Annual report of the Cleveland Public Library for 1953

              CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
Board of Library Trustees
From left to right; Mr. Wieber, Mr. Elmer, Mr. Klonowski, Mrs. Jamison,
Mr. Schneider, Mrs. Silver, Dr. Garvin
BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
HENRY F. SCHNEIDER, President
STANLEY J. KLONOWSKI
Vice-President
RUSSELL M. ELMER
MRS. ROBERT H. JAMISON
DR. CHARLES H. GARVIN
Secretary
MRS. RALPH S. SILVER
LOUIS H. WIEBER
EDITH WOODBURN, Clerk-Treasurer
Assistant to the Director
DIRECTOR
L. QUINCY MUMFORD
- - .
REPORT OF THE OiRECTOR, 1953 ...
This has been another year of accomplishment and in this
record of activities, there is ample evidence to prove that the
Library is of ever-increasing importance as an educational agency
to the Cleveland community. Again in 1953, it performed an
invaluable service by providing free access to books on all of the
vital issues of the day, mindful of the free public library's goal so
well described by President Dwight D. Eisenhower: \ ~
The libraries of America are and must ever remain the
homes of free, inquiring minds. To them, our citizens - of all
ages and races, of all creeds and political persuasions - must ever
be able to turn with clear confidence that they can freely seek
the whole truth, unwarped by fashion and uncompromised by
expediency.
From its many agencies where books were freely available to
all, the Library lent over 5,500,000 volumes to the people of Greater
Cleveland in 1953. Its current book stock of 2,730,650 volumes
would reassure the editorial writer of the old Cleveland Leader
who in 1874 decried Cleveland's lack of interest in cultural affairs,
declaring emphatically that "We should have a public library of
100,000 volumes." .
The foregoing record of book circulation is impressive, but it
presents only a partial view of library service. This year, there was
a marked increase in reference work. More people sought the as­sistance
of books and librarians in the solving of business, profes­sional
and personal problems than in the previous year.
Another phase of the Library's work-its educational services
and group activities for adults and young people-promoted the
reading of socially important books. Having as its objective the
development of "purposeful readers," the Library introduced au­diences
to related books through book talks, reading lists and
exhibits in connection with its discussion meetings, lectures, film
programs, and musicals.
There is no doubt that library service during the year enriched
the lives and stretched the horizons of many people. Unfortu­nately,
there is no measuring stick with which to estimate the
influence of the books themselves upon the minds and hearts
of people.
"The libmry is the seed-bed of creative thought."
JUDGE FLORENCE E. ALLEN
People were reading in '53 despite the keen competition for
their leisure time in this audio-visual age-the competition being of
such intensity that it moved one college president to predict that
only 5 per cent of the people will be reading in another fifty years.
Having discovered in recent years that readers, temporarily
beguiled by television and other audio-visual devices, returned to
reading-sometimes with old interests sharpened and new ones
awakened by TV-the Cleveland Public Library restates its faith
In the power of the book, challenging this gloomy prediction.
System-wise again this year, readers have shown a greater
interest in non-fiction than in fiction. Several factors probably
accounted for this preference, with the superior quality of the
year's non-fiction, in comparison with its fiction, being an important
one. Another may be a time factor-fewer people had sufficient
leisure for general reading; more were "readers with a purpose.'.'
This latter group has increased the demand for information which
is both brief and timely, resulting in a much wider use of all types
of newspapers and periodicals as reported by the Newspaper Room
and Brett Hall (well over 100,000 readers consulted papers in the
Newspaper Room with its rows of American dailies and foreign
language newspapers).
Trends in reading are difficult to identify, but it is interesting
to note that the popularity of books of an inspirational and religious
nature did not diminish-the Popular Library, Philosophy and
Religion Division, and the Readers' Adviser confirming that trend.
Throughout the System there was a well-sustained interest in
Catherine Marshall's A Man Calleel Peter, Norman Vincent Peale's
The Power oj Positive Thillking, and Fulton J. Sheen's Lije Is Worth
Living.
Brett Hall, Main Library where
readers-in-a-hurry found brief,
timely information to meet their
needs and interests.
Popular psychologies dealing with human relationships were
requested by increasingly large numbers of readers in the Philos­ophy
Division. A similar trend of interest was observed by the
branch librarians and the Readers' Adviser, the latter noting that
the majority of her clients requested reading programs on self­improvement.
Interest in human personalities was a dominant motive In
reading as reported by the Literature and the History-Biography­Travel
Divisions. Much in demand were the biographies of na­tional
and international political leaders, and men and women of
achievement in the world of art, music, and literature. The biog­raphy
of George Sand, Lelia, by Andre Maurois-one of the finest
biographies of the year-was widely read.
Drama continued to be the most popular single subject of
interest in the Literature Division with humor remaining a prime
favorite. Of the books in the latter category, ] ames Thurber's The
Thurber Country was one of the most popular.
A growing interest in Inodern art, both pure and applied, and
an increasingly intelligent approach to the classics was observed by
the Fine Arts Division. The Music Section of Fine Arts reported
an ever-widening circle of readers who were interested in music.
Television was doubtless a motivating force behind the wide·
spread interest in books on Communism and crime observed by
the Sociology Division. The heavy call for I Led Three Lives by
Philbrick was traceable to the TV program by that title.
3
"The tntth is that wisdom and thought and sound
judgment are actually born of books and it is out of books
that we learn to think deeply and wisely." LOUIS BROMFIELD
Other reading trends indicated the growing world·mindedness
of Clevelanders. History Division's Travel Bureau reported a
heightened interest in books descriptive of North Africa, the
Middle East, the Orient, and the Pacific Islands, attributing this
interest to the increasingly heavy travel by Clevelanders to all
corners of the world. The Foreign Literature Division noted an
upsurge of interest in the study of foreign languages and a con­sequent
demand for foreign language grammars and readers.
Practical matters closely associated with their jobs, their homes,
their recreation brought many people to the neighborhood branches
and to the Technology Division. Indicative of the times was their
interest in the "how-to-do-it" books, as well as books on space travel
and flying saucers.
The Popular Library, in surveying readers' choices in fiction,
revealed that war novels continued to be in demand, several of
them appearing on the list of the most popular books of the year in
this institution. Novels dealing with present day world problems
were among the outstanding and popular books of 1953. Of these
Too Lale the Phalarope, by Alan Paton, A Pail of Oysters, by Vern
Sneider, and Corne My Beloved, by Pearl Buck, were the choices of
many readers.
The popularity of sCience fiction increased steadily, although
the gtoup of readers to whom it appealed was still fairly limited.
Its quality has been improving as well-known publishers entered
this field of publication.
4
Following is a list of the books most
widely read by patrons of this Library in
1953. It was compiled from the Popular
Library's weekly surveys made here as it
collaborated with the Saturday Review and
the Wilson Library Bulletin in their na·
tional polls of current readers' choices.
THE YEAR'S MOST POPULAR
TITLES
Fiction
Desiree, by Annemarie Selinko
The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk
Battle Cry, by Leon Uris
From Here to Eternity, by James]ones
The Silver Chalice, by Thomas Costain
The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas
The Bounty Lands, by William Ellis
Non-Fiction
A Man Called Peter, by Catherine Marshall
The Power of Positive Thinking,
by Norman Vincent Peale
Annapurna, by Maurice Herzog
The Silent World, by J. Y. Cousteau
The Sea Around Us, by Rachel Carson
5
Business Information Bureau
Again this· year, the Bureau was a
valuable information center for over
100,000 persons including representa'
tives from business and industry and
individuals with problems concern·
ing their jobs and pocketbooks. This
Department supplied readers with
specific, factual data in answering
their questions (more than 24,000
"/loor questions" and 17,982 record·
ed telephone requests). It also pro·
vided extensive professional assist­ance
to a large number of clients
with research problems.
In 1953, its Business Information
Sources elevoted issltes to "Recent
Business Books", "Materials Hand­ling",
"\'V'orld '[rade", and "Auto­mation",
copies of which have been
requested by businessmen in every
part of this country and in seven
foreign countries.
Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
Who? What? When? Where? Why? Finding the answers
to the endless questions of Clevelanders is the work of the
reference librarian, an information sleuth who combines the
know-how of the detective with his own knowledge of book
resources to get the facts, whether searching for an elusive
bit of information for a casual reader, or for highly impor­tant
but hard-to-find data to serve a busy executive.
In the subject divisions of the Main
Library, its Municipal Reference Divi­sion,
and the Department of Business
Information, reference librarians not
only provided assistance to those who
came in person to the Library in 1953,
they su pplemented the excellent serv­ices
of the branch, station, and school
libraries whenever research problems
necessitated the use of materials from
the specialized collections., They gave
reference assistance, also, to the libra­ries
throughout the county, many of
the requests coming by mail and
telephone.
That telephone reference work has
become a major service of the Library
is apparent from the mounting volume
of requests, some of which were so­called
quick reference questions, but
many required extensive search, and
the skill of reference specialists. The
General Reference Division alone in
1953 answered 4 I ,805 telephone reo
quests. Inasmuch as this is only one
phase of total reference service, and
the record of only one of many subject
divisions, the figure becomes even more
significant.
6
Dots of light flashed constantly on
the switchboard of the Main Library
Building as Clevelanders dialed
Cherry I-1020 for information and
reference service.
