Annual report of the Cleveland Public Library for 1880

              \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ V V \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ /
I
TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT
I ,
BOARD OF MANAGERS
^ L I B R A R I A N  S
P U B L I C SCHOOL LIBRARY
C L E V E L A N D , O.,
FOR T H E YEAR E N D I N G AUG. 31, 1880.
CLEVELAND:
PRINTED AT THE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE EVANG. ASSOCIATION.
1880.
TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
BOARD OF MANAGERS
AND
^ L I B R A R I A N S
OF THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARY
OF
CLEVELAND, O.,
F O R T H E Y E A R E N D I N G AUG. 31, 1880.
CLEVELAND:
PRINTED AT THE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE EVAXG. ASSOCIATION.
1880.
MEMBERS:
REV. J . W. BROWN, D. D., PRESIDENT.
E. M. H E S S L E R , SECRETARY.
W. J . A K E R S.
L. F. B A U D E R.
COL. W. F. H I N M A N.
DR. WM. MEYER.
E. R. P E R K I N S .
1880-1882.
STANDING COMMITTEES.
Books and Regulations.
Messrs. BROWN, MEYER AXD PERKINS.
Finance and Insurance.
Messrs. BAUDER, HINMAN Axd HESSLER.
Employes and Grievances.
Messrs. AKERS, MEYER AND PERKINS.
Furniture and Building.
Messrs. HINMAN, AKERS AND HESSLER.
I. L. BEARDSLEY,
Librarian.
Report of Library Board.
To the Honorable Board of Education of the City of Cleveland:—
GENTLEMEN: In accordance with the provisions of the
law, the Board of Public School Library present an
abstract of the receipts and expenditures of the institu-tion
for the current year ending August 31st, 1880, as
follows :
RECEIPTS.
Balance at end of previous year $ 1,318 81
Receipts from taxes January col 10,461 46
" " " July " 7,211 11
Balance received in settlement of old acc't.. 14 08
$19,005 46
EXPENDITURES.
Salaries $6,395 02
Books 4,789 23
Binding 773 73
Reading Room 350 00
Printing and stationery 261 22
Furniture and Fixtures 257 27
Gas 342.86
Insurance „ 130 00
Painting and Repairs 362 80
Fuel 74 00
Expense 57 25
Transportation 19 07
$13,812 45
Balance to Cr. of Library Fund $5,193 01
For details in regard to the management and business of
the Library, during the past year, your Board is respect-fully
referred to the report of the Librarian, which follows.
By order of the Library Board.
Respectfully submitted,
JOHN W. BROWN,
Presidents
LIBRARY BOARD, 1 8 8 0 - # 2.
R E V . J O H N W . B R O W N , D. D., PRESIDENT,
E . M. H E S S L E R , SECRETARY.
W. J . A K E R S .
L . F . B A U D E R .
COL. W . F . H I N M A N .
DR. W M . M E Y E R .
E . R . P E R K I N S .
STANDING COMMITTEES,
Rules and Regidations.
Messrs. Brown, Meyer and Perkins.
Finance and Insurance.
Messrs. Bauder, Hinman and Hessler.
Employes and Grievances.
Messrs. Akers, Meyer and Perkins.
Furniture and Building.
.Messrs. Hinman, Akers and Hessler.
Librarian,
I . L . B E A R D S L E Y .
Librarian's Report.
To the Honorable Library Board :
The twelfth annual report of this institution which I
have the honor herewith to present for your consideration,.
I hope will carry evidence that an advance, during the
past year, has been made in its value and usefulness to the
end for which it was created. The duties pertaining to-the
office, which your honorable Board have had the con-fidence
to again intrust to my direction, are so diverse, in
both literary and business demands, that to meet your
reasonable expectations it has seemed necessary to devote
more than the usual business hours that no single duty
might be neglected, and I shall feel well repaid if no just
criticism is suggested b}T failure on my part to do all that
my position requires. Out of the twenty thousand or
more persons who make up the large list of those who are
at times drawers of books, it would be little less than
miraculous, if there were not a few who would fail to be
satisfied.
So far as I am informed, none of the important libraries
of the country permit indiscriminate access to the books,
and for reasons that are forcible. It prevents keeping the
books in order, the assistants are interfered with in their
duties, and more than all the losses by pilfering become
most serious. Care has been taken to collate, from the past
reports, an account of losses by purloining, and I think it
can be satisfactorily shown from its decrease during the
past three years, that the safety of the property is only
assured by denying general access to the cases. The fol-lowing
is a statement of the number of books missing
from the shelves of the library as far as any reports are
furnished since its establishment:
Till the end of the current year, ending August 31st,
1875, there are no reports.
