8 



CITY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 



at the Home Beautiful Exposition, and again at the Child Welfare Ex- 

 position participated in by twenty welfare organizations. A printed 

 appeal calling attention to the increasing prices of books and binding, 

 and asking assistance in the care of books, reduced binding costs for the 

 last five months below the estimate. In this connection an exhibit at 

 the Memorial Square Branch entitled Casualties in the Book World," 

 showing examples of careless injury, helped. 



Affiliated Societies. 



The Poetry Society has held open meetings throughout the year, and 

 the public is indebted to it for the free opportunity of hearing five poets 

 of wide reputation. At the last meeting of the year, which is devoted to 

 the work of Springfield poets, the poem submitted anonymously by 

 Mr. William B. McCourtie, who has done so much to foster the success 

 of the Society, was chosen to be crowned — surely an example of ''poetic 

 justice. " The Springfield Art League has likewise conducted open lec- 

 tures at the library, and its annual exhibition, which was held in the 

 library hall, proved highly successful. Under the League's auspices 

 there was exhibited later a notable collection of Japanese woodcuts lent 

 by Mr. Raymond A. Bidwell. The Reading Circle for the Blind has 

 continued its useful work with the generous assistance of a large number 

 of Springfield citizens. 



Briefer Mention. 



The work with foreigners has been continued effectively. We hope 

 the fact that one foreigner, three days after landing, found his way to 

 the library in search of books to help in learning English shows that 

 this work is becoming firmly established. It would be very desirable 

 if the books could be placed in a separate room, where meetings could 

 be held, with assistants who could give more time to the special 

 needs of foreigners, to receiving groups and classes, to visiting their 

 societies, etc. The Springfield historical collection now contains 9,473 

 books, pamphlets, manuscripts, etc., relating to the city. Among the 

 accessions were ten volumes of photographs constituting an exhaustive 

 pictorial record of Springfield in the war, received through the courtesy 

 of Mr. Charles H. Beckwith, Chairman of the Committee on Public 

 Safety; a card index of high school graduates deposited by the High 

 School Alumni Association; and a file of early directories presented by 

 Mr. Henry D. Marsh completing the library set. The library is indebted 

 to Mr. Harry Andrew Wright for calendaring the collection of early 

 deeds, as well as for copies and facsimiles of manuscripts. Mr. Henry 

 H. Bowman, learning that the library lacked funds to buy certain de- 

 sirable but expensive publications, sent a check for $106 to make possible 

 their purchase. There have been numerous other generous gifts, includ- 

 ing a total of 1,694 volumes, all of which have been gratefulty received 

 and duly acknowledged. 



The Staff. 



The work has been handicapped by numerous changes in the staff. 

 Miss Marion B. Lewis, who was in charge of the Indian Orchard 