An estimated 375,000 incoming calls
were receiwd by the switchboard
operators in 1953.
Their Requests Mirrored the Times
and
Encompassed the Globe
On International Affairs:
The Jewish-Arab Conflict. Communism in China. The Value
of the United Nations. The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. The
Repatriation of POW's. The Effects of Stalin's Death on the
Future of Russia. Korean Truce Talks. Formosa and Chiang
Kai-shek. The Floods in Holland.
On National Affairs:
The Inauguration of President Eisenhower. The Appointment
of the New Cabinet. The McCarthy Investigations. The Rosenberg
and the Harry Dexter White Cases. Segregation in Southern
Schools. The Death of Senator Robert A. Taft. Pros and Cons of
Hawaiian Statehood. Tax Reduction.
On State and Local Affairs:
The Ohio Sesquicentennial (an endless stream of questions on
all phases of Ohio and local history for the year-long celebration).
Conditions in Ohio's State Welfare Institutions. Current Municipal
Problems (fluoridination of the local water supply, lakeshore ero­sion,
harbor development, juvenile delinquency).
7
The value to Clevelanders of the Library's well-selected and
well-organized information in the major subject fields is incal.
cuable. Its usefulness would be seriously impaired were the Library
unable, for one brief year, to augment the collections with current
materials, so great is the volume and importance of a single year's
publications. To keep these collections up-to-date will present in
future years an even greater challenge and responsibility to the
Library because of the tremendous acceleration in the rate of man's
acquisition of new knowledge.
Among those who found rich resources in these well-organized
reference collections in 1953, and the answers to many searching
questions and problems, were authors and journalists; cartoonists
and copywriters; research workers; business and labor leaders;
lawyers and judges; doctors and nurses; religious leaders and social
workers; parents, teachers and students; engineers and scientists;
artists and musicians.
Listed below is a sampling of the questions which they brought
to their Library this year:
TYPICAL QUESTIONS
From Business and Industry
May we have data on present conditions in Cleveland as compared with
conditions here in 1946 for a series of speeches on "the best location in the
nation"? Can the library locate a copy of the decree of Charles II after the
nre of London in which he required that all houses be plastered or torn down?
A business executive, Japan-bound, asked for comprehensive economic and
commercial information on that country. Numerous local business al1d indus­trial
organizations requested data on local history to use in compiling anniver­sary
brochures, histories, calendars.
From the Professions
What was the text of Lord Astley's prayer before the Battle of Edp;ehill?
Did more people die from influenza during or after World War I? Is there a
list of superstitions of the Great Lakes region? Can the Library supply source
data on pre-Columbian medicine? What were the sources of Charles Dickens'
fear of railroads and its effect upon his writing? May we have all possible data
on the removal of the Ottawa Indians from the Maumee Vallev? Is there an
available description of the terrain of a road from San Paulo to Reclife, Brazil?
From the General Reader
Can an American girl obtain a job in Cuba, Jamaica, or Nassau? \'Vhy
was General Grant buried in New York rather than in Ohio? What was the
name of the tug involved in the Silver Islet disaster? What are the names and
the locations of the nshing clubs in Jamaica? Can one rent a car in Oaxaca?
Is there a nrst hand nccount of the eruption of Mt. Pelee? Will the Library
suggest some Turkish names for a new-born baby girl? Where in Cleveland
may one take a course in speech improvement? Is there a lac;.! school where
one can study television? \Vhat is the distance from the earth to the moon?
8
Pictured here is one of the thirty-one branch
libraries in the Cleveland neighborhoods
where books and people met. They pro­vided,
in addition to their excellent book
collections, a broad pattern of library services
which included reference assistance; story
hours for children; programs for young
people; lectures, discussion meetings, and
film programs for adults.
THE SOUTH BROOKLYN BRANCH LIBRARY
In its effort to locate library agencies in
areas wit/lOut adequate library service, the
Library established a new community starion
this year in the fast-growing south-eastern
section of rhe cit),.
THE NEW HARVARD-LEE STATION
The Library's neighborhood agencies grow with Cleveland. In
undertaking to furnish library service in its many neighborhoods,
the Library must understand the trends and the population shifts
since the decisions as to branch development, book buying, and
program planning are based upon the needs and characteristics of
9
each area. Studying the branch neighborhoods in 1953, the
Cleveland Public Library noted several population shifts through­out
Cleveland.
A marked trend was observed in the movement of newcomers
into many of the city's residential sections. Southerners have
moved into the neighborhood of the South Branch Library, taking
over the homes of earlier residents who have moved out to Parma;
Southerners located also in the districts served by the Broadway,
Fleet, and Hough branches. Puerto Ricans have settled in the
neighborhoods of the Carnegie-West and Clark branches, while
Negroes continued to locate in many sections of the east side, with
the East 131st Street, Mt. Pleasant and Norwood branches reporting
an increasing number among their patrons.