6 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
YEAR,
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
MISSING.
314
385
151
43
92
RECOVERED.
116
112
67
109
80
DELINQUENT.
155
122
70
51
10
The President of the Board of Education, in his report
for the year ending 1875, says, " The number of books
reported August 31st, 1874, was 20,415. The number of
volumes added from August 31st, 1874, to August 31st,
1875, was 2,493. Adding the two numbers together, and
there should have been on the 31st of August, 1875, 22,908
volumes. Actual count showed the number to be 19,680."
I would remark that the real number of volumes on the
shelves was 18,834, and the difference, 746 volumes, were
condemned books, but how long they had been accumulat-ing
there is no positive means for ascertaining. Accord-ing
to the published reports there wrere actually missing
between Sept. 1, 1874, and Sept. 1, 1875, 3,228 volumes, a
number so large as to leave it almost a matter of question
as to its correctness. Even supposing, as is probably the
case, that this loss extends from the establishment of the
library, it is one of a most serious character.
The offical report for 1874 says, " The 20,415 books noted
as belonging to the Library, August 30, 1874, include all
books ever on its shelves, without deduction for losses,
from all causes, for six years past." " Perhaps 1,000
volumes, or even more, in all, including those worn out by
use, drawn and not returned, and otherwise missing,
should be deducted, as a large number have been worn out
in the six years of circulation."
If the 746 volumes of condemned books on hand at the
close of the current year 1874-5 comprised the whole, then
the 3,228 volumes is the number that disappeared in six
years from pillage and delinquencies.
This statement is not made with a design to criticise
previous management, but to show the destructive system
of conducting the business, and to meet the criticisms
made because the public is denied access to the cases.
Even when books are laid upon the desk to permit a selec-
7 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
tion, they are sometimes stolen. The number reported as
missing is not always evidence of loss, as the recoveries
will indicate. The apparent losses and recoveries are no
doubt owing, in some cases, to errors in numbering, but it
is undeniable that there are losses which cannot be satis-factorily
accounted for.
The removal of the Library from the City Hall has not
impaired its use. The increase of drawings over the
previous year has been 22,268, or about 21 per cent., and it
would have been much larger only for the revival of
industry, which caused the temporary surrender of many
tickets. There has been a falling off in many of the
Libraries, notably in the Boston Public Library of 13 per
cent., and in the Chicago Public Library of 16 per cent., in
the circulation, which is attributed to the general revival
of industry.
This institution continues to hold its leading place in
the quality of the books drawn. There was added to
fiction during the year, 466 volumes, and the increase in
its circulation of 1.57 per cent, does not keep pace with
the growth. Whether it is desirable to add materially to
the proportion of light reading is a subject for the con-sideration
of your Honorable Board, as also whether such
increase would detract from the better use of the Library.
It will be seen by reference to the table of drawings,
that the reading of history has had a steady and remark-able
growth. Forming in 1875, three and six-one hundreths
per cent, of the circulation, last year it had grown to six and
thirty-one hundredths per cent. As steady effort has been
made in this direction it is gratifying to know that it has
not been without flattering success. Very much has been
done to elevate the standard of reading, owing partly to
the policy of buying a higher class of books, and partly to
the rule which has been followed of suggesting, where
practicable, the character of books to be read, especially to
the young. A comparison is made between the leading
classes of books drawn from this institution, and several
of the prominent libraries of this country, which will be
found as follows:
8 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
Cincinnati Public Library
Boston Public Library
Chicago Public Library
Lawrence, Mass., PublicLib'y...
Toledo Public Library
Dayton Public Library
Mercantile, San Francisco
Odd Fellows', San Francisco
Young Men's, Buffalo
Cleveland Public Library
-Includes Travel.
T
HISTORY
AND
BIOGRAPHY.
TRAVEL.
SCIENCE,
ART,
&c.
FICTION.
5.05 1.06 2.06 82.02
5.03 3.00 4 . 04 74.07
8.85 4 . 13 6.27 64.40
5.09 3.07 4.09 49.02
3.13 2.08 1.08 78.03
5.02 1.60 3.05 85.00
5.00 3.04 S 4.02 70.02
6.00 3.25 2.80 7 7 . 70
*10.04 5.47 75.31
9.89 4 . 74 6 . 03 5 6 . 4 2 '
That useful results would be the fruit of having the
teachers of the public schools recommend and direct as far
as practicable the reading of the scholars, there can, I
think, be no doubt. A reference to this project in my
report of last year, led a few of the teachers to adopt the
plan, and the effect was noticeable at once, and personal
attention was given on all possible occasions to selecting
books for children on required subjects.
