THE WHITER P1TTSBUUGH 



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series is given in Pittsburgh every year; and usually a tour is made 

 of the larger cities. Twice a week during a large portion of the year 

 free organ recitals are given in the music hall of the institute. Taken 

 for all in all the Pittsburgh orchestra is doubtless exercising a rather 

 broad influence in musical matters. Every year there is a season of 

 -rand opera, which is always popular. As a rule the churches have 

 excellent choirs, and many have talented organists. 



The library (reference here is to the Pittsburgh Library distinct- 

 ively, since there is also a fine Carnegie Library across the river on the 

 north side — formerly Allegheny) has found as wide and excellent a 

 field of influence, perhaps, as has almost any institution of the kind 

 anywhere. The plan was developed by Librarian Edwin H. Anderson, 

 who was its head from 1895 to 1905, and embraces among many fea- 

 tures the furnishing of collections of books to the public schools and 

 to the vacation and summer schools; the establishment of numerous 

 branches in large centers of population; the Home Libraries depart- 

 ment for children; and a liberal encouragement of the use of library 

 books by all classes of people. The encouragement has been particu- 

 larly directed toward the laboring classes and poorer people. This 

 work has reached an unusual degree of appreciation. The library has 

 (1907) 300,000 volumes; and a few figures relating to the book cir- 

 culation may be of interest. The present home circulation (that is, 

 books taken out to carry into the homes of the people) is more than 

 800,000. The entire recorded use of books from the library in 1907 



Palm Room, Phipps Conservatory, Schenley Pake. 



