Maine State Library Report

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE The following document is provided by the LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library http://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib Reproduced from scanned originals with text recognition applied (searchable text may contain some errors and/or omissions) PUBLIC DOCUMENTS OF MAINE: UONG THE ANNUAL REPORTS m' THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS For the Year 1904. VOLUME III. AUGUSTA KttNNEm:c JOURNAL PRINT 1905 ,. • THIRTY,.FII~s-r REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN OF THI\ MAINE STATE LIBRARY FOR THE YEARS Transmitted to the Legislature, January, 1905. AUGUSTA KENNEBEC JOURNAL PRINT 1904 MAINE STATE LIBRARY. :-\UGUSTA, MAINE. LIBRARIAN-L. D. CARVER. ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN-ERNEST w. EMERY. CATAI,OGUER-l\1Rs. :MARY L. CARVER. £XECU1'IVE COMMITTEE ON STAT£ LIBRARY. N. M. JONES, Bangor. CHARLES S. COOK. Portland. WM. T. HAINES. Waterville. MAINE LIBRARY C01D1ISSION. ARTHUR J. ROBERTS, Waterville. WILLIAM H. HARTSHORNE. Lewiston. KATE C. EST ABROOKE. Orono. LIZZIE JEWETT BCTLER. Mechanic Falb. L. D. CARVER, S,·cr!'lary. Augusta, Maine. • CONTENTS. PAGE Organization .. 2 Report of Librarian. 5 Exchanges 5 Donations . ............................ 6 Free Libraries . ............................... 6 Traveling Libraries ............................... 7 Library Institutes ...................................... 7 Distribution of documents ............................... 8 Purchases .............................................. 8 Additions to library: Books purchased ............................... IO Exchanges .................................... 41 County reports ......................................... 78 Town reports .......................................... 78 Donations. miscellaneous ............................... 87 Bangor Public Library ............................ I09 Bangor Theological Seminary ..................... II6 Bowdoin College ................................. 129 Colby College .................................... 130 Portland School for the Deaf ...................... 133 Rockland Public Library .......................... 136 U. S. Government. ............................... 137 List of traveling libraries Nos. 73 to II8 ....................... 152 Traveling libraries sent out. ................ 2o6 Free public libraries receiving stipend .......................... 210 Stipends not paid. ..................... 21 [ Financial statements ................. 212 MAINE STATE LIBRARY REPORT. To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Maine: In obedience to the requirements of the laws of the State, it becomes my duty and pleasure to lay before you a report of the Maine State Library for the years, 1903-1904. During the past two years the library has received as per manent additions thereto over two thousand volumes in excess of any like period of time. The catalogue of books appearing in this report covers the collections and purchase for 1903 and eight months in 1904. During these twenty months there were received by purchase 2,692 vols.; by exchange, 3,050 vols.; by U. S. donations, 1,527 vols.; by donations from other sources, 1,904; by our State publications, 227 vols. ; by bound magazines, 152 vols., 1naking in all 9,552 permanent additions to the library in twenty months and 11,227 in the two years. There were also purchased for use in traveling libraries 2,051 vols. and for gifts to free libraries, 1,051 vols. EXCHANGBS. The marked increase in the number of books received· by the library is largely due to the extension of the exchange system to universities and historical associations. Through continuous work extending over the last ten years, the exchanges with other states have been so far perfected, that the library receives com plete sets of the publications of two-thirds of the sister states and from the other states session laws and supreme court reports of decisions. The efforts put forth to effect exchanges with the minor provinces of the Canadas have failed. The general gov- 2 6 llL\TNE S'L\'l'J<; LlTlR,\RY. ernment at Ottawa send supreme court reports, sessional papers of Parliament, and geological surveys, but the law reports and statutes of Quebec, New Brunswick, New Founclland, N" ova Scotia, r( orth \Vest Territory. and British Columbia, can only be obtained by purchase. It is believed that with the active aid and personal influence of our chief executive, exchanges with these provinces and with several foreign countries can be arranged in the near future. DONATIONS. Donations to the library have been largely increased by the active aid and generosity of our own citizens acting through local free libraries. The good feeling towards the Maine State Library thus manifested arises largely from the helpful attitude of this department towards the small libraries and towards all citizens manifesting an interest in upbuilding the general library interests of the State. Very valuable donations have been received from the theological seminary at Bangor, from Bangor public library, and from the public library at Portland and at Belfast. There are many deficiencies in the early publications of our own State that can be supplied only through the gen erosity of private individuals who own ancient collections. FREE I,IBRARIES. Twelve new free libraries have been established since 1902. The amount raised and appropriated by the towns for their yearly support has gradually increased, and in the spring of 1904 the sum appropriated was $10,000 in excess of the amount of the preceding year. The ten per cent stipend to be paid by the State to the free libraries for 1904 will exceed $4,000. Since the last legislature appropriated only $3,000 to meet this claim of these institutions, there will be a deficiency of $1,000 or more at the close of this year. These libraries are doing better work each succeeding year, not only in securing more valuable publi cations and raising the standard of reading, but also by entering into closer mutual relations one with another. There is a great and valuable work for these institutions to perform, in gathering within their walls local history, portraits of leading citizens, biographical sketches, and everything relating to the towns and the peoples where they are severally located. LIBRARIAN'S REPORT. 7 TRAVELIC'<G LIBRARIES. The State now has 120 traveling libraries. These libraries contain 6,000 volumes in all, which are constantly in the hands of readers in all parts of the State. To keep these books in constant use and in good condition requires a large outlay in work and money. The average book of to-clay is so poorly bound that even with careful handling it will not last beyond two years without rebinding. Special libraries have been formed relating to China, Japan, Russia, Germany, England, Ireland, South America and also a collection of works upon art, sculpture, and painting. These books are in constant use and eagerly sought for by clubs, granges, and students. As free libraries become more firmly established the need of the travel ing library will become less, except in a supplementary way. The commission, under whose direction these libraries are formed, has other important duties to perform, in the require ment to aid and encourage the establishment of free libraries and in giving instruction to librarians. LIBRARY INSTITUTES. Under the law the State Library is required to afford instruc tion to anyone in library work. The need of holding institutes in different parts of the State has become imperative. \Vithin the past two years such meetings have been held at Saco, Clinton, and Augusta. Twenty-two librarians gathered in August, 1904, and remained for two weeks, devoting themselves earnestly to technical instruction. Many of these librarians sacrificed their yearly vacation in order to secure the much needed benefits of this school. At the close of the institute resolutions were adopted requesting that such course of instruc tion should be given in the future for not less than two weeks yearly. Three students have spent several months in studying and receiving instruction in the daily routine labor at the library. It would seem fit and proper that some one of our colleges should open its doors to librarians and give a course of instruc tion in library economy. The duties and responsibilities of a librarian are not less arduous and exacting than those of a teacher. Our librarians need instruction and mental training equal to a college education. The people will soon come to see 8 MAINE STATE LIBRARY. that this is so. In several of the larger states a person is required to hold a certificate in order to secure a position in a library. DIS'l'RfBU'l'lON. This department has distributed about 50,000 books and docu ments each year. Records have been kept in all cases where the law requires that publications should be sent to a town, institu tion, or person. If the entire distribution of all State publica tions could be placed under the charge of a single competent person, much waste of public documents would be avoided and the exchange list of this department would rapidly increase in volume and in value. PURCHASES. Many valuable works have been secured to the library by purchase. Among the most notable of these is the English annual register from 1758 to 1904, inclusive. It contains a fine and accurate record of current events in all civilized nations during the period above mentioned. The history of the English Parliament from 1020 to 1899, inclusive, including parliamentary debates

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