BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS Published monthly by The New York Public Library at 476 Fifth Avenue, New York City. President, George L. Rives, 476 Fifth Avenue; Secretary, Charles Howland Russell, 476 Fifth Avenue; Treasurer, Edward W. Sheldon, 45 Wall Street; Director, Edwin H. Anderson, 476 Fifth Avenue. Subscription One Dollar a year, current single numbers Ten Cents. Entered at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., as second-class matter, January 30, 1897, under act of July 16, 1894. Printed at The New York Public Library, 476 Fifth Avenue. Edmund L. Pearson, Editor. VOLUME XIX MARCH 1915 NUMBER 3 ANNUAL REPORT REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES The report of the Trustees will be confined, as in the past, to a brief mention of the important events of the past year, referring to the report of the Director and the accompanying statements for details. The following changes have taken place in the Board of Trustees during the year 1914: John L. Cadwalader, President of the Board, died at his home in this city on March 11, 1914, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. He had served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Astor Library, having been elected November 5, 1879, and as a Trustee of the consolidated Library from its formation until his death. This was, in all, a period of service of over thirty-four years. He became a Vice-President of The New York Public Library January 13, 1909, and was elected President March 13, 1912, to succeed the late John Bigelow. On May 13, 1914, George L. Rives, First Vice-President, was elected President, to succeed Mr. Cadwalader. Lewis Cass Ledyard, was elected First Vice-President on October 14, to fill the vacancy in that office caused by the election of Mr. Rives as President. The most striking feature of the past year is the fact that, with no increase of income, the Library has had to face a marked increase in the demand for its service. It seems certain, moreover, that the use of the Library will continue to grow for some time to come, as it has grown during 1914. A few comparative figures will make clear the magnitude of this increase in the work of the Library. In the Reference Department, in 1914, a total number of 711,122 readers consulted 2,127,328 volumes, and there were 2,380,504 visitors to the Central Building. This is a gain over 1913 of thirty-five per cent. in readers, of twenty-six per cent. in volumes consulted, and of thirteen per cent. in visitors. In the Circulation Department 9,516,482 volumes were given out for home use - a gain over 1913 of 1,196,338 volumes, or fourteen per cent. In the circulation of books from children's rooms alone, there was a gain of over half a million volumes. From these figures it appears that nearly 12,000,000 books were recorded as used by readers in The New York Public Library last year, in both departments. This sum, however, does not include a large number of books used in the reference rooms at the Central Building, and at the branch libraries, of which no count could be kept. The chief problem confronting the Corporation lies, therefore, in the fact that to offset this very great increase in the use of the Library, necessarily involving increased labor on the part of the persons employed by the Corporation, there has been no corresponding increase in the funds available for enlarging the facilities of the institution. In the last annual report, it was asserted that "in no library of any importance is the use of the books attended with so few hampering conditions, so little difficulty or loss of time." This remarkable convenience of access, which is one of the chief characteristics of our Library, can be maintained only by the constant devotion of a numerous and highly skilled staff of attendants, and it would be a matter of the greatest regret should it ever become necessary to cut down the service relatively to the number of readers or the number of books called for. Already, in making estimates for the year 1915, we have been forced to diminish by ten thousand dollars the sums allotted for the purchase and binding of books. Four new branch libraries were opened to the public in 1914 — Fort Washington, Melrose, Woodstock, and Washington Heights Branches. All of them occupy buildings erected from funds given by Mr. Andrew Carnegie, on sites provided by the City under the terms of the agreement entered into between the City, Mr. Carnegie, and The New York Public Library, July 17, 1901. By resolution of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment on March 6, 1914, the Municipal Reference Library, which had been operated under the direction of the Comptroller as a part of the work of the Finance Department, was made a branch of The New York Public Library, to be supported by annual appropriations by the City. The new Manuscript Division of the Reference Department began its work in November, a Keeper of Manuscripts having been appointed and suitable equipment provided. The Library has received several notable bequests during the past year, of which the following should be mentioned here: By bequest of John L. Cadwalader the Library received legacies aggregating $100,000, to be used for the purchase of prints and for increase of salaries in the Reference Department. Mr. Cadwalader also left the Library a collection of prints, 361 in number, mainly mezzotints (a conservative estimate of the value of which is $50,000) and 765 books and pamphlets (valued at about $1,000). Mrs. Henry Draper, for many years a generous benefactor of the Library, died December 8, 1914. In her will a bequest is made to the Library of such books and prints as may be selected, together with various objects of art. Further bequests include one of $50,000, to be used as a fund for the assistance of employees of the Library who may be ill or disabled; another of $200,000, as a fund to be called "The John S. Billings Memorial Fund," from which are to be purchased books, prints, pamphlets, etc., for the Reference Department; and another of $200,000 from the residuary estate, which will, under certain circumstances, be increased. The legacy from the residuary estate is to be held as a separate fund, to be called "The Anna Palmer Draper Fund, presented as a Memorial to her Father, Courtlandt Palmer" and to be used for the purchase of books, pamphlets, prints, etc., for the Reference Department. Through a bequest under the will of Thomas A. Janvier and the gift by Mrs. Catherine Ann Janvier of her life interest therein, the Library received a notable collection of books relating to Mexico, containing 648 volumes, 151 pamphlets, and many maps, photographs, letters, etc. A very important collection of musical literature was given the Library by Mrs. Julian Edwards as a memorial to her late husband. In this collection there are about 90 full scores of operas, 150 full scores of cantatas, concertos, oratorios, overtures, suites, etc., and about 300 vocal scores of operas, oratorios, etc., as well as 325 books on musical subjects. The Trustees cannot conclude this report without expressing their appreciation of the excellent work of the staff of the Library in all its branches, which has resulted in a service to the public of which the Trustees are justly proud, and which they believe is also fully appreciated by the community. GEORGE L. RIVES, President. LEGACIES TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY No precise words are necessary to a valid legacy to the Corporation. The following clause, however, may be suggested: "I give The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations, the sum of.. .....dollars." If land, or any specific personal property, such as bonds, stocks, books, prints, etc., is given, a brief description of the property should be inserted instead of the words "the sum of... ...dollars." |