What Our Public Libraries Are Doing
Pictures from Photographs Made in Omaha Public Library and
Omaha Public Schools by a Bee Staff Artist
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CHILDREN GETTING COOKS AT LIBRA RY.
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BCHOOL CHILDREN IN LINE FOR BOOKS.
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CHILDREN'S READING ROOM, OMAHA TUBLIC LIBRART.
HER FIRST EXPERIENCE
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IIIILE the library movement has
been ilrlklngly empbaBlzed ol
late by the numerous Carnegie
donation vbich have icattered
n lihmrv bulldiiiRS bo lavishly
over the country, the rapid development of
cur eetabllshcd public llbrarle and the
wonderful expansion ot their work have
not attracted the attention they deserve.
Time was only a few decadca ago when a
free circulating library meant- aliuply a
collect lou of catalogued boohs, which the
public was free to Inspert and to borrow
for home hbo, subject to conditions Imponed
by rules and regulations designed more to
prevent the destruction cf tho pretlou.4
volumes by over-use than to facilitate their
circulation. Had tho old regime remained
undisturbed it Is safe to say that we would
have no great public library Institutions
like those to be fouud today in nearly
every progressive American city with boolt
borrowcrs numbering Into tho tens of thou
unnds and circulation figures mounting
luto the millions. In the year 1901 the
number of book loaned out by the public
library In th" city of Philadelphia aggre
gated 1.913, 6S7, the Boston public library
loaned out 1,483,613 books, the Buffalo
public library, although the city has a
population of only 332.000. loaned out
PCti.tr.O books, while I.oa Angeles with only
112 574 poplo loaned out through Its
library 472,1.43 books. The test of useful
u of a public library then Is not so much
Its fine building nor Its heavily laden book
helves as the number of people utilising
Its treasures and the nuratfer and character
of the volumes kept In circulation among
Its patrons.
The great circulation growth of American
public libraries rests, of course, upon the
spread of education among the people. A
fine library filled with all the choicest
volumes of the world a literature, equipped
with all the most modern devices for mak
ing them accessible, if planted In a com
munity where only a few people were able
to read or write or to appreciate the pro
ductions ot novelists, scientists and phlloso
phers, would be as unprofitable as an Ice
plant in the Arctic regions or a cotton
Mill In the midst of the Sahra. But eveu
with a population of universal literacy and
thorough Intelligence, a public library
might fail of its mission by neglecting to
Bak its contents known to those likely to
utilize them, or by obstructing their use
with over-cwjtlcn. The object of the li
brary -administration to servo the public
to Its fullest capacity has only gradually
been Impressed upon library managements
until In these twentieth century days all
our libraries are exerting themselves to
encourage book-borrowing and reading in
wavs that previously would hove Inspired
strongest aversion. It is on this score that
the great enlnrgement of library activity
and tho imposing expansion of tha circu
lation figures arc to be explained. To know
Just what the libraries have been doing to
keep. In touch with popular demands should
throw an Interesting side-light on this
Important factor In our educational
progress.
As It Is related that when the mountain
did vr)t come to Mohammet, Mohammet
went lo the mountain, so when the limit
seemed to be reached for book borrowers
to come to tho libraries, the libraries went
forth and took their books lo their readers.
In a few of tho principal American' cities
supporting great libraries is tho main li
brary longer the chief mainstay of the in
stitution. The mnin library is ximply tho
seat cf tho administrative force. It id the
repository of the more valuable books least
consulted. It is the reference library for
students and book worms. The branch
libraries and tho delivery stations have
become the great arteries of circulation.
In Boston, of the annual circulation, figur
ing nearly 1,"00,000 volumes, more than
1,000, COO of these books were given to the
borrowers through stations, branches and
depositories. Tho branches there number
10, tho stations 21, with depositories In 44
schools, 33 engine houses and 8 city in
stitutions. In Philadelphia, of the 1.915.CS7
books loaned out only 526, IjO were from
the main library.