In the past, many national strains were woven into the ever­changing
population pattern of Cleveland; in 1953, additional
strains enriched that pattern as great numbers of displaced persons
arrived here bringing a variety of challenging problems to the
Library. Jefferson Branch might well be called the "United Nations
Branch" for in its neighborhood alone were living, in 1953, the
representatives of some thirty nationalities-over two thousand
recent Ukrainian immigrants now reside there.
The Library made every effort to build up its foreign literature
collections to meet the growing number of requests from new
Americans who wish to continue their reading of native literature.
Branch librarians, in searching for the best from the foreign
presses, had the assistance of displaced professional people living
in their ateas, and editors of foreign language newspapers. One
branch librarian studied Slovenian in order to review and select
books in that language for the borrowers of her neighborhood.
The excellent collections of the Foreign Literature Division, Main
Library, were also of great assistance to the displaced, as were the
grammars, adult primers, and other texts furnished to them by the
Library's Adult Class Loan Division for use in the English classes
conducted in many of the branch libraries by the Cleveland Board
of Education.
Not only must the Library study the problems resulting from
the influx of large numbers of newcomers into the various neigh­borhood
areas, it must also carefully scrutinize Cleveland's plans
for future development to determine their probable long-range
effects upon the branch agencies. Study revealed, for example,
that two highways now under consideration, would, if built, greatly
change the areas now served by several libraries. A great city
cannot stand still-nor can its system of libraries.
10
Left: Interior view of new bookmobile
purchased in 1953, and operated by the
Community Stations Division. It serves
people in those sections of Cleveland
which are remote from neighborhood
libraries.
NEW BOOKMOBlLE TAKES BOOKS TO PEOPLE
Right: One of seventeen hospital libraries
administered by the HosPital and Judd Fund
Division which also provides a homebound
program for shut-ins in their own and in nurs­ing
homes. Cleveland's current hospital ex­pansion
program has brought this Division
greater opportunities for service to patients and
hospital personnel.
NEW LIBRARY. SUNNY ACRES HOSPITAL
The Cleveland Public Library continued to move outward,
meeting and serving people where they were. With its bookmobile
service, it reached greater numbers of people in areas not presently
served by neighborhood libraries. Through the General Stations
Division, it operated deposit libraries in numerous business and
industrial organization~, social agencies, jails and work-houses, and
provided special book service to thirty-two fire houses and several
private educational institutions.
11
Moving outward into every section of the city. was another
mobile service of the Library, the Judd Fund Service to Shut-Ins.
Its station-wagon and book truck were familiar sights on Cleveland's
streets as the field librarians of this Division visited each shut-in
every three weeks, bringing him a packaged library reflecting his
own tastes and interests. Believing along with T. V. Smith, that
"there is nothing to be done which books will not help us to do
better," this Division's objectives were first, to develop an interest
in reading on the part of people, and then to help them find the
books which will "inform, inspire and recreate."
Reaching out to serve the sightless and those with limited
vision was the Library for the Blind of Main Library which this
year added 350 new names to the already long list of persons to
whom it mails talking books and braille transcriptions, sending in
1953 a total of 67,244 items to its readers, an increase of sev~n
per cent from the previous year. The Book Review Club for the
Blind, under the sponsorship of the Society for the Blind, enjoyed
monthly meetings at the Superior Branch Library where the branch
librarian reviewed new books and led the lively discussion periods.
By ear and by finger-tip, the blind can now read more of the
literature of the past and present as additional books in braille and
record form become available. Volunteers in this Library have
made valuable contributions to the growing collection of materials
for the blind by recording and transcribing to meet the needs of
exceptional readers. The scarcity of books for the blind on elec­tronics
and radio prompted a sightless young Clevelander, Warren
Sladky, to assemble and edit suitable magazine articles on the
subject-his collection has grown to six volumes and four note­books
and is entitled The Radio Rejerence Series. This is but one of
many generous gifts of the year augmenting the collections and
services to the blind.
12
LECTURES, BOOK REVIEWS, DISCUSSION
MEETINGS, FILM PROGRAMS
The Adult Education Department, the Branch Department,
and the Main Library offered a wide variety of programs and
activities throughout the year.
Among the many programs in the branch libraries which drew
large crowds were; "A Japanese Evening," a program relating to
the Doll Festival in Japan, given at the Hough Branch; "Western
Europe," an illustrated talk on Western Europe, by Paul Travis
and "A Ballet Program," presented by Ruth Pryor, Rowena and
the Ballet Russe Academy at the Euclid-100 Branch.
