What the Grand Rapids Public Library Can Do for You A Few Things to Think About and Remember Issued in connection with the library’s exhibit at the Wkst IV!icme,an Statk Vmr. September 14 to 1b (inclusive) 190SLibrary Buildings and Hours of Opening. Ryerson Public Library Building— Park and Bostwick streets. Open week days, 8:30 a. m. to 9:00 p. m. Sun- days and holidays, reading rooms only, 2:00 to 6:00 p. m. Citizens Telpehone, 5957 ; Michigan Telephone (Bell) (pri- vate branch exchange connecting with all departments and branches, except Bissell house), Main 179. Biss ell Hous e Branch— North Ottawa street, near Newberry street. Week days, 1:00 to 9:00 p. m. Sigsfoee. School Branch— Sigsbee street, Bemis avenue and Logan street. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m. Buchanan Street School Branch— Buchanan street and Griggs avenue. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. xn. Palmer Avenue School Branch— Palmer avenue and Wairons street. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. in. West Side Branch— West Bridge street and Cadwell street. Week days 12:30 to 9:00 p. m.; Satur- days, 8:30 a. in. to 9:00 p. in. Sun- days, (reading rooms only) 2:00 to 6:00 p. m. Hall Street School Branch— Hall street and Gran civil le avenue, (To be opened about January 1st, 1909), Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m.T^vO YOU want new ideas — for I I your business, for your trade, for your occupation, for your profession, for your amusement, • or for your hobby? 5 The Grand Rapids Public Library is an institution for the dissemination of ideas—-through books, through period- icals, through lectures, and through exhibitions— and *' for the continuous education of all the people. Thousands of people are using it all the time to get new ideas, It also furnishes more wholesome amusement and recreation than any other institution in the city. It is the greatest institution for adult education in Grand Rapids. It is now serving more than 22,000 people who are registered to draw books. Are you one of them? The library belongs to the people of the city, and is maintained by their taxes. Its rise in the buildings is free to every one. It serves the public through the Ryerson Public Library building, the handsomest and best library building in the State of Mich-, igan, through its thirty-six branches and stations, and through its system of traveling libraries. The drawing of books for home use is free to all res- idents and to non-resident taxpayers. Non-resident, non-taxpayers mayobtain cards for drawing books, on the payment of $2.50 a year. Here Are Some of the Resources at Your Service—for the Asking: More than 100,000 books and pamph- lets..; 700 different current periodicals on file in its reading rooms, giving the latest information on almost every question of human interest; collec- tions of books in the English, French, German, Holland, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Italian languages, with other languages to be added shortly; current periodicals in the English, French, German, Holland, Polish, Swedish/Danish, and Norwegian lan- guages; daily newspapers from more than a dozen leading cities in various parts of the United States, together with one from Canada, and one from Amsterdam, Holland. The library adds , from eight to ten thousand volumes a 3'ear, and it has on its shelves books relating to ever}" art and ever}" industry in the City of Grand Rapids. ‘ . During the winter months the library conducts a series of free lec- tures in the Ryerson Public Library budding, and in four of its branches. Sixty such lectures will be given this winter.. The - library also gives art and other exhibitions. In two 3"ears these ex-hibitions and lectures were attended by more than 150,000 persons. Were you’one of them? At the branch libraries there is a permanent collection of books, and books for use at the branches are de- livered as called for, from the Ryer- son Public Library building. At least two dozen current periodicals are on file in the branch reading rooms, in- cluding a daily newspaper from Chi- cago. The work for children is one of the most important features of the libra- ry's activities. During the winter months there is a weekly Story Hour for the children, both in the Ryerson building and the branches. One of the interesting collections of the Children's Room in the Ryerson building is the Winnie Whitfield But- ler collection of picture books. This contains several hundred volumes, all illustrated In colors. Another interesting feature of the children's work is the collection of Memorial Libraries for crippled chil- dren, and children suffering from non- contagious diseases. If you know of any such child call up the Children's Librarian, and one of these handsome and interesting boxes of books will be sent free.Other Sunshine Work conducted by the. library is the sending of boxes of books (memorial libraries) to adults who are shut in by sickness or other infirmities. Telephone the Superin- tendent of Circulation for such a col- lection. All the memorial libraries are gifts of private individuals or families. There arc a number of special col- lections of books in the library, one of them being devoted 'to furniture and interior decoration. The library's col- lection in this department is now one of the best in the United States. Another special collection is the historical material relating to Michi- gan, said to be the largest and best that is to be found in any public insti- tution. Some of these special collections are endowed. The income of the Charles Woolsey Coit fund is used for the purchase