Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-26
WILL BE READY SOON.
The Reference Room of Carnegie
Library About Completed.
PHIPPS' COLLECTION RECEIVED.
In Part 1t Comprises q Very Valuable
Scientific Set.
GATHERING THE TWO CITIES RECORