REPORT OF LIBRARY COMMITTEE. To the Board of Directors of the Free Public Library: GENTLEMEN: The purchase of books by the Librarian, amounting to 837 volumes, during the year now closed, has been made by him after full consultation with and approval of the Library Committee, and so reported each month to the Board. HENRY BULLARD, J. W. ATWILL, Library Committee. REPORT OF ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE. To the Board of Directors of the Free Public Library: GENTLEMEN:-Your committee on Administration respectfully report that they have inspected the library, and find everything in order, and the books in as good a condition as their constant wear will admit. The employees have merited the approbation of the Board by efficiency and faithfulness. Miss Ritner, for two years an assistant in the library, resigned her position March 1, 1896, and Miss Stella Bushnell was appointed to fill the vacancy. Respectfully submitted, E. B. NEELY, J. W. ATWILL, B. NEWBURGER, Administration Committee. REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE. The finance committee of the Free Public Library report as follows: We have carefully examined the books of the treasurer and secretary and find them correct. The receipts and expenditures for the year have been as follows: We find that this agrees with the accounts of the city officers on the same dates. The city closes its accounts the third Monday in April, while the State law specifies that the report of the library shall show the state of the trust May 1. In April, 1895, the city carried over a balance to credit of library of..... 569 44 April 25, 1895, there was drawn for April bills.... 533 80 We call attention to the small amount available for the purchase of books. When the library was started, although the vote was passed in April, 1890, the library was not opened until March, 1891, and the running expenses were in consequence small for the first year, and a balance was carried over of $1,150.00. This sum was applied to the purchase of books in other years, and was only exhausted at the beginning of the last year. A reduced assessment has made the library income smaller, and the taking of the insurance out of the regular city taxes, so that the library receives no proportion of it, although the city receives the amount through the State treasury, has also cut our funds short. The need of increased income was so apparent for the keeping up of the library and the extension of the work that the committee advised the board to take steps to present to the people a proposition to increase the appropriation from three-tenths mill to one mill, allowed by State law, contemplating devoting all the surplus above the amount necessary to run the library properly to a building fund for the erection of a suitable building for the library. Although the result showed that our citizens were overwhelmingly in favor of the increase, on a technicality and upon the advice of the city counselor, the city authorities declined to appropriate the increased amount. Estimates for the coming year show that we will have about the same amount for the purchase of books and periodicals that we expended last year. W. H. GORDON, REPORT OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE. To the President and Directors of the Free Public Library: Your committee on buildings and grounds, in compliance with the by-laws, submit the annual report of expenditures coming under our super Your committee recommend a vote of thanks to the Park Commissioners for the gift of plants and shrubs to ornament our grounds. We commend the diligence and faithfulness of David McKinney, our janitor, credit him for the fine appearance of the grounds, and recommend him for re-appointment. JNO. DECLUE, G. W. HENDLEY, B. NEWBURGER, Building and Grounds Committee. " TREASURER'S REPORT. J. W. ATWILL, TREASURER, IN ACCOUNT WITH THE FREE |