The Main Library again offered several important programs:
"Noon Hour Reviews," a series of ten weekly book review programs
presented from] anuary through March, "Nine Musical Evenings"
and "Four Art Evenings." It also cooperated with the Early
Settlers Association in observing the 1DOth Anniversary of the
Cleveland Academy of Music, and with the Ohio Folklore Society
in arranging a series of folklore programs.
Four discussion groups under the sponsorship of the Adult
Education Department met during the year. The program, "Invi­tation
to Ideas," added' an afternoon session this year, the members
discussing Northrop's Meeting of East and West, the evening group
discussing Toynbee's Study of History. A new program, '''Great
Books of the Eastern World," began this year, its sessions proving
to be interesting and provocative.
The "Great Books Discussion Program" was in its eighth year
with forty-eight groups and 950 participants in the Cleveland area.
"The World Politics Program." continued with a third series, and
was jointly sponsored with Western Reserve University and the
Council on World Affairs.
Films played an increasingly important role in the Library's
activities of the year. The Film Bureau arranged 23,882 film
showings, viewed by an aggregate audience of 982,727. It provided
films for programs given outside the Library, as well as for the
Library's own extensive film programs: The Noon Hour Film
Program in the Main Library, the family night programs in the
neighborhood branches, the film programs offered in the hospitals
and homes for the aged by the Hospital and]udd Fund Division.
13
Left: A televised Christmas carol program
by the Cleveland Public Library Chorus,
one of the Library's series of television
programs, "Views and Reviews," given over
Station WEWS on public service time.
The program reached an estilllated audience
of approximately 60,000.
THE CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY CHORUS
TELEVISED CHRISTMAS CAROL PROGRAM,I953
Right: A panel discussion on film use, in
which film experts participated, was one of
a series, "8 Film Programs for Business and
Industry." 'The series was sponsored by
the Film Bureau, Adult Education Depart­ment,
which cooperated with the Popular
Library in presenting the highly successful
"Fiction and Film Program."
14
Left: Mothers attended a pre-school
mothers' club meeting at the Woodland
Branch Library. Meanwhile, their pre­school
children enjoyed stories during the
stary hour there.
Left: The Live Long and Like It Library
Club celebrated its seventh birthday wiclt
a party given by the Cleveland Press.
Quest speakers were Governor Frank J.
Lauscheand Ma)or Anthony D. Celebrezze,
seen here with Host Louis B. Seltzer.
ADULT EDUCATION ACTIVITIES
FOR SENIOR CITIZENS
The Live Long and Like It Library Club, a pioneer venture
designed to provide programs and activities for Cleveland's senior
citizens, has won national recognition, becoming a model for
similar programs elsewhere in the nation. At year's end, the
American Library Association awarded the Library a grant of
$5,225 to intensify the work of this socially useful group for a
period of six months. Other interesting activities for older people
were provided in many of the neighborhood branches, among them
the Leisure Time Program of the Carnegie West Branch.
The Speakers' Bureau
The programs of the Live Long and Like It Library Club,
which have been so enthusiastically received, were arranged by
the Speakers' Bureau of the Adult Education Department. This
Bureau gave program assistance to hundreds of outside organiza­tions,
keeping on file for their use the names of over 1,200 available
local speakers and publishing a revision of Program Resources in
Cle'/jcland, which lists local organizations with available speakers.
15
Many parents reported that their children
made better adjustments to kindergarden
as a result of attending pre-school story hour
programs which were held in many of the
branch libraries during the year. Through
these story hours, some parents began the
custom of reading regularly to their children
in the home.
Pre-school Story Hour, Nottingham Branch
Library, where children heard lively stories,
told by a children's librarian.
IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOMS
The cheerful and friendly children's rooms of the Main
Library and the branch libraries were truly "homes for free,
inquiring minds." Here emphasis was placed upon reading as a
voluntary pursuit and children enjoyed books in an atmosphere of
freedom. In fostering a love of good books among children, the
children's librarians were helping to lay the foundations for richer
adult living.
Encouraging children (the pre-school age through the eighth
grade) to read for pleasure and pro~t was the major activity of the
children's librarians. Their success was evident for children were
reading: 77,381 children were registered borrowers of 1,634,151
books in 1953. Other important activities included reference
assistance to students, and advisory services on children's literature
to interested adults.
To make books a vital part of the lives of more children, the
children's librarians went far afield visiting schools, recreation
centers, housing projects, welfare agencies, and playgrounds. They
told stories on the air, and in the regularly scheduled children's
story houts in the branch libraries.
At summer's end, 4,273 children received reading certificates
at special programs in the branch libraries, climaxing the successful
summer reading clubs of 1953: The Treasure Hunt Club for older
boys and girls, the Big Top Circus Club for the younger ones.
16
Learning to work democratically with others
in planning many of the Library's youth
activities were the members of the Young
People's Planning Committee.
