be 
read  between  the  lines  since  they  are  not  of  the  sort  which  can 
be  put  into  the  written  record.  They  are  best  known  to  the  count- 
less users  of  the  Library  who  have  profited  from  them. 

To  the  members  of  the  library  staff  the  Director  is  deeply 
appreciative  for  constant  aid  and  cooperation.  For  them  and  for 
himself  he  offers  grateful  thanks  to  the  Trustees  for  continuing 
friendly  support  and  interest. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

Milton  E.  Lord 

Director,  and  Librarian 


[54] 


APPENDIX 


USE  OF  BOOKS 
Comparative   Circulation   Statistics,    1933-1937 


1933 

1934 

1935 

1936 

1937 

Central    Library 

793,121 

756,018 

737,396 

757363 

748,21 1 

Business    Branch 

17,614 

18,410 

17.921 

1 7.822 

18309 

Branch   Libraries: 

AUston 

192331 

186.413 

182.203 

172,835 

160,973 

Andrew   Square 

145,801 

138,638 

130.777 

127.827 

128,590 

Boylsfon 

143.764 

138.595 

137.179 

138.532 

124.069 

Brighton 

147,666 

134388 

130,741 

121,152 

113.169 

Charlestown 

144,676 

127.866 

117,525 

116,034 

110.377 

City   Point 

150,036 

144.762 

140.006 

129,289 

124.505 

Codman    Square 

199.786 

185.451 

168,412 

164.553 

157.174 

Dorchester 

140,344 

132.104 

135.821 

137,759 

130.130 

East    Boston 

214.789 

188.819 

161.227 

150340 

130370 

Faneuil 

130.252 

138,234 

138,561 

133,787 

120,908 

Fellowes  Athenaeum 

109.077 

98,118 

89,857 

91.436 

84.090 

Hyde   Park 

149.875 

144,011 

141,763 

129,807 

126.043 

Jamaica    Plain 

131,903 

126.702 

119.760 

116,604 

118,819 

Jeffries    Point 

92,499 

80.460 

76.500 

73.593 

71.440 

Kirstein 

65,149 

63,388 

64,045 

56,536 

46,204 

Lower    Mills 

81.017 

74,990 

70,928 

64371 

60,635 

Mattapan 

219,300 

205,498 

196311 

188,382 

177.013 

Memorial 

246,757 

222.975 

211.971 

192,100 

173,279 

Mt.    Bowdoin 

158.667 

149341 

143,823 

137.889 

128,668 

Mt.    Pleasant 

102.914 

94,640 

89.924 

84,102 

80,752 

Neponset 

78.579 

69,638 

64.409 

60.117 

59.535 

North  End 

163.735 

143351 

123.174 

125,656 

121.927 

Orient   Heights 

84.233 

92.801 

81.189 

68.932 

60.255 

Parker    Hill 

125.524 

119.139 

112.165 

108.933 

102314 

Phillips   Brooks 

51,870 

46.258 

45397 

44,859 

40387 

Roslindale 

173.078 

167.562 

154.640 

151.971 

146.992 

Roxbury   Crossing 

76,023 

75,062 

72,839 

71.037 

44,576 

South   Boston 

168326 

141,046 

128.979 

124.228 

117,161 

South     End 

155.575 

154.604 

153,478 

150.728 

138.298 

Tyler    Street 

72334 

52,578 

47.979 

51,364 

53.301 

Uphams    Corner 

228.490 

211.399 

199.564 

188,437 

175,918 

West    End 

218,721 

208.003 

201 373 

200,444 

181,642 

West  Roxbury 

174,457 

163.089 

161,864 

157.918 

155,144 

5.548,283    5,194351    4,949,701    4,806.737   4.531378 


[55] 

The  net  gains  and  losses  in  circulation  are  presented,  apart 
from  the  totals,  in  the  following  form: 

1933  loss   from  preceding   year         ........  19,398 

1934  loss   from   preceding  year         ........  353,932 

1935  loss    from   preceding   year          ........  244,650 

1936  loss    from  preceding  year         ........  142,964 

1937  loss   from  preceding  year         ........  275,359 


Distribution  of  Total  Circulation 


Central  Library 

a.  Direct  ,  .  ,  . 

b.  Through   Branch  Libraries 

1 .  Deposit    Collection    . 

2.  General  Collections    . 

c.  Schools   and   Institutions   through 

Branch    Department 
Business  Branch 
Branch  Libraries: 

Allston 

Andrew    Square 

Boylston 

Brighton 

Charlestown 

City    Point 

Codman  Square 

Dorchester 

East    Boston 

Faneuil 

Fellowes    Athenaeum 

Hyde    Park 

Jamaica    Plain 

Jeffries    Point 

Kirstein 

Lower    fvlills 

Mattapan 

Memorial 

Mt.    Bowdoin 

Mt.  Pleasant 

Neponset 

North     End 

Orient    Heights 

Parker    Hill 

Phillips    Brooks 

Roslindale 

Roxbury     Crossing 

South    Boston 

South    End 

Tyler  Street 

Uphams    Corner 

West    End 

West    Roxbury 


HOME 
USE 

391,280 

49,340 
28,181 


schools  and 
institutions 


279,410 

748,211 

18309 

160,973 

160,973 

125,149 

'3,*44l" 

128,590 

124,069 

124.069 

1 1 1 ,433 

1736 

113,169 

102.946 

7,431 

110,377 

124,505 

124.505 

146329 

l"o!845 

157,174 

129,547 

583 

130,130 

125,977 

4,593 

130,570 

120,908 

120,908 

70,560 

l'3!536 

84,090 

126,043 

126,043 

113,994 

*4;825 

118.819 

71,440 

71.440 

46,204 

46,204 

60,635 

60,635 

175,933 

'lioso 

177,013 

173,159 

120 

173.279 

128,668 

128,668 

80,752 

80,752 

59,535 

59,535 

121,517 

'  VlO 

121.927 

60.255 

60,255 

102,314 

102314 

40,387 

40,387 

137,920 

'9;072 

146,992 

44.576 

44,576 

102,301 

1 41860 

117.161 

133,588 

4,710 

138,298 

53,301 

53301 

1 75,740 

'    178 

175.918 

163,702 

17,940 

181,642 

144,696 

10,448 

155,144 

3.659.056 


105,802 


3,764,858 


[56] 

These  figures  are  condensed  into  the  following: 

Books  Lent  for   Home  Use,  Including  Circulation   Through 
Schools  and  Institutions 

From  Central  Library  (including  Central  Library  books  issued  through 

the    Branch    Libraries) 748,21 1 

From  Business  Branch      .          .          .          .          .          •          •          •          •          •  18,309 

From  Branch  Libraries  (excluding  books  received  from  Central  Library)  3,764,858 

4,531,378 

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: 

1936         1937 

Volumes  lent  from  this  library  to  other  libraries  in   Massachusetts  1,592  1,436 

Lent  to  libraries  outside  of  Massachusetts 430  342 

2,022  1,778 
Applications    refused: 

From   libraries   in    Massachusetts      ......            693  843 

From  libraries  outside  of  Massachusetts   .          .         .         .          .            219  205 

912        1,048 

The  classified  direct  circulation  of  the  branch  libraries  for 

two  successive  years  was  as  follows: 

1936  1937 

VOLUMES    PERCENTAGE        VOLUMES    PERCENTAGE 

Fiction  for  adults       .        .        .  1,815,704  46.3  1,667,651  45.6 

Non-fiction    for    adults        .        .  583.624  15.0  552,208  15.1 

Juvenile   fiction  ....  1,045,093  26.6  1,000.823  27.3 

Juvenile    non-fiction    .        .        .  474,603  12.1  438.374  12.0 

At  the  Central  Library  the  classified  direct  circulation  shows 

the  following  percentages: 

1936  1937 

Fiction 47.6  413 

Non-fiction 52.4  58.7 

BOOK  ACCESSIONS 
Books  Acquired  By  Purchase 
For  the  Central  Library: 
From  City   appropriation 
From  trust   funds  income 

13.476  15.114 

For  Branch  Libraries: 

From    City    appropriation      .  .  .         30,260  41,461 

From   trust    funds    income      .         .         .  2320  1,292 

32,580  42.753 


1936 

1937 

3,634 

5.681 

9,842 

9.433 

[57] 


The  following  statement  includes  the  accessions  by  purchase 
combined  with  books  received  by  gift  or  otherwise : 


TOTAL 

CEiNTRAL 

BRANCHES 

VOLUMES 

Accessions  by  purchase 
Accessions    by    gift    .... 
Accessions   by    exchange    . 
Accessions   by   continuations   bound    . 