of books on American painters. The Lewis G. Stuart fund is devoted to the purchase of material relating to the history of Michigan. There are a large number of other phases of the library's activities, too numerous to describe at this time. Among these may be mentioned the work for the blind, the collection of travel guides, of school and collegecatalogues, of municipal documents (reports and other things relating to municipal government), the medical reading room, the courses of home reading to continue your education after leaving school, etc. The library issues a number of pub- lications from time to time in connec- tion with the lectures, exhibitions, books added, etc. Of those the most important is the Monthly Bulletin, which appears about the tenth of each month and contains from eight to twenty-eight pages. This bulletin is distributed free at the Ryerson libra- ry and the branches, but will be mailed to any address on the payment of 25 cents a year. At the end of each year the lists of books, added as published in these bulletins, are cumulated in what is known as the Annual Bulletin' The Annual Bulletin for 1907 is sold for 5 cents. More than 600,000 people used the library last year. More than 800,000 will use it this year. You will find it interesting and worth while to join the procession which now enrolls nearly five times as many persons ‘as the University of Michigan. If you never tried it, give the library a chance to show what it can do for you. Take out a card for drawing books and tell your friends to do likewise.THE BOARD OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS, This board was created by a special act of the legislature in 1903 for the management and control of the libra- ry, On the revision of the City Char- ter in 1905 the Kent Scientific Museum was also placed under the control of the board, and likewise the municipal art gallery, should the city ever have one. Under the Revised Charter the board may receive and administer gifts and bequests as trustees for the city, for the benefit of the several in- stitutions under its control. The following are the members of the board, five of whom are elected, one each year, with the Superintend- ent of Schools, ex-officio: J. A. S, Verdier. President, C. L, Harvey, Secretary. J, A. J. Friedrich. John S, Lawrence. Geo. G. Whitworth. Win. A. Grceson, ex-officio. Samuel H. Ranch, Librarian. 5 Vv T*’ ■ What The Grand Rapids Public Library Can Do for You A Few Things to Think About and Remember Issued in connection with the library's Exhibit at the First Michigan Eand and Apple Show, November 7-11, 1911Library Buildings and Honrs of Opening Ryerson Public Library Building— Park and Bostwick streets. Open week days>, 8:30 a. m. to 9:00 p. m. Sundays and holidays, reading rooms only, 2:00 to 6:00 p. m. Citi- zens Telephone, 5957; Michigan Telephone (Bell) (private branch exchange connecting with all de- partments and branches), Main 179. Coldbrook School Branch.— North Ionia street, near Coldbrook. Week days,, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m. Sigsbee School Branch— Sigsbee street, Bcrnis avenue and Logan street. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m. Buchanan Street School Branch— Buchanan street and Griggs avenue. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m. Palmer Avenue School Branch— Palmer avenue and Watrousi street. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m. West Side Branch— West Bridge and Cadwell streets. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m.; Saturdays, 8:30 a. m. to 9:00 p. m.; Sundays (reading rooms only), 2:00 to 6:00 p. m. Hall Street School Branch— Hall street and Grandville avenue. Week days, 12:30 to 9:00 p. m.T^\ O YOU want new ideas — for I J your business, for your trade, for your occupation, for your profession, for your amusement, or for your hobby? The Grand Rapids Public Library is an institution for the dissemination of ideas—through books, through period- icals, through lectures, and through exhibitions^—and for t'he continuous education of all the people. Thousands of people are using it all the time to get new ideas. It is a great fountain of knowledge for everyone. People come to it for information on every possible subject—and get it—from finding a nice name for the new baby to learning what to do for boners in apple trees. It also furnishes1 more wholesome amusement and recreation than any other institution in the city. It is the greatest: institution for adult education in Grand Rapids. It is now serving more , than 22,000 people who are registered to' draw books.. Are you one of them? The library (with property worth nearly $500,000) belongs to‘the people of the city, and is maintained by their taxes. Its use in the buildings is free to every one, and persons come from all over Michigan, and even from other states, to use its resources. It serves t'he public through the Ryerson Public Library building, the hand:- somest and best library building in the State of Michigan., through its thirty-eight branches and stations, and through its system of travelinglibraries. The drawing of -bo-oks for home use is free to all residents, and to non-resident taxpayers. Non-resident, non-taxpayers may obtain cards for drawing books, on the payment of $2.50 a year. Here Are Some of the Resources at Your Service—for the Asking: More than 150,000 books and pamph- lets; 800 different current periodicals on file in its reading rooms, giving the latest information on almost every question of human interest; collec- tions of books in the English, French, German, Holland, Polish, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Ital- ian