Among the scheduled activities for youth,
which they shared in planning, was "It's
Our America", a series of discussion meet­ings
on ideas and events which contributed
to the making of America in which fiction,
biography, and documentary films formed
the basis of the group discussions.
Roads to World Understanding Program
This popular program series for young
people, now in its ninch year, was co-spon­sored
by the Cleveland Press World Friends
Club, the Couneil on World Affairs Youth
Services, the Cl""eland Museum of Art,
and the Library.
17
Young People's Planning Committee
"'The Stevenson Room Chess CiroltP for
Young People," sponsored by the Chess
Association, provided a popltlar recreational
activity for its members who met Saturday
. afternoons in the Library. "The Stevenson
Room Teen Reviewers" continued their in-formal
and lively discussions of new books
during the year.
Each month during 1953 successive groups of teen-agers
received adult borrowers' cards and were introduced to adult books
through the special collections for young people in the Stevenson
Room and in the neighborhood agencies. Noted was a trend
toward an increased use of library facilities by young people,
records indicating that over 27 per cent of the adult registrants in
the branch libraries, and over 17 per cent in the Main Library, were
young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty.
From the wealth of new publications for youth, the young
people's librarians selected books to help teen-agers and young
adults to understand themselves, solve personal problems, and
search for a philosophy of life.
The work with young adults becomes
increasingly important in an age when the
young go to war and may soon be granted
the ballot at the age of eighteen. Helping
them to meet their problems and to
become well-informed, dedicated citizens
is an exciting challenge and a stimulating
experience to young people's librarians.
LIBRARY. HAZELDELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
New Books Attract Young Readers
18
JOHN ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY
A Browsing Period in the School Library
The pressure of economic conditions affected the daily lives of
school children, many Junior and Senior High School students
working after school and Saturdays. Result: less time for reading
and an increased use of the school libraries, not reflected in circula­tion
statistics. Reference work was heavier, and the school libraries
were centers of interest for information.
In spite of the encroachments upon time outside of school,
many boys and girls still read for joy and found pleasure and
contentment in the school libraries. What did they read? Boys of
all ages-and some girls-were eager readers of science-fiction.
Biographies were universally popular. Boys and girls alike asked
for how-to-do-it books, and there was always a demand for stories
of sports and out-of-doors life. Children in the elementary grades
preferred non-fiction. They clamored for books on science. Air­planes,
model railroading, and prehistoric animals ranked high in
interest. Poetry and song books were seldom on the shelves.
Junior High girls liked teen-age romances and career and
family stories. The boys chose books about dogs, horses, Indians,
automobiles, space ships and wild animal tales. Senior High boys
revealed a wide range of interests, and watched eagerly for new
books on guided missiles and space travel.
What books did Senior High School girls read? The title of
a song popular some years ago gives the answer, "Make Mine
Romance." They liked good light romances with modern sertings,
and stories of girls with problems similar to their own. They
enjoyed school and college stories, and biography and biographical
fiction, if written in a lively style, and asked for books on per­sonality,
etiquette, 'parties and games.
Throughout the days, boys and girls came to the school
librarian for reference help, but they also came to her with the
confident request, "Will you find me another good book? You
know just the kind I like." And she always does!
PROCESSING - 1953 BEHIND THE SCENES ACTIVITIES
Many Preparatory Steps in the
Processing of Books Are Required
Before Boob and People Meet
Selecting
Ordering
Accessioning
Classifying
Cataloging
Reinforcing
Labeling
135,410
270,984
220,549
Volurnes Received
and Processed
Catalog Cards
Added, All Agencies 302,959
New and Old Books
Pocketed, Labeled
Items Repaired
A PARTIAL VIEW OF THE CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY'S "ROUND TABLE."
"Th~ ROtlnd Table", the Library's book.order meeting, is held bimonthly when librarians responsible faT
book selection gather to review and consider the ptlrchase of new boo1<s of the period.
zo
SEARCHING FOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL
DATA IN THE ORDER DIVISION
CATALOG DIVISION
From the Order Division new books are
TOuted to the Catalog Division for classifi­cation
and cataloging; later they are sent
to the Book Repair Division for labels.
pockets, and reinforcements when neceSsary.
Order Division placed book orders the
world over, and this year ordered books in
every major language except Chinese. 'To
locate many of the desired publications
required extensive searching.
This Division stamps and accessions all
new acquisitions as received.
PUBLIC CATALOG, MAIN LIBRARY
In the public catalog of the Main Library,
where the catalog cards for all processed
books are filed, there are now more than
3,500,000 cards, providing an invaluable
index to the rich resources of the Library.