15.114 

3.273 

5 

6.097 

42,753 
864 

21 

57.867 

4,137 

5 

6,118 

Accessions    by   newspapers   bound 

28 

— 

28 

24,517 

43,638 

68,155 

THE 

CATALOGS 

1936 

1937 

VOLS.  AND 

VOLS.  AND 

PARTS            TITLES 

PARTS 

TITLES 

Cataloged    (new) 

Central    Library    Catalog 
Serials              .... 
Branch    Libraries    ... 
Recataloged 

22,926        19,550 

10,696              — 

31,225        29,875 

6,719          4,311 

21,750 

11.185 

36,846 

8,215 

17,608 

34,869 
1.758 

Totals 


71,566        53.736 


77.996        54.235 


The  number  of  volumes  shelved  and  thus  made  available  for 
public  use  is: 

Placed  on  the  Central  Library  shelves  during  the  year: 

General  collection,    new  books    (including  continuations)         .          .          .  20.815 

Special  collections,  new  books   and   transfers           .....  2,484 
Books  reported  lost  or  missing  in  previous  years  but  now  found, 

transfers    from   Branch   Libraries,    etc.      ......  L697 

24,996 
Removed  from  Central  Library  Shelves  during  the  year: 

Books  reported  lost  or  missing,  condemned  copies  not  yet  replaced, 

transfers,    etc. 15,890 

Net  gain  at   Central  Library 9,106 

Net   loss    at    Branch    Libraries 3,930 

Placed   in    Business   Branch        .........  2,170 

Net   gain   entire   library  system  .........  7,346 


[58] 


BOOK  STOCK 


The  total  number  of  volumes  in  the  library  at  the  end  of  each 
year  since  its  formation  is  shown  in  the  following  statement: 


1852-53 

1853-54 

1854-55 

1855-56 

1856-57 

1857-58 

1858-59 

1859-60 

1860-61 

1861-62 

1862-63 

1863-64 

1864-65 

1865-66 

1866-67 

1867-68 

186&-69 

1869-70 

1870-71 

1871-72 

1872-73 

1873-74 

1874-75 

1875-76 

1876-77 

1877-78 

1878-79 

1879-80 

1880-81 

1881-82 

1882-83 

1883-84 

1884-85 

1885 

1886 

1887 

1888 

1889 

1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 


9.688 

1895 

16.221 

1896-97 

22.617 

1897-98 

28.080 

1898-99 

34.8% 

1899-1900 

70.851 

1900-01 

78,043 

1901-02 

85.031 

1902-03 

97,386 

1903-04 

105,034 

1904-05 

110.563 

1905-08 

116.934 

1906-07 

123,016 

1907-08 

130.678 

1908*09 

136.080 

1909-10 

144.092 

1910-11 

152.796 

1911-12 

160,573 

1912-13 

179,250 

1913-14 

192,958 

1914-15 

209.456 

1915-16 

260.550 

1916-17 

276.918 

1917-18 

297,873 

1918-19 

321.010 

1919-20 

345,734 

1920-21 

360.963 

1921-22 

377,225 

1922-23 

390.982 

1923-24 

404.221 

1924-25 

422.116 

1925 

438,594 

1926 

453.947 

1927 

460.993 

1928 

479.421 

1929 

492,956 

1930 

505,872 

1931 

520.508 

1932 

536.027 

1933 

556,283 

1934 

576.237 

1935 

597.152 

1936 

610.375 

1937 

628,297 

663,763 

698,888 

716,050 

746383 

781,377 

812,264 

835.904 

848.884 

871,050 

878.933 

903.349 

922,348 

941.024 

961 .522 

987.268 

1.006.717 

1,049.011 

1.067,103 

1,098,702 

1,121.747 

1,139.682 

1.157326 

1.173.695 

1.197.498 

1.224.510 

1.258,211 

1.284,094 

1308.041 

1.333,264 

1,363.515 

1388,439 

1,418.489 

1.442.802 

1,475,743 

1,526.951 

1.572.802 

1.631.422 

1,654,017 

1,673,609 

1,682,848 

1.693335 

1,700.681 


Volumes   in   the  Central   Library 1.195.704 

Volumes  in  the   Business  Branch  ........  20.695 

Volumes  in  the  Branch  Libraries  ........  484,282 

Volumes  in  entire  library  system  ........  1,700.681 


[59] 
These  volumes  are  located  as  follows: 


Central    Library 

. 

1.195.704 

Business    Branch 

, 

. 

20.695 

Branch  Libraries: 

AUslon 

13.489 

Memorial 

16,571 

Andrew   Square 

11.941 

Mt.  Bowdoin  . 

13,041 

Boylston 

10,808 

Mt.    Pleasant    . 

8,460 

Brighton 

20.755 

Neponset 

7,007 

Charlestown 

17.515 

North    End      . 

11,823 

City    Point 

11.861 

Orient    Heights 

9,607 

Codman    Square 

16,805 

Parker   Hill     . 

13.101 

Dorchester 

16,292 

Phillips    Brooks 

5,549 

East    Boston 

17,947 

Roslindale 

1 5,806 

Faneuil 

14,334 

Roxbury    Crossing 

7,038 

Fellowes   Athenaeum 

41,563 

South   Boston   . 

1 7.780 

Hyde    Park        . 

30,569 

South     End 

1 1 .796 

Jamaica    Plain    . 

15.435 

Tyler    Street    . 

7.919 

Jeffries    Point     . 

7.806 

Uphams     Corner 

17,727 

Kirstein 

7.365 

West    End       . 

21,829 

Lower    Mills 

8.682 

West    Roxbury 

19,971 

Mattapan 

16.090 

THE  BINDING  DEPARTMENT 


Number  of  volumes  bound   in   various   style 

Magazines    stitched    .... 

Volumes    repaired      .... 

Volumes    guarded      .... 

Maps    mounted  .... 

Photographs    and    engravings    mounted 

Library  publications  folded,  stitched  and   trimmed 


1936 

1937 

66,014 

65,822 

69 

66 

1.900 

2,502 

644 

537 

77 

62 

2,521 

3,209 

130,504 

151.990 

THE  PRINTING  DEPARTMENT 

1936  1937 

Requisitions    received    and    filled 220  494 

Card  Catalog   (Central   Library) : 

Titles   (Printing   Depariment   count) 23.861  15.637 

Cards  finished   (exclusive  of   "extras")        ....  140.640  124,609 
Card   Catalog    (Branch   Libraries) : 

Titles   (Printing  Department  count) 1,010  932 

Cards  finished    (exclusive   of  "extras")        ....  66,731  81,240 

Signs 60  944 

Blank   Forms    (numbered   series)        .          .          .          .          .          .  4,210,220  4,250,440 

Forms,  circulars  and  sundries  (outside  the  numbered  series)        .  43.275  169,826 

Catalogs,  pamphlets,   bibliographical  programs    ....  40.615  162,799 


[60] 
NOTABLE  PURCHASES.  1937 

Printed  Books  —  Manuscripts  —  Reproductions 

ABC  Lesetafel.      Leipzig,  V.  Bapst.  c.  1544. 
Accolti. 

Lo  inganno  de  gl'occhi.  Florenz,  1625. 
Albertus  Magnus. 

De  Natura  Locorum.  Vienna,  Victor  &  Singrenius,   1514. 
Alexander  de  Villa  Dei. 

Doctrinale  puerorum.   Nuremberg,   Friedrich  Creussner,   1487. 
S.  Ambrosius. 

De  officiis  ministrorum  (with  other  tracts) .  Milan,  Valdarfer,  1 474. 
The  American  Pioneer.      2  v.      Cincinnati,   1  843—4. 
The  American  Revolution. 

Letters  from  a  Midshipman  in  the  Royal  Navy.  Plymouth,  c.  1  800. 

Narratives,  Memoirs,  and  Journals.  8  v.  New  York,   1  860-6. 

Andreae,  Johannes. 

Arbor  consanguinitatis.  Nuremberg,  Creussner,  c.   1476. 
Angelus  de  Clavasio. 

Summa  de  casibus  conscientiae.  Chivasso,  Jacobinus  de  Suigo,  1 486. 
Aristophanes. 

Comoediae  novem.  Venice,  Aldus  Manutius,  1 498. 
Aristoteles. 

Liber  de  moribus.  Paris,  Jean  Higman,  1488. 

Politica.  Rome,  Eucharius  Silber,  1492. 

Arnold,  Matthew. 

Essays  in  Criticism.  London,   1865—1888.  2  v, 
Aspinwall,  William. 

A  Premonition  of  Sundry  Sad  Calamities.  London,   1655. 
Auctoritates  Aristotelis.  Senece,   etc.  Cologne,  Johann  Guldenschaff, 

1487. 
Aus  America  das  ist  auss  der  Newen  Welt.  Augsburg,   I  620. 
Bacon,  Sir  Francis. 

History  Natural!  And  Experimentall.  London,   1  638. 
Of  the  Advancement  and  Proficience  of  Learning.  Oxford. 

1640. 
Bandellus. 

De  Conceptione.  Milan,  C.  Valdarfer,  1475. 
Beaumont,  Francis,  &  John  Fletcher. 

