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REPORT

OF

THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE LIBRARY

BUILDING AND GROUNDS

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Washington, D. C., December 6, 1909

SIR: I have the honor to submit my annual report on the custody, care, and maintenance of the Library Building and Grounds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1909.

This duty includes all work pertaining to the upkeep of the condition of the building and grounds, the maintenance and operation of all apparatus and machinery, all heavy manual labor of handling and moving, mechanical supplies, furniture, warming, ventilation, sanitation, repairs, policing and guarding the building and its extensive and valuable contents. It includes also the planning, devising, and execution of all modifications, readaptations and new construction of furniture and mechanical equipment to keep pace with the constantly advancing collections of library material and the new problems of care, preservation, economical arrangement, and accessibility constantly arising. The duty further includes the disbursement of the various appropriations for the numerous classes of purchase and employment for the Library proper, as well as those for the maintenance, operation, and custody of the building as indicated in the tables and statements below.

Naturally a large part of the labor and operations of the fiscal year were of a routine character, similar in quality and

kind, though increased in quantity, to those of the previous years. The details are indicated in the tables of expenditures below, while Appendix Ib of the Librarian's report, in connection with which this is printed as usual, sets forth the classes of personal service throughout the Library and shows that all service of the more strictly mechanical and physical order is rendered by the Superintendent's department. The main object throughout is to so aid and supplement physically the administration of the Library as to simplify and facilitate the economical accomplishment of all its operations and undertakings.

The duties are therefore of an unusually diversified, delicate, and responsible order. They have steadily grown in number since the reorganization of the Library and its occupation of the new building twelve years ago.

Owing to the greatly increased extent of material, furniture, and equipment to be cared for, it has become well-nigh impossible to maintain throughout the building the degree of cleanliness and good condition requisite for the preservation and handling of the collections, and it is evident that a material increase in the force of employees and apparatus for cleaning will be found indispensable next year. During the past year the usual good showing has been made to the public eye and a fair condition maintained in the clerical working spaces, but not generally in such places as the book stacks and storerooms and the cases they contain.

DEATH OF CHIEF CLERK

Since the close of the fiscal year (on September 8, 1909) this office, and the whole Library as well, sustained a well-nigh irreparable loss by the death of the late chief clerk of the disbursing office, George Norris French.

It is a duty to the government service as well as to the memory of the individual that the rare value of the work and influence of this faithful servant should here be noticed.

The Government has at all times many faithful and valuable servants, but seldom one possessing the full measure of ideal characteristics of this man.

He died in the house in North Sandwich, N. H., where he was born in June, 1841. In 1862 he enlisted in the Civil war, and at its close entered the service of the Treasury in the Second Auditor's office, transferring a few years later to the loan division of the Treasurer's office, where he remained until he became chief clerk of this office on October 1, 1902. His government service was thus continuous for forty-seven years. Through it all he was ever progressive, watchful, thoughtful, and singularly efficient, so that when he came to the Library he brought a wealth of experience, knowledge of accounting, and financial method of the greatest value to the institution. This was especially felt in assistance at devising accurate and effective systems of accounting for the several peculiar purposes of the Library with the necessary checks to insure valuable record and responsibility.

One of his strongest though less conspicuous faculties was mechanical invention, through an industrious exercise of which he was ever effecting economies within the field of his labors and observations. At the time of his death he had nearly perfected a most ingenious machine for economically assorting catalogue cards.

His most conspicuous and appreciated characteristics in the Library, as elsewhere in life, were his faithfulness and efficiency in every duty however small, his sweet, helpful, modest, and considerate disposition toward all with whom he came in contact, and his constantly indefatigable and assiduous performance of duty.

Few men pass away at threescore and ten leaving a more general sense of loss than did Doctor French.

VISITORS TO THE LIBRARY BUILDING

During the year June 30, 1908, to June 30, 1909, the count of visitors to the building and users of the Library was as follows:

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DETAILS OF EXPENSES FOR FUEL, LIGHTS, REPAIRS, AND MISCELLANEOUS SUPPLIES

The appropriation for these purposes during the year was the same as for the previous year, $32,500, and was expended for the following items:

Watch and Housekeeping Department:

Ice (370,633 pounds) _.

$963.65

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SCREENS, SHELVING,

FURNITURE, INCLUDING PARTITIONS,

AND ELECTRICAL WORK PERTAINING THERETO

The appropriation for these purposes was $40,000. Under a ruling of the Treasury an existing specific appropriation like this must alone bear all expenses pertaining to the class. No furniture therefore may be repaired or recruited from the appropriation for fuel, lights, repairs, and miscellaneous supplies. This makes the former appropriation somewhat larger and the latter smaller than it would otherwise be. The expenditures for the year were as follows: Steel map and atlas cases and framework

Steel card tray cases and framework (Card Section).
Adjustable stop blocks for steel card trays_

Miscellaneous furniture, including tables, desks, stands,
wardrobes, cases, chairs, stools, window shades, hard-
ware, etc__--

Card catalogue cases, file cases, and trays.

$13, 454.00

13, 051.00

I, 346. 30

3, 142.79

2, 688.45

Repairing and fitting of miscellaneous furniture, including labor and materials.

2, 685.77

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