(The circular presented November 1st to the Board of
Education, by the President of your Honorable Board, and
referred by that body to the Superintendent of Instruction,
and by him in a circular to the teachers, in relation to
their directing the reading of scholars, has had an imme-diate
and gratifying effect, and if the suggestions embodied
in that circular are carried out thoroughly, it will mark a
noted era in the history of the Library.)
BOOKS.
The table following will indicate in detail the condition
of the Library at the close of the year. The number of
volumes, 29,155 against 26,490, last year shows the net
increase to be 2,665 volumes. The purchases amounted
to 2,743 volumes which cost $4,789.23, or an average of
$1.74^ each, and 54 were donated. Placed on the shelves
of the circulating department 1,957 new volumes and in
the reference room 849 volumes. The number condemned
was 102 volumes against 233 last year, which is by far the
most favorable showing that the institution has ever made.
9 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
Of the condemned 52 were fiction, 35 juvenile, 9 German,
3 travel, and 6 of all other classifications. The delin-quent
volumes are but 10 (only one in 13,000 drawn)
a g a i n s t 51 last year, eight of which were fiction, and of
small value.
Present number of Books in Libray proper 23,997
In Reference Library 4,628
Duplicates 72:
Odd Volumes 21
Old Books 271
Librarian's Office 166
Total in Library 29,155-
In Library last year 26,490
Bought during the year 2,743
Donated 54
Recovered of missing 80
Recovered of delinquents 5
29,372
Deduct delinquents 10
Condemned 102
Missing 93
Lost and Paid for 12
217—29,155.
Net increase 2,665-
The following statement will e x h i b i t the volumes in
each d e p a r t m e n t with accessions d u r i n g the year :
VOLUMES IX
LIBRARY. ACCESSIONS.
Travel 1,649 158
Social Science and Special History.... 971 85
Belles Lettres 110 110
Fiction 7,146 466
Juvenile 2,174 39
Essay and Miscellany 1,132 125
Wit and Anecdote 258 16
Records of Rebellion 149
Natural History 476 23
Biography and Collected Works 1,776 151
Collected Foreign Biography 357 16
Theologj'- and Ecclesiastical History.. 968 35
Poetry 1,019 62
History 857 59
German 1,654 269
Physical Geography and Geology 231 1
1 0 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
Architecture, Music and Art 371 56
Education and Hist'y of Literature... 372 40
Astronomy, Engineering and Mathe-matics
230 18
Natural Philosophy and Chemistry... 226 11
General Science and Useful Arts 291 76
Physiology, Hygiene and Domestic
Science 301 50
Elocution, Etiquette and Games 249 14
Mental and Moral Philosophy 231 12
Politics and Law 191 13
Botany, Horticulture and Agriculture 200 5
Ancient History, Archseology and
Mythology 305 29
Games and Sports 105 18
Total 23,997 1,957
BORROWERS.
The whole number of tickets out at the end of the
year was 10,660, it being an increase of 2,206, r e p r e s e n t i ng
25,990 readers. Number of t i c k e t s surrendered on account
of removal, 72. Held for fines, 676. Number of notices
sent to delinquents, 2,580.
CIRCULATION OF BOOKS.
The L i b r a r y was open for g i v i n g out books 280 days
eleven hours each day. The whole number drawn was
130,443, a daily average of 466 volumes, a g a i n s t 422 the
previous year. The largest day was 1,113, F e b r u a r y 21st;
smallest day, 206, September 12th. The following is a
-statement of the drawings for t h e past t h r e e years :
1878. 1879. 1880.
September 4,819 7,120 8,017
October 8,738 9,506 9,520
November 8,989 10,886 10,436
December 10,384 11,261 12,497
January 11,841 13,347 15,621
February 11,278 13,787 14,719
March 12,063 13,030 15,406
April 10,869 13,109
May 9,517 10,830 10,986
June 8,378 8,916 10,082
July 8,463 9,492 10,050
Total 105,339 108,175 130,443
11 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
CLASSIFICATION OF CIRCULATION.