The  Wild-Goose  Chase.  London,  1  652. 
Benlowes,  Edward. 

Theophila.  London,   1652. 


[61] 

Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Berchorius. 

Liber  Bibliae  moralis.  Ulm,  Johann  Zainer,   1474. 
S.  Bernardus  Claraevallensis. 

Epistolae.  Strassburg,  Eggestein,  c.  1475. 

&  Gilbertus  de  Hollandia.  Sermones.  Strassburg,  Flach,  1497. 

S.  Bernardus  Senensis. 

Quadragesimale.  Basle,  Johann  of  Amerbach,  not  after   1 490. 
Bevier,  The  Rev.  Johannes  H. 

The  Indians.  Rondout,  N.  Y.,   1846. 
Bircardus,  Ariel. 

Quaestiones  novae    in   libellum   de   sphaera.    Frankfurt,    Brubach, 

1549. 
Blondus. 

Romae  instauratae,  libri  III.  Verona,  Boninus  de  Boninis,   1481. 
Boethius. 

De  consolatione  philosophiae.  Lyon,  Guillaume  Le  Roy,  1 486. 
Boswell,  James. 

Life  of  Samuel  Johnson.  London,  1  79 1 .  2  v. 
Brathwaite,  Richard. 

The  Schollers  Medley.  London,  1614. 
Breazeale,  J.  W.  M. 

Life  as  it  is.  Knoxville,   1 842. 
Breidenbach. 

Peregrinationes  in  Terram  Sanctam.  Mainz,  E.  Reuwich,  1  486. 
Bridges,  Robert. 

Demeter.   Oxford,    1905. 
Brome,  Alexander. 

Songs  and  Other  Poems.  London,   1  66 1 . 
Brown,  Samuel  R. 

Views  of  the  Campaigns  of  the  Northwestern  Army.  Troy,   1814. 
Bulla  Canonisationis  Sancti  Leopoldi.  Vienna,  Stephan  KobHnger,  c. 

1484. 
Bumaby,  Andrew. 

Travels  through  the  Middle  Settlements  in  North  America.  London, 

1798. 
Bumaby,  Charles. 

The  Modish  Husband.  London,  1  702. 
Calchum. 

Zusamfassung  etl.  Geometr.  Bremen,   1 629. 
Castiglioni,  Luigi. 

Viaggio  negli  State  Uniti  dell'  America.  Milan,   I  790. 


[62] 

Notable  Purchases.  1937  (continued) 

Chapman,  George. 

Andromeda  Liberata.   London,   1614. 
Chrysostomus. 

Homiliae  XLIV.  Urach,  Conrad  Fyner,  c.  1 483. 
Cicero. 

De  officiis.  Venice,  Philippus  Pincius,   1 496. 
Orationes  Philippicae.  Venice,  Joannes  Tacuinis  de  Tridino, 

1494. 
Tusculanae  disputationes.  Venice,  Antonius  de  Strata,  de 

Crem.ona,   1  49 1 . 
Clare,  John. 

The  Converted  Jew.  Douay,  Permissu  Superiorum,  1  630. 
Cornelius  Nepos. 

Vitae  imperatorum.  Brescia,  Jacobus  Britannicus,   1 498. 
Cornwallis,  Lord. 

Examination  before  a  Committee  of  the  House  of  Commons. 

London,   1779. 
Cowley,  Abraham. 

Anacreon.  London,  1683. 
Crabbe,  George. 

The  Village.  London,  1  783. 
Cumings,  Samuel. 

The  Western  Pilot.  Cincinnati,   1825. 
Davilla,  Gil  Gonzalez. 

Theatro  Ecclesiastico.  2  v.   Madrid,   1649—1655. 
Dictys  et  Dares. 

Historia  Troiana.  Venice,  Christopher  de  Pensis,  1499. 
Directorium  Breviarii  Salisburgensis.  Nuremberg,  Georg  Stuchs,  c. 

1497. 
Doddridge,  Dr.  Joseph. 

Notes  on  the  Settlement  and  Indian  Wars  of  Virginia  and  Pennsyl- 
vania. Wellsburgh,  Va.,  1824. 
Donne,  John. 

Biathanatos,  London,   1  644. 
Drake,  Sir  Francis. 

Third  Voyage.  London,    1 626. 
Dunsany,  Lord. 

Plays  of  Gods  and  Men.  London,  1917. 

Unhappy  Far-Of f  Things.  London,   1919.  2v. 

Eastburn,  Robert. 

A   Faithful  Narrative  of  his  Dangers  and  Sufferings  during   his 

Captivity  among  the  Indians.  Boston,   1  758. 


[63] 

iNoTABLE  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

England's  Helicon.  London,  Richard  More,   1614. 
S.  Ephrem  Syrus. 

Libri  de  compunctione  cordis  de  judicio  dei.    Freiburg,  Kilian  Fi- 
scher, c.   1491. 
Epistola  de  miseria  curatorum.  Strassburg,   Johann  Priiss,  c.    1 489. 
Epistola  diversorum  philosophorum  oratorum  Rhetorum  sex  et  viginto. 

Venice,  Aldus  Manutius,   1499. 
Esquemeling,  Alexander  O. 

Histoire  des  Avantures.  Paris,  1  686. 
Eyb,  Albertus  de. 

Margarita  Poetica.  Rome,  Ulrich  Han,   1475. 
Fielding,  Henry. 

Amelia.  Lxindon,   1  752. 

The  Journal  of  a  Voyage  to  Lisbon.  London,    1755. 

Miscellanies.  London,    I  743. 

Fletcher,  John. 

The  Bloody  Brother.  London,    I  639, 
Forbes,  Alexander. 

California.  London,  1  839. 
Fulgosus. 

Anteros.  Milan,  L.  Pachel,  1496. 
Galilei-Sarsio. 

Libra  astronomica.  Perusia,   1619. 
Galvano-Hakluyt. 

The  Discoveries  of  the  World.  London,  1601. 
Gellius,  Aulus. 

Noctes  Atticae.  Venice,  Andreas  de  Paltasichis,  1477. 
Gerstinger,  Hans. 

Die  Wiener  Genesis.  Filser  Verlag,  1931.  2  v. 
Goldsmith,  Oliver. 

Essays.  London,   1765. 
Gregg,  Josiah. 

Commerce  of  the  Prairies.  New  York,  1845. 
S.  Gregorius  I.  Magnus. 

Epistolae.   Augsburg,  Zainer,   c.    1476. 
Guillermus  Avernus. 

Rethorica  divina.  Freiburg,  Kilian  Fischer,  c.  1491. 
Hall,  John. 

Poems.  Cambridge,   1  646. 
Hobbes,  Thomas. 

Philosophicall  Rudiments.  London,   1  65 1 . 
Hudson,  William  H. 

The  Land's  End.  London,  1 908. 


[64] 

Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Hues,  Robert. 

Tractatus  de  Globis.  London,  161  1. 
Hutchins,  Thomas. 

A  Topographical  Description  of  Virginia.  London,   1  778. 
Indian  Anecdotes  and  Barbarities.  Barre,  Mass.,  1837. 
Indian  Treaty.  A  Conference  Held  at  the  Fort  at  St.  George's.  Boston. 

1742. 
Johnson,  Mrs.  Susannah. 

A  Narrative  of  her  Captivity.  Glasgov^^,  1797. 
Killigrew,  Mrs.  Anne. 

Poems.  London,  1  686. 
Landor,  Walter  S. 

The  Hellenics.  London,   1  847. 
Leigh,  Richard. 

The  Copie  of  a  Letter  to  the  Ambassador  in  France  for  the  King 

of  Spain,  declaring  the  State  of  England.  London,  1588. 
S.  Leo  I. 

Sermones.  Basel,  Michael  Wenssler,  c.   1474—5. 
Lesley,  John. 

De  Ttitulo  et  Jure  Serenissimae  Principis  Mariae  Scotorum  Reginae ; 

and  De  Illustrium  Foeminarum.  Rheims,   1580. 
Lewis,  Hannah. 

Narrative  of  her  Captivity.  Boston,  1818. 
Lochmaier. 

Sermones  de  Sanctis.  Hagenau,  Heinrich  Gran,   1  500. 
Locke,  John. 

An  Essay  concerning  Humane  Understanding.  London,  1 690. 
Luther,  Martin. 

Adversus  Execrabilem  Antichristi  Bullam.  Wittemberg,   1520. 

Confitendi  Ratio.  Augsburg,  1520. 

Ein  Sermon  iiber  das  Evangelion  Johannis.  Wittemberg,  1531. 

Summa  des  Christlichen  lebens.  Wittemberg,   1533. 

Mancinellus. 

Scribendi   Orandique   Modus.    Venice,    Bernardinus    Benalius,    c. 

1494. 

Versilogus.  Leipzig,  Wolfgang  Stoeckel,   1 496. 

Manuscript  letters  to  Mrs.  James  T.  Fields  from  Sophia  Hawthorne, 

Celia  Thaxter,  Louise  Imogen  Guiney,  and  others. 
Marvell,  Andrew. 

Miscellaneous   Poems.    London,    1  68 1 . 
Massachusetts  Views.  Boston,  Pendleton,  1  833. 


[65] 

Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Maurocenus. 

De  aeterna  et  temporali  generatione  Christi  in  judaicae  improba- 

tionem.  Padova,  Bartholomaeus  de  Valdezoccho,  1473. 
May,  Thomas. 

The  Victorious  Reigne  of  King  Edward  the  Third.  London,  1  635. 
Mayne,  Jaspar. 

The  Citye  Match.  Oxford,  1 639. 
Medina. 

L'Arte  del  navegar.  Venice,   1554. 
Mill,  Humphrey. 

A  Nights  Search.  London,   1640. 

—  The  Second  Part  of  the  Nights  Search.  London,   1  646. 

Milton,  John. 

Of  reformation.  London,  1641. 
M'llvane,  William. 

Sketches  in  California  and  Mexico.  Philadelphia,   1850. 
Mizaldus. 

Harmonia  coelestium  corporum  et  humanorum.  Paris,  Kerver,  1555. 
The  Muse  of  New-Market.  London,  1  680. 

A  New  Voyage  to  Georgia.  By  a  Young  Gentleman.  London,  1  737. 
Niavis. 

Latinum  Ideoma  pro  parvulus  editum.  Nurnberg,  Creussner,  1  494. 
Nider. 

Formicarius.  Cologne,  Ulrich  Zell,  c.  1475. 
Praeceptorium  divinae  legis  s.  expositio  Decalogi.   Reutlingen, 

Michael  Greyff,  c.  1479. 
Nonius  Marcellus. 

De  proprietate  latini  sermonis.  Brescia,  Boninus  de  Boninis,  1 483. 
Otway,  Thomas. 

Windsor  Castle.  London,  1685. 
Paulding,  James  K. 

Chronicles  of  the  City  of  Gotham.  New  York,  1 830. 
Pernambuco. 

Eygentlicher  Abirs.    1530. 
Perottus,  Nicolaus. 

De  generibus  Metrorum.  Venice,  Maximus  de  Butricis,  1491. 
Petrus  Lombardus. 

Liber  sententiarum.  Basel,  Nicolas  Kessler,   1488. 
Peurbach. 

Elementa  arithmetices.  Wittenberg,   1534. 
Pike,  Zebulon  M. 

Explanatory  Travels.  London,     181  I. 


[66] 
Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Plautus. 

Comoediae.  Venice,  Simon  Bevilaqua,   1499. 
Plenarium,  Deutsch.  Augsburg,  Anton  Sorg,   1  478. 
Plinius  Secundus  (Caius). 

Historia  Naturalis.  Parma,  Andreas  Portilia,  1481. 
Pontanus. 

De  fortitudine  bellica.  De  principe.  Naples,  Mathias  Moravus, 

1490. 
Pope,  Alexander. 

An  Essay  on  Man.  London,   1  732—4. 

Of  the  Knowledge  and  Characters  of  Men.  London,   1  733. 

The  Rape  of  the  Lock.  London,   1714. 

Privilegia  et  Litterae  indulgentiarum  Ordinis  Fratrum  Minorum.  Leip- 
zig, Wolfgang  Stockel,   1498. 
Proba,  Anicia  Faltonia. 

Cento  Virgilianus.  Poitiers,  Jean  Bouyer,    [1500>] 
Psalterium  Latino-Germanicum.  Augsburg,   Erhard  Ratdolt,    1 499. 
Quarles,  Francis. 

Hadassa.  London,  1  62  1 . 

The  Historic  of  Samson.  London,   1  63 1 . 

Job  MiHtant.  London,  1  624. 

Observations  concerning  Princes  and  States.   London,   1  642. 

The  Shepheards  Oracles.  London,   1 646. 

Sions  Elegies.  London,  1  624. 

Quinlan,  James  E. 

Tom  Quick,  the  Indian  Slayer.  Monticello,  N.  Y.,  1851. 
Quintilianus. 

Declamationes.  Venice,   L.    Dominici,    1482. 
Radcliffe,  Ann. 

The  Italian.  London,  1  797. 
Raulin. 

Oratio.  Basle,  Johann  Bergmann,  1498. 
Regiomontanus. 

Almanach    ad   annos   XVIII    accuratissime    calculata.    Augsburg, 

Erhard  Ratdolt,  1488. 

Kalendarius.  Augsburg,  Hans  Miller,  1518. 

Revere,  Paul, 

Engraving  of  the  Boston  Massacre.  1  770. 
Rov/lands,  Richard. 

A  Restitution  of  Decayed  Intelligence.  Antwerp,  Robert  Bruney, 
1605. 


[67] 

Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Sabellicus. 

Rerum  Venetarum  decades.  Venice,  Andreas  Torresanus,  de  Asula, 

1487. 
Sacrobusco. 

Sphaere  textum.  Paris,  Jean  Petit,  1515. 
Samuel,   Rabbi 

Epistola  contra  Judaeorum  errores.  Metz,  Caspar  Hochfeder,  1 498. 
Sandeus. 

Lectura   super  titula  de  fide  instrumentorum.   Pavia,   Michael  de 

Geraldis,  1497. 
Scarron,  Paul. 

Comical  Romance.  London,    1676. 
Scott,  Thomas. 

A  Tongue-Combat.  London,   1623. 
Seneca. 

Opera  philosophica  et  epistolae.   Venice,   Bernardinus  de    Choris, 

1492. 

Tragoediae.  Venice,  Lazarus  de  Soardis,  de  Saviliano,   1492. 

Settle,  Elkanah. 

Ibrahim;  The  Female  Prelate;  The  City-Ramble.  London,  1677— 

1712. 
A  Narrative;  A  Letter  to  Mr.  Settle;  An  Heroick  Poem  on 

the  Coronation.  London,  1683—5. 
Seutter. 

Recens  elaborata  mappa.  Ausburg,  1  730. 
Shelley,  Percy  Bysshe. 

Hellas.  London,  I  822. 
Sibylla,  Bartholomaeus. 

Speculum  peregrinarum.  Strassburg,  Johann  Griininger,   1499. 
Smith,  Mrs.  Mary. 

An  Affecting  Narrative  of  her  Captivity.  Williamsburg,  1818. 
Smith,  William,  provost. 

An   Historical   Account   of  the   Expedition  against  Ohio   Indians. 

Philadelphia,  I  765. 
Southerne,  Thomas. 

The  Fatal  Marriage.  London,   1  694. 
Speculum  Exemplorum.  Deventer,  Richardus  Pafraet,   1481. 
Stanley,  Thomas. 

Poems.  London,   1 65  I . 
Statius. 

Opera.  Venice,  Bartholomaeus  de  Zanis,    1 494. 


[68] 

Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Stephens,  James. 

Typewritten  manuscript  of  "Theme  and  Variations,"  with  numerous 

autograph  corrections,  etc.  in  author's  hand.  With  first  edition  of 

the  work.  N.   Y.,    1930. 
Swift,  Jonathan. 

A  Complete  Key  to  the  Tale  of  a  Tub.  London,   1710. 
The  History  of  the  Four  Last  Years  of  the  Queen.  London, 

1758. 

Memoirs  of  the  G)urt  of  Lilliput.  London,  1  727. 

Tate,  Nahum. 

Elegies.  London,   1  699. 

Poems.  London,   1677. 

Taylor,  John,  "The  Water-Poet." 

An  humble  Desired  Union.  London,  1  642. 

Mad  Fashions.  London,   1  642. 

Mercurius  Aquaticus.   N.p.,    1643. 

Tennyson,  Alfred. 

Poems.  London,  1  830. 

Poems.  London,  1857. 

Terrasse,  Petrus. 

Oratio  de  divina  profidentia.  Rome,  Stephan  Plannck,  1483. 
Thackeray,  William. 

The  Adventures  of  Philip  on  his  Way  through  the  World.  London, 

1862. 

The  Book  of  Snobs.  London,   1  848. 

Comic  Tales  and  Sketches.  London,   1  84  L 

An  Essay  on  the  Genius  of  George  Cruikshank.  London,  1  840. 

The  History  of  Pendennis.  London,   1  848—50. 

The  House  of  Henry  Esmond.  London,   1852. 

A.n  Interesting  Event.  London,   1 849. 

The  Irish  Sketch-Book.  London.  1  843. 

"Our  Street."  London,  1848. 

The  Newcomes.  London,  1853—5. 

Mrs.  Perkins's  Ball.  London,   1847. 

The  Snob ;  The  Gownsman.  Cambridge.    1  829—30. 

Vanity  Fair.  London.   1  848. 

