Report of the President 



We believe that the City Library Association has a large future. 

 But a very erroneous idea prevails in some quarters regarding its pres- 

 ent resources. Not a few citizens seem to think that its work is main- 

 tained largely or entirely from endowments. This is far from being 

 the case. Its income from endowments defrays only about one-fif- 

 teenth of its running expenses, and for maintenance it is dependent 

 chiefly on the appropriation made annually by the city. It is true that 

 few libraries have received so many bequests, there being at present 

 no less than twenty-six endowment funds. This large number of endow- 

 ments is very gratifying, for it indicates widespread and generous 

 appreciation of the value of the Association's work; but as regards the 

 amount of endowment, various libraries in New England and elsewhere 

 far surpass that of Springfield. Contrast, for example, our income 

 from endowments, amounting to $11,516 last year, with that of the 

 Providence Public Library, which reported receipts from invested funds 

 of more than $145,000. 



Yet Springfield is unique among cities of its size in possessing an 

 institution like the City Library Association, combining so splendid an 

 art museum, so serviceable a science museum, and a library so large and 

 extensively used. All the land, the library building, the three branches, 

 the museum buildings, and the museum collections (to say nothing 

 of most of the library's valuable books) have come from private gifts. 

 For this great plant, so liberally provided by private benefactions, the 

 city has never been asked to contribute a dollar of tax money; and from 

 it the community receives rich returns in service. The city maintains 

 it generously, and doubtless it will continue cheerfully to defray needed 

 running expenses. But under existing financial conditions and the 

 heavy burden of taxation, the Directors are unwilling to ask for largely 

 increased appropriations to make possible substantial extensions of 

 the Association's work. There is ample field for additional service of 

 great and practical utility, and bequests already made but still to be 

 received will help, but it is obvious that large extensions of the work 

 must await — and it is to be hoped they will invite — largely increased 

 endowments. 



During the past year the Association has received several important 

 gifts and bequests. The late Charles A. Emery bequeathed to it one 

 third of his residuary estate, which it is expected will add five or six 

 hundred dollars to the annual income from invested funds. The late 

 Henry H. Skinner left a bequest of $25,000, the income to be used for 

 the children's department of the hbrary. The late Mary A. Booth, 

 besides giving her geological and archaeological collections, bequeathed 



