Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-30
THE NATIONAL LIBRARY.
sharp Criticism by Mr. w. r. Poole.
OF Chicago-0bjectiOns and Sugges-
tons.

OF Chicago-ObjectiOns and Su1ges.
tons.
AT the Thursday morning session of the Amer
lean Library association, I'm Cincinnati. the prin-
epal paper read was by Mr. W. F. Poole. of the
Chicago public library. on the Progress of Lii
brary Architecture" He stated that 1.-THE whole
library profession is i'm arms against the absurd
e1trayagant, combustibe and inconyenient Ii
brary buildings which have hitherto been con.
structed-" The larger portion of the paper was
devoted to the projected national library at
Washington As the matter IL one of general
interest. the following extracts are given:
-, For the past ten years the interests of the
library have been sadly neglected by Congress
III not providing proper accommodations for its
books and its readers. With shelving canacitv
for 200. GOO volumes ii has now 400 600 youTues
anu the surplus books are stacked up like card
Woou In the galleries and upon the floors where
th''s are inaccessible Nothing Ike order and
systematic arrangement are possible under such
circumstances Il know nothing" saws fine
Chairman OF the joint committee of Conrr ON
the new library building. more hunilia.inp to
the character of Congress, or, indeed to our
national Character. than the present depIorabie
condition OF our great aud invaluable library
An earnest appeal has been made every wear
by the librarian for more room and although
th"re Nave been many reports on the subject
anu many schemes suggested, nothing has vet
been done. The delay has arisen partIy from
the Indifference OF Congress and partIy from
the conflict OF opinions as to the best method
Ior obtaining the room needed. Many mem
Ders OF Congress have chung to the idea that
the library in its present location could in some
way De supplied with room by taking more
space III the Capitol, or by throwing out wings
The unanswerabie objection to all these projects
is that the location itself is i'm firetrap The
old Capitol building, in which the library is, was
hsiF1 IN mr. ffarV.
construction came into Use. The roof rafters
flooring and timbers are of wood The attic is
filled with documents and papers on file; and as
there are no division walls of brick. fire would
sweep from end of The attic of the old Cap
itOl to the other. as it did through the Patent
Office building a few years arc. The library of
Congress has twice been burned and it is a
wonder that it has not burned il third time The
commissioners appointed by the President after
the burning of the Patent Office to examine the
public buildings in Washington and report on
their security or insecurity from fire brought out
these facts as to the insecurity of the old portion
OF the Capitol. Ii was question i'm the minds
OF the commissioners whether. in case of fire in
that building. the great dome would not fall.
Tue library of Congress and the library of the
supreme Court are under that dome.
Fortunately of late the attention of Congress
has been drawn away from all the futile schemes
OF providing for the library in the Capitol. and
Is ROW directed to the erection of a separate
building on some outside lot. bill to that
effect is pending in Congress at this time The
location of the building has been discussed with
much interest i'm Washington: but the questions
OF location and of its external features do not
concern us. We are interested i'm the internal
structure and arrangement of the building
which will be erected, and their bearing upon
the progress of library architecture. As our
national library. 1t will be a building of great
cost, and as specimen of tasteful and apprc-
PIRATE architecture, should be worthy of the
noble purpose to which it will be dedicated. 1t
Will be indeed misfortune if the venerable
errors which We're laid before us at the Wash
lngton meeting, as 1.-THE proposed plan" which
were eulOgiZed as the adopted plan" by Mr.
Voorhees, in his speech on the library bill i'm the
Senate on March 2. and against which the whole
library profession protests. are to be reproduced
In this building 1t Is cOnsOling to be as
sured by Mr. Spofford that 1.-The interior is
not fixed, but will rest with the com
missi0ners (Of which he will be one) to de-
terminc: and that he appeals to us for "mOre
light 1t would be gratifying to see this as
surance In the form of an amendment to the
bill now before Congress. The PLAN which Mr.
Voorhees, says was adopted by the committee"
and which ''has been the subject of earnest.
prUtracted study and investigation" and to
which Mr.. Spotford objects rs earnestly as any
other member of this association is a part of
the bill Itself. 1t is not easy to see why if the
bill passes in its present FORM it will not carry
tine committees plans with it. Large pecunary
interests attach themselves to so important an
ssiuCi tohlht IL Is uOuUlIul WncIilct the
commissioners, having the best intentions,
could radically change the plans unless this
power was specifically conferred upon them.
The objections to the committees plans may be
stated briefly thus:
First-They will make a show building and
not one practically adapted to the uses of o
library
Second-The building viii be necdessly ex-
trava@ant vast amount of space will be
wasted in order to obtain what is falsely called
1iIprrrv 1laffp C1nh
g. proper in a large church or cathedral, but is
wholly ont Of place in 4 library.
1hird-The arrangement for storing the books
Is the worst that could be devised. The alcOyes
are carried five stores high. one story higher
than in the .Tesent Congress library. The books
are made inaccessible. and the bindings Of such
books as are stored in the galleries will perish
from heat.
The library bin has not yet come to general
discussion in the Senate and House. and if it
should be so amended as To- refer all questions
relating TO plans TO the three commissioners,
with ful power 70 act. and with the right to con-
eult with expert librarians. no reasonable obiec-
ton car be raised to tine bill. In it's present
form it is likely to meet with opposition from
the best friends Of the Congress library and of
the library interests of the country.
senseless opposition to the appropriation Of
public money for the expansion of an institu-
ton which Is likely to become national library
must be expected. and can do little harm
Already the Washington correspondents OF sew
eral metropolitan newspapers. whose apprecia-
tion OF literature is limited to the Turf Re-
gtstcr and "Stud Book" are turning their
Oracdlar wisdom into this channel They tell
us that thel library of Congress ia becoming on
ambitious and dangerous institution: that the
librarian is now helping members prepare their
speeches, and soon he viii write them; that he
II power behind the throne greater than the
throne. and can carry any measure he sets his
heart upon; that the library building scheme Is
an ambitious project to promote his own politi-
cai importance, and that he will soon demand
seat in the Cabinet. They tell US that the copy
right literature Of the country, which by law is
deposited In the library. is trash. end that the
proper disposition to make Of these books is to
build or hire cheap storehonse and pack them
away Ike so many red herring. They need not
be catalogued or placed on shelves. for nobody
viii ever ask to see them. This is u cheerful
view Of American literaturei The estimate is
80 absurd 1t needs no comment. for IL carries its
REPUTATION npon Its face. The opinions Of these
correspondents on matters relating to horse
racing and the sensational drama are entitled 20
great respect
The service which The library Of Congress is
dong In the registration, cataloguing. and
preservation %: the copyright publications of