A comparative statement of the past five years will show
the changes in the classification of books drawn, which
are not material. While fiction increased last year 1.51
per cent., juvenile fell off 1.64 per cent., history increased
.86 per cent., biography increased .46 per cent., and Ger-jnan
increased .98 per cent.
1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880.
Fiction 60.12 55.80 53.75 54.85 56.42
Juvenile — 15.40 13.20 12.90 13.69 12.05
History 3.05 3.51 4.25 5.44 6.30
Biography 3.42 3.56 3.00 3.13 3.59
Religious .75 .50 .90 .52 .69
Poetry and Drama 1.05 2.40 2.25 2.65 1.98
Travels....' 4.16 4.05 5.25 5.68 4.74
Science and Art 6.50 9.23 8.50 6.82 6.03
•German 5.55 7.75 9.20 7.22 8.20
REFERENCE DEPARTMENT.
The number of visitors to this department during the
year, was 20,832, against 10,469 the previous year. It was
kept open 306 days. Number of volumes consulted 17,126
against 15,147 the previous year. The number of visitors
include those who visited the Reading Room, which
accounts for the large increase.
READING ROOM.
The Reading Room was open to the public on the second
day of January- The number of papers and periodicals
subscribed for was 58 and at a cost of $361.01. The amount
voted was not all used for the reason that the space for
filing newspapers was limited. By putting two weeklies
on a single file, and utilizing all possible available space a
few daily papers may be added. For magazines there is
no lack of room. On the last page will be found a list of
publications on file.
BINDING.
The contract for binding, entered into two years ago, was
by direction continued during the past year.
1 2 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
Number of books re-bound 1,712
Number of new books bound * 35a
Total 2,065
Cost of re-binding 1603 91
Cost of new binding 169 82
Total cost $773 73
The following is a statement of the cost of binding, since-the
commencement, except the year 1870-71, of which no
record is to be found. The current years end August"31st.
VOLUMES IX JJ VOLUMES IN
LIBRARY. BINDING, j j LIBRARY. BINDING..
187 0 7,030 $256 35 ji 1876 22,769 $1,164 88
187 1 10,311 No record, j I 1877 25,117 992 50
187 2 12,756 440 00
187 3 16,435 897 34 i
187 4 20,415 1,009 90 !
187 5 18,834 1,350 53 j
187 8 25,467 822 95
187 9 26,490 699 70
188 0 29,155 773 73-
CATALOGUES.
A card catalogue of the books, added during the past
year, has been made and also printed in pamphlet form for
the use of the public. A card catalogue of the books in the
reference department has also been completed, except as
to the location of the books, which cannot be done till
some permanent improvement is made for their arrange-ment.
When the contemplated improvements in this
department have been carried out, I believe it will quickly
take it-s position, as the most attractive and useful place
of resort for the cultivated and refined in this city.
Already the collection is perhaps as valuable, if not the
most valuable, of its size in the State. Of course, it forms,
as yet, only the nucleus of a library such as is needed,
and such as a city rich and intellectually advanced as this,,
ought to possess.
FINANCIAL.
Received from fines $294 40
Catalogues 7 15
Subscriptions 2 25
Books lost and paid for 13 00
Total $316 80
13 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
PAYMENTS.
Postal cards, $29.00; Postage, $18.38 $47 38
Transportation 38 44
Brooms, dusters, soap, &c 15 05
Stationery 16 41
Extra labor 23 22
New burgh Messenger 28 85
Bal. Ice Bill, 1879, $5.15 \ 1Q
Ice Bill, current year, 14.25/ iy
Printing 7 50
Custom House permits 5 50
E. L. Dodd, boxes broken in moving, $3 60 ) - Aft
N.O.Stone, " " " 1 88 f 048
2 Trunks for Newburgh Messenger 3 00
Water Cooler, paid C. A. Selzer 7 00
Books 4 50
Exchange and Telegraph 1 30
Recovering Books 4 50
Balance of Newspaper acc't 10 01
Balance 79 26
Total $316 80
LIBRARY SERVICE.
I. L. Beardsley, Librarian September 1st, 1875.
Maria T. Hubbell, First Assistant March 1st, 1875.
Mary F. Hutchinson, First Assistant Refer-ence
Department January 8th, 1874.
Lizzie Hall, Assistant Reference Dep't April 21st, 1879.
Emma E. Kenny, Assistant February 9th, 1876.
Ida M. Rezner, " March 5th, 1878.
Alice Le Vake, " March 11th, 1878.
Mrs. Rose Kelly, " March 18th, 1878.
Caroline P. Kirkwood, Assistant March 19th, 1878.
