REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN 



7 



more to most children than two cents to an adult; and furthermore, chil- 

 dren's books are much less costly, so that whether the charge be regarded 

 as a penalty or as a fee, the lower scale for children's books seems reason- 

 able, and works well. The exhibits in the children's room included a 

 series relating to various lands across the sea, which has done 

 something to inspire respect among many of the children for the 

 countries from which their parents have come. It is interesting to 

 know that with children, as with older people, fashions change, and 

 the latest books are wanted. The younger readers are inclined to 

 desert their long loved boarding school tales and athletic stories for 

 war narratives with their submarine chasers, aeroplane heroes, and ex- 

 ploits of cavalry, infantry, and artillery. Summer reading clubs which 

 were formed at the main library and the branches were successful in 

 introducing many children to the better books. 



The Art Library 



On the shelves and in the cupboards in the art room, Springfield 

 people have access to an unusually rich collection of valuable books and 

 portfolios relating to the fine arts. This is the more noteworthy because 

 there is no endowment such as many libraries have for the purchase 

 of these works. The collection is extensively used, not only by persons 

 interested in painting, architecture, and the other fine arts, but also by 

 illustrators, designers, and persons engaged in the applied arts and in- 

 dustrial design. The Grace Rumrill music fund has made possible a 

 large collection of music of all kinds, which is much appreciated. Its 

 use is facilitated by indexes to all the separate pieces in the collections 

 of piano music, and by an index of songs, to which has been added this 

 year an index to the poets who have written songs. The collection of 

 pictures arranged by subjects, and comprising a quarter of a million 

 examples, is drawn on by illustrators, club workers, newspaper men, 

 designers, and school teachers. About 80,000 pictures were thus bor- 

 rowed from the main library and branches last year. 



Branches 



The crowded condition of the Memorial Square Branch Library 

 has been happily remedied by opening the large and attractive basement 

 which makes an admirable children's room. Story hours and reading 

 clubs have been organized for the children with excellent results. The 

 Forest Park Branch Library, which when the present building was 

 opened ten years ago circulated 36,671 volumes, circulated last year 

 167,084 volumes. This circulation was almost 10% more than in the 

 preceding year, and the need for larger quarters is obvious. The de- 

 velopment of the reference work with the schools this season has been a 

 feature. The Indian Orchard Branch Library has had a satisfactory 

 year, but the increased car fares have led some of its best patrons to 

 move to the city and so prevented a gain in circulation. At all of the 

 branches, exhibits, picture bulletins, special collections of books, and 



