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1966 

Annual 

Report 


BOSTON   PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


[Document  15 — 1967| 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

OF    THE 

BOSTON  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

FOR  THE  Year  Ending  December  31,  1966 

July  19,  1967. 


Hon.  John  F.  Collins, 

Mayor  of  Boston. 

Dear  ^Ir.  ^NIayor: 

I  have  the  honor  to  submit  herewith  a  report  of  the 
activities  of  the  Boston  Pubhc  Library  for  the  year  end- 
ing December  31,  1966. 


Respectfully  submitted, 

Lenahan  O'Connell, 

President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 


TRUSTEES  OF  THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 


LENAHAN   O'CONNELL 

President 
Term  expires  April  30,  1971 

ERWIN    D.   CANHAM 

Vice  President 
Term  expires  April  30,  1968 

EDWARD   G.    TVIURRAY 
Term  expires  April  30,  1967 

AUGUSTIN    H.    PARKER 
Term  expires  April  30,  1970 

SIDNEY    R.    RABB 
Term  expires  April  30,  1969 


PHILIP  J.  McNIFF 
Director,  and  Librarian 


Boston  Public  Library  3 

Boston,  July,  1967. 

To  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Boston  Public  Library: 

As  Director,  and  Librarian  of  the  Library  I  have  the 
honor  to  submit  my  first  report  covering  the  year  January 
1,  1966,  to  December  31,  1966. 

It  is  significant  that  there  has  been  considerable  pro- 
gress in  regional  library  services  and  the  utilization  of 
federal  support  in  the  year  in  which  the  members  of  the 
Pubhc  Library  Division  of  the  American  Library  Asso- 
ciation adopted  new  Minimum  Standards  for  Public 
Library  Systems,  1966.  The  systems  concept  of  library 
service  permeates  these  new  national  standards  and,  as 
indicated  in  the  preface: 

"The  increasing  interest  of  the  federal  government 
in  libraries,  beginning  with  the  Library  Services  Act 
of  1956  and  its  subsequent  extension  and  enlargement, 
and  followed  in  1965  by  the  Higher  Education  Act 
and  the  Elementary  and  Secondary  Education  Act  — 
both  having  important  titles  related  to  library  de- 
velopment —  has  had  a  powerful  influence  on  library 
development." 

The  enrichment  of  the  Library's  resources  and  services 
via  federal  government  programs  will  be  reported  on 
in  the  section  dealing  with  acquisitions. 

On  October  26,  1966,  in  the  office  of  Mayor  John  F. 
Collins,  a  contract  was  signed  between  the  Common- 
wealth of  Massachusetts  and  the  City  of  Boston  estab- 
lishing the  Eastern  Regional  Pubhc  Library  System. 
This  contract  was  a  landmark  in  hbrary  history  for  both 
state  and  city.  The  formal  establishment  of  this  regional 
system  completes  a  regional  development  program  which 
began  with  the  passage  in  1960  of  legislation  granting 
state  aid  to  public  libraries  and  authorizing  the  creation 
of  new  patterns  of  cooperative  library  service.  Under 
the  provision  of  Sections  19C  and  19D  of  Chapter  760 
of  the  Acts  of  1960  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massa- 
chusetts, $950,000  will  be  available  annually  for  the 
full  implementation  of  regional  hbrary  service  for  the 
eastern  part  of  the  state. 


4  City  Document  No.  15 

The  Boston  Public  Library  will  serve  as  the  head- 
quarters for  a  cooperative  service  program  for  some  200 
Hbraries  in  180  cities  and  towns  in  an  area  extending 
from  the  New  Hampshire  border  on  the  north  to  Cape 
Cod,  Martha's  Vineyard,  and  Nantucket  on  the  south. 
Sub-regional  reference  centers  are  to  be  established  in 
1967  in  Andover,  Lowell,  Wellesley,  Quincy,  Taunton, 
New  Bedford,  and  Falmouth  to  complete  the  regional 
framework  which  will  provide  3,800,000  people  equal 
access  to  a  high  level  of  reference  and  research  service 
regardless  of  the  size  of  the  municipaUty  in  which  they 
live. 

A  second  highhght  of  the  year  1966  was  the  resumption 
of  planning  for  the  Central  Library  Addition.  Phihp 
Johnson  of  New  York  City  had  been  selected  by  the 
Trustees  in  1963  to  design  the  building,  and  active 
planning  for  the  project  was  undertaken  in  May  of  1964. 
Progress  was  suspended  in  1965  due  to  revised  cost 
estimates  which  far  exceeded  the  original.  Permission 
was  granted  in  the  spring  of  1966  to  undertake  a  thor- 
ough review  of  the  program  and  to  have  the  architect 
develop  preliminary  plans  so  that  a  realistic  cost  estimate 
could  be  prepared  and  appropriate  funds  requested  in 
the  1967  capital  outlay  budget. 