So far as mere figures can convey an
Insight Into the situation as respects branch
libraries and stations and tho relative po
sition they occupy toward the public library
as an institution, a compilation of clrcula
. tion exhibits authoritatively supplied shows
that for tho library year 1901, whore 10,
728.731 books were loaned out in fifteen
representative American cities, 4.77S.739,
or nearly one-half, were distributed through
branches and stations. In fifteen American
cities, maintaining each one main library,
the number ot branches for the same year
was eighty and the fctations and deposi
tories, 279.
If it were possible to go into the .subject
closer without unduly burdening the reader
with statistics, It could be shown that in
almcet every Instance the growth of the
circulation from branches and stations baa
been much greater than the growth
ot the circulation from the mala
library in some Instances at tho expense
of the partnt institution. That this change
has been reinforced by the shifting of
population within the different com
munities and the growth of suburban dis
tricts us against the downtown section
would also be demonstrated by more
analytical examination. The traveling
library and home delivery are simply steps
in advance of the branch library and
delivery station. If it conduces to larger
patronage and greater uxefulness to deposit
bookri in each neighborhood so that the
people may get them without the cost of
time and money necessary for a trip to
the main library, the tame arguments hold
Rood for delivering the books at the home
of tho book-borrower, taking his or her
order there and making an exchange with
out further personal Intervention.
Next lu Importance comes the upbuild
ing of the children's departments. It Is
conceded that the mot inviting field for
library work Is to bp found In encouraging
children and young people to form the read
ing habit and cultivate a taste for good and
sutatantlul books. The purpose of getting
wholesome reading into the hands of the
children has prompted efforts In two
directions. First, children have
been admitted more freely Into the
library building nay urged and tempted
BRANCH T.1BRAUIE3 AND STA-
TlONS I'M.
No. Stations
No. and Deposi
Oty. Branches. lories.
Baltimore 7 2
HllMtOll o 1,4
KriMiklyn JH
HuIThIo 3 '7
Cincinnati 4 41
Cleveland K 31
letrolt 3
Indiana polls it
Kansas City 1 9
I. is Angeles 4 ..
Minneapolis 3
Newark 1 S
Omaha 1 10
Pittsburg ..' & 3
ban Francisco 41
to come and when they come recelva
special consideration, whereas formerly
they were either driven away as
intermeddling nuisances, or neglected as
not worth attention. The most progressive
American libraries have now set apart a
portion ot their building for the exclusive
use of children. The children are allowed
to regard the children's room as their own
property; in It are stored the books they
prefer; they are provided with chairs and
tables in diminutive pattern for their
particular accommodation; the walls are
decorated with pictures and posters for
their instuctlon ar.d entertainment;
personal attendants are detailed to
their service; their wicts ure. anticipated
and their minds guided by s ov stages from
tho stories of wild adveuturcs that con
form to their natural preferences to the
books that carry instruction as well aa
recreation.
At the same time special exertions aro
made to extend the library advantages to
children who may be prevented from en
. joying the facilities provided by the chil
dren's room in the main or branch libra
ries. This is accomplished by utiliz
ing the schools as distributing agen
cies. In speaking of branches and deliv
ery stations reference has already be?n
made to the fact that the Boston public
library maintains book depositories in
forty-four schools. Similar work is carried
on in a number of other cities, notably in
Detroit, Indianapolis, Omaha and Pittsburg.
In this work teachers usually co-operate,
relieving the library authorities in a cer
tain measure and sometimes assuming re
sponsibility (or the pupils.
It must be remembered that the circu
lation of books, like the circulation ot
money, depends not only on the volumo
of the circulating medium and the number
of persons to be served, but also upon the
raj-ldity of movement. All three of these
elements enter into the circulation figures
of the modern public library. The number
of volumes accessioned and catalogued and
the number of book borrowers entitled to
the library privileges, must be brought
Into relation to the mechanics of the loan
desk.
In reading circulation figures the Out al
lowance must be made for the number of
books which each borrower is permitted t
(CoDtioued on Page Eleven.)