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To make the Central Library more and more accessible to the whole Library system is one of the chief purposes of the Annual List and the Monthly Bulletin. If the public, which depends on the branches and reading rooms, would use these guides, it would have much readier access to the new and better books. By the recent introduction in the Monthly Bulletin of titles of new books common to all the branches, this publication stands for something more vital to these agencies. The Annual Lists will henceforth contain solidified lists of the monthly aggregation at the branches. This will not only insure a wider use for the Annual List, but will serve as a supplement to the latest Branch Finding List, of which no new edition is contemplated probably within five years.

Nothing has proved so acceptable to the public as lists which furnish what the card catalogue cannot possibly undertake to do. Especially serviceable are lists of books in foreign languages. Our small catalogues of works in the Scandinavian, Russian, Polish, French, and German languages are in constant use, and revised editions are needed. They are not by any means used entirely by those who read only fiction in their native tongues. They open up to these interested readers other departments of literature as no card catalogue can possibly do. When a new list is in preparation the Library makes up deficiencies and adds new material, thus in a measure keeping up with the current demands in several important literatures.

Of the Historical Manuscripts series three numbers have been published, while two numbers are ready for the press and authorized to be printed. These five numbers complete the series projected by Mr. Worthington C. Ford and the Editor, and are made up from material first selected from manuscripts in the Library for publication in the Monthly Bulletin. They have been printed on handsome paper, in a limited edition, of 250 copies for each number, and have been offered in exchange for equally valuable matter. When complete, the work will contain 148 separate letters and documents, hitherto unprinted, in the compass of about 275 pages.

THE BINDING OF BOOKS.

It having been decided by the Trustees to use the rooms occupied by the Bindery and Printing Establishments for the Patent Library, these two departments were moved in July to No. 42 Stanhope street, where are suitable and well lighted rooms. ~.

Arrangements were made to do all of the binding in this building, including the repairing and other work heretofore done by contract outside. To this end, the force was increased from nineteen to twenty-seven persons, including a clerk and an errand boy. Books and other material are now carried back and forth by a special wagon. The report of Mr. Ryder, the Chief of the Bindery, gives minute statistics of all work done, with the cost. The total expense has been $21,225.93, including $1,284.05 spent for moving and for enlarging the plant. It is estimated that the sum of $18,259.70 was spent for binding 25,013 books, varying in size and in expensiveness of material. The transfer of the two departments was made under the supervision of Mr. Thomas F. Boyle, one of a special committee of the Trustees, appointed for this purpose. As heretofore, books bought abroad are bound before they are sent to this country. The Library is thus able to obtain attractively bound books at a very small cost.

THE PRINTING DEPARTMENT.

On the removal last summer to Stanhope street, the Printing Department found itself in possession of a large and comfortable workshop in place of the small and badly ventilated room at the Library building on Dartmouth street.

On November 14, the Trustees voted that a contract be made with the Mergenthaler Linotype Company for a new linotype. This third machine, for which the Library has long waited, is at last perfected, and it is anticipated that when put in operation shortly a decided impulse will be given to the printing to be done for the Library.

Owing to circumstances connected with the removal of the plant to its new location, and other unavoidable conditions, the statistical record of the work of the year must be regarded as approximate rather than absolute. Subject to this qualification the work of the year, as reported by Mr. Francis W. Lee, the Chief of the department, is as follows:

Number of cards printed for the Card
Catalogue of the Central Library :

Titles e to © e * 35,385

Finished cards (not counting extras), 214,856
Card Catalogues, Branches:

Titles to o o to * 272

Cards, approximately . e te 13,660

The bulletins, annual lists, and special lists printed by this department are already mentioned in the report of the Editor of Library Publications.

The circulars, forms, and other miscellaneous printing number as follows:

1901–2 1902–3

Requisitions on hand, February 1 . 13

Received during the year e o 220 250
On hand, January 31 . o e 2 7
Filled during the year . g e 231 245
Call slips to so e * . 964,800 1,923,250
Stationery and blank forms . . 646,453 615,510
Signs . e e se * to 774 790
Blank books . to & * ğ 23 133

LIBRARY PUBLICATIONS AND BLANKS.