In  the  area  of  branch  hbrary  buildings  steps  were 
taken  to  advance  the  Library's  capital  improvement 
program.  The  long-delayed  West  End  Branch,  designed 
by  Maginnis  and  Walsh  and  Kenned}^  went  out  to  bid 
in  the  summer.  Unfortunately,  excessively  high  bids 
were  received  and  had  to  be  rejected.  After  certain 
design  changes  by  the  architect,  a  second  bidding  re- 
sulted in  a  more  favorable  price.  A  contract  was 
awarded  to  the  low  bidder,  and  construction  should  be 
completed  by  the  end  of  1967. 

Sites  and  architects  were  selected  for  five  additional 
branch  libraries,  and  funds  for  their  construction  are  to 
be  requested  in  the  1967  capital  outlay  budget.  These 
new  branches  will  replace  inadequate  and  unsatisfactory 
library  units.  The  Brighton  Bianch  Library,  which  will 
serve  as  Boston's  first  regional  branch  library,  is  being 


Boston  Public  Library  5 

designed  by  The  Architects  Collaborative  Inc.  The 
architects  appointed  to  design  the  remaining  units  are: 
Eduardo  Catalano  for  Charlestown;  Kallmann  and 
McKinnell  for  Dudley  Street;  Holmes  and  Edwards  for 
Fields  Corner;  and  Mitchell  and  Giurgola  Associates  for 
the  South  End. 

Community  Services 

The  Library  staff  has  a  duty  to  make  the  institution 
dynamic;  it  must  use  a  variety  of  means  to  extend 
librar}^  services  so  that  as  many  people  as  possible  may 
benefit  from  the  use  of  available  cultural  and  educational 
resources.  The  Library  has  cooperated  with  community 
organizations  and  activities;  organized  book,  film,  and 
record  programs  within  the  hbrary  units;  and  has 
participated  in  regional  services,  such  as  film  loan, 
interlibrary  loan,   and   telephone   reference   assistance. 

Hours  of  library  service  were  extended  in  five  branch 
libraries  for  the  greater  convenience  of  the  citizens. 
Beginning  on  October  8,  the  Brighton,  Codman  Square, 
Egleston  Square,  Roslindale,  and  South  Boston  Branch 
Libraries  remained  open  on  Saturday  afternoons.  Re- 
sponse to  these  longer  hours  was  most  favorable.  As 
a  further  convenience  bookmobile  service  on  Boston 
Common  was  restored  after  a  hiatus  of  several  years. 

In  recognition  of  the  contributions  of  the  Opera 
Company  of  Boston,  the  Library  arranged  an  exhibit, 
''Salute  to  the  Opera  Company  of  Boston:  Boston 
Opera  Then  ;'ad  Now,"  on  the  occasion  of  the  staging 
of  the  first  United  States  production  of  Arnold  Schoen- 
berg's  Moses  and  Aron.  Other  programs  involving 
community  cooperation  were : "  Mexico  Week  in  Boston," 
a  National  Library  Week  program  arranged  in  co- 
operation with  the  World  Affairs  Council;  ''Freedom 
from  Racial  Myths  and  Stereotypes  Through  Negro 
History,"  in  association  with  local  Negro  organizations; 
the  annual  Jewish  Book  Month  program,  cosponsored 
by  the  Boston  Public  Library  and  the  Jewish  Com- 
munity Council  of  Greater  Boston;  and  the  sixth  annual 


6  City  Document  No.  15 

Children's  Book  Fair,  sponsored  by  the  Library,  the 
Children's  Book  Council,  Inc.,  the  Massachusetts  Bureau 
of  Library  Extension,  and  the  Boston  Herald-Traveler. 

Our  Library  programs  have  included  a  full  range  of 
story  hours,  preschool  programs.  Never  Too  Late  Group 
meetings,  listening  and  film  programs,  parents'  discus- 
sion groups,  book  talks,  exhibitions,  and  visits  of 
classes,  as  well  as  local  and  foreign  groups. 

Indicative  of  the  wide-ranging  impact  of  hbrary 
services  is  the  fact  that  more  than  291,000  people 
attended  the  13,443  film  showings  this  past  year.  Of 
these  showings  1,092  took  place  in  the  Boston  Public 
Library  system.  The  home  use  circulation  of  61,414 
recordings  was  supplemented  by  in-hbrary  hstening 
programs  ranging  from  jazz — old  and  new — to  chamber 
music  and  symphonies.  The  elder  citizens,  the  Never 
Too  Late  Group,  were  provided  a  wide  variety  of 
programs  in  the  course  of  the  year:  illustrated  lectures, 
tours  of  local  museums,  choral  concerts,  talks  b}'  au- 
thors, and  reports  on  civic  and  urban  reaewal  develop- 
ments. 