The  Virginians.  London,  1858—9. 

Theramo,  Jacobus  de. 

Consolatio   peccatorum.   Cologne,   Printer  of  Augustinus   de   Fide 

(Goiswin  Gops?).  c.   1473. 
Thesaurisatio  in  coelis.  Nuremberg.  Friedrich  Creussner.    1488. 


[69] 

Notable  Purchases,  1937  (continued) 

Thorius,  Raphael. 

Hymnus  Tabaci.  London,  1  65 1 . 
Thucydides. 

De  bello  Peloponnesiaco.  Treviso,  Joannes  Vercellensis,  c.   1 483. 
Tortellius. 

Orthogiaphia  dictionum.  Venice,  Hermann  Lichtenstein,  1  484. 
Tritheim. 

De  proprietate  monachorum.  Mainz,  von  Friedberg,    1495. 
Urbanus  Bolzanius. 

Institutiones  Graecae  Grammatices.     Venice,  Aldus  Manutius, 

1497. 
Vaughan,  Henry. 

Olor  Iscanus.  London,    1  65  I . 
Villa-Senor  y  Sanchez,  Joseph  Antonio. 

Theatro  Americana.  2  v.  Mexico,   1  746—1  748. 
Walton,  "William. 

A  Narrative  of  the  Captivity  of  Benjamin  Gilbert.  Philadelphia, 

1784. 
Whitman,  Walt. 

Leaves  of  Grass.  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  1855. 
Wimpheling. 

Oratio.  Augsburg,   Froschauer,  c.    1 496. 
Woodcuts  from  Books  of  the  1  6th  century.  Portfolio,  with  an  introduc- 
tion by  Max  Geisberg. 


[70] 

A  SELECTION  OF  INTERESTING  GIFTS  OF  BOOKS  IN   1937 

Allen,  Rosamond 

A  collection  of  one  hundred  and  nineteen  volumes  of  fiction  and  non- 
fiction. 

American  Association  for  Adult  Education 

Seven  volumes  on  adult  education  in  America,  published  by  the 
American  Association   for  Adult  Education.    1937. 

Baker  Library 

One  hundred  and  eighty-one  volumes,  including  technical  works  and 
bound  periodicals,  several  volumes  of  the  American  Almanac  for  1831 
to  1861,  and  A  Classification  of  Business  Literature. 

Bang,  Mrs.  A.  C. 

Seventy-six  volumes  of  Danish  books,  including  unbound  volumes  of 
the  American  Scandinavian  Review  for  1924-1929  and  1931,  and 
"Denmark  i  skildringer  og  billeder  .  .  .  udgivet  af  M.  Galschit,  Koben- 
havn,  Philipsens,  1 888." 

Bates,  Van  Ness 

A  collection  of  sixty-two  volumes,  including  t^venty  volumes  of  Punch, 
1841-1860,  several  issues  of  the  Boston  Social  Register  and  the 
Summer  Social  Register,  and  several  volumes  in  the  Badminton  Library. 

Dran,  Annie  S.,  Estate  of 

A  collection  of  five  hundred  and  twelve  lantern  slides  of  scenes  and 
buildings  in  England,  France,  Wales  and  China,  and  of  Chinese  art 
subjects,  about  400  of  which  are  colored  slides. 

Dun  &  Bradstreet,  Inc. 

Behind  the  scenes  of  business.  By  Roy  A.  Foulke. 

Revised  edition,    1937.    New  York,    Dun  &    Bradstreet,    Inc.    Ten 

copies. 

Faxon,  Frederick  W.,  Estate  of 

A  collection  of  853  latern  slides,  including  views  of  historical  places, 
buildings,  monuments,  parks,  etc.,  in  America,  the  British  Isles  and 
Europe. 

Gaines,  Samuel  R. 

Forty  volumes  of  recent  fiction  and  non-fiction,  and  two  pieces  of 
music  arranged  by  Samuel  Richards  Gaines. 

Godoy,  Armand 

Rome.  By  Armand  Godoy.  Paris,  Grasset  (1936). 
Le  brasier  mystique,  by  Armand  Godoy.  Paris,  Grasset  (1937). 
Trois  poemes  de  Saint  Jean  de  la  Croix.  Adaptes  en  frangais  par  Ar- 
mand Godoy.    Paris,  Grasset    (1937). 

Goldstein,  Fanny 

A  collection  of  forty-five  volumes,  for  the  Judaica  Collection. 

Lewis,  Mrs.  D. 

Fifty-six  volumes  and  222  numbers,  mainly  technical  journals  and 
periodicals,  and  several  numbers  of  Punch  and  the  National  Geographic. 


[71] 

McKibbin,  Miss  E.  W. 

A  collection  of  thirty-four,  principally  unbound,  volumes  of  French 
fiction. 

Massachusetts  Historical  Society,   Boston,  Massachusetts 

Sibley's  Harvard  Graduates,  Volumes  V,  !  701—1  712.  Biographical 
sketches  of  those  who  attended  Harvard  College  in  the  classes  1  701  - 
1712,  with  bibliographical  and  other  notes.  By  Clifford  K.  Shipton. 
Boston,  Massachusetts  Flistorical  Society,    1937. 

Massachusetts  Horticultural  Society 

Twenty-eight  volumes  of  the  Rural  New  Yorker,  to  help  complete  the 
file  in  the  Boston  Public  Library. 

Morris,  Mrs.  Ira  Nelson,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Maria  Theresa,  the  last  conservative.  By  Constance  Lily  Morris. 
New  York,  Knopf,  1937.  (Autographed,  for  the  Galatea  Collection.) 

Noyes,  James  B. 

A  collection  of  forty-five  volumes,  many  with  fine  bindings,  including 
a  ten-volum.e  set  of  Carlyle's  Works,  a  limited  edition  in  two  volumes 
of  "Quo  Vadis,"  a  four-volume  set  of  "The  Memorial  History  of 
Boston,"  and  other  unusual  and  rare  books. 

Rowlands,  Walter 

A  collection  of  forty-nine  volumes,  principally  books  on  art.  art  cata- 
logs, several  volumes  of  fiction  and  children's  books. 

Stechert  &  Co.,  G.  E. 

One  hundred  and  thirty-eight  volumes  of  French  fiction. 

Underbill,  Francis  Jay 

Thirty-four  volumes  and  twenty-eight  pamphlets  on  various  subjects 
from  the  library  of  Francis  Jay  Underbill. 

University  of  Pennsylvania 

Forty-nine  theses  presented  to  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
"The  story  of  Edgar  Fahs  Smith  Memorial  Collection  in  the  History 
of  Chemistry." 

Viets,  Dr.  Henry  R.,  Boston,  Massachusetts 

A  brief  history  of  medicine  in  Massachusetts.   By  Henry  R.   Viets, 

M.D.  Boston,  Houghton  Mifflin,  1930. 

A  Brief  Rule  to  guide  the  Common-People  of  New-England  how  to 

order  themselves  and  theirs  in  the  Small  Pocks,  or  Measels.  By  Thomas 

Thacher.  Edited  by  Henry  R.  Viets,  M.D.  Johns  Hopkins  University. 

1937. 

LECTURES  —  CONCERTS 

In  the  Central  Library  Lecture  Hall  the  Library  presented   1  1 0  pro- 
grams in  its  annual  series  of  free  concerts,  lectures,  and  entertainments. 

PUBLIC  EXHIBITIONS  OF  1937 

Exhibitions  arranged  by  the  Library  were  on  view  in  the  Exhibition 
Room,  the  Treasure  Room,  and  the  Children's  Room  throughout  the  year. 


[72] 

LIST  OF  TRUST  FUNDS  AS  OF  DECEMBER  31,  1937 

The  figures  listed  are  for  the  par  values  of  investments  as  of  December 
31 ,  1937 ,  except  in  the  following  cases  in  which  the  hook  values  are  given 
instead  as  of  var}^ing  dates:  the  Children's  Fund,  book  value  as  of  De- 
cember 31,  1937 ;  the  Benton  Book  Fund,  hook  i^a/ue  as  of  January  21 , 
1937 ;  and  the  Benton  Building  Fund,  book  value  as  of  January  21 ,  1937 . 

Artz  Fund  —  Donation  from  Victoria  Thomas  Artz,  of  Chicago: 
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  "I_ong- 
fellow  Memorial  Collection."  Received  in  1896.  $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."  $50,000.00 

Benton  Book  Fund  —  Extract  from  the  will  of  JosiAH  H.  BentoN: 

"Twelfth:  All  the  rest  and  residue  of  my  property  and  estate  I  give 
and  devise  ...  to  the  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  PuBLIC  LIBRARY  OF 
THE  City  of  Boston  .  .  .  and  I  Direct  that  the  same  be  held 
and  used  in  the  manner  following  .  .  . 