Anna Umbstaetter, Assistant October 21st, 1878.
List of Papers and Periodicals on file in the Reading
Room.
DAILIES.
Baltimore Sun,
Boston Herald,
Buffalo Commerical,
Chicago Inter-Ocean,
Chicago Tribune,
Cincinnati Commercial,
a Enquirer,
Louisville Journal,
N. O. Picayune,
N. Y. Evening Post,
N. Y. Herald,
N. Y. Tribune,
Philadelphia Times,
St. Louis Globe Democrat,
14 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
Cleveland Herald,
" Leader,
" Plain Dealer,
Columbus Journal,
Denver Times,
Detroit Free Press,
Christian Advocate,
Christian Union,
Churchman, N. Y.,
Church Times, London,
St. Paul Pioneer,
San Francisco Bulletin,
Springfield Republican,
Toledo Blade,
Toronto Globe.
WEEKLIES.
Evangelist, New York,
Examiner and Chronicle, N.Y.
London, Eng., Weekly Times.
PERIODICALS.
American Journal of Philology,
Appleton's Journal,
Army and Navy Journal,
Blackwood's Magazine,
Church Eclectic, London,
Demorests' Magazine,
Edinburgh Review,
Eclectic Magazine,
Godey's Ladies' Book,
Frank Leslie's Illustrated,
Harper's Monthly,
" Weekly,
Literary Churchman,
Littell's Living Age,
London Engineer,
" Illustrated News,
u Punch,
11 Atheneum,
N. Y. Nation,
Popular Science Monthly,
St. Nicholas,
Scientific American and Supple-ment,
Scribners' Monthly,
Wilkes' Spirit of the Times.
PUBLICATIONS DONATED.
Catholic Universe Cleveland.
Christian Register- Boston, Mass.
Die Deutsche Zeitung Wheeling, W. Va.
Florida Agriculturist Deland, Fla.
Irish World New York-
Trade Review Cleveland.
Unitarian Review Boston, Mass..
15 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
LIST OF DONATIONS.
PAMPH-YOLUMES.
LETS.
Atheneum, Providence, R. I 1
Bartlett, Nicholas, Cleveland 7
Benet, Brig. Gen. S. V., Washington 1 s
Bliven, C. E., Perrysburgh * 1
Board of Trustees, Boston, City Hosp'l 1
Burchard, Hon. Horatio C., Phila.. 6
Burns, Hon. J. J., Columbus o
Cobden Club, London 1
Congressional Library 1
Fracker W., Cleveland 1
Franklin Fire Ins. Co., Phila 1
Free Library, Burlington, Vt 1
" " Fletcher 1
" " New Bedford, Mass 1
Friends' Library, Germantown, Pa 1
Society, Phila 2
Gilmour, Rt. Rev. Bishop 1
Hawkins, Dexter A., N. Y 1
Hodgson, Wm., Phila 2
King, Moses, Cambridge, Mass 1
Knox, John Day, Washington 1
Landis, Mrs. Henry D., Phila 1
Leader Printing Co., Cleveland 3
Mercantile Library, Cincinnati 1
" " Association, N. Y 1
Odd Fellows' Library, San Francisco 1
Public Library, Boston 2
" <£ Brookline, Mass 1
" " Chicago 1
" Cincinnati 3 7
11 . " - Dayton 1
" " Detroit 1
il u Lancaster 1
u " Lawrence, Mass 1
" " Lynn, Mass 1
" 11 Milwaukee 1
" <{ St. Louis, Mo 1
" " Taunton, Mass 1
11 " Worcester, Mass 1
Sampson, Low & Co., London 1
Smithsonian Institute 4 1
Taylor, Wm. B., Washington 1
Townsend, Hon. Amos 6 1
16 LIBRARIAN'S REPORT.
(LIST OF DONATIONS.—CONTINUED.)
PAMPH-VOLUMES.
LETS.
United States Interior Department 12 8
" " Treasury " 1
Wadsworth, Hon. J. W., Albany 1
Wheeler, Capt. G. M., Washington 1
Whitaker, A. E., San Francisco 1
White, Mrs. Bush, Cleveland 3
Williams, Hon. James, Columbus 1
Young Men's Association, Buffalo 1
Total 54 57
T h a n k i n g your Honorable Body for the uniform kind-ness
and indulgence extended to me d u r i n g the past year,
I am with sentiments of sincere esteem.
Most respectfully,
I. L. BEARDSLEY,
Librarian.