The  exhibits  program  serves  to  publicize  the  Library's 
treasures  and  to  alert  casual  viewers  to  the  joys  of 
highly  speciahzed  interests.  Among  the  treasures 
exhibited  during  the  year  were:  a  show  of  some  fifty 
Daumier  lithographs  selected  from  the  collection  of 
some  3,000  original  hthographs  to  give  a  fresh  ghmpse 
of  the  artist's  genius;  books  and  manuscripts  relating 
to  ships  and  the  sea  in  an  exhibit,  ''Ships  and  the  Sea: 
A  Tribute  to  Boston's  Maritime  Past";  a  selection  of 
materials  from  the  Rare  Book  Department  for  a  display 
entitled  "Waiting  for  Spring:  Books  and  Manuscripts 
for  the  Gardener."  Special  interest  exhibits  included 
books  with  fine  bindings,  the  (rrandeur  of  Lace,  Historic 
Copley  Square,  and  one  celebrating  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  the  Easter  Rising  and  the  Irish  War  of  In- 
dependence. One  of  the  most  successful  author  ex- 
hibitions was  "David  McCord:  A  Portrait  of  the 
Author."  It  comprised  literary  manuscripts,  proof 
sheets,  books,  a  selection  of  his  watercolors  and  drawings 
along  with  some  examples  of  his  collecting  tastes. 


Boston  Public  Library  7 

Wiggin  Gallery 

The  celebration  of  the  twenty-fifth  anniversary  of 
the  Wiggin  Collection  of  Prints  and  Drawings  as  a 
public  collection  within  the  Boston  Public  Library  took 
place  on  May  6  with  a  symposium,  ''Art  and  Education." 
A  grant  from  the  Albert  H.  and  Jessie  D.  Wiggin 
Foundation  helped  make  the  symposium  possible. 
The  speakers  were  David  McCord,  essayist,  poet,  and 
watercolorist ;  David  B.  Little,  Secretary  and  Registrar 
of  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts  in  Boston;  and  Sinclair  H. 
Hitchings,  Keeper  of  Prints  at  the  Boston  Public 
Library. 

The  opening  on  May  5  of  a  gallery  specially  designed 
to  house  a  series  of  eleven  dioramas,  "Printmakers  at 
Work,"  added  a  new  dimension  to  the  Albert  H.  Wiggin 
Collection  of  Prints  and  Drawings.  Commissioned  by 
Mrs.  Sherburne  Prescott  (Marjorie  Wiggin  Prescott), 
the  eleven  dioramas  are  based  on  experiences  in  the 
lives  of  great  printmakers  and  were  designed  by  Louise 
Stimson. 

Publications 

A  revitalized  publications  program  resulted  in  Francis 
A.  Comstock's  A  Gothic  Vision:  F.  L.  Griggs  and  His 
Work,  published  jointly  by  the  Boston  Public  Library 
and  the  Ashmolean  Museum,  Oxford;  Art  and  Educa- 
tion, the  talks  given  at  the  symposium  mentioned  above ; 
and  English  Literary  Manuscripts  in  the  Boston  Public 
Library:  A  Checklist.  Catalogs  of  the  ''Ships  and  Sea" 
and  "Waiting  for  Spring"  exhibitions  were  prepared; 
and  the  publication  by  G.  K.  Hall  &  Co.  of  A  Catalog 
of  the  Defoe  Collection  in  the  Boston  Public  Library  will 
assist  the  work  of  Defoe  scholars. 

Resources 

The  demand  for  expanded  resources  is  due  to  a 
number  of  factors:  the  population  explosion,  the  publi- 
cation explosion,  the  higher  education  explosion,  the 
rapidly  diminishing  world  due  to  transportation  and 
communication  advances,  and  the  ever-expanding  gov- 
ernmental, business,  and  travel  involvement  in  all  parts 


8  City  Document  No.  15 

of  the  world.  One  need  only  reflect  on  the  comment 
made  by  the  President's  Committee  on  Education 
Beyond  the  High  School  that  we  have  become,  without 
realizing  it,  "a  society  of  students."  In  1900,  shortly 
after  the  Central  Library  Building  was  opened,  only 
one  out  of  every  twenty-five  young  people  of  college 
age  was  in  college;  by  1960  the  proportion  was  one  out 
of  three;  and  it  is  predicted  that  by  1983  one  out  of 
every  two  persons  of  college  age  will  be  in  college. 
Expansion  in  the  formal  educational  program  is  ac- 
companied by  increased  demands  for  information  and 
knowledge  to  meet  the  spiraUng  qualifications  for 
advancement  in  business,  industry,  government,  science, 
and  the  professions.  An  ever-increasing  flow  of  materials 
— deahng  with  the  histories  and  cultures  of  peoples  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  with  scientific  advancement,  with 
economic  development,  and  with  international  and 
local,  state,  and  national  governmental  activities  — 
must  be  provided  if  the  citizens  are  to  make  sound 
judgments  in  this  rapidly  moving   world. 

