652 



NEW YOKE (CITY). 



great was the desire of people to get books 

 that the library attendants were unable to sup- 

 ply the demand, and the average circulation 

 per day increased from less than 500 to nearly 

 800. With 70,775 volumes on the shelves, the 

 circulation from August 1 to December 31 was 

 97,743 an average of 788 a day; the num- 

 ber of new applicants was 5,060, and the num- 

 ber of readers in the reading-room was 16,381. 

 The Library "now reaches a better, more in- 

 telligent, and older class of people," says one 

 of the Library Committee. This library will 

 receive $5,000 for 1887 from the Board of Ap- 

 portionment of the city. 



The New York City Mission has three free 

 circulating libraries under its charge. The De 

 Witt Memorial Library, 280 Rivington Street, 

 was opened Jan. 1, 1882, with 1,393 volumes, 

 and circulated 5,854 volumes the first year ; in 

 1883, with 1,698 volumes, the circulation was 

 12,027 ; in 1884 the number of volumes was 

 1,942, and the circulation 7,990 ; in 1885, num- 

 ber of volumes 2,031, circulation 6,461, num- 

 ber of members using library, 1,515 ; in 1886, 

 2,064 volumes, circulated to the number of 

 9,378, and the number of members was 2,077 ; 

 the daily average of circulation was 109 vol- 

 umes. The library was opened only on two 

 days in the week from 3 to 8 p. M. 



The Broome Street Free Library, 395 Broome 

 Street, was opened in 1886, with 2,291 vol- 

 umes ; its circulation was 4,241 volumes to 289 

 members ; the daily average 22 volumes. The 

 room is large, with ample accommodation for 

 10,000 volumes without encroaching on the 

 reading-room, which was visited by 3,506 vis- 

 itors, though open only from 4 to 9 p. M. on 

 four days of the week. 



Another library, under the charge of the 

 mission, Olivet Church Library, in Second 

 Street, near Second Avenue, with 1,8'00 vol- 

 umes, was opened to the public in January, 

 1887. It was established in December, 1883, 

 and has a printed catalogue of 1,514 titles, 

 each title having a note describing the book. 



A Free Reading-Room for Boys was opened, 

 under the auspices of the Loyal Legion Tem- 

 perance Society, at No. 16 East Eighteenth 

 Street, May 1, 1883. The rooms are opened in 

 the evening of each day from 7 till 9.30. The 

 attendance in 1883 was 10,789 ; in 1884, 26,849 ; 

 in 1885, 29,954; and in 1886, 33,843 making 

 a total of 101,435'in three and one half years. 

 The library, at the end of 1883, contained but 

 240 volumes; end of 1884, 500 volumes; end 

 of 1885, 1,739; end of 1886, 2,499. The aver- 

 age yearly circulation has been 1,100 volumes; 

 number of applicants each year, about 500 ; 

 number of readers in the reading-room each day, 

 115; monthly average -of books taken home 

 for reading, 140 ; 3,200 names are enrolled on 

 the membership-book, and about 1,090 boys at- 

 tend more or less regularly. The books are all 

 carefully selected, and only those are purchased 

 that will have a tendency to elevate the work- 

 ing-boys. Over 300 boys have been success- 

 fully placed in business and a number sent to 

 college by the personal influence brought to 

 bear on them. There are a number of literary 

 societies for developing literary taste and skill 

 in debate, and classes in various studies and 

 lectures are open to all. An industrial savings- 

 bank is one of the features, in which the boys 

 have on deposit, $1,334.28. In May, 1886, new 

 rooms were secured at No. 8 West 14th St. 



The smallest, but one of the most successful 

 and useful of libraries, is that of the Children's 

 Library Association, 436 West Thirty-fifth 

 Street. Its object is to furnish a library and 

 reading-room for children of twelve years of 

 age and under, to which they are admitted by 

 tickets given by their school-teachers or friends. 

 It was opened from January to May, 1886, with 

 a library of 300 volumes, with children's maga- 

 zines, games, etc. Boys are admitted Tuesdays 

 and Thursdays, and every evening ; girls in the 

 afternoons of the other days. The attendance 

 averaged 64 a day, and on one day but eight vol- 

 umes were left on the shelves. It was conduct- 

 ed at an expense of but $120 for the first year. 



NEW YOEK FREE CIRCULATING LIBRARIES. 



