View report page

232
REPORT OF THE WANDSWORTH SUB-COMMITTEE
For the Year ending 31st March, 1909.
The Sub-Committee have again to report a most satisfactory
increase in the issue of books, the number for the three libraries being
153,095, as compared with 137,762 in the year 1907-8—an increase
of over 11 per cent, in the year and 82 per cent, since the Council
took over the Library in 1901-2. It is especially gratifying to find that
the Branch in Earlsfield, where from 1899 till 1904 no public library
facilities existed, has increased its issue of books from 9,659 in
1907-8 to 15,193 in the past year—an increase of over 56 per cent.
Eight books were stolen from the libraries by a man who had
taken over 100 volumes from public libraries in or near London, and
who was caught at Croydon and sentenced to six weeks imprisonment.
Two sections of the Cotgreave Indicator, one for 4,000 and one
for 2,000, have been purchased and placed—the former at West Hill
and the latter at Allfarthing Lane.
Vacant situations boards have been fixed outside the libraries
at West Hill and Allfarthing Lane for the display of advertisements
from the Daily Chronicle, Daily News, Daily Telegraph, and The Times,
also for lists sent by the Wandsworth Employment Exchange. Boards
have also been fixed, by consent of the Council, on their property in
Magdalen Road and Pirbright Road. In consideration of exhibiting
the advertisements of vacant situations, the proprietors of the Daily
Telegraph present three copies of their paper daily, and those of
The Times two copies daily.
An agreement with the Metropolitan Water Board has been
entered into in place of the old one with the late Southwark and
Vauxhall Water Company.
A clock has been purchased and fixed in the Earlsfield Branch
Library.
The only change in the staff has been caused by the resignation
of R. Cruttenden, who has entered the service of the London County
Council. A. Freeman has been appointed in his place.