Federal  book  credits,  made  available  under  the 
Library  Services  and  Construction  Act,  have  enabled 
the  Library  to  expand  its  resources  in  a  number  of 
areas.  Gaps  have  been  filled  in  a  number  of  important 
serial  sets;  other  periodical  sets,  both  English  language 
and  foreign,  have  been  acquired;  important  reference 
sets  have  been  added  and  microprint  editions  of  re- 
search materials,  e.g.,  the  complete  file  of  United 
Nations  Documents,  are  now  available.  Arrangements 
have  been  made  to  acquire  over  a  two-year  period  the 
complete  output  of  the  Readex  Microprint  Corporation. 
This  program  includes  approximately  1,000,000  titles 
and  is  largely  concentrated  in  the  field  of  American 
research  materials.  The  Boston  Pubhc  Library  is 
assisting  the  Early  American  Newspapers  project  which 
is  being  carried  out  in  association  with  the  American 
Antiquarian  Society.  When  this  project  is  completed 
all  obtainable  issues  of  nearly  2,000  newspapers  will  be 
available. 

This  federal  support  also  allowed  the  Boston  Public 
Library  to  join  some  thirty-three  university  Ubraries, 
the  National  Library  of  Australia,  the  New  York  PubUc 


Boston  Public  Library  9 

Library,  and  our  own  national  libraries  —  the  Library  of 
Congress,  the  National  Agricultural  Library,  and  the 
National  Library  of  Medicine  —  in  participating  in  a 
Latin  American  Cooperative  Acquisition  project.  More 
than  3,000  titles  were  received  under  this  program. 

The  circulating  collection  of  foreign  language  books 
and  the  film  collection  were  expanded  under  the  LSCA 
program.  These  federal  book  credits  were  made  avail- 
able to  the  Boston  Public  Library  as  the  headquarters 
library  for  regional  service  and  as  the  library  of  last  re- 
course for  the  state. 

A  second  federal  program  was  utilized  in  January, 
1966,  when  the  Library  became  a  participant  in  the 
Israeli  program  of  the  Public  Law  480  program.  The 
Agricultural  Trade  Development  and  Assistance  Act  of 
1954  (Pubhc  Law  83-480)  allowed  foreign  countries  in 
underdeveloped  areas  to  pay  for  United  States  surplus 
agricultural  products  with  local  currencies.  These  cur- 
rencies have  to  be  spent  mainly  in  the  country  of  origin 
and  in  waj's  specified  by  Congress.  Since  the  United 
States  was  accumulating  considerable  excess  credits  in  a 
number  of  countries,  an  amendment  was  incorporated 
in  1958  into  the  PL  480  Act  as  Section  104n,  which 
authorized  the  Library  of  Congress  "to  use  foreign  cur- 
rencies within  such  appropriations  as  are  made  by 
Congress  for  financing  programs  outside  the  United 
States  to  purchase,  catalog,  index,  and  abstract  books, 
periodicals,  and  related  materials  determined  to  have 
technical,  scientific,  cultural,  or  educational  significance 
in  the  United  States;  and  to  deposit  such  materials  in 
hbraries  and  research  centers  in  this  country  specializing 
in  the  areas  to  which  they  relate." 

Participating  libraries  are  selected  with  the  advice  of 
appropriate  committees  of  the  Association  of  Research 
Libraries  or  of  joint  committees  of  the  ARL  and  learned 
societies.  For  a  token  $500  annual  payment  Boston, 
along  with  other  research  hbraries  in  the  Israeli  program, 
received  some  twenty-three  newspapers,  785  periodical 
titles,  and  more  than  1,000  monographic  titles  in  1966. 
In  addition,  a  cooperative  cataloging  project  supported 
by  the  participating  libraries  provides  catalog  cards  for 
these  current  Israeli  publications  at  a  greatly  reduced  cost. 


10  City  Document  No.  15 

The  successful  launching  by  the  Library  of  Congress  of 
the  National  Program  for  Acquisitions  and  Cataloging 
has  far-reaching  consequences  for  all  libraries  and  es- 
pecially for  the  ninety-two  United  States  and  Canadian 
libraries,  including  the  Boston  Public  Library,  partici- 
pating in  the  program.  The  Association  of  Research 
Libraries,  with  the  support  of  other  organizations  and 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  was 
influential  in  persuading  the  89th  Congress  to  amend 
Title  II  of  the  Higher  Education  Act  of  1965  by  adding 
Part  C,  ''Strengthening  College  and  Research  Library 
Resources."  It  authorizes  appropriations  to  enable  the 
Commissioner  of  Education  to  transfer  funds  to  the 
Librarian  of  Congress  to: 

(a)  Acquire,  so  far  as  possible,  all  library  materials 
currently  published  throughout  the  world  which  are  of 
value  to  scholarship. 

(b)  Provide  catalog  information  for  these  materials 
promptly  after  receipt  and  distribute  bibliograpliic  in- 
formation by  printing  catalog  cards  and  by  other  means, 
and  enable  the  Library  of  Congress  to  use  for  exchange 
and  other  purposes  any  of  these  materials  not  needed 
for  its  own  collection. 

This  program  will  enable  this  and  other  libraries  to 
ehminate  backlogs  of  uncataloged  and  thus  unusable 
books ;  it  will  expedite  current  cataloging  and  permit  the 
handling  of  the  ever-increasing  flow  of  material  without 
large  additions  to  the  staff;  it  will  prevent  unnecessary 
duplication  of  effort;  and  it  will  provide  a  new  tool  for  a 
systematic  acquisition  program.  Significant  use  has 
been  made  of  the  Title  IIC  program  in  1966,  although 
the  maximum  returns  will  not  be  felt  until  the  total  pro- 
gram is  in  operation. 

No  attempt  will  be  made  to  note  in  this  report  an 
extensive  list  of  significant  acquisitions.  However,  the 
acquisition  of  some  1,000  manuscripts  and  cognate 
ephemera  relating  to  Haiti,  ranging  from  the  early 
seventeenth  century  to  recent  years,  strengthened  one 
of  the  Library's  most  noteworthy  collections.  Virtually 
complete  collections  of  the  writings  of  the  eminent  nine- 


Boston  Public  Library  11 

teenth  -century  Italian  authors,  Carducci  and  Leopardi, 
were  also  acquired.  A  collection  of  3,256  Italian  opera 
librettos  was  added  to  our  music  resources. 

Building  and  Organization  Changes 

The  overcrowded  conditions  in  the  Library  make  the 
establishment  of  efficient  work  patterns  most  difficult. 
The  absence  of  adequate  staff  work  space,  the  lack  of 
shelving  for  books,  and  pressures  of  increasing  use  are 
further  compounded  by  the  necessity  to  evacuate  the 
Annex  building,  which  is  to  be  demolished  to  make  way 
for  the  Library  Addition.  The  shifting  of  the  Annex 
book  collection  to  a  storage  facility,  the  renovation  of 
the  Lower  Open  Shelf  area  to  house  additional  books, 
and  the  building  changes  inherent  in  the  setting  up  of  a 
new  staff  lounge,  acquisition  and  book  preparation  areas 
created  a  heavy  work  load  for  the  mechanical  and  cus- 
todial staff.  The  Buildings  Department  staff  is  to  be 
congratulated  for  doing  an  excellent  job. 

The  former  Branch  Issue  book  stock,  shelved  in  the 
Annex,  was  merged  with  the  Open  Shelf  collection,  thus 
doubling  the  number  of  volumes  immediately  available 
for  circulation  in  the  Central  Library.  The  new  shelving 
in  the  lower  Open  Shelf  Room  accommodated  all  the 
fiction  in  the  combined  collections,  and  plans  are  being 
developed  to  expand  the  shelving  for  the  nonfiction. 

The  shift  from  Dewey  to  the  Library  of  Congress 
classification  for  the  Open  Shelf  and  branch  collections 
was  a  major  decision.  The  use  of  one  classification  sys- 
tem will  simphfy  cataloging  and  processing  procedures, 
make  the  transition  from  the  general  library  to  the  re- 
search collections  easier  for  the  user,  and  expedite  the 
full  utilization  of  the  benefits  of  the  shared  cataloging 
being  developed  under  the  Title  IIC  section  of  the  Higher 
Education  Act  of  1965. 

Microform  services  previously  housed  in  the  Patent 
Room  were  expanded  substantially  with  the  acquisition 
of  the  Readex  Microprint  collection  and  placed  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Coordinator  of  Social  Sciences. 
Plans  for  a  comprehensive  Social  Science  Reference  Ser- 
vice will  permit  the  reorganization  of  the  serials  docu- 
ment section. 


12  City  Document  No.  15 

The  Science  and  Technology  Department,  which  had 
been  located  on  the  third  floor  in  the  middle  of  the  fine 
arts  collections,  was  examined.  A  revised  science  and 
technology  reference  collection  was  developed  and  trans- 
ferred to  the  Patent  Room.  The  nonreference  books 
were  transferred  to  the  Stack  Service  and  serviced  from 
Bates  Hall. 

