rhymes and jingles; Hamilton Grange, Busy little housekeepers, After vacation; Mott Haven, Stories to read again; Tremont, Books girls like, Books of games, Indians of North America, Alfred the Great, Erie Canal, Explorations of Lewis and Clarke, Knights of the Round Table, Miles Standish, Sir Walter Raleigh; Stapleton, Richard Mansfield; Tottenville, North American geography, American government.

In addition there were bulletins on new books at six branches, on college and school stories at six branches, on Labor Day at two branches, and on Henry W. Longfellow at two branches.

A new building for the Epiphany branch was opened at 228 East 23d Street, on Friday, September 20, at 4 P.m. Alderman Reginald S. Doull received the building on behalf of the City and as representative of the Mayor, and Cleveland H. Dodge, Esq., made the address on behalf of the Trustees of the Library. Rev. Dr. Joseph H. McMahon and Mr. Arthur E. Bostwick also spoke. Music was furnished by the choir boys of Epiphany Church.

This building is the twenty-fourth of those erected from the Carnegie fund to be occupied as a branch of the New York Public Library. The Epiphany branch was opened as part of the Cathedral Free Circulating Library at 223 East 22d Street, on October 1, 1901, removed to 230 East 22d Street in April, 1902, received as a branch of the New York Public Library January 1, 1905. It has now on its shelves 11,000 volumes and its annual circulation is about 30,000.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

For The Year Ending June 30, 1907.

July i, 1907. Hon. John Bigelow,

President, New York Public Library. Sir:

I have the honor to submit the following report of the work of this Library for the fiscal year ending June 3Oth, 1907.

Owing to the resolution of the Board adopted February 13, 1907, by which the fiscal year of the corporation was changed from the period July iJune 30; to January i-December 31, this report summarizes in brief terms the work of the Library staff for the period in question, leaving until January i, 1908, the full report for the calendar year 1907 and for the eighteen months since July i, 1906.

Philip Schuyler, a trustee of the New York Public Library since its formation, died suddenly on November 2gth, 1906, as the result of a railway accident. His place on the board was filled by Edward W. Sheldon, chosen February 13, 1907.

General Summary.

In the reference branches readers and visitors numbered 217,715; 182678 desk applicants consulted 886,161 volumes. 35,865 volumes and 59,428 pamphlets were received; 25,720 volumes and 5,500 pamphlets were accessioned, making the total number thus recorded 710,232 volumes and 270,961 pamphlets, a total of 981,193 pieces in the Reference Department, which, with the 593,881 volumes in the Circulation Department, gives a total of 1,575,074 pieces in the whole system. The Print Department now contains 63,282 prints. There were catalogued 36,303 volumes and 25,489 pamphlets; the number of cards written was 92,130, of slips for the copying machine 26,634. Periodicals currently received number 6,229, readers of periodicals in the Astor Branch 32,522, and these readers called for 243,425 single numbers or pieces.

In the Circulation Department the number of branches has increased from 35 to 37, volumes in the Department from 565,482 to 593,881, circulation for home use from 4,752,628 to 5,090,555; 5 Carnegie branches have been opened (a total of 23) ; i is ready for opening, 7 have buildings under

463

464 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

way; no new sites have been secured, which leaves the number of sites available for, or occupied by, Carnegie branches, the same as a year ago, namely, 31

New Buildings..

Work on the new building has not made as satisfactory progress as might be desired. Roofing is completed, temporary windows installed, exterior marble work is completed, interior marble work is nearly finished, and work on contract no. 3 for the erection of the main structure almost at an end.

On contract no. 4, for the stack work, the housesmiths' strike was settled in July. All of the structural work for the main stack has been riveted and painted two coats; all stack partitions, ends, bottom shelves and shelf supports have been erected and painted one coat after erection, except the top story, which was left unpainted to allow the ceiling to be plastered.

On contract no. 5, for heating and ventilating apparatus, boilers and settings have beeri completed and connections made between boilers and piping, the latter practically completed. Ventilating ducts in cellar and walls are installed and work on those in the roofs is about half done. Mains and risers for the vacuum cleaning system are in place, and air piping for the thermostat system has been done as far as the condition of the building permits.

Contract no. 6, for plumbing, was advertised on February 11 and six bids were received on March 21. The bid of M. J. O'Brien for $93,000 was lowest and the contract was awarded to him April 5. Work began on May 6, and by this time the floor drains have been installed in the engine room and the drain and supply piping in the south court.

The contract (no. 7) for the interior finish was advertised March 11, and seven bids were received on April 11. The contract was awarded to the John Peirce Company on April 19, its bid being $3,133,000. Work will be begun at the building early in July.