21
The Library and its Director were honored when the latter was
elected First Vice-President and President-Elect of the American
Library Association. This is the third time in the history of the
Cleveland Public Library that its chief executive officer has served
in that capacity.
Another honor came to the Library during the year when the
American Library Association granted the ] ohn Cotton Dana
Special Publicity Award to the Branch Department for its out­standing
publicity campaign conducted during the 60th Anniversary
Celebration of the organization of branch libraries in Cleveland.
The Library was also given a special citation by the Cleveland
Sesquicentennial Committee for its cooperation in the local cele­bration
.of the Ohio Sesquicentennial. In observance of Ohio s
anniversary, the Library scheduled lectures, radio and TV programs
on Ohio, arranged special displays, published a booklist, The Ohio
Story-Novel Suggestiol/s, and devoted an issue of The Open Shelf
to a bibliography on Ohio and its history.
. A survey of twenty.eight regional centers distributing books
for the blind, conducted early in the year by ] ohn S. Richards,
Librarian of the Seattle Public Library, revealed that this Library
ranked third in the number of volumes circulated. Only New York
and Philadelphia had greater yearly totals, although SIX centers
have larger collections and nine serve more patrons.
GIFTS OF THE YEAR
In 1953, the Library received from its many benefactors an
extensive amount of material totaling approximately 47,000 items
including books, pictures, pamphlets and periodicals, as well as
monetary gifts. Of especial significance was the gift of nearly one
thousand volumes on architecture and allied arts made by the
Trustees of the John Huntington Polytechnic Institute. This
collection was supplemented by a valuable gift of architectural
books, plates, pamphlets and colored prints from Arthur N. Oviatt.
Donations of books from Robert 1. Snajdr, Book Review
Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. and David Dietz, Science
22
Editor of the Cleveland Press, were noteworthy and valuable, as
were the musical compositions for chamber ensembles given by
Charles V. Rychlik.
A total of $21,679.23 was received from the Cleveland Foun­dation
to finance the Library's Judd Fund Service to Shut-Ins.
This amount included the income from the Frederick W. and
Henryette Slocum Judd Foundation supplemented by unrestricted
funds from the Minerva P. Ridley Memorial and the Combined
Cleveland Foundation Funds.
Robert Hays Gries continued his generous support of the
Tobacco Collection which he established some years ago.
A gift of $500 in memory of Nellie Leuhrs, long-time head of
the Literature Division of the Main Library, was given by her sister,
Fannie M. Leuhrs, to purchase books for the Literature Division
and the Hospital and Judd Fund Division.
Other memorial gifts included funds from the Estate of Mrs.
Rose Gottdiener to the Isador and Henry Gottdiener Memorial
Fund; contributions for the establishment of the Betsey Carver
Memorial Fund to purchase books for the Library's service to
shut-ins; funds for book memorials to Bessie Kelsey, Head of the
Popular Library for many years, and to Nellie Leuhrs; contribu­tions
to the Maude McQuate Memorial Fund by friends of the late
member of the Board of Library Trustees; funds for a memorial
collection, Main Library, in memory of her mother given by Edna
Grunan of the Library staff.
Unfortunately, space does not permit a complete listing of the
year's gifts-among them many monetary gifts, both large and
small, given by public-spirited individuals and organizations to
promote the Library's services to the visually handicapped and the
shut-ins, and to augment special book and record collections. To
every benefactor who has by his generosity increased the Library's
usefulness to the community, the Board of Trustees, the Director,
and the Staff extend warm appreciation.
23
The foregoing pages constitute a brief summary of
the services of a great institution which provided a
meeting ground for books and people--where informa­tion
and ideas were freely available to all through the
printed page and other media. The following section
contains the statistical and condensed financial reports,
an accounting of another year's stewardship.
The attainments recorded in this review reRect
another year of progress with promise of future growth
and development. They could not have been achieved
without the outstanding contributions of both the Board
of Library Trustees and the Staff. This report would
not be complete without an expression of gratitude from
the Director to the Board for its sympathetic under­standing
and staunch support, and to the Staff for its
effective work and cooperation.
It is the sincere belief of the Director that the
achievements of 1953 have justified the interest and
pride which Clevelanders have shown in their Library,
and their continuing support of the institution.
L. QUINCY MUMFORD
Director
24
710,277
67,244
2,695,195
1,537.244
562,411
CONDENSED STATISTICAL REPORT
USE OF BOOKS-CIRCULATION
TOTAL BOOKS LENT FOR HOME USE 5,572,371
Books Lent from:
Main Library, Lewis Carroll Room, Stevenson Room and Muni-cipal
Reference (City Hall) .
Library for the Blind (Talking Books, 53,410) .
Branch Libraries .
School Libraries .
Station Libraries .
