38 Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences 



character, which could be used to advantage, are yet lacking in the library. 

 The matter of binding is, however, of the greatest immediate importance 

 so far as the utility and safeguarding of the library is concerned. 



Attendance 



The record of attendance, from May i, 1913, to April 30, 1914, during 

 the hours that the Museum was opened to the public, was 12,830, or an 

 average of 1,069^ for each of the twelve months. The highest daily 

 attendance was 293, on January 16, and the highest monthly attendance 

 1,560, in January, 1914. These figures are interesting when compared with 

 the statistics of previous years, inasmuch as they show not only a higher 

 total attendance for the year than ever before recorded for the Museum 

 but also the highest attendance in any one month and on any single day. 

 The highest holiday attendance was 68, on Columbus Day, and the lowest 

 was 8, on Christmas day. Approximately only 36 of our 300 or more 

 members visited the Museum during the hours when it was open to the 

 public, a fact that is thought to be of sufficient interest to be placed on 

 record. It should also be borne in mind that these figures do not include 

 the attendance at the eight meetings of the Association, and at sectional, 

 committee. Boy Scouts, and other meetings held in the evenings. Accord- 

 ing to the report of the secretary the attendance at the Association meet- 

 ings was 233, but no figures are on record in connection with the others. 



School Lectures 



The results of the Friday afternoon lectures for school children were 

 very encouraging. A course of 19 illustrated lectures were given, begin- 

 ning October 10, 1913, and terminating March 13, 1914, at which the total 

 attendance was 1,529. On two occasions the seating capacity of the assem- 

 bly room was inadequate and the lectures were repeated in order not to 

 disappoint any who had come to attend. 



In addition to the members of the museum stafif the lecturers included Mr. 

 Alanson Skinner, Mr. C. H. Rogers, Mr. John T. Nichols, and Mr. A. E. 

 Butler of the American Museum of Natural History, and Mr. J. M. John- 

 son, First Assistant in Biology in the Bushwick High School, Brooklyn, all 

 of whom gave their services gratuitously. The complete schedule, includ- 

 ing dates, titles of lectures, names of lecturers, records of attendance, etc., is 

 appended. 



The unquestioned success of this feature of our museum work is ex- 

 ceedingly encouraging, and every effort should be made toward its further 

 extension; but with our present limited resources this is not practicable. 

 Lectures ought to be given at schools in remote parts of the island, but 

 this would involve more or less expense and would not be advisable without 

 the cooperation of the Department of Education, which has thus far 

 shown entire indifference in connection with the matter. This indiffer- 

 ence is somewhat difficult to understand in view of the fact that similar 