Gifts 

A  gift  of  $1,000  was  received  from  the  Boston  Chapter 
of  the  Woman's  National  Book  Association  to  establish 
a  book  fund,  the  income  to  be  used  for  the  purchase  of 
books  for  the  historical  collection  of  children's  books 
which  is  being  estabhshed  to  honor  Ahce  M.  Jordan,  first 
Supervisor  of  Children's  Services,  Boston  Public  Library. 

The  sum  of  $250,000  was  added  to  the  Friedman 
Building  Fund,  estabhshed  on  June  30,  1959,  through 
bequest  by  the  will  of  Lee  M.  Friedman;  an  additional 
$18,579  was  added  to  the  Lee  M.  Friedman  Fund  es- 
tabhshed in  1962.  The  Arthur  W.  Heintzelman  Fund 
(not  yet  funded)  received  $370  from  several  contributors. 

Gifts  for  current  use  included  $1,600  from  the  Albert 
H.  and  Jessie  D.  Wiggin  Foundation  to  support  the 
Wiggin  Gallery's  twenty-fifth  anniversary  program; 
$2,000  from  Mrs.  Marjorie  Wiggin  Prescott  for  the 
pubhcation  of  a  catalog  of  the  Wiggin  collection;  $1,400 
from  Mrs.  Prescott  for  the  program  for  the  opening  of 
the  dioramas  'Trintmakers  at  Work";  $5,000  for  the 
Griggs  Fund,  a  contribution  from  Francis  A.  Comstock; 
$577.97  from  Francis  A.  Comstock  for  the  purchase  of 
books  and  prints;  and  $300  from  the  Boston  Authors 
Club. 

Gifts  of  books,  pamphlets,  and  other  library  materials 
were  received  from  a  large  number  of  individuals  and 
organizations.  The  Library  is  grateful  for  each  of  the 
gifts  of  money  and  material  received  during  the  year 
and  wishes  to  record  its  appreciation  of  the  generosity 
of  all  who  have  contributed  to  the  support  of  the  Li- 
brary's resources  and  programs.  Among  the  useful 
gifts  were  those  received  from : 

American  Legion,  West  Roxbury  Post  No.  167 

Angelino,  Dominic 


Boston  Public  Library  13 

Anthony,  Julian  D. 

Barrero,  Alfonso 

Baxter,  Percival  P. 

Benton,  Nicholas 

BibUoteca  Nacional 

Boston  College  Library 

Boston  Stock  Exchange 

Brazil,  Consulate  of  U.S.  in  Boston 

Cameron,  George 

Carter,  Catherine  C. 

Carter,  Kathryn  J. 

Case,  Mrs.  Richard  D. 

Cohen,  Yohanan,  Consul  of  Israel 

Colvario,  Frank 

Consul  General  of  Italy 

Dates,  Marion 

Davidoff,  Sydney  E. 

De Wolfe,  Morton 

Diario  De  Noticias 

Dooley,  Mary 

Dow,  Norma 

Emerson,  Royce 

Fay,  Ella  V. 

Forziati,  Mario 

French  Consulate  in  Boston 

Friends  of  the  Mattapan  Branch  Library 

Governor  Dummer  Academy 

Hale,  Mrs.  Joseph 

Harvard  College  Library 

Hopkins,  Prescott 

Houghton  Mifflin  Company 

Jackson  &  Moreland  Division,  United  Engineers  & 

Constructors,  Inc. 
Jewish  National  &  University  Library 
John  Hancock  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company 
Johnson,  Bessie  M. 
Katz,  Gloria 

Lindahl,  Wilham  Allen  (Collection) 
McLaughhn,  Louise  E. 
May,  E.  L. 
Moore,  L.  W. 
Nolan,  Alfred  A. 


14  City  Document  No.  15 

Ortiz-Bello,  Ignacio 
Pan  American  Union 
Pietrina,  Maravigna 
Podolsky,  Vitali 
Robart,  E.  Leslie 
Shattuck,  George  C. 
Smith,  Charlotte  B. 
Smith  College  Library 
Toledo  Public  Library 
Tross,  Ernest 
Warner,  John 
Zoll,  Herbert 

Promotions 

Carolyn  Kirkham,  Branch  Librarian,  Memorial 
and  Mt.  Pleasant  Branch  Libraries,  effective  October  5, 
1966. 

Retirements 

Bradford  M.  Hill,  Consultant  to  the  Director  (for 
the  Care  of  the  Collections),  effective  March  22,  1966. 

Ada  A.  Andelman,  Supervisor  of  Home  Reading 
Services,  effective  April  30,  1966. 

