Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-01
THE NEW LIBRARY.
1t Will Open in the City
Hall Tomorrow.
THE BOOKS AND CUSTODlANS.

The Work of the New Board of Di-
rectors-HOw the Rooms are Ar
ranged-A Great Improvement.
The Public Library will open tomorrew
in its new quarters in the City Hall.
The change OF system inaugurated by
the Board OF Directors to 60 into effect
upon the occasion of the re-opening
amounts to complete reorganization Of
the library, although the most important
change of all, that of making the library
free to all citizens of the city, has to be
held in allegiance for the present time.
The city charter under which the pres
ent Board of Directors went into Office
last March provides that there shall be
Public Library free Of access to all citi-
zens under such rules and regulations as
the Directors may provide. When the
board took charge of the library they
found themselves confronted with a
rather awkward predicsment. There
we're all told, including Government re-
ports and other books useless for circu-
lation, about 5000 volumes. Not more
than half of these were suited to the
needs of average readers. Statistics
taken by tree libraries of cities of fifty to
eighty thousand inhabitants show that
the average circulation per month is
about II 900 volumes and that as rule
three or four thousand books would be
out at time. In short had the
board undertaken to carry out i'm
mediately the letter of the provision
of the charter, and allowed every one
who applied to draw books, the shelves
would have been emptied at one fell
swoop, and the library would have
acquired the reputation Of being quite
useless.
The board, therefore, decided upon q
sort of compromise. As reading room
the library opens tomorrow to tie gen.
eral public, and ample accommodations
are provided for all who wish to make
use of the books. The privilege,
Of drawing books will, however,
continue to be limited to those who pay
dues, the same that we're levied under
the old arrangement, 81 for three
months.
In it's fret annual demand upon the
City Council for funds, the Board Of
Directors set forth the injustice of the
present arrangement, and begged for
immediate relief. 1t was believed that
the addition of 10000 volumes to the
present number would make it possible
to open the circulating department to the
general pubic. Tho Council responded
in proper spirit. and allowed q special
appropriation of $40 600 for that pur-
pose. The money will be expended as
rapidly as is consistent with the exercise
Of proper care in the selection of books
to fit the needs of the reading public.
1t is quite probable that, by the first
of the year the library will contain some
14,000 volumes. 1t will still be far from
fulfilling all that can be expected of Q
library in city the size of Los Angeles,
but it will be we'll started on the right
road.
In every respect except the one of an
abundant supply of books the present
library is an admirable concern. In his
selection of Directors Mayor Hazard
chose five gentlemen who are not only
we'll known among literary circles as men
of taste and judgment, but are also con-
spicuous in public affairs as active and
Industrious workers. The readiness with
which the large appropriation for which
they asked was granted shows that they
possess in the highest degree the conf
dence of the members of the city gov.
eminent, and the general public, when it
comes to look into the arrangements
which have been made for the general
use of the library, will have every reason
to feel satisfied with the work which has
been done. In the selection of a
Librarian the board chose q lady who ID
in every way well suited to the position
that che is to occupy. Miss Tessa L.
Kelso has served in the public library Of
Cincinnati, and as a member of
q special committee of the Ma.
tional Library Association visited and
inspected the prominent libraries of the
West. In the re classification which she
has made Of the books, the preparing of
new catalogues and the arranging OF
complete and thoroughly practicable sys-
tenn for the circulating and reference de-
partments and the reading.room, the new
Librarian has established beyond ques-
ton her thorough capacity for the work
to which she has been assigned. Her as
sistant and co-laborer is Mics Josie Ga
witt, who was first chosen to serve as
Librarian in 1884, and whose polite and
kindly attention to all who patronize the
library has made her very pleasantly re-
membered by the reading public. Three
other ladies, Miss Hasse, Miss Haines
and Mrs. Whitman have been appointed
to serve as attendants, and several others
have been selected as substitutes to be
put at work whenever the circulating de-
partment is opened to the public. These
have been selected by q system of COM
petitive examinations.
In the arrangement of the third floor
of the City Hall the Board of Directors
we're consulted, and the rooms for the
library were given the Dimensions and
location that was desired. There are
two very large rooms-one on the west
side of the building for the books, and
one on the north side for a reading room.
There are also three small rooms in the
corner of the building. The book-room
is 70x50 feet. 1t contains twenty stacks
of shelves, each capable of containing
about 800 volumes. There is also q
separate large case for encyclopedias
and dictionaries. These are built of
oak, as are all the other furnishings OF
the room, and all are designed in ex.
cellent taste. There is large oak
counter over which all books will be
passed, as those who desire either to
consult or draw books will not be ad-
mitted to the shelves, as was formerly
the arrangement. In the lobby outside
the counter there is table where visi-