Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-03

| respectable though poor citizens
The Congressional Library will never fill this
| requirement. nor should it; neither should the
department libraries; they are not intended for
that purpose-they should be used solely for the
expediting Of and assisting in the public bust
ness 1t is very singular that there Is not one
not boast H of a better city public
library than can the seat Of govern
ment This is a very poor showing, and IL also
discrimination against those thatare debarred
from using department library or who cannot
! visit the Congressional Library between 10 and
4. 1t is disgrace to the District"
THE TREASURY LIBRARY.
There are about q, 900 volumes IN the
Treasury Department library, q large pro
portion Of which consist Of works Of special
use for reference in the departmental work.
There is, besides, a large miscellaneo.ls library
| of perhaps 800 volumes for the entertainment
of the clerks of the department and their
families. this section of the library being, OF
course. the most popular and frequently used.
Mrs. himball. the librarian, who has been at
the head of this large collection of books for
| fifteen years, gives out about 5000 volumes a
month. Her shelves contain a great many
very valuable official documents. the records of
! the early secret sessions of Congress, old gov
| eminent publications. reference books OF the
| highest authorities in literature. biography,
&c, and collection of the old city directories
| that are constantly being drawn. There is no
/ separate fund for the purchase of new books.
/ but about S400 n month are spent out of the
miscellaneous funds Of the department for this
use. The greater part Of the works are OBJ
| tanned by exchange. There are two laborers to
help Mrs. kimball in her work, and thus the
salaries of the library amount to s2,I6O year.
THE PATENT OFFICE LIBRARY.
] One of the most valuable if not the most
/ valuable of the department libraries is the
patent Office library. az it is more commonly
/ known the scientific library. 1t contains about
/ &C. 900 volumes and as a collection of works re-
lating TO the applied sciences il is said to take
l high rank among libraries OF this kind in the
| world. 1t is a scientific reference library
purely and the aim is TO make ii complete
/ as possible in the literature of human industry.
/ The works on electricity alone make a collec-
| ton that is believed 20 be without equal ex-
| cept in one or two instances. Another strong
/ feature are the books relating to chemistry,
and there is also fine collection Of books on
sanitation. Here may be found files of nearly
| all the patents published in the world with the
| specifications and drawings. All scientific
encyclopedias. especially those relating to the
| industrial sciences, may be consulted in this
library, while the collection is complete in all
| scientific works and periodicals, both American
| and foreign. The library is intended primarily
| for the use of the examining corps of the
patent Office and they alone have the privilege
| Of taking books from the library, not,
however, from the building. But prac-
tically for reference purposes it. is a public
| library and it is used extensively by patent
attorneys and others who are in search Of in
formation relating to industries. The librarian,
| Capt. II. l.. Prince, takes great interest in the
| books placed under his care. only genuine
| lover of books can His principal assistant,
| Mr.. Farquhar. has been connected with the
| library for a number of years and is thoroughly
posted in all matters relating to books of this
character.
WHEN IT WAS STARTED.
This 1aJ in bo To- ~
1896, which effected great change in the
patent Office, and laid the foundation for the
great institution as it exists today. The growth
up to the year 1s47 was slow, and the collec-
ton then only numbered some 1900 volumes.
The appropriations of money by Congress were
| irregular and uncertain until the year 1879,
| when the first regular appropriation was made,
amounting to $4,000 In the year 1885 this
was reduced to $1,000, and the annual appro-
priation has continued at that figure ever
since. 1t is not considered sufficient half the
amount is required to pay the subscriptions of
the large number Of American and foreign
| mechanical periodicals which are regularly
| taken, the bound files being placed on the
| shelves. The rooms devoted to the use Of the
| library are on the third floor. and are large
| enough, the only drawback to the location
| being that a large hall or passage way cuts the
library into two parts. In one set of rooms
| are kept the files of the patents and in the
! other part are the books and the reading room.
THE BUREAU OF EDUCATION.
Another important library under the control
Of the Interior Department is the one belong
ing to the bureau of education. This is also q
working reference library, and makes specially
of educational works all kinds. 1t now con-
tains about 10000 volumes. and in addition
about $4,000 pamphlets
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT..
One of the institutions of the Interior De-
partment is its library. 1t is a good general
library, and contains many standard works.
but in the case with all libraries intended for
general Use, fiction is largely represented.
/ Under the efficient management of the librarian,
\ Mrs Fuller, this collection of books has grown
| In interest, and each year additions are made
which tend to increase its usefulness. The
works of the leading noyelists are found
| on IKE shelves, well as those of
| the minor writer's. This feature of the
| library has not been developed at the expense
! of other departments of literature for here
may be found the collected works of nearly all
| the American statesmen, TRANSACTIONS of the
classics, poetry, philosophy, books of travel
and works relating to American history. There
are many books which are valuable, and even
rare, and which during the forty years that the
library has been in existence have collected by
| degrees on the shelves.
| GREAT DEMAND FOR BOOKS.
The library contains some 10, 600 volumes and
the demand for books on the part of the en-
| plOyes is such that Mrs. Fuller finds it neces-
| sary to have an assistant and a colored man.
| who Is employed as messenger. The rules of
/ the library in regard to taking out books are
| liberal. and the hours when the library is open
\ FOR this purpose are arranged so AZ to suit the
| convenience of the employees. While there are
| certain hours when those desiring to take out
| books can be waited on. the library is open
| each day from 9 to for the benefit of those
| who wish to consult reference books. The list
| of such books is such that every well-appointed
| library contains but reference books are by no
means the feature. The library is a circulating
| library pure and simple, and as such is be-
| lieyed to accomplish it, mission. The average
| number of books taken out each day is between
200 and 800 and this fact shows that the library s
| appreciated and used by a large proportion of
| the employees The library was started in 1850
| and its growth has been steady if not rapid
For the last fifteen or sixteen years there has
| been available an annual appropriation of $500
| for the purchase of new books, and these pur-
chases are made by the librarian with the ap-
| proyal of the chief clerk. The early wears of
the history of the library were not wears of
| growth, and up TO 1861 the library contained
only two or three thousand volumes.
| ITS INADEQUATE QUARTERS
The present appropriation is considered
ample for the purposes intended and the
library would be in a condition to be Of greater
use 20 the employees of the department if its
| accommodations we're better. This important
| feature of the department suffers from the gem
eral complaint that affiicts all the bureaus in