Sarah  W.  Flannery,  Coordinator  of  the  Humanities 
and  Curator  of  History,  effective  January  18,  1966. 

Irene  H.  Tuttle,  Branch  Librarian,  South  Boston 
Branch  Library,  effective  March  31,  1966. 

Ellen  C.  Peterson,  Branch  Librarian,  Hyde  Park 
Branch  Library,  effective  September  30,  1966. 

Appointments 

Raymond  B.  Agler,  Branch  Librarian,  Hyde  Park 
Branch  Library,  effective  September  28,  1966. 

Edward  C.  Fremd,  Chief,  Long  Island  Project, 
effective  September  28,  1966. 

Philip  Januszkiewicz,  Acquisitions  Librarian,  Re- 
sources and  Acquisitions  Department,  effective  August 
31,  1966. 


Boston  Public  Library  15 

A  Data  Processing  Section  was  established  to  expedite 
the  procedures  of  Central  Charging  Records.  Effective 
September  28,  1966,  Rodney  D.  Mosher  was  appointed 
Data  Processing  Supervisor,  in  charge  of  this  operation. 

Staff  Activities 

Mr.  ]\Iilton  E.  Lord,  Director  Emeritus,  conducted  a 
Seminar  on  Public  Libraries  at  the  Graduate  School  of 
Library  Science  of  McGill  University  in  Montreal. 
Mr.  Lord  has  also  been  active  in  national  and  regional 
library  affairs. 

Mr.  PhiHp  J.  McNiff,  the  Director  of  the  Library, 
deUvered  the  Independence  Day  Oration  in  Faneuil 
Hall  on  July  4.  His  topic  was  "Freedom  and  Respon- 
sibility." 

Mr.  John  M.  Carroll,  Chief  Librarian,  Division  of 
Home  Reading  and  Community  Services,  taught  at 
the  Graduate  School  of  Library  Science  of  Simmons 
College  as  did  Miss  Mildred  C.  O'Connor,  Coordinator 
of  the  Social  Sciences,  and  Miss  M.  Jane  Manthorne^ 
Coordinator  of  Work  with  Young  Adults. 

Miss  Manthorne  dehvered  the  Hewins-Melcher 
Lecture  at  the  meeting  of  the  Round  Table  of  Children's 
Librarians  during  the  annual  conference  of  the  New 
England  Library  Association  in  Portsmouth. 

I  wish  to  take  this  occasion  to  express  my  appreciation 
to  the  members  of  the  Hbrary  staff  for  their  cooperation 
and  service  during  the  past  year  and  to  thank  the 
members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  for  their  support. 

Philip  J.  McNiff, 
Director,  and  Librarian. 


16 

City  Document  No.  1 

5 

Table  1.    Circulation 

BOOK   CIRCULATION 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

Central    Library 

.       493,229 

494,130 

477,242 

492,880 

482 

Kirstein  Business  Branch 

8,341 

9,554 

9,090 

8,744 

S 

Deposit  Circulation 

(Estimated)    . 

.        .        .            6,346 

3,736 

4,602 

6,654 

^ 

Adams  Street     . 

142,264 

149,534 

147,735 

142,235 

13] 

Allston 

64,239 

62,183 

61,715 

57,261 

54 

Brighton     . 

83,516 

84,081 

85,458 

81,462 

7i 

Charlestown 

68,822 

72,861 

71,441 

58,088 

5^ 

Codman  Square 

146,031 

155,238 

150,708 

142,902 

13( 

Connolly     . 

85,595 

88,630 

85,255 

81,372 

7;: 

Dorchester 

71,416 

71,831 

75,087 

68,992 

6; 

East  Boston 

57,189 

62,404 

69,325 

67,035 

5.^ 

Egleston  Square 

107,020 

103,594 

91,790 

80,534 

6^ 

Faneuil 

57,197 

57,517 

58,741 

54,531 

5t 

Hyde  Park 

111,453 

112,503 

118,128 

118,740 

u; 

Jamaica  Plain 

85,728 

81,271 

82,674 

84,492 

7{ 

Lower  Mills 

73,658 

69,312 

69,574 

67,322 

6: 

Mattapan   . 

132,023 

130,234 

127,848 

119,727 

10- 

Memorial    . 

42,383 

40,203 

48,833 

42,234 

3: 

Mt.  Bowdoin 

61,636 

62,097 

60,326 

56,134 

4: 

Mt.  Pleasant 

41,968 

42,640 

43,234 

37,941 

3: 

North  End 

39,532 

38,793 

36,465 

48,353 

4( 

Orient  Heights 

43,485 

43,021 

40,445 

35,999 

3. 

