Omaha daily bee., 1886-09-12
THE NATIONS LIBRARY.
\ Big Concern and Who Manages 1t
Omniscient Spofford.

Omniscient Spofford.
A Washington correspondent of the
Cincinnati Iimes-Star writes One of the
busiest persons in W Washington these hot
summer days is Ainsworth K. Spofford
the librarian OF congress. While other
people are disporting themselves by
mountain or seaside he Is busy with his
plans for the new library building. And
while other people are happy IN their re-
lief from work he is more happy in this
opportunity to devote himself to this
work. 1t has been the pet project of his
existence for many years. There had
been bill after bill in congress for the
erection of library building, and Mr.
Spofford has been waiting for these many
years TO see the accomplishment of his
hopes. Now that the proposition has
actually become a fact and the land for
the site has been purchased, he cheerfully
relinquisheS his summer vacation for the
work he has so long hoped to see accom-
plished
Mr.. Spofford is a wonderful man. Talk
of walking encyclopedias, he is an en-.
cyclopedia of encyclopedias. ana a walk
ing one. too. No matter what you want
to know, if it is to be found out in books
YOU have only to 30 to Mr. Spoffurd and
he will put you in way to find it. He is
one of the busiest men in Washington,
but never too busy TO answer a question
relating to information to be had from
books. Approach him on any other sub
ject than the one connected with his life
study. and his replies are brief, often in
monoSyilables, showing that he takes no
interest IN the subject Turn the CONVEX
sation to books or kindred topic, and
he is all attention. He has studied the
library buildings of the world, and the
building which is to be constructed under
his supervision will be model 50 far as
il may, with the rather limited sum which
congress tardlly and grudgingiy gave for
the preservation OF the splendid library
which Mr. Spofford has had in keeping
and which has so largely accumulated in
the past twenty-five years,
The library of congress, to which Mr..
Spofford was appointed librarian by Presi-
dent Lincoln in 1863, then consisted of per
haps 5000Volumes. Now it contains 7jO.-
000volumcs of books and pamphlets. Then
its quarters were considered commodious
and capacIous; now they are crowded
with piles and boxes of books that can
moi be used because there is not room
for their distribution, and many dark
rooms in the basement of the capitol are
filed with volumes which cannot be
given accommodations in the library
itself. Then the salary of the librarian
and his assistants was $1,000 or 81 900 a
year; now their total salaries amount to
nearly $4,000 year Then the library
was surpassed by many in different parts
of the world; now there are but four in
the entire world which ourrank it, At
the rate of increase which has been the
rule Tor many years past, Mr.. Spatford
will have round million of books and
pamphlets TO store away IN his new IL
brary building when ii is completed The
rate of increase IN the number of works
in the library in the past year has been
very rapid. By law every person who
copyrights a book must send two copies
to the library. Besides this congress gives
from $50, 900 to S7j, 900 a year for the pur-
chase of books for 1t, and under the care
full management of Mr.. Spofford this gives
a rapid increase in the number OF its
works. The library now is increasing AT
the rate of nearly nifty thousand volumes
year. The collection is a wonderful
one. 1t comprises books in ten different
languages, and on many important sub
jects it has volume of every work pub
lished Many of the works upon the
shelves are especially valuable for their
antiquity, while in all new publications,
both in tins country and elsewhere, il
keeps fully up TO the times.
The library, while il is called the IL
brary of congress, is really the library of
the people. Anybody who visits it may
examine at his leisure any of the works
upon its shelves, and, by depositing the
value of any book may take II TO his home
and keep il for considerable time. Ii
is the Mecca of the historian and careful
writer from all parts of the country. They
travel here 10 study the works of refer
ence upon its shelves, and any day you
may see within its walls men and women
of letters studying the valuable records
which il contains.
The library was founded in 1902 with
some 1000 volumes carefully selected in
London. John Randolph was one of Its
earliest friends and supporters. Jeffer-
son was also its friend. and when he
found il necessary to part with his fine
collection of books they were promptly
purchased by congress and added TO the
library. Ii is said that Jefferson shed
tears on parting with his library, which
was for that time very hne one. Like
other features OF the great government
il has had its reyerses. IL was destroyed
by fire when the British invaded Wash
ington IN 1914. They took the books
from the library, which was then in the
capitol, as il is nov, and piled them on
the floor OF the hall of representatives.
set fire TO them and then fired the great
building. Thirty seven years later fire
caused by defective hue destroyed halt
the library, which consisted of some sixty
thousand volumes