Contract no. 8, for electric equipment, was advertised June 10, and ten bids were received on June 27, the bid of the Lord Electric Company, $l73,&9i, being the lowest. The contract will be awarded to that company at the meeting of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on July 8.

Reference Department.

To give relief to overcrowded shelves and overladen floors, we have packed away in boxes stored in the Astor basement 40,663 volumes and pamphlets. The material thus stored away will not be available for consultation until we move into the new building. It comprises, in general, serial public documents issued before 1900, portions of little-used sections in Orientalia and Slavonica, bibliography and library economy, theological periodicals, missions, and various other theological groups. To provide for those portions of the Lenox collections that may be transferred to Astor if Lenox is closed in December we have gained 3,528 square feet of floor space by erecting platforms in Annexes A and B.

In the Astor and Lenox branches, readers and visitors numbered 217,715; 182,678 desk applicants consulted 886,161 volumes (corresponding figures for 1905/6 being 173,223 desk applicants and 778,652 volumes).

At the two reference branches the total number of desk applicants filling out slips for books was 182,678, and these readers called for 886,161 volumes, an average of 4.8 volumes per reader.

At Lenox the number of desk applicants was 13,587 and of volumes consulted 79,876, an average of 5.8 volumes per reader. Volumes consulted at Lenox formed 9 per cent, of the whole number used at both branches.

At Astor the number of desk applicants was 169,091 and of volumes consulted 806,285, an average of 4.7 volumes per reader. Volumes consulted at Astor formed 91 per cent, of the whole number used at both branches.

Astor day service numbered 148,765 desk applicants and 757,516 volumes, an average of 5 volumes per reader. Volumes consulted at Astor during the day formed 85 per cent, of those used at both branches and 94 per cent, of the total used at Astor.

Astor night service numbered 20,326 desk applicants and 48,769 volumes, an average of 2.4 volumes per reader. Volumes consulted at Astor during the evening formed 5.5 per cent, of the total used at both branches and 6 per cent, of Astor total service.

35,865 volumes and 59,428 pamphlets were received; 25,720 volumes and 5,500 pamphlets were accessioned, making the total number thus recorded 710,232 volumes and 270,961 pamphlets, a total of 981,193 pieces in the department, which, with the 593,881 volumes in the Circulation Department, gives a total of 1,575,074 pieces in the whole Library. The Print Department now contains 63,282 prints; as in former years little change has been made in the music, map, or manuscript departments.

There were catalogued 36,303 volumes and 25,489 pamphlets; the number of cards written was 92,130, of slips for the copying machine 26,634. Periodicals currently received amount to 6,229; readers of periodicals at the Astor Branch numbered 32,522 and these readers called for 243,425 single numbers or pieces.

406 REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

Circulation Department.

The Circulation Department now includes 37 branch libraries—an increase of two during the year. Five Carnegie buildings have been opened, three in Manhattan (webster, 58тн Street, and Hamilton Grange) and two in Richmond (5т. George and Stapleton).

The number of volumes in the department is now 593,881. The circulation for the year is 5,090,555 volumes, an increase of 337,927 over last year. (Circulation in 1905/6 was 4,752,628, an increase of 1,061,128 over the year preceding.) Of this 337,927 increase 2,269 1S the circulation of two libraries just established and the remainder represents the difference between an increase at 17 branches and a decrease at 19 others.

Five branch reading rooms are now open on Sunday afternoons and one (RiviNGTON Street) remains open on week-days until ю p. м.

The Staff of the Department now includes 403 persons, an increase of 41 over last year, due largely to the establishment of new libraries and removal of old ones to larger buildings, but partly to the creation of additional positions.

Examinations to determine eligibility for promotion were held on May 14, 15 and 16, 1907, with the result that two persons were qualified for Class A, 2i for Class B, 16 for Class C, and 32 for Class D. Of the latter 24 were from the Training Class.

The Cataloguing force of the Department has classified 7,107 books during the year, written or typewritten 43,364 catalogue cards, made 88,228 entries in the union catalogue and shelf-list, and handled 59,353 Library of Congress cards, besides preparing the Monthly List and Annual List for publication, compiling special lists, and other detail work. Besides this 89423 catalogue cards were written at branches.

Work with the schools has been extended to 390 educational institutions. To these 4,154 visits have been made, at about monthly, intervals, by assistants assigned for the purpose. Special library bulletin boards are maintained in 219 schools and 8,426 notices have been posted. 73,366 copies of the Monthly List of Additions have been sent to teachers and 51 addresses explaining library facilities have been made at schools and conferences. Special study-cards issued to teachers during the year numbered 2,644. Teachers endorsed the applications of 22,509 children and 94,322 school children made use of the reference books in circulation branches. Books purchased at teachers' requests numbered 815 and those bought in connection with college and university courses, 488.