Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-11-20
OUR NAYYONAL LLBRARY.
MR.. sPoFFoRD's SKETCH OF THEISsTITu-
TIOS IN THE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW

TION IN THE "INTERNATloNaL REVIEW
One Of the most interesting and in.
structivc Of the current magazine pa.
pers, says the Washington Posi-, is Hon
A. R. Spofford's contribution to the
international Rcoieic, on the National
Library, technically known as the
Library of Congress. 1t is a modest
sketch of the foundation and growth
of tho institution, without straining
after biographicaleiie and will doubt
less have its intended effect of attract.
ing public attention and enlisting popu.
lar interest in the library preparatory
to the legislation which is to be asked
this Winter for the enlargement Of its
facilities.
1t appears that the growth of our
National Library, as compared with
that of the great collections OF tho Old
World, has been fair reflex of the
material growth OF our country in the
same relation. As we have grown in
seventy years from scattered confed
Grafton Of struggling provinces, con
taining a total population of less than
6,OO0,0O0, to a continental Nation of 3S
sovereign States, with more than A,
100000 of people, 50 our library, the
index Of the intellectual development
OF the Republic, has grown from the
seven odd thousand volumes of Thomas
Jehersons private collection, to the
enormous proportions of the fifth
among the great bools.ireasuries Of the
World.
Viewed in the light OF possession
merely, and measured by its value in
dollars and cents, the National Library
of the United States sustains far
higher ratio of permanent worth to
actual cost than any other institution
representing expenditure of the pco-
pies money. The tenor of the Act of
Congress upon which il was founded,
does not indicate that the idea of a
great National Library entered into
the minds OF those who voted for il
seventy years ago. They proposed
simply TO buy few books of reference,
for the use of members of Congress,
and they thought an appropriation Of
$1,000 year would amply suffice to
keep their store of knowledge fully
abreast of the rate of production. 1t
was natural thought with the repre-
sentatives OF an infant people, the mass
of whom were too busiy occupied hew-
ing down primeval forests, and digging
slow roadways through rugged noun
tains, to think much about "the higher
culture or the mind 1T was natural
thought, we say, with the representa-.
tivcs Of such people, to supply them.
selves with textbooks in the science
of government, and no more.
Upon this theory the library was
founded. The theory still remains at
the foundation but the super.structure
has so wildly outgrown the most mod
est designs of the original architects
that 1t topples and .umbles in every
direction. The early plan of collec-
tion OF books with special reference to
the needs of Legislators, might now bo
fulfilled by selecting from the accumu
lated mass ten times tho highest mum
Der Of volumes ever dreamed OF by the
founders, without visibly lessening the
proportions Of the institution. Fifty
thousand volumes would cover the
necos of Congress for purposes Of study
and reference, at the very highest cal.
cuation. Take these out, and there
still remain over270, 900 volumes, form.
ing by themselves library about sixth
in the World in point OF magnitude,
and scarcely second TO any in the aver.
age quality OF choice and excellence OF
selection. To retain such library
under the obsolete conditions Of its
foundation, would be n piece of narrow
sel6shncss and veritable dog.in-the.
manger greed, such as tho Congress OF
the United States, In this year of grace
and enlightenment, 1873 certainly can.
not be guilty Of
Tho time has come when the vast
collection Of the stores o.. knowledge
which the peoples money has bought,
and whose growth has kept pace with
the peoples progress must be popular
lied in usefulness, and as cosmopolitan
in its legal character as IL is of Itself IN
fact To accomplish these results two
things are requisite. The first is q
thorough reorganization Of the system,
or rather an abandonment of the obso.
letc foundation theory altogether, and
an establishment on new basis. And
the second Is a new building, sufIi-
cicntly commodous to meet not only
the present wants, but the computable
needs Of a considerable period in tho
future, and sufficiently majestic 70
properly typify the intellectual gran.
deur Of tho people, wbose store-housc