Parker  Hill 

58,526 

58,756 

57,334 

52,751 

4' 

RosHndale 

227,539 

221,428 

200,919 

190,495 

IS: 

South  Boston 

138,591 

133,785 

130,794 

124,680 

ii: 

South  End 

37,846 

36,571 

41,892 

42,808 

31 

Uphams  Corner 

115,038 

103,963 

100,841 

88,578 

7.' 

Washington  Village  . 

79,912 

79,647 

75,967 

73,166 

6" 

West  Roxburv  . 

142,750 

146,496 

159,787 

168,402 

17( 

Bookmobile  Service 

430,873 

447,268 

410,650 

380,059 

37: 

Hospital  Librarj^  Service 

20,955 
.       .       .     2,767,185 

31,458 
2,787,319 

31,262 

29,646 
2,595,939 

2< 
2,42 

Total,  Branch  Libraries 

2,734,228 

Total  Book  Circulation   . 

.     3,275,101 

3,294,739 

3,225,162 

3,104,217 

2,92' 

NON=BOOK   CIRCULATION 

1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

Film    .... 

9,835 

10,311 

10,704 

11,502 

i; 

Filmstrips  . 

— 

— 

— 

31 

Recordings 

50,874 

53,599 

52,233 

59,246 

6 

Pictures 

25,949 

31,445 

30,040 

25,063 

2' 

Total  . 

86,658 

95,355 

92,937 

95,842 

10; 

Boston  Public  Library 

VOLUMES   SENT  ON    INTER-LIBRARY   LOAN 


17 


1962     1963     1964     1965     1966 


J)lumea 


902  1,111  1,277  5,349  6,126 


Table  2.     Growth  of  the  Library 
BOOKS 


1962 

1963 

1964 

1965 

1966 

)me  Reading  and  Community  Services: 

Volumes  added 70,281 

63,987 

94,132 

88,665 

71,092 

Volumes  withdrawn      ....          61,496 

57,449 

78,179 

87,592 

64,974 

Total  on  iiand  December  31       .        .         756,563 

763,101 

779,054 

780,127 

786,245 

iference  and  Research  Services: 

Volumes  added 26,835 

21,576 

26,255 

31,816 

44,780 

Volumes  withdrawn      ....            4,663 

1,184 

4,329 

4,299 

5,623 

Total  on  hand  December  31        .        .     1,456,749 

1,477,141 

1,499,067 

1,526,584 

1,565,741 

tal  book  stock 2,213,312 

2,240,242 

2,278,121 

2,306,711 

2,351,986 

Non=Book  Materials 

ms 1,344 

1,423 

1,496 

1,561 

1,710 

ms  trips  . 

— 

— 

— ■ 

91 

101 

cordings 

16,248 

16,360 

16,036 

17,103 

16,670 

ntem  slides     . 

28,962 

28,962 

14,884 

14,884 

14,884 

jgatives   . 

1,964 

1,964 

2,008 

2,008 

2,118 

Jtures 

125,105 

127,972 

386,829 

397,385 

400,006 

stcards    . 

133,805 

133,805 

133,805 

133,805 

133,805 

ints  and  drawings 

28,578 

29,499 

29,758 

30,276 

31,779 

DJected  books 

178 

178 

178 

178 

178 

tcrocards 

— . 

— 

— 

— 

3,298 

ccrofiche  . 

— . 

— 

— 

— . 

852 

crofilms 

14,639 

14,904 

15,257 

16,221 

16,969 

croprints 

— 

— 

— 

— 

1,727  bxs 

18  City  Document  No.  15 

Table  3.     Cataloging  Statistics 


1966 


Volumes  processed 110,670 

New  titles  cataloged 35,174 

Original  cataloging 8,923 

LC  cataloging 23,065 

Rare  book  cataloging 1,044 

LC  cards  processed  for  volumes  cataloged  1965      .       .       .  2,091 

Other 51 

Volumes  reclassified 163 

Films 64 

Recordings 1,446 

Microprints  —  Titles 23 

—  Boxes 1,429 

—  Cards 217 

Microfilms   —  Titles 41 

—  Reels 320 

Microfiche    — Titles 1 

—  Sheets 466 

Card  Production 

LC  cards  processed 22,004 

Typed  cards 97,879 

Stencils 337 

Mimeographed  cards  run 26,834 

General  Microfilm  cards 721,260 

Cards  sent  to  National  Catalog 28,973 

Cards  sent  to  National  Union  Catalog  (withdrawn)       .       .  2,903 


Table  4.     Binding 


1962   1963   1964   1965   1966 


Volumes  bound        ....    22,269  18,772  20,788  18,459  31,292 

Volumes  repaired     .        .        .        .2,137  2,500  2,671  2,800  2,935 
Photographs,    plates,    and    maps 

mounted 2,312  2,375  2,560  2,000  1,000 


Boston  Public  Library 


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