BORROWERS
Registered card-holders in union file:
Adult. . .. 166,607 Juvenile. . .. 90,491 TotaL ... 257,098
Number of borrowers registered or re-registered during the year:
Adult. . .. 54,610 Juvenile .... 32,039 Total. .
YP (under 21) included in Adult Registration .
86,649
37,083
The following agencies provided library service but do not require registration
cards:
34 school libraries
1,001 classroom libraries in 178 buildings
I 13 station libraries
BOOK STOCK
Added .... 135,627
PERIODICALS
On Hand 1953 .... 2,730,650·
Periodicals currently received (separate titles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 6,136
Newspapers currently received (separate titles) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
FILM USE-l6 mm
Number of films booked. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,372
Number of films shown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23,882
Aggregate audience 982,727
GROUP ACTIVITIES
Groups
Use of Auditoriums. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Use of Club Rooms 3,131
Use of Other Rooms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1,268
Staff Talks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1,451
Library Instruction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790
Storytelling 2,029
25
Attendance
19,607
102,153
24,885
63,529
26,657
59,883
BRIEF FINANCIAL REPORT
BALANCE ON HAND, JANUARY 1, 1953
General Fund $ 49.856.27
Reserve for Fire Losses................... 263.310.92
Miscellaneous and Trust Funds. . . . .. . . . . . . 151.170.25
RECEIPTS
Taxes (intangible) 1953.................. $3.860.000.00
Fines, Gifts, Endowments................. 108,728.74
Miscellaneous. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.437.62
DISBURSEMENTS
Operation .
BALANCE ON HAND, DECEMBER, 1953
$ 464.337.44
$3.979.166.36
$4.034.489.40
General Fund .
Reserve for Fire Losses .
*Miscellaneous and Trust Funds .
* (Includes amounts encumbered
for 1953 obligations)
26
51.150.93
284,000.00
187,403.19 $ 522.554.12
DIRECTORY of the CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM
MAIN LIBRARY, 325 SUPERIOR AVENUE
CH 1~l020
MUNICIPAL REFERENCE DIVISION 1 Lakeside Avenue TO 1~4600
BRANCHES
ALTA E. 125 St. near Mayfield Rd. RA 1~6596
ARLINGTON 12330 Arlington Ave. GL 1~306
BROADWAY 3328 East 55 Street VU 3~8692
BROOKLYN W. 25 St. & Mapledale ON 1~6178
CARNEGIE WEST 1900 Fulton Rd. WO 1~98
CLARK 4620 Clark Avenue OL 1~2692
COLLINWOOD 856 E. 152 St. LI 1~220
EAST 131st STREET 3830 E. 131 St. LO 1~6133
EAST 79th STREET 1215 E. 79 St. UT 1~7266
EASTMAN 11500 Lorain Ave. CL 1~9433
EDGEWATER 1407 W. 75 St. OL 1~51
EUCLID~l00thSt. 9917 Euclid Ave. SW 5~4117
FLEET 6511 Fleet Ave. MI 1~5666
GLENVILLE 660 Parkwood Dr. MU 1-2040
HOUGH Crawford Rd. & E. 86 St. SW 5~383
JEFFERSON 850 Jefferson Ave. CH 1-7527
LORAIN 8216 Lorain Ave. ME 1~962
MEMORIAL 15212 Lake Shore Blvd. KE 1-5860
MILES PARK Miles Park & E. 93 St. MI 1~990
MT. PLEASANT 14000KinsrnanRd. LO 1-H90
NORWOOD 6405 Superior Ave. EN 1-6132
NOTTINGHAM 760 E. 185 St. IV 1-5588
QUINCY Quincy Ave. & E. 79 St. HE 1~6118
RICE 28W E. 116 St. CE 1-5062
SOUTH 3096 Scranton Rd. SU 1-1690
SO. BROOKLYN Cor. Pearl Rd. & Henritze
ON 1-8585
STERLING 2200 E. 30 St. MA 1-5766
SUPERIOR 1347 E. 105 St. SW 5~249
UNION 9319 Union Ave. MI 1~961
WEST PARK W. 157th St. & Lorain Avenue
WI 1-3730
WOODLAND 5806 Woodland Ave. EN 1-7402
COMMUNITY STATIONS
HARVARD-LEE 3902 Lee Rd.
PERKINS 2818 St. Clair Ave.
CEDAR 10112 Cedar Ave. SW 5~644
FRIENDLY INN 3754 Woodland Ave.
HE 1-6468
WOODHILL 2973 Woodhill Rd. RA 1-7970
SK 1·9955
SU 1-5054
OTHER SERVICE AGENCIES
39 SCHOOL LIBRARIES 104 STATION LIBRARIES 883 CLASSROOM LIBRARIES
TRAVELING BOOK SERVICE HOSPITAL AND SHUT-IN SERVICE