Montgomery County Reads Books Hungrily
Thursday, F.b. 18. < SENT | N E L ““
A14
■; ;
ft ■'■'■ :!N iMt
|fc' j
-.iß S' W II BP^M
,'■& c- ■L. 1 iiTwl
#. 4J| : iy ; %
BI I JB I &?
■ J JBMBBM
Priscilla, Eddie Cram at Gaithersburg Library
'■"‘• v; '- f - • _
MM w - ■
jfl
■MQSST
f- I
i| $ t n $
*' B fSf ■■•:■ •->
£ ' *X. ... - '
# ; JPB i ■
4 m I f ■ <^=*--<#^
. k ■-'*: ' ■■\ f -‘' : ' T - : "'''■■■ -':;.p,'- ;.. ■.■'.'■•■." ; . ||| &,.
B HBSSffiP*
>'. I ■ ' v B
-.— Baßafiiia r iViivii>ifi :^i: > :: rtfiirii^^^^ : *^ { ‘ j * fc;^l f '& ~... V|
Bookmobile Driver Gives Book to Customer
f.tfTfi ®B v ’ ■■'•''
y p if
ii ii nwn S&' . •%• '
iifc—.-^^m.-..- <uw>. ■*mmi'i •-■-•■■.^t-w.^>-fc M —..v......^,..........
Tim Llewellyn (L), Jim Malone, Do Research
HBirl IB *£sl 4*33 B- ’3 ■ jßftpSß 9
aK B :BBg
smm v j!W ||^HiW^aPHß|
HHHiHn sa is "'
B lhTib B#n^B
Twinbrook Librarian Mrs. Bruce Peeling and Some of County's 331,030 Books
Over 2 Million Volumes Borrowed Last Year
By Steed Evans
Staff Reporter
Montgomery County residents may read more
books than residents of any community of comparable
size.
This belief, held by George B. Moreland, director
of public libraries in the county, could be confirmed by
the 1960 census.
Moreland has some strong arguments in favor of
his contention. For instance, just one branch library
—the one in Bethesda—circulated 511,599 books last
year. It’s the county’s busiest.
This is twice as many books circulated by any
branch library in Baltimore and just about as many
books as were circulated last year by the very large
Central Library for the District of Columbia, More
land said.
Furthermore, Moreland said, Montgomery Coun
ty libraries circulated a combined total of 2,184,000
books last year, whereas the District of Columbia
circulated about 2,500,000.
The difference between the two totals emerges
in sharp focus when you compare populations of the
two communities: D. C. has 870,000 and the estimated
1960 Montgomery County population is 365,000.
In other words, there are more than twice as
many people living in Washington, but Montgomery
Countians read nearly as many books as do Washing
ton’s teeming thousands.
The county’s high rate of literacy can be ex
plained largely by other census figures obtained in
1950. It was found at that time that Montgomery
County had the second highest national level of edu
cation in the 25-year-and-over age group. Arlington
County, Va., was first.
Moreland thinks Montgomery County has a good
chance of coming out on top this year, thanks to the
continuing population boom and increasing science
industry whose workers live in the county.
National figures prove, Moreland said, that the
average Montgomery County resident 25 years old or
more, has had 13 years of schooling, including one year
in college.
Moreland points to these statistics with pride.
** i * .
1 JB Wm . sB -
I sHMMI w ■•. - “****“ HHjl
►
.PJBbwt: *• . e
£kpj9lß " *Br / Httpr* a, A *‘ '%flf *T >/.’*• -VpH^f^
__, ——~~**'f*
_ £Ak 1 ** TiWfcw
Ljlk^ftyl
y* \ BpSßj
l Jh2K_.
Typical Scene at Bethesda Library, busiest in the County
especially because his department of public libraries
just had its ninth birthday. His department has had
to work hard to catch up to reading needs during
those years and, by 1965, hopes to have one-and-a
half books for every county resident.
. The county owns 331,000 books now. They line
shelves in 13 libraries and three bookmobiles. That
the county government is eager to have its citizens
well-read is illustrated by the fact that last year’s
library budget request of $660,000 was pared only to
$652,000.
Moreland compared the budget allocation to the
1960-61 budget request of nearby Baltimore County
libraries. They asked for $900,000 and got $580,000,
Moreland said.
Moreland has 99 full-time positions with which to
run his library system. Some of these full-time jobs
are broken in two in order that part-time help can be
hired.
The county has two kinds of libraries: class “A”
and “B.” A class “A” library stays open 68 hours a
week and class “B” libraries are open fewer hours.
Examples of “A” and “B” libraries are Bethesda
(A) and Garrett Park (B). Bethesda’s hours are 9
a.m. until 9 p.m. weekdays and 9 until 5 p.m. Satur
days. Garrett Park and other class “B” libraries have
varying morning and evening hours, averaging around
28 hours a week.
Before the county took over administration of
public libraries, they were financed by special taxes
in political subdivisions by contributions. The only
“private” public library left is in Takoma Park. It is
financed by tax money from both Montgomery and
Prince Georges residents of the bi-county city.
A recent preliminary master plan for libraries
was finished by the technical staff of the Park and
Planning Commission. It suggests new libraries at
Wildwood (Bethesda), Rockville, White Oak (Silver
Spring) and enlargement of the Bethesda library. A
library for Wheaton was approved in the last budget
and construction awaits acquisition of a site off
Georgia ave. between Wheaton and Hermitage aves.
Meanwhile, a new library is under construction in
Gaithersburg. It should be finished by May, More
land said.
HHHHMIL r-- •'- -i ifi gM|
Wr
m ■ ~4m S §l* :
v. -!!&**
jjj ■
\ wkzf- '--■ %.- j
Machine Bills the Tardy Mrs. Miles Lends Films Mrs. Warner at File
f *
W') 9 ■ 9H |K4 : v3BhHH^B
; : r,_,_ -B 3 I if ’ i,. VyKBK *
IS I | *.. Jfr ' "' I >~4.
’!■ I y
iS 'f ‘ W fl
w w 1
|i|w > S | y| , >* Sh
jj|B|
v 3 f
y <flM Ji
BBkk
Library Chief George B. Moreland at Work
BSHBBI * fc HUtt BHUBllßlllHHlll
'ML IMM wmm I^MBBBhsmI
&3T w ft | -BSPB '"BBk' p - ..
JBiHb ; '
s f 1 h. ' . --.' BV BnBP
Q::JL 1 Bp M f * fiTpf Jr^^i
“BB St; $ Wf- 9 j* B. y &
tf 1 lEm UnM
ml St' ' ■•
ppPlf pp pl^^^HS
B*l ****** m T# ' v
S tiSS |1 L' ;:
pggUußyßßiA -~ , B
* /# B" :■;■
V • .(WRwnvi’w,*,*'
- ;
HBpßi
Rockville’s Rose Miller Lends Art , Records