7
LIBRARY SYSTEM CIRCULATES 2,037,545
BOOKS AMONG PORTLAND READERS IN 1921
Past Year Records Cain by Far the Largest Ever Experienced Here Volumes Are Carried to
Outlying Districts by Auto Truck Suburban Service Important Feature.
A Bank That Knows
the Pacific Northwest
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TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN, MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1023
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Br Dorothy Dnnlway.
' A PtJBLIC library's chief function
Is to serve the community.
The Portland public library
fulfills its mission so admirably and
so efficiently, but withal so modestly,
that the public Is apt to accept its
wide variety of service quite as a
matter of course. It is easy to forgret
that there was a time when Portland
did not have such an excelljntly
quipped building, such a treasure
house of volumes, as now stands al
ways ready to supply information and
pleasure to all who enter its doors.
The Portland library has a hos
pitable air that aids constantly In ex
tending the scope of Its. service. This
spirit is well exemplified in the cir
culation department, where the walls
are lined with books, easily acces
sible. This system removes the air
of formality, which prevails in some
libraries, where practically all books
for circulation are kept hidden from
the public eye.
Portland folk -have been quick to
respond to the gracious spirit which
permeates every department of their
library. This Is shown in the unpre
cedented growth in circulation.
"This year marks the attainment
of the 2,000,000 mark in circulation,"
said Miss Anne Mulheron, librarian. In
reviewing the work of the past years.
"A gain of 326,330 over last year is
far beyond the largest gain the li
brary has ever experienced. In look
ing back over th 20 years to 1901
when Mary Frances Isom came to
Portland to catalogue the Wilson col
lection, one cannot but be struck with
the tremendous change, development
and growth which have taken place.
In that year the librarian recorded
that there were 38,692 books in the
library; now there are 331,846. Then,
the books circulated amounted to 60,
851; this year, 2,037,645 was the total.
The report states that there were 687
volumes in circulation at the end of
the year. Times have changed since
the day when the books out of the
library were so few that they could
be counted.
' "Although the library Is more than
proud of its achievement for this year,
It Is nevertheless with a feeling deep
er than mere pride that we contem
plate the attainment. We realize, to
be sure, that ' such an enormous
growth would not have been probable
bad conditions In society and busi
ness been sound and stable, but It is,
notwithstanding, a matter of the ut
most encouragement that during such
a period of unsettled conditions and
enforced leisure the men and women
of the country have turned their
thoughts In such great measure to
the matter of books and self-improvement."
The library welcomes readers of all
ages and special provisions have been
made to care for all from the six-year-old,
who is Just learning to read,
to those who desire Information of
a highly technical nature.
So many boys and girls are using
the children's room that it is always
crowded after school hours and the
librarians are kept busy answering
questions- and trying to carry out
the real purpose of this department,
to help the children to help them
selves and to lead them on to the
best In literature.
The story hour time sees a large
group of children eagerly awaiting
a Journey Into the land of their
dreams. Then there are many clubs
for the boys and girls, such as the
stamp club, book club, scientific club,
travel club and nature club, which
have flourished throughout the year.
A successful way of sup'plying not
only children, but adults, with read
ing material, has been found by the
use of the "book wagon." The wagon
was started In the summer of 1920
as an experiment. A small touring
ear was used to take books to outly
ing districts. So great was the de
mand that last year the car was re
placed with a truck.
The truck was equipped by the li
brary Janitor with two cases of three
shelves each, with glass doors which
lifted and afforded somewhat ol a
protection. One case held books for
children, the other for adults.
Weekly trips Into the 'county were
made over five different routes and
many a shut-in, as well as farmers
and farmers' whole families, were
made glad by the books brought to
their very doors. The book wagon
also stopped at three of the large
city playgrounds. Children would be
gin to gather an hour before the
wagon was due and eagerly make
their selections. During the sum
mer months 6522 books were circu
lated In this way.