"First:  —  One-half  of  the  net  income  of  such  residue  and  remainder 
to  be  applied  by  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of 
Boston  for  the  purchase  of  books,  maps  and  other  library  material 
of  permanent  value  and  benefit  for  said  Library;  meaning  and  in- 
tending hereby  that  such  income  shall  be  applied  for  books  desirable 
for  scholarly  research  and  use  .  .  . 

".  .  .  It  is  my  desire  that .  .  .  the  income  given  by  the  Twelfth  Clause 
of  my  will  for  the  purchase  of  books,  maps  and  other  library  material 
of  permanent  value  and  benefit,  shall  be  in  addition  to  the  sums 
appropriated  by  the  City  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Boston  Public 
Library,  and  that  the  same  shall  not  be  taken  into  account  in  any 
appropriation  by  the  City  for  that  purpose, 

"I,  therefore,  hereby  provide  that  .  .  .  such  income  as  is  given  by 
the  Twelfth  Clause  of  my  will  for  the  purchase  of  books  .  .  .  shall  be 
applied  for  those  purposes  only  in  years  when  the  City  appropriates 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  at  least  three  per 
cent  (3  per  cent)  of  the  amount  available  for  department  expenses 
from  taxes  and  income  in  said  City. 

"In  any  year  when  the  City  does  not  thus  appropriate  at  least  three 
per  cent  (3  per  cent)  of  the  amount  available  for  department  ex- 
penses 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 


[73] 

Church  in  the  City  of  Boston  to  be  by  him  disbursed  in  relieving  the 
necessities  of  the  poor." 

By  an  Agreement  of  Compromise  entered  in  the  Probate  Court 
of  Suffolk  County  on  January  15,  1935,  the  Benton  Book 
Fund  was  established"  ...  as  a  permanent  fund,  the  income  and 
interest  thereon  to  be  applied  annually  by  the  Library  Trustees, 
without  regard  to  the  amounts  appropriated  by  the  City  of  Boston 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  Boston  Public  Library  in  any  year,  as 
follows: — (a)  Six-tenths  (6/10)  of  such  income  is  to  be  applied  an- 
nually by  the  Library  Trustees  for  the  purchase  of  books,  maps  and 
other  library  material  of  perm.anent  value  and  benefit  for  said  li- 
brary; meaning  and  intending  hereby  that  such  income  shall  be 
applied  for  books  desirable  for  scholarly  research  and  use;  (b)  The 
remaining  four-tenths  (4/10)  of  such  income  is  to  be  paid  over  an- 
nually to  the  Rector  of  Trinity  Church  to  be  by  him  disbursed,  either 
directly,  or  in  his  discretion,  through  charitable  organizations  or 
agencies,  whether  incorporated  or  unincorporated,  in  relieving  the 
necessities  of  the  poor."  Received  in  1936.  $1,138,539.00 

Benton  Building  Fund  —  Extract  from  the  will  of  JosiAH  H.  Benton  : 
''Twelfth:  All  the  rest  and  residue  of  my  property  and  estate  I  give 
and  devise  ...  to  the  TRUSTEES  OF  THE  PUBLIC  Library  of 
THE  City  of  Boston  .  .  .  and  I  Direct  that  the  same  be  held 
and  used  in  the  manner  following  .  .  . 

".  .  .  Second:  — To  hold  the  other  one-half  of  said  residue  and 
remainder  as  an  accumulating  fund,  the  income  and  interest  to  be 
added  to  the  principal  and  reinvested  as  principal,  until  the  total 
amount  thereof  shall  be  two  million  dollars  ($2,000,000).  And 
then  I  Direct  such  total  sum  of  two  million  dollars  ($2,000,000) 
to  be  applied  to  the  enlargement  of  the  present  central  library  build- 
ing in  Boston,  or  to  the  construction  of  another  central  library  build- 
ing in  such  part  of  the  City  as  may  be  then  most  desirable  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  people  of  said  City ;  such  new  building  to  be 
constructed  under  the  advice  of  the  Librarian  of  the  Library  at  that 
time  in  such  manner  as  may  be  most  desirable  for  efficient  practical 
working  of  a  library  therein."        Received  in   1936. 

$1,594,006.38 

Charles  H.  L.  N.  Bernard  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Charles  H.  L.  N. 
Bernard.  Received  in  1 930.  $2,000.00 

Bigelow  Fund  —  Donation  made  by  the  HoN.  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.  $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 


[74] 

called  the  Robert  Charles  Billings  Fund,  the  income  only  to  be  used 
for  the  purpose  of  the  purchase  of  books  for  said  library."  Re- 
ceived in  1903.  $100,689.26 

Bowditch  Fund  —  Bequest  of  J.  Ingersoll  BowditCH.  Received  in 
1  890. 

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.  $10,000.00 

Bradlee  Fund  —  Bequest  of  the  Rev.  Caleb  David  Bradlee  to  the 
Boston  Public  Library.    Received  in  I  897.  $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.  $39,908.89 

Central  Library  Building  Fund  —  Donations  in  response  to  an  appeal  by 
the  Trustees  in  April,  1925,  setting  forth  the  needs  of  the  Library, 
from: 

Percy  Lee  Atherton $  25.00 

William  York  Peters 25.00 

John  T.  Spaulding 100.00 


$150.00 
Children's  Fund  —  Bequest  of  JOSIAH  H.  BenTON  of  $100,000,  to  be 
held  as  "1  he  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  City  does  not  thus  appropriate  at  least  three  per  cent  of  the 
amount  available  for  department  expenses  from  taxes  and  incom.e  in 
said  City,  the  income  given  in  said  will  for  the  purchase  of  books 
for  the  young  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.  $100,000.00 

Clement  Fund  —  Bequest  of  FRANK  CLEMENT,  of  Newton,  to  be  known 
as  the  "Frank  Clement  Fund,"  the  income  to  be  applied  to  the  pur- 
chase of  books.  Received  in  1915.  $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  upon  land- 
scape gardening.  It  is  the  desire  of  the  subscribers  that  a  special 
book  plate  shall  be  inserted  in  each  of  the  volumes  purchased,  identi- 
fying it  as  part  of  their  memorial  collection.  Received  in  1  898. 

$2,854.41 


[75] 

Cutter  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Abraham  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. 

$4,270.00 

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-live  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."  $25,000.00 

Daniel  Sharp  Ford  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Daniel  Sharp  Ford  to  the 
Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston,  to  be  used  for  the  purchase 
of  books  for  the  young  until  otherwise  ordered  by  the  Board.  Re- 
ceived in  1900.  $6,000.00 

Daniel  Sharp  Ford  Trust  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Daniel  Sharp  FoRD 
to  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston,  to  be  used  for  general 
purposes.  Received  in  1935.  $5,017.65 

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  trus- 
tees expressed  a  preference  for  books  relative  to  government  and 
political  economy.  $1,000.00 

Isabella  Stewart  Gardner  Fund  —  Bequest  of  ISABELLA  StewART 
Gardner. 

"To  the  Trustees  of  the  Boston  Public  Library,  for  the  Brown 
Musical  Library,  for  a  memorial  to  B.  J.  Lang,"  Received  in  1924. 

$5,000.00 

Morris  Gest  Fund  —  Donation  made  by  Morris  Gest  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.  $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.  $2,037.17 


[76] 

Charlotte  Harris  Fund  —  Bequest  of  CHARLOTTE  Harris,  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  on  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  li- 
brary and  the  portrait  of  my  grandfather,  Richard  Devens."  Be- 
quests accepted  by  City  Council,  July  31,  1877.  $10,000.00 

Thomas  B.  Harris  Fund  —  Bequest  of  THOMAS  B.  HARRIS,  of  Charles- 
town,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Charlestown  Public  Library.  Received 
in  1884.  $1,138.31 

Alfred  Hemenway  Fund  —  Bequest  of  ALFRED  HemENWAY.  Received 
in  1928.  $5,000.00 

Heloise  E.  Hersey  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Heloise  E.  Hersey,  the  in- 
come to  be  expended  for  the  purchase  of  books,  preferably  those  of 
recent  issue  that  have  real  literary  value.  Received  in  1 936. 

$3,542.00 

Hyde  Fund  —  Bequest  of  FrankLIN  P.  Hyde,  to  be  knovm  as  the 
"Franklin  P.  Hyde  Fund,"  the  income  to  be  applied  to  the  purchase 
of  books  and  other  library  materiail.  Received  in  1915.    $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. 

$10,271.58 

Louis  E.  Kirstein  Fund  —  Donations  of  $1 ,000  each  made  by  LouiS  E. 
Kirstein,  "to  be  used  for  any  purpose  of  the  Library  that  the 
Trustees  see  fit  to  put  it  to." 
October,    1925 $1,000.00 


October,    1926 
November,    1927 
October,    1928 
October,    1929 


1 ,000.00 
1 ,000.00 
1 ,000.00 
1 ,000.00 


$5,000.00 
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  knovm 
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. 

