Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-01

the corner under the tower, is the Di-
rectors' room, Q small apartment, 18x18.
Here, around an immense oak table, the
board will hold it's weekly meeting. The
shelves in this room are filed with
Government reports and ether works of
o similar character.
The ladies' reading room is situated
between the general reading room and
the DirectorsIand Librarians rooms. 1t
is 26x29 feet in size, light and airy
apartment, carpeted and furnished with
every convenience.
The library will be open every day, ex-
ceptinq Sunday, from 9 in the morning
until half-past 9 in the evening. On
Sundays and legal holidays the reading
rooms will be open from l p. m. till
p. m.
To draw books from the library, the
subscriber must put his name to an agree
ment to the effect that he will abide by
all the rules and regulations, and must
also offer security in the shape of state
ment from some taxpayer that he will be
responsible for any books lost or de-
stroyed. When these forms are fulfilled
the subscriber is given card, which he
must present every time that he wishes
to draw book, upon which the date
when the books will fall due is marked.
The system which will be employed in
the numbering of the books is known as
the Dewey decimal system. Besides being
properly classified in the catalogue, each
hook in the fiction department will bear
a letter and number, as, for example,
"F 81" Any one who wishes to draw
q book will look in the catalogue to be
found on the table in the lobby, and
write the letter and number on slip of
paper, which heipasses to the Librarian
or an attendant. The book is brought
to the counter and the proper entry
made on his card. As books are fre-
quently out in use, the subscriber will
do we'll to generally write down num-
ber of different volumes on the paper
which he submits to the attendant.
As soon as possible a complete card
catalogue will be made, which will be OF
great assistance to those who wish to
draw books and are unable to 90 about
among the shelves. It is one of the
rules of the board, by the way, that no
one is to be admitted behind the counter,
except those connected with the library.
The card catalogue will contain not only
all books by title and by author, but
also, as far as possible, by subject mat
ter.
The general rules of the library are
such as are in vogue in all institutions of
like character. Books may be kept out by
subscribers for two weeks excepting new
"seven-dsy books" which can only be
kept one week. In each case they can
be renewed for the same space of time as
that for which they were originally
drawn. Books to be read in the rooms
of the library or examined for reference
may be had upon the deposit with the
Librarian of q slip of paper containing the
residents name and residence. In their
pamphlet of rules the board quotes the
following section of the Penal Code of
the State, which needs to be repub.
lished for the reason that by some mys-
terious dispensation Of Providence there
are always people who will write lin
library books:
"And every person who maliciously
cuts, tears, defaces, breaks or Injuries
any book, map, char, picture, engraving,
statue, coin, medal, apparatus, or other
work of literature, art or mechanics, or
object Of curiosity, deposited in any pub.
lie library, gallery, museum, collection,
fair or exhibition. is guilty OF felony"
The Public Library Of Los Angeles,
which now bids fair soon to be an insti.
tuition of which every citizen may be
proud, was originally organized in De-
cember of 1872. It was at first under
the control of a Library Association. 1t
was located in rooms offered by Gov.
Downey, in his block on the corner OF
Temple and Spring streets, where it re-
manned until the recent move into the
City Hall. The first Librarian was 1. @.
Littlefeld. On the 1st of April, 1877, an
arrangement was made by which il was
turned over to the city, and organized
with Board Of Regents, under a special
statute passed in 1874. The old charter,
adopted in 1873, put the library under
the control of the City Council, and on
January II, 1879, P. Connolly was made
Librarian. He was soon succeeded by
Miss Mary E. Foy, who is now q teacher
in one of the public schools. In 1884
Miss Gavitt, the present assistant, was
chosen Librarian. She held the position
until the 1st OF last January, when Mrs.
Prescott served for short term.