ELEVENTH
BIENNIAL REPORT
of
THE STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION
for the
STATE OF DELAWARE
January 1, 1923 to June 30, 1923
July 1, 1923 to June 30, 1924
I ~ ,.',ib$.4 !!jlll!! Ii ' ~
ELEVENTH
BIENNIAL REPORT
OJ
THE STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION
for the
STATE OF DELAWARE
January 1, 1923 to June 30, 1923
July 1, 1923 to June 30, 1924
Milford Chronicle Pub. Co.
Milford, Del.
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION
MRS. JAMES W. ANTHONY
SMYRNA
A. L. BAILEY
WILMINGTON
HENRY P. CANNON
BRIDGEVILLE
MISS ANNA B. HAYES
DOVER
MRS. CHARLES R. MILLER
WILMINGTON
MISS MARGARET ORR
LEWES
I11EMBERS
Reappointed Feb. 4, 1921 for 5 y ears.
Reappointed Feb. 4, 1921 for 5 years.
Reappointed Feb. 4, 1921 for 5 y ears.
Reappointed Jan. 21, 1922 for 5 years.
Rea ppointed Feb. 4, 1921 for 5 years.
Reappointed June 28, 1923 for 5 years.
MRS. CHARLES PRETTYMAN
MILFORD
Reappointed Jan. 21, 1922 for 5 years.
MRS. HENRY RIDGELY
DOVER
Rea ppointed Feb. 4, 1921 for 5 y ears.
OFFICERS
E. B. LaUDERBaUGH, Secretary
MISS IDA V. CULBRETH, Librarian
All correspondence relating to the work of the Commission should
be addressed to The State Library Commission, Dover, Delaware.
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION OF DELA\tVARE
Eleven th Biennial Report
January 1, 1923 to June 30, 1923
July 1, 1923 to June 30, 1924
To the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of
Delaware, in General Asselnbly met:
The State Library Comlnission begs leave to submit the
following report.
REPORT OF TiRE LIBRARIAN
Owing to the change in the fiscal year for all state
offices the librarian submits the following report from January
1, 1923 to June 30, 1923, and from July 1, 1923 to June
30, 1924:
ACCESSIONS
From January 1, 1923 to June 30, 1923, $442.73 was
expended for books. Five hundred and ninety-six volumes
were added by purchase and six by gift.
From July 1, 1923 to June 30, 1924, five hundred and'
sixteen volumes were added at the cost of $358.63 and one
hundred and forty-three were added to the collection by
gift.
. In December, 1923, the Con1mission received frOln the
state through the State Federation of Women's Clubs, $100.
worth of books-seventy-four volumes.
TRAVELING LIBRARIES
In the twenty-three years the State Library Commission
of Delaware has been in existence we can report progress
each year. While we have been hampered in many respects-
limited means, limited quarters, and a very limited
staff, the work has grown to a considerable extent, and despite
the fact that the appropriation was reduced by the last
6
FrOlTI January 1, 1923 to June 30, 1923, the book wagons
lTIade ninety-six trips, 3,125 visits were made, and 8,778
volumes were loaned.
FrOlTI July 1, 1923 to June 30, 1924, one hundred and
twenty-two trips were lTIade, 4,285 visits, and 12,468 volumes
loaned. These routes have been in charge of :Miss
IVIaloney and Mrs. Slaughter in New Castle county, Miss
IVlast, lVIiss Cooper and lVIrs. Schabinger in Kent, and 1\1iss
Hopkins, Miss Morris, and Miss Hall in Sussex county, and
it is through their untiring efforts that the work has been
a success in every respect. To quote again from Miss Hopkins-
who is a pioneer in the work, "Patrons on routes traveled
last year, are asking why they are not visited this year,
and if we will not return next year? It requires constant
explanation, that because of a small appropriation only a
very few can be served each year. A bright little girl whOln
I picked up on the road to school recognized me at once, and
as we rode along she told lTIe how much she had enj oyed an
A. B. C. book which the book wagon had left her the year
before. The contents of the book were firmly fixed in her
lTIen10ry, and although she is now a proud -member of the
prilTIary grade in the public school, she got her start fro111
the A. B. C. of the book wagon. To me, she was the articulate
representative of a vast number of inarticulate patrons
of the book wagon, who show only by their dancing feet and
smiling faces with which they meet and greet the book
wagon, their joy and satisfaction in the draughts of good
literature furnished them."
MAGAZINES
Subscriptions to the American Magazine, Christian
Herald, and Popular Mechanics have been renewed for the
Captains of the six Life Saving Stations on the Delaware
coast. Through friends interested in the work of the C0111-
lTIission a large nun1ber of magazines have been donated for
distribution on the book routes. The A. L. A. Booklist and
Library Journal are on file at the office of the Commission.
Reports from three of the free libraries in the state
are appended to this report.
The State Library Commission of Delaware is a InelTIber
of the League of Library Commissions.
Respectfully submitted,
1. V. CULBllETH,
June 30, 1924. Librarian.