$10,002.50 
Helen  Lambert  Fund  —  Bequest  of  HeleN  Lambert,  in  memory  of 
Frederic  and  Louise  Lambert.  The  income  of  this  fund  to  be  ex- 
pended for  the  purchase  of  books  and  other  library  material  until 
otherwise  ordered  by  the  Trustees.  Received  in  1931.      $1,394.57 


Abbott  Lawrence  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Abbott  Lawrence.  The  in- 
terest on  this  fund  to  be  exclusively  appropriated  for  the  purchase  of 
books  having  permanent  value.  Received  in  1860.  $9,950.53 

Edward  Lawrence  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Edward  LawreNCE,  of  Charles- 
town.  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." 
Received  in   1886.  $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 
Boston  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.  $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.  $500.00 

Charles  Mead  Fund  —  Bequest  of  CHARLES  Mead,  to  constitute  the 
Charles  Mead  Public  Library  Trust  Fund  for  the  promotion  of  the 
objects  of  the  Public  Library  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. 

$2,530.51 

Francis  A.  Morse  Library  Fund  —  Bequest  of  FraNCIS  A.  MoRSE,  of 
West  Roxbury;  the  income  only  to  be  expended  annually  for  the 
purchase  of  books  for  the  West  Roxbury  Branch  Library  suitable 
for  children  of  school  age.  Received  in  1936.  $1,000.00 

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$l  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  HoUingsworth,  Sumner  A.  Burt  and 
Amor  L.  Kollingsworth,  all  of  Milton,  Mass.,  and  John  H.  Mc- 
Kendry,  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.  $1  1,781.44 


[78] 

John  Boyle  O'Reilly  Fund  —  Donation  received  from  the  PapyrUS 
Club  to  estabhsh  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. 

$1,085.02 

Phillips  Fund  —  Donation  made  by  JONATHAN  PHILLIPS,  in  April, 
1853. 

The  interest  of  this  fund  is  to  be  used  exclusively  for  the  purchase 
of  books  $10,000.00 

Also  a  bequest  by  Mr.  Phillips  in  his  v^ill  dated  September  20, 
1  849.  The  interest  on  which  is  to  be  annually  devoted  to  the  main- 
tenance of  a  free  Public  Library.  $20,000.00 

Pierce  Fund  —  Donation  made  by  the  HoN.  Henry  L.  Pierce,  Mayor 
of  the  City,  November  29,  1  873,  and  accepted  by  the  City  Council, 
December  27,  1  873.  $5,000.00 

Sarah  E.  Pratt  Fund  —  Bequest  from  Sarah  E.  Pratt,  under  the 
1 4th  clause  of  her  will,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Dorchester  Branch, 
$500.00.  Received  in  1922  and  1924.  $1,494.18 

Guilford  Reed  Fund  —  Bequest  of  FIelen  Leah  Reed,  as  a  m.emorial 
to  Guilford  S.  Reed;  the  income  to  be  applied  to  the  purchase  of 
books  of  non-fiction.  $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.  $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  lives,  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.  $62,242.45 

Sewall  Fund  —  Extract  from  the  will  of  RiCHARD  Black  SewalL: 
*' Tenth:  —  I  bequeath  the  following  pecuniary  legacies  clear  of 
legacy  tax,  namely.  To  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library  of  the 
City  of  Boston  $25,000  to  be  added  to  their  funds  and  the  income 
to  be  used  for  the  purchase  of  books."  Received  in  1918. 

$25,000.00 

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 


[79] 

judge  fit,  and  in  case  he  makes  no  such  appointment  then  to  the 
Trustees  of  the  PubHc  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  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  i  9 1 4.  $51 ,732. 1 4 

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  1879. 

$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 
applied  to  the  purchase  of  books  and  other  library  material. 

$3,500.00 

James  Jackson  Storrow  (Harvard  '57)  Fund  —  Gift  of  Helen  Stor- 
Row  and  Elizabeth  Randolph  Storrow  as  a  memorial  to 
James  Jackson  Storrow,  Senior;  income  to  be  used  for  the  purchase 
of  Italian  books.  $25,000.00 

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  five  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 


[80] 

expedient  by  those  having  charge  of  the  library.  The  books  be- 
queathed or  purchased  are  always  to  be  freely  accessible  for  refer- 
ence or  study,  but  are  not  to  be  loaned  for  use  outside  of  the  library 
building.  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  tlie  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  re- 
ceived said  bequests  on  behalf  of  the  City,  and  made  suitable  ar- 
rangements for  the  care  and  custody  of  the  books  and  manuscripts. 
Received  in  1871.  $4,106.71 

William  C.  Todd  Newspaper  Fund  —  Donation  by  WiLLIAM  C.  TODD, 
of  Atkins,  N.  H.,  accepted  by  order  of  the  City  Council,  approved 
October  30,  1897,  the  income  to  be  at  least  two  thousand  dollars 
a  year,  to  be  expended  by  the  Library  Trustees  for  newspapers  of 
this  and  other  countries.  $50,000.00 

Townsend  Fund  —  Donation  from  William  Minot  and  William  Minot, 
Jr.,  executors  of  the  will  of  Mary  P.  ToWNSEND,  at  whose  dis- 
posal she  left  a  certain  portion  of  her  estate  in  trust  for  such  chari- 
table 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.  $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  I  7,  I  872,  said  be- 
quest 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.  $13,987.69 


[81] 

Tufts  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Nathan  A.  TuFTS,  of  Charlestown,  to  be 
kno\A'n  as  the  "Nathan  A.  Tufts  Fund,"  the  income  to  be  appHed 
at  all  times  to  the  purchase  of  books  and  other  additions  to  the  library 
to  be  placed  in  the  Charlestown  Branch.  Received  in  1906. 

$10,736.68 

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.  $5,000.00 

Horace  G.  Wadlin  Fund  —  Bequest  of  HoRACE  G.  WadLIN,  of 
Reading,  former  Librarian,  to  the  Trustees  of  the  Public  Library 
of  the  City  of  Boston  of  $2,000  to  be  permanently  funded  and  the 
income  thereof  used  for  the  purchase  of  books.  Received  in  1932. 

$2,030.51 
Also  a  bequest  by  Ella  F.  Wadlin ;  to  be  added  to  the  Horace  G. 
\Vadlin  Fund,  and  the  income  to  be  used  for  the  purchase  of  books. 
Received  in   1936.  $1,725.84 

Wales  Fund  —  Extract  from  the  will  of  George  C.  Wales: 

"AJter  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.  $5,000.00 

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  re- 
quired, 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  worthy  (there  are  often  such  cases).  Any  amount  of  income 
from  said  accumulated  fund  not  needed  for  the  purpose  just  men- 
tioned shall  be  used  for  the  purchase  of  books  and  manuscripts. 

$5,000.00 

James  Lyman  Whitney  Fund  —  The  Alice  Lincoln  Whitney  Fund 
having  been  established,  all  amounts  of  income  of  the  principal  fund 


[82] 

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  shave  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.  $29,294.09 

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  Trus- 
tees of  the  Public  Library  of  the  City  of  Boston,  to  be  expended  on 
bibliographic  w^ork  for  the  benefit  of  the  Library. 
Mehitable  C.  C.  Wilson  Fund  —  Bequest  of  Mehitable  C.  C.  Wil- 
son, the  income  to  be  expended  for  the  purchase  of  books.  Received 
in  1913.  $1,000.00 


GIFTS  FOR  THE  PURCHASE  OF  BOOKS 


Besides  the  preceding,  the  following  gifts  have  been  made  to  the  Public 
Library,  and  the  amounts  have  been  appropriated  for  the  purchase 
of  books,  according  to  the  intention  of  the  donors,  viz.: 


Samuel  Appleton,  late  of  Boston 

H.  C.  Bentley     . 

J.  Ingersoll  Bowditch    . 

Nathaniel  1.  Bowditch  . 

James  Brown,  late  of  Cambridge 

Andrew  Carnegie 

Dorchester  and  Milton  Circulating  Library,  for 

benefit  of  the  Dorchester  Branch  Library 
Sally  Inman  Kast  Shepard 
James  Nightingale  .... 

Patrick  F.  Sullivan  Bequest     . 


$1,000.00 
220.38 
6.800.00 
200.00 
500.00 
980.75 

335.13 

1. 000.00 

100.00 

339.61 


$11,475.87 


[83] 


RECAPITULATION  OF  PUBLIC  LIBRARY  TRUST  FUNDS 


Artz    Fund    .... 

Bates    Fund   .... 

Benton    Book    Fund 

Benton  Building  Fund   . 

Charles  H.  L.  N.  Bernard  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 

Cutler    Fund 

Elizabeth    Fund 

Daniel   Sharp    Ford   Fund 

Daniel  Sharp  Ford  Trust  Fund 

Franklin    Club    Fund 

Isabella  Stewart  Gardner  Fund 

Morris   Gest    Fund 

Green    Fund 

Charlotte  Harris  Fund  . 

