Report of the President 



For the last twenty years the City Library Association has rendered 

 to this community a service growing larger without interruption each 

 succeeding year; but seldom in its history has the use made of this 

 institution shown so great an increase as has occurred during the past 

 twelve months. The number of books circulated, for example, has 

 mounted to more than a million volumes. In the light of the recent 

 censuS; it is interesting to note that the circulation of books, which in 

 1900 equaled 2 6/10 volumes per capita, and by 1910 had risen to 

 5 9/10 volumes per capita, in the year just completed amounted to 

 8 3/10 volumes per capita. Or stated differently, during the past 

 twenty years, while the population has slightly more than doubled, the 

 number of books available in the library and branches has substantially 

 trebled, and the use of these books has multiplied more than six-fold. 

 This is a remarkable growth, indicative of the place which the library 

 fills in the community; few cities use their library to any such extent. 

 It should be noted, also, that this service has been economically ren- 

 dered. The entire maintenance cost of the library and branches in 

 proportion to the circulation has increased only from the figure ten years 

 ago of 8 6/lOc. per volume circulated, to 8 9/ 10c. the past year. This 

 result, which, of course, has been attained only by the fuller and hence 

 more economical use of our plant, is the more gratifying in view of the 

 broadening service rendered to artisans, business and professional 

 men, children, club women, students, the blind, the foreign population — 

 indeed, almost all classes in the community. 



The museums, as well as the library, have drawn a larger attendance 

 than in preceding years. Mr. Smith, as always, has made many notable 

 additions to the exquisite collections in the George Walter Vincent 

 Smith galleries. He has opened the Art Museum freely, without 

 regard to the regular hours, for visitors from out of town, classes from 

 the schools, the Art League, local conventions, various clubs, and, in- 

 deed, for any group of people who could not attend conveniently during 

 the afternoon. The informal drawing classes for children on Saturdays 

 proved so successful last year that they have been continued by a 

 regular teacher assigned for the purpose by the School Committee, 

 under the supervision of Mr. C. Edward Newell, Supervisor of drawing. 

 The talks and stories for boys and girls on Saturday mornings, and the 

 expert guidance furnished all children who wish to visit the museum 

 are certainly giving to the rising generation a deeper artistic apprecia- 

 tion of the treasures displayed in its galleries. 



The Museum of Natural History has not only noted a larger attend- 

 ance, but has found that visitors spend more time, and that a larger 