The Portland library Is much more
than a storehouse of books. Its use
as a social center has Increased each
year and in the central library alone,
a total of 4758 meetings .were held
last year. The majority of these were
the regular classes and lectures of
the University of Oregon extension
division and summer school, which
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I ARRA EMBRACED IV CORPO- I
5 HATE LIMITS OK PORTLAND.
i Land and water, sq. miles. . 66.36 i
i Water, square miles 6 i
Harbor frontage, miles.... 25.62 f
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meets la the library. Clubs and so
cieties to the number of 1286 met in
the building during the year and there
were nearly 900 meetings of this kind
in the branch libraries. The num
ber of persons using the library's fa
cilities for such purposes was J64.56&
"Not least among the library's ac
tivities has been its work In Ameri
canization," says the librarian. "While
It has not promulgated a definite
programme, it has sought in every
way through its main library, Us
branches and its school department,
to reach the aliens of the city and to
bring to their attention the fact that
there are books to help them learn
the langaage, books to read in their
own language, and a spirit of serv
ice on the library's part, as well as
an eagerness to derive profit from
what they might bring to us. Be
sides sending letters of Instruction
as to the nearest branch libraries
and offers of assistance to all who
were about to become citizens, the
library has sent an assistant to greet
these men as they have been admit
ted. Members of the evening classes
studying English have been enter
tained at the central library and at
the branches near the night schools;
and at the branch libraries In whose
neighborhoods are non .- English
John H.
Burgard &
Co.
General Insurance
and Surety
Bonds
273 Oak St.
Portland
Phone Broadway 5075
speaking residents, meetings and en
tertainments have been held through
out the year. Whether these people
become regular library patrons or
not, matters little, although, of course
this in the larger sense Is to be
desired, but It is very Important that
they should know that this public in
stitution is Interested in them and
their welfare."
A department which is growing
rapidly is the business-technical sec
tlon. Here the attendance Increased
45 per cent last year and the ques
tions asked were nearly twice as
great as in the previous year.
"Such a remarkable growth can be
attributed for the most part to the
unemployment situation," says Miss
Mulheron. "The room Is used almost
entirely by men, and during the win
ter they filled It even to overflowing.
As the room contains nothing but
technical books of a very serious na
ture. It is safe to assume that hun
dreds of men are better equipped for
their trades and professions by the
hours spent here."
The demand for books at the
branch libraries and stations has
grown at a surprising rate during the
past year. Statistics show a total of
870,537 In the number of books clr
cuiatea tnrougn these mediums, a
gain of 112,822 over the previous
year. The growth has been most
rapid at Arleta. Albina, East Port
land and Rose City Park.
The increase In circulation of books
is but one indication the most defi
nite, but not the most Important rof
the growth of service rendered by the
branch libraries. In connection with
the schools, with the church organi
sations, with community activities,
with welfare agencies, more active
work has been done than In any pre
vious year. This was accomplished
without any addition to the staff of
workers.
The opening of the new South Port
land branch In the fall was a notable
event, bringing as It did a splendidly
equipped little library Into a district
waicn swarms with children. The
poys ana girls of the neighborhood.
During 1922
Let "Friendly
Service"
Serve You
State- Bank
of Portland, with which is
consolidated the Peoples Bank.
- Where
Fifth Crosses Stark
Standing as the sturdy financial
pioneer of the Pacific Northwest,
ripened through more than three
score years of continuous activity,
and experience, the Ladd &Tilton
Bank knows intimately the re
sources, the commercial and in
dustrial possibilities and opportu
nities of this vast territory in
which it has been such a con
structive influence.
This knowledge and experience
place the Ladd & Tilton Bank in
an admirable position to render
distinctive service in every de-.
partment of banking. '
Ladd & Tilton
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Bank
Oldest in the Northwest
OFFICERS
t W. M. LADD, Chairman of the Board
EDWARD COOKINQHAM. Pres. WALTER M. COOK, Cashier.
ISAAC D. HUNT, Vice Pres. CAMERON SQUIRES, Asst. Cashier
SAMUEL, L, EDDY, Vice Pres. ARTHUR W. BROOKINUS, AsHt.Cash.
ROBERT S. HOWARD. Vice Pres. GODFREY C. BLOHM, Asst. Cashier
CHARLES A. McLEAN, Vice Pres. FRANK 8. MEAGHER. Asat. Cashier
CLYDlil L. PHTI.I.IBER, Assistant Cashier
Washington
at Third
SUDEJUl RE5EB
A. L. PEAK, Manager Foreign Department
WILLIS K. CLARK. Managor Bond; "Department
PRESCOTT W. COOKINGHAit, General Counsel.
DIRECTORS
WIIX.IAM M. LADD FREDERIC? P. PRATT
EDWARD COOKLNGHAM HAROLD I. PRATT
ISAAC D. HUNT CAMERON SQUIRE9
RAYMOND B. WILCOX
i'ivivivivivivivrnm
who are ardent booklovers, carried
the books themselves, shelf by shelf,
from the old library to the new, mak
ing a game of the problem of trans
portation which bad puzsled librari
ans for some time.
Some branch libraries are head
quarters for district nurses and wel
fare workers and have In this way
accomplished an Important bit of
publlo service. The organization
uses the libraries as meeting places
and as clearing houses for Informa
tion In regard to the needs of the
neighborhood.
In just such a variety of ways does
the Portland publlo library system
serve the community, endearing It
self each year to additional thousand
In the city and county.
Capital, Surplus and Undivided
Profits Over 3 Million
Linked With Northwest Development-
Resources Over,
30 Million
A SSOCIATED with the growth of population in the
Oregon country and its industrial development
JL jj for more than thirty years, the United States
National Bank has been a factor in the making
of both progress and prosperity in this great territory.
Industries find us willing, as well as able, to lend a helping
hand in the conduct of affairs, while individuals enjoy the
encouragement which the constant promotion of thrift
engenders,
Back of the vast facilities of this bank is a warm feeling of
fellowship which permits no discrimination in the degree
of good service between large and small depositors.
"One of the Northwest's
Great Banks"
DIRECTORS:
R. Lea Barnes, Oeo. O. Blnrham, Circuit
Court Judge; P. 8. Brumby, repreentln
Blodfett Co, Ltd., Grand Rapids, Mich.;
Geo. B. Chamberlain, formerly U. 8. Sen
ator from Oreg-on; E. Ehrraan, president
Maaon, Ehrman A Co.; R. L. Maelay,
president of Macleay Eitate Co.: Robert
Treat Piatt. Piatt A Piatt. Montsomery A
FaJea, attorneys; Andrew R. Porter. Porter
Bros., R. R. Contractors: Chan. 8. Russell.
Dant A Russell, Wholesale Lumber: D. W.
Wakefield of the Real Estate Firm of
Wakefield, Fries A Co.; J. C. Alnsworth,
President; E. G. Crawford, 1st Vlce-Prea.;
H. B. Alnsworth, Vlce-Pres., Wells Far go
Nevada National Bank, Ban Francteco.
XJiijtedStates
National Baiulo
Sith and Starlo
Portland, Oregon
OFFICERS!
J. C. Alnsworth, President.
E. O. Crawford, First Vice-President.
R. W. Schmeer, Vice-President.
A. L. Tucker, Vice-President.
A. M. Wrlsht, Vice-President.
P. 6. Dick. Vice-President and Cashls.
W. A. Holt. Vice-President.
cine-ham Dukehart, Assistant Cashier.
E. C. Summons, Assistant Cashier
J. D. Leonard, Assistant Cashier.
C, ir. Chambreau, Assistant Cash lea,
Frank O. Hak, Assistant Cashier.