, 1872-12-31

TIE PUs11c LIBRARY.
Tomorrow, at II o'clock, the President an,
Directors Of the Prblic Library will formal
open the reading-roon to the public. The 1ibrar
and ..reading-room are situated in the third stor
Of the public building on the corner Of Adam
and Lasalle streots the entrance being TIL
Testernmost door On Adams street. The reading
room is large, md capable Of accommodating
saveral hundred people at one time. 1t will b
furnished with tables and soats and ample pro
vision has been made for the fling and readin,
OF newspapers. These files will contain th,
daily editions Of al the Chicago papers, and O.
tie local weekly publications. There will alat
be found there d.ily papers from Boston
Springfield, Providence, New York, Buffalo
Philadelphia Baltimore, Washington, Rich
1nond, Mobile, New Orleans. Galveston
Memphis, Nashville, Louisville, St. Louis, Gin
cinnati, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Detroit, sacra.
monto, San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), and
other places. There will alco be found papers
from London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin, Paris,
and Berlin The newspaper List will be extended
| so us to embrace publications from Italy, Bel
GUM, Austria, Spain, India, China, Japan, AUS.
tFalia, South America, Mexico, Canada, and all
! parts Of the GLOBE In addition to these there
Sll bo flies Of all weekly and monthly literary
and scientific publications Of this country, and
many Of the same kind published in England.
France, and Germany. These now numbernear-
y 200 different publications. Printed lists OF
these will be kept in tho Library, and any ofthem
may be called for and read in the room.
The Library room, or place whero the books
are kept, is in the building formerly used as a
distributing reservoir. It has been fitted up for
temporary use: and ia capable Of holding many
thousands Of volumes. The books so far re-
ceised and On hand are mainly English dona-
tons, and embrace o varied assortment They
are, however, too incomplete as collection and
too fe" in number. The Directors have 80 far
hnd no money to purchase books, or to provide
the machinery Of circulating library. The
most they have been able to do is to organize
and put in operation the reading-room. The
American donations to the Library have been
comparatively very few, and Of those contributed
abroad but & small proportion have yet been re-
celTed. Some books hare becn ordered. and in
q few noatho, or soon as the
DOCKS on hand can be cata1ogued and
arranged, their use in the re.ding-room will be
granted. full supply Of standard books OF
reference has been ordered and these. when re-
+r111 1af L.
Of tho public.
While in England, Ireland, Scotland, and
Germany there hare been active steps taken to
present books to the Chicago Library, but little
has been done in this country, and little or MOTH
ing done in Chicago. Mayor Medil has made I,
large douation Of books, and, q few days ago,
hlr. Robert Heryey made liberal donation Of a
handsome, wen-bound English edition Of all the
British poets. There may have been a few other
donations, but the aggregate beside these is but
small. The whole number Of books Of all kinds |
On hand on the Ed Of December vas less than
!, 500, though there was large number Of un-
bound publications in addition.
There are, unquestionably, in this city, to-day,
10000 persons who can give at least one bound |
book at permanent value and utility; half that
number who can i've three volumes, and LOCO
persons Who can give from their shelves ten
volumes each. We probably understate tho
ngures; but If only these bo contributed the az
5regate would be 81, 600 Volumes We suggest
% all our citizens, OF all professions trades and
occupations, that they to-day overhaul their
shelves, closets, boxes, and bookcases, and that
hey have no uae for, or which they can spare,
" which, having been read, are no longer
wanted, or which, having q general value as
'orks OF reference, have g peculiar value to the
trent body Of tho pu!.!:o who cannot purchase
uch books, and that they send these, whether
be one volume or hundred volumes, to the |
PUBLIC Library, to bo forever devoted to the pub
'c use. Let there be no hesitation on account
i the small value Of each book; every book has
value, and every book will, in time, be called
or By some person to whom it will DO Of use,
nd all will be gratefully received.
Tho Library Board have provided that each ,
olume donated will have placed upon its inner
over printed statement reciting that such .
olurne has been given on such day BY the I
amed donor to the Public Library that per- :
aanent record Of such donations shall be kent,
nd be annually published. Each person, there :
'ro, has an opportunity Of haTing his OF her 7
anne handed down to posterity as among the t
riginal founders Of the Free Public Library OF r
hicago,-an institution which, before the pres- c
ut generation has passed away, will be one of Q
1e greatest libraries in the world, aud one of c
he noblest institutions Of the city. Tho want {
funds will, OF course, retara the prog I
'as OF the Library for fow years,
ut each book contributed, though Of q
nall value to the donor, will be- in fact, equiya~
mt to 30 much money. The voluntary contri- t.
1tion OF $4,000 to $4,000 volumes, embracing b
7ery variety Of publication, win perhaps fur b
sh more general and useful collection t1an II
ou1d result from tho purchase of m equal num- 0
1t Of volumes. e
We suggest that the Library Board make pro- b
sion for receiving donations at convenient b
aces in the different ueighborhoods Of the city;