Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 209, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1910 — YEARLY REPORT OF THE JASPER PUBLIC LIBRARY. [ARTICLE]

YEARLY REPORT OF THE JASPER PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Report Calls Attention to Condition Of Roof, Which is Responsible for Considerable Loss. To the Library Board and the patrons: Herewith I beg to submit the report of the Rensslaer Public Library for thejear 1909-1910, the eleventh year of the library and the fifth of my librarianship. CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT. Number of borrowers registered Aug. 31, 1910 1114 Number of cards issued each month: September, 1909 13 October, 1909 17 November, 1909 18 December, 1909 7 January, 1910 14 February, 1910 ... 17 March, 1910 8 April, 1910 15 May, 1910 7 June, 1910 ; 5 July, 1910 3 August, 1910 '. 4 Total cards issued... 128 Total borrowers to date.... 1242 Days open each month for circulation. September, 1909 .” 26 October, 1909 2'5 November, 1909 25 December, 1909 ..- 26 January, 1910 26 February, 1910 26 March, 1910 27 April, 1910 ,26 May, 1910 .< 26 June, 1910 26 July, 1910 25 August, 1910 27 Total 310 Circulation for each month has been as follows: September, 1909 882 October, 1909 1137 November, 1909 1401 December, 1909 1320 January, 1910 f ..... 1664 February, 1910 1587 March, 1910 1414 April, 1910 1293 May, 1910 990 June, 1910 ..’ „ 779 July, 1910 _... 731 August, 1910 ...; 820 Total number issued 14018 Total for last year 13953 Gain over last year 65 As will be seen, the circulation for the year has not been so large as we would like to have it. One reason is, I think, because the school pupils have spent more time at the five cent show than they have put on their school work in the way of reference and reading. The five cent show seems to be causing a decrease in circulation throughout the state. Another reason is that we have not had the books that the general public wants. People have read almost all of the fiction that we have and when they ask for more, we have none to give them. We are badly in need of more fiction and also children’s books. Hours—The same hours are observed as last year. Reading Room—lt has been impossible to keep any record of the attendance in the reading room, but observation shows more than last year by a small majority. The reading room is used more by the pupils than by the adults; in fact, the pupils are driving out the older readers and I think some restriction should be put on the use of the library for the school children are here both during and out of school hours, fairly monopolizing the entire room and the time of the librarian, when the library is intended for the general public as well as the schools. Children’s Room—The attendance in the children’s room is greater than ever before. They require much attention and we are not able to do all for them that should be done. There is work enough in this depitftment alone to keep one librarian busy ail the time. We are hiiidered very much ty the lack of new books. The children have read agdreread all that we have and it is hard to supply their wants.

ACCESSIONING DEPARTMENT. Number of volumes previously accessioned 5723

Number of volumes added during this year 233 » Total number accessioned at present 5956 The following people have donated books to the library during the past year: Ross Dean, Indiana University, Daughters of the American Revolution, Ernest Lamson, I. N. Warren, Mrs. M. L. Spitler, R. P?&Benjamin, Dr. and Mrs. E. C. English, Mrs. H. ,T. Dexter. The re-cataloguing of the library has been continued throughout the entire year, as the work has been quite thorough. » Miss Charlotte D. Edgerton, of the Indiana Library School, assisted during the month of July. She was very efficient and her help was greatly appreciated. H ?; We are greatly in need of more stack room. The shelves are very crowded and a new section should be added to each of the stacks already on the floor.

FINANCES. Amount of fines and rents collected each month: tSt?— Amount on hand Sept. 1, 1909..512.71 Amount collected during September, 1909 5.29 October, 1909 ... 1.70 November, 1909 2.44 December, 1909 ... 6.76 January, 1910 2.85 February, 1910 5.48 March, 1910 3.81 April, 1910 ............... 4.65 May, 1910 4.66 June, 1910 3.98 July, 1910 5.21 August, 1910 8.30 Total $67.84 Amount of expenses for each month: September, 1909 $14.70 October, 1909 2.04 November, 1909 2.52 December, 1909 3.55 January, 1910 4.82 February, 1910 ~ 9.15 March, 1910 2.93 April, 1910 2.80 May, 1910 2.47 June, 1910 5.83 July, 1910 7,37 August, 1910 ... .• 9.19 Total $67.37 Amount "on hand Sept. 1, 1910..$ .47 AUDITORIUM. The auditorium has been used this last year by the Sophomore class for a class party and by the High School Literary club for their regular meetings. These who have used the room in the past have complained of the ventilation being bad, also the noise from overhead, as the floors are not deadened. The room could be made much more useful by having a door cut through at the back of the platform into the little room in front under the entrance. BUILDING. The library building needs repairing badly. Through the neglect of the Library Board, the roof is in a very bad condition. For over a year they have know’n of the condition' of the roof and have called several meetings for the purpose but nothing has been done. Rains that have come during the night, when no one has bed'n in the library to remove the books from the shelves, have caused at least SSO damage to some of the best books. Not only has the roof leaked, but it has been let do so for so long a time that the plastering Is falling in many places, thus making an unsightly appearance as well as rendering it unsafe. The roof needs attention at once, the ceiling will then have to be plastered, the_walls refrescoed, and the woodwork newly varnished, for it has been badly spoiled by '.he water. The front doors and the entrance need to be painted as they are badly weatherworn. LIBRARY BOARD. In January, 1910, C. W. Goen tendered his resignation as. vice-presi-dent and G. A. Williams was appointed as his successor. The death in May, 1910, of Judge S. P. Thompson, Resident of the Library Board, left another vacancy and J. N. Leatherman was appointed to fill his place. In closing my report, I desire to express my deepest appreciation of the

support and interest given the wor t of the library by its many patrone. Respectfully submitted, BESSIE K. TILLMAN. LIBRARY BOARD. J. J. Hunt President L. H. Hamilton..... Secretary I. N. Warren i H. E- Farkison G. A. Williams J. N. Leatherman Mrs. John Eger Mrs. F. A. Ross Mrs. J. H. Chnpman. Bessie K. Tillman Librarian Harry G. Wood. Janitor