New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-06-13

In this room an Assistant Librarian is always in attend
snce TO wait upon The readers. Should any work OF ref
erenco be required il moy be found upon the table at the
upuer end OF The and any works from the Library
should be wanted the attendant has bat to step TO the sig
us pipe give the order and receive the required books in
a few seconds, upon the shelves OF dumb waiter Upon
each side of the Reading Room door entrances to pr
>ae drawing designed for the of ladies' whore
they may write, converse, &c.
Upon The next floor above shall find the Library
casT.rooms and Office of the Chief Librarian Nj Grant,
and the private room of the Board OF Directors.
The Library is of the dimensions as the Reading
Room and occupies the third and fourth stories west OF the
main hall lis center is ellphcal room surrounded by
sixteen Corinhian pillars between which the counters are
ranged This presents very elegant aspect IN the
center is colossal statue Of Minerva; in front OF the
entrance is bust OF Of the patrons OF the institution
and pendant from the gallery at the upper enl Is por-
tra of the first President of the Association The books
me disposed upon shelves in the alcoycs, OF which there
aresxtcen radatng from the pillars. gallery runs around
the second story the ROOM aordng aces TO the books
upon the upper shelves Sllhgher mp, space another
gallery but this will be needed for five years at least
and probably will not be entirely occupied for twenty
years TO come Around the second story of the eiipic
center is gallery with a neat iron lattice railing painted
white and relieved with gold
Sll higher and surrounding the caps OF the P'hlrs Is
fine entablaure Of elaborate succo Work, whcN sweeps
mp in graceful to the central opening IN me
dome. From the olliptcal window OF the dome quet
heht chastened by the ground and stained glass umh-
aes the center of the Library while Ne acoves nave
each separate skylight. AT night the Library I7hei
by l3e gas-iets. The colors chosen for the pillars
counters and other parts of the qu chssio and
harmonious neither offending by their gaudnes nor de-
pressing by the opposite extreme.
OF the books contained in this Library but small pro
portion are works of fiction the majority consists OF the
productions of the leading minds of all age. When the
Young enter this institution for the first year is generally
found that they peruse works of fiction with omnverous
syidtv but after that period their mental Paates con-
erslly become paed with this species OF literature AMI
hey GRADUALLY have recourse works Of more lasting
yalue. and utility and thereby lay the foundation Tor
knowledge that in after life, when the incossant whr o
commerce shall not leave them time or opportunity ios
study will be TO them invaluable
The fourth story on the side of the hall d!voel
into lodce and class rooms for the use ot the n9npe
and also TO let out 20 societies or individuals
Reracine our stepa let us dc-ccnd to the basement
,he buildng Here is the LecurcRoom, capable OF az
ccmmoda,ng 900 persons. This room IS well VcAi@eo
and provided with the most approved heating apparatus
~ indeed are all the rooms in the building Inc means
Of inpess and ogress most ample in care OF necessity
the room might readily be emp;cd in one minute ana
half The ceiling Of the LecturcRoom is neatly irescoei
and supported by iron pillars
On & floor are also the furnaces for heating the bald
inc together with various on; Offices and other ncceare
incidental 70 building Of this character
The whole building in all its details is excellent and a.
we before obscrved with good and discreet management
the Association which occupies may collect in the course
Of time the first Library in the United states