Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 72.djvu/445

Rh series is given in Pittsburgh every year; and usually a tour is made of the larger cities. Twice a week during a large portion of the year free organ recitals are given in the music hall of the institute. Taken for all in all the Pittsburgh orchestra is doubtless exercising a rather broad influence in musical matters. Every year there is a season of -rand opera, which is always popular. As a rule the churches have excellent choirs, and many have talented organists.

The library (reference here is to the Pittsburgh Library distinctively, since there is also a fine Carnegie Library across the river on the north side—formerly Allegheny) has found as wide and excellent a field of influence, perhaps, as has almost any institution of the kind anywhere. The plan was developed by Librarian Edwin H. Anderson, who was its head from 1895 to 1905, and embraces among many features the furnishing of collections of books to the public schools and to the vacation and summer schools; the establishment of numerous branches in large centers of population; the Home Libraries department for children; and a liberal encouragement of the use of library books by all classes of people. The encouragement has been particularly directed toward the laboring classes and poorer people. This work has reached an unusual degree of appreciation. The library has (1907) 300,000 volumes; and a few figures relating to the book circulation may be of interest. The present home circulation (that is, books taken out to carry into the homes of the people) is more than 800,000. The entire recorded use of books from the library in 1907