Submitted by (Mrs.) Charlotte M. Hutton, Librarian

A recent study of library trends emphasized that during periods of economic recession, library use is greatly increased, since it offers free service to a larger segment of the population than other specialized social services. The public library is one tax supported community service, providing both education and recreation, that is available to everyone regardless of race, color, creed, education, occupation, or age. From the time when the child is fascinated by the pretty pictures in the book to the time when failing physical abilities make him dependent upon talking books, the public library offers a vital service. All of this is accomplished with a very small portion of the public tax dollar. Our circulation records show that our services have indeed been utilized here at the Lane Memorial Library. Circulation figures are one of the indications of the volume of business; but they do not reflect the tremendous amount of reference work that is done within the library, or the man hours spent by the staff in assisting patrons in locating materials either here or through inter-library loan.

1975 Circulation

Adult fiction 27,442 Adult non-fiction 18,226 Paperbacks 4,390 Total adult 50,058 Juvenile fiction 15,148 Juvenile non-fiction 4,737 Total Juvenile 19,885 Records 2,134 Cassettes 179 Magazines 2,213 Pamphlets 108 Drug Materials 168 Art Originals 308 Art Prints 344 Films 225 Total non-books 5,679 Total for 1975 75,622

This indicates an increase of 6,039 over the 1974 circulation total.

In order to circulate that amount of materials it is necessary to have the materials at hand, and that involves the tax dollar. Costs of book and non-book materials which compose our media budget are sky rocketing. We use the most economical purchase methods available to us which utilize volunteer man-hours and cooperative buying procedures. Even so, it is not possible to offer more service to more people without increasing our media budget. Books wear out and either have to be replaced or rebound. The decision as to which procedure to follow is based upon the book’s condition, its permanent value in the collection, and cost factors.

Perhaps our most exciting activity for 1975 was the formation of a special study commit tee at the request of the trustees. This group spent many hours during the spring and summer studying the operation and services of the library, and made constructive criticism. Their complete report, which is available for loan from the library, contains suggestions for needed action and changes over the next five years.

I wish to express my appreciation to all the individuals and groups who have donated time and gifts to the library. The library needs the interest and support of the community to survive, and these gifts add to our resources. As librarian, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the trustees for their dedication and support; and to my staff:
Mrs. Audrey C. Ross, assistant librarian,
Mrs. Rose M. Fisher, Mrs. Joan E. Kahl, Mrs. Ruth A. Ross, library assistants,
and Miss Ruth M. Chilton, clerical assistant, for their interest and hours of conscientious service. Most of the staff have been taking extra courses at their own expense that they might be better qualified to serve the patrons of the Lane Memorial Library.