languages, with other languages to be added shortly; current period- icals in the English, French, German, Holland, Polish, Lithuanian, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian languages; daily newspapers from more than a doz n leading cities in various parts of the United States, together with one from Canada, and one from Amsterdam, Holland. The library adds from eight to ten thousand volumes a year, and it has on its shelves books relating to every art and every industry in the City of Grand Rapids. During the winter months the library conducts a series of free lectures in the Ryerson Public Library building, and in five of its branches. Seventy such lectures will be given this winter.The library -also gives art and other exhibitions, which include some of the best coliections of paintings shown in the art galleries of the Central West. In the last few years these exhibi- tions and lectures were attended by more than 350,000 persons. At each of the branch libraries there is a permanent collection of books, and books for use at the branches are delivered as called for, from the Ryerson Public Library building. At least two dozen current periodicals are on file in each branch reading room, including a daily news- paper from Chicago. The work for children is one o'f the most important features of the library’s activities. During the winter months there is a. weekly Story Hour for the children, both in the Ryerson building and the branches. One of the interesting collections of the Children’s Room in the Ryerson building is the Winnie Whitfield But- ler collection of picture books. This contains several hundred volumes', all illustrated in colors. Another interesting feature of the children’s work is the collection of Memorial Libraries for crippled- chil- dren, and children suffering from non- contagious diseases. If you know of any such child call up the Children’s Librarian, and one of these handsome and interesting boxes of books will be sent free.Other Sunshine Work conducted by the library is the s-ending' of boxes of books (memorial libraries) to adults who are shut in by sickness or other infirmities. Telephone the Superin- tendent of Circulation for such a col- lection. All the memorial libraries are gifts of private individuals or families. There are a number of special col- lections of books in the library, one of them being devoted to furniture and interior decoration. The library’s col- lection in this department is now one of the best in the United States. Another special collection is the historical material relating to Michi- gan, said to be the largest and best that is to be found in any public institution. Some of these special collections are endowed. The income of the Charles Woolsey Coit fund is, used for the purchase o-f books on American painters. The Lewis G. Stuart fund is devoted to the purchase of material relating to the history of Michigan. There are a large number of other phases of the library’s activities, too numerous to describe at this time. Among these may be mentioned the work for thie blind, the collection of travel guides, o'f school and college catalogues, of municipal .documents (reports and other things relating to municipal government), of books and pamphlets on horticulture, the medi- cal reading room, the courses of homereading to continue your education after leaving school, etc. The library issues a number of pub- lications from time to time in con- nection with the lectures, exhibitions, books added, etc. Of these the most important is the Monthly Bulletin, which appears about the tenth of each month and contains from eight to twenty-eight pages. This bulletin, is distributed free at the Ryerson Library and the branches, but will be mailed to any address on the payment of 25 cents a year. At the end of each year the lists of books added as published in these bulletins are cumulated in what is known as the Annual Bul- letin, sold for 5 cents. Take out a card for drawing books to use in your home, and tell your friends to do likewise. You can get such a card at any of the libraries by signing an application blank and hav- ing it properly endorsed. It is all very simple and very easy. With such a card you can take from the stock of books in the circulation depart- ment (they cost nearly $100,0000 the volume you want to read at home1. The number of registered card holders is nearly five times the num- ber of students in the University of Michigan. The attendance of users at the library is more than 800,000 a year. If you have never tried it, give the library a chance to show what it can do for you. You will find it interest- ing and worth while to join the pro- cession.THE BOARD OF LIBRARY COMMISSIONERS. This board was created by a special act of the legislature in 1903 for the management and control of the library. On the revision of the City Charter in 1905 the Kent Scientific Museum was also placed under the control of the board, and likewise the municipal art gallery, should the city ever have one. Under the Revised Charter the board may receive and administer gifts 'and bequests as trustees for the city^ for the benefit of the several institutions under its control. It has already re- ceived several trust funds and would be glad to receive more. The following are the members1 of the board, five of whom are elected by the citizens, one- each year, with the Superintendent of Schools, ex- officio : John S. Lawrence, President. J. A. J. Friedrich, Secretary. George G. Whitworth. G. A. Wolf. V. M. Tuthill. Wm. A. Greeson, ex-officio. Samuel H. Ranck, Librarian.