From the Stock Department 75,225 copies of the publications of the Library have been distributed, also 2,055,085 blank forms, including 1,787,500 call slips. An itemized account is rendered yearly by Mr. George V. Mooney, the Custodian, of the stationery and other material delivered to each department, with the cost of the same.

REGISTRATION.

The tables of statistics prepared by Mr. John J. Keenan, the head of the Registration Department (see Appendix VI.) show that the number of “live” cards (that is of cards which, according to the regulations of the Library, may be used by borrowers of books for home use), was 72,815, on January 31, 1903, as against 72,902 on January 31, 1902.

Bonds of indemnity for any loss which may be sustained by the Library from the issue of cards to non-resident students have been filed by seven additional Boston colleges and schools, making a total of fifty-nine.

THE USE OF BOOKS.

In Appendix VII. are tables giving the number of books used for home reading. The sum is: Home U Se.

Central Library (including Central Library
books issued through branches, stations,

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as against 1,483,513 the preceding year. Only a partial account is kept of books used within the various libraries, no count being made of books taken from the open shelves, or of the use of magazines, newspapers, and photographs. INTER – LIBERAERY LOANS.

To other libraries 620 volumes have been lent, as against 461 the preceding year. This Library has borrowed twentysix volumes. It should be understood that it is not intended to supply other libraries with popular books, but only such as are scholarly or unusual.

THE ISSUE DEPARTMENT OF THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.

The use of books from the Central Library only, in its various departments, as reported by Miss Margaret D. McGuffey, Chief of the Issue Department, has been as follows:

Volumes.

Issue for home use † * e so . 314,353
Issue through Branch Division (but not includ-
ing issue to engine-houses and vacation

schools) . e • * to {o . 108,554

Total . e io e e jo . 422,907
Recorded hall use. (These figures represent
only the books that it has been found prac-
ticable to count, not including the use of

books on Open shelves.) . to te . 370,751

Total home and hall use . © {o . 793,658

The daily average of books used at the Central Library without the Branch Division has been 1,918 volumes, and with that division 2,217 volumes.

The average Sunday use has been 1,500 volumes.

The largest week-day issue, without the branches, was 3,719 volumes, and for any Sunday was 2,557 volumes.

The loss for the year on books issued for home use was forty-four volumes, and for hall use nineteen volumes. The delays in the issue of books from the stacks to readers in the Bates Hall and Children's Rooms, while less than at some times in the past, are still occasion for annoyance to readers and to the officers of the Library. By tests made in September last it was found that the average time taken to get a book to a reader was twelve minutes. There are many reasons for this delay, the chief ones being the distance of the shelves from the reading rooms, and the darkness of the Stacks.

BATES HALL.

By the report of Mr. Oscar A. Bierstadt, the Custodian, it appears that in the general reading room work has gone on under favorable conditions as to temperature and ventilation. It might be expected that with the increase in the number of branches and other agencies of the Library, and the throwing open of the shelves to the public more and more, the home use of books at the Central Library would be less. It is believed that this has not been the case to any great eXtent. While the books missing from the open shelves are fewer than in former years, the number is enough to cause solicitude. Their money value, however, is small, and it does not seem worth while to exclude the public from all access to the shelves. N. The work done by the Bates Hall attendants cannot be represented in statistics, as is possible in other departments. The chief requisite is to make books accessible to readers, not only those who apply in person, but also those who seek aid through the outside agencies of the Library, as well as by letter. The demands upon the Library in these particulars are very numerous. The revision of the reference collection of books in Bates Hall it is thought will be completed during the coming year. The maximum number of readers at any one time in Bates Hall was 330. On Sundays and holidays 80,591 volumes were used. Throngs visit the Library on Sundays as sightseers, and strict measures for preserving order are adopted.

SPECIAL LIBRARIES.

The following statements are taken from the report of Mr. Otto Fleischner, in charge of the Special Libraries:

During the year 2,874 volumes have been added to this department, as follows:

Fine arts . ge g so e & g 1,186
Industrial arts . * o o * so 405
Music (Allen A. Brown collection) e © 357
“ (General collection) . te so e 213
Other collections e * g o o 713
Total . e o o e e 2,874

There are now 96,603 volumes in this section of the Library, exclusive of the documents of the United States and Great Britain.

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