Thomas  3.   Harris   Fund 

Alfred   Heraenway  Fund 

Heloise  E.  Hersey  Fund 

Hyde    Fund 

David   P    Kimball    Fund 

Louis  E.   Kirstein    Fund 

Arthur  Mason  Knapp  Fund  . 

Helen  Lambert  Fund 

Abbott  Lawrence    Fund 

Edward  Lawrence   Fund 

Mrs.  John  A.  Lewis  Fund   . 

Charles  Greely  Loring  Memorial  Ft 

Charles  Mead   Fund 

Francis  A.  Morse  Library   Fund 

Gardner  O.   North  Fund 

The  Oakland  Hall  Trust  Fund 

John   Boyle  O'Reilly  Fund  . 

Phillips  Fund 

Pierce    Fund 

Sarah    E.    Pratt   Fund   . 

Guifford  Reed   Fund     . 

John  Singer  Sargent  Fund     . 

Scholfield   Fund      . 

Sewall    Fund 

Skinner    Fund 

South  Boston  Branch  Library  Trust  Fund 

Mary  Elizabeth  Stewart  Fund 


$10,000.00 

50,000.00 

1,138,539.00 

1 ,594,006.38 

2,000.00 

l.OOO.OO 

100,689.26 

10,000.00 
1,000.00 

39,908.89 

150.00 

100,000.00 

2,000.00 

2.854.41 

4,270.00 

25.000.00 
6,000.00 
5.017.65 
1.000.00 
5.000.00 
2.652.50 
2,037.17 

10.000.00 
1.138.31 
5,000.00 
3.542.00 
3.632.40 

10,271.58 
5,000.00 

10,002.50 
1 ,394.57 
9,950.53 
500.00 
5.000.00 
500.00 
2,530.51 
l.OOO.OO 
2,000.00 

11,781.44 
1,085.02 

30.000.00 
5,000.00 
1.494.18 
1.000.00 
3,858.24 

62,242.45 

25.000.00 

51.732.14 

100.00 

3,500.00 


[84] 


James  Jackson  Sforrow  (Harvard  '57)  Fund 

Ticknor    Fund        .... 

William  C.  Todd  Newspaper  Fund 

Townsend    Fund    .... 

Treadwell    Fund    .... 

Nathan   A.   Tufts  Fund 

Twentieth  Regiment  Memorial    Fund 

Horace  G.  Wadlin  Fund 

Wales    Fund  .... 

Alice  Lincoln  Whitney  Fund 

James    Lyman   Whitney    Fund 

Mehitable  C.  C.  Wilson  Fund       . 

Total  .... 


25.000.00 
4,106.71 

50,000.00 
4.000.00 

13.987.69 

10,736.68 
5.000.00 
3,756.35 
5,000.00 
5.000.00 

29,294.09 
1,000.00 

,  $3,528,262.65 


[85] 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  LIBRARY  AS  OF  DECEMBER  31.   1937 

Director's  Office 

Director,  and  Librarian:  Milton  E.  Lord 

Clerk  of  the  Trustees:  Elizabeth  B.  Brockunier 

Supervisor  of  Training:  Bertha  V.  Hartzell 

Editor  of  Publications:  Zoltan  Haraszti 

Reference  Division 

Chief  Librarian  of  the  Reference  Division:  Richard  G.  Hensley 

Assistant  Librarian,  Emeritus  Frank  C.  Blaisdell 

Assistant  Librarian,  Emeritus  Samuel  A.  Chevalier 

Assistant  Librarian,  Emeritus  Otto  Fleischner 

Book  Selection  Department:  Christine  Hayes,  Chief 

Cataloging  and  Classification  Department:    Lucien    E.   Taylor,   Chief 

General  Reference  Departments:   Francis  H.  Hannigan,  Supervisor 

John  H.  Reardon,  Deputy  Supervisor 
Bates  Hall  Centre  Desk:  William  J.  Mulloney,  Assistant  in  Charge 
Bates  Hall   Reference   Department:    Harry   W.    Mathev^s,    First 

Assistant 
Issue  Department:  Thomas  F.  Brennan,  Chief 
Open  Shelf  Department:  John  H.  Reardon,  Chief 
Periodical  and  Newspaper  Department :  Elizabeth  L.  Wright,  Chief 
Registration  Department:  A.  Frances  Rogers,  Chief 

Special  Reference  Departments:   Edward  H.   Redstone,  Supervisor 

Frank  N.  Jones,  Deputy  Supervisor 
Business  Branch:  Mary  W.  Dietrichson,  Business  Branch  Librarian 
Fine   Arts    Department:    Priscilla   S.    MacFadden,    Assistant,    In 

Charge 
History  Reference:  Laura  R.  Gibbs,  Assistant 
Music  Department:  Richard  G.  Appel,  Assistant  in  Charge 
Science  and  Technology  Department:  Frank  N.  Jones,  Chief 
Statistical  Department:  Elizabeth  G.  Barry,  Assistant  in  Charge 
Teachers  Department:  Anna  L.  Manning,  Assistant  in  Charge 

Rare  Books:  Zoltan  Haraszti,  Keeper  of  Rare  Books 

Rare  Book  Department:  Harriet  Swift,  Assistant  in  Charge 


[86] 

Circulation  Division 

Chief  Librarian  of  the  Circulation  Division :  Orlando  C.  Davis 

Children's  Work:  Alice  M.  Jordan,  Supervisor 

Branch  Libraries:  Edith  Guerrier,  Supervisor 
Branch  Librarians: 

Allston:  M.  Florence  Cufflin 

Andrew  Square:  Elizabeth  H,  McShane 

Boylston:  Margaret  A.  Calnan 

Brighton:  Katrina  M.  Sather 

Charlestown :  Katherine  S.  Rogan 

City  Point:  Helen  M.  O'Leary 

Codman  Square:  Elizabeth  P.  Ross 

Dorchester:  Marion  C.  Kingman 

East  Boston:  Theodora  B.  Scoff 

Faneuil:  Gertrude  L.  Connell 

Fellowes  Athenaeum:  Mary  E.  Ames 

Hyde  Park:  Sara  A.  Lyon 

Jamaica  Plain:  Rebecca  E.  Willis 

Jeffries  Point:  Mary  U.  Nichols 

Kirstein:  Grace  C.  Loughlin 

Lower  Mills:  Isabel  E.  Wetherald 

Mattapan:  Ada  A.  Andelman 

Memorial:  Beatrice  M.  Flanagan 

Mount  Bowdoin:  Pearl  B.  Smart 

Mount  Pleasant:  Margaret  H.  Reid 

Neponset:  Margaret  1.  McGovern 

North  End:  Mary  F.  Curley 

Orient  Heights:  Catherine  E.  Flannery 

Parker  Hill:  Mary  M.  Sullivan 

Phillips  Brooks:  Edith  H.  Bailey 

Roslindale:  Annie  M.  Donovan 

Roxbury  Crossing:  Elizabeth  B.  Boudreau,  First  Assistant 

South  Boston:  Mary  A.  C.  Kavin 

South  End:  Clara  L.  Maxwell 

Tyler  Street:  Dorothy  F.  Nourse 

Upham's  Corner:  Beatrice  C.  Maguire 

West  End:  Fanny  Goldstein 

West  Roxbury:  Geneva  Watson 

Book  Selection  Department:  Edna  G.  Peck,  Chief 

Cataloging  and  Classification  Department:  Ethel  Hazlewood,  Cataloger, 
In  Charge 

Branch  Bindery  Section:  Marion  McCarthy,  Assistant,  In  Charge 

Branch  Issue  Department:  Alice  V.  Stevens,  Chief 


[87] 


Young  People's  Room,  Central  Library:  Mary  C.  Toy,  Children's  Li- 
brarian 

Branch  Librarian,  Emeritus:  Katherine  F.  Albert 

Branch  Librarian,  Emeritus:  Carrie  L.  Morse 

Branch  Librarian,  Emeritus:  Katherine  F.  Muldoon 

Branch  Librarian,  Emeritus:  Margaret   A.  Sheridan 

Division  of  Business  Operations 

Comptroller:  James  W.  Kenney 

Buildings  Department:  William  F.  Quinn,  Superintendent 

Auditing  Department:  Helen  Schubarth,  Auditor 

Book  Purchasing  Department:  William  C.  Maiers,  Chief 

Stock  Purchasing  Department:  Timothy  J.  Mackin,  Custodian 

Binding  Department:  James  P.  Mooers,  Chief 

Printing  Department:  William  B,  Gallagher,  Chief 

Francis  W.  Lee,  Chief,  Emeritus 
Shipping  Department:  Robert  F.  Dixon,  Shipper 


BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

,      ■Ifiillllll 

3  9999  06314  677