7
TREASURER'S REPORT OF EXPENDITURES OF
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION FUNDS
From January 1, 1923 up to and including June 30~ 192:l
Salary of Li brarian ................................................................................. $ 4:80.00
Salary of Book Wagon Librarians .......................................... <1:90.00
J ani tor's W ages ....................................................................................... 32. [)O
Fees to Driver of Express Truck ............................................. 6.20
Insurance Premiums ........................................................................... 40.60
Freight, Express and Dr ayage ................................................... Ll.82
Office Supplies ......................................... ,................................................... 51.66
Postage and Stationery ..................................................................... 15.20
Rent ........................................................................................................................ 72.00
Telephone ......................................................................................................... 24.75
Traveling Expenses of Book Wagon Libr arians......... 465.63
Traveling Expenses of Officers ................................................ 38.48
Repairs ................................................................................................... ............ 81.75
Equipment (Books and Magazines) .................................... 720.41
Fuel ..................................................... _........................................................... 71.00
Dues .................................................................................................................. 5.00
TotaL ..................................................................... $2,600.00
Appropriation . . $2,600.00
E. B. Louderbough, State Libr arian.
Treasurer.
TREASURER'S REPORT OF EXPENDITURES OF
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION FUNDS
From July 1, 1923 up to and including June 30, 1924.
Salary of Librarian .............................................................................. $ 960.00
Salary of Book Wagon Librarians .......................................... 625.00
J ani tor's \V ages ............... ~ ..... . ... .................. ........ ....... . .... . . ...................... 60.00
Fees to Driver of Express Truck ............................................. 12.90
Insurance Premium.s .............................................................................. 40.60
Freight, Express and Drayage ................................................... 9.35
Office Supplies ............................................................................................. 43.73
Postage ............................................................................................................ 14.20
Rent ................................. :................................................................................ 144.00
Telephone ...................................................................................................... 58.10
Traveling Expenses of Book Wagon Librarians......... 395.00
Traveling Expenses of Officers ................................................. 47.36
8
Repairs to Furniture and Fixtures ......................................... .
Repairs to Books ............................................................. -.... -.. -.-......... -..
Equipment (Furniture and Fixtures) .-..... -.-..................... -.
Equipment (Books and Magazines) ......... --.. -.-.... ----........... .
Fuel ............_ ... _... ..._ .. _ .. _ ............ _... ........................- .. ---......... -...........- ................. .
Motor Supplies and Repairs .............. -... -........ --..................... --....... .
4.00
144.36
57.30
412.63
64.50
106.97
TotaL .. _.. ... ................_ ._ .... _... ._ ._... __ .........................$ 3,200.00
Appropriation $3,200.00
E. B. Louderbough, State Librarian.
Treasurer.
DELAWARE LIBRARIES
DOVER-The
Dover Library contains about 6,294 volumes, and
is open to the public on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays,
f rom three to five 0' clock in the afternoon, and from 7 to
8 : 45 in the evening.
FrOlTI January, 1923, to July, 1924, one hundred and
forty-five additional men1bership cards were issued, making
a total of 2,529 n1en1bers. As a matter of fact, this numbel'
falls far short of the actual number of borrower s, because
a membership card may be used by all the members of the
family.
Two hundred volumes have been added of which sixt vfour
were gifts. Two hunilred and fifty-six books were d{scarded.
33,552 books were borrowed of which 12,668 were
juveniles. These numbers include 19,302, fiction; ·10,306,
juvenile fiction; 1,582, non-fiction, and 2,362, juvenile non ..
fiction.
The periodicals of which there are 52 on the tables in
the reading rooms prove a strong attraction, 4,441 having
been loaned in the eighteen months.
The total expenses of the library are about $1,399.00 a
year.
The five local papers and the Wilmington Every Evening,
Greater Utica, The National HUlTIane Review and
VV0111an Citizen are donated. . .
R.espectfully submitted,
L. Beatrice Mast,
Mary E. Fulton,
Librarians.
9
ODESSA-The
Corbit Library of Odessa, Delaware, is open to the
public on Tuesday and Saturday from 9 :00 to 12 :00 a. 111.,
and from 1 :30 to 4 :30 p. m.
The present librarian took charge March 1st, 1924 in
the school house where the Corbit Library had been housed
since 1847. '
lVlay 5th, the Library was closed for two weeks, while
moving to the David Wilson mansion, left by the late ]\III's.
E. Tatnal Warner ( Mary Corbit Warner) for this purpose.
The mansion not only houses the Library but a very interesting
museum of maTi'y old and rare pieces of furniture,
china, pewter, and embroideries, thus adding one more feature
toward educating our school district.
When the Library was moved we had 7,236 books, 82
books were donated to Odessa Public School, and 40 books
to Taylors Bridge School. 128 new books have been bought
since June 1st. Number of borrowers cards issued-314.
Number of books borrowed since May 17th-2,230.
Respectfully submitted,
Mrs. George Whittock, Librarian.
Odessa Library C01111uittee:
Daniel Corbit, President
Hqrry Davis, Secretary
Mrs. George Heldmyer
REHOBOTH BEACH-From
June 15th to Septen1ber 15th the Rehoboth Free
Library opens its doors every evening. The Library is also
open one evening every week during the other months of
the year.
In July, 1923, a card party was given at "Horns" for
the benefit of the Library and $75.00 was the result. This
year (1924) we have had two "Benefits." One at a private
home during the winter when $15.00 was made. The other
card party was held at the Belhaven and $100.00-after all
expenses, was the outcome.
About 200 books have been added to the Library during
. the years, 1923 and 1924.
10
The demand for books by the summer people is most
gratifying, and the families that live here all the year 31'e
fully persuaded that the Rehoboth Free Library is-"a joy
forever."
Respectfully submitted,
Clara F. Hall Riggin, Librarian.
ALEXANDER P. CORBIT
MEMBER OF THE
STATE LIBRARY COMMISSION
OF DELAWARE
F ROM
NOVEMBER, 1922-JANUARY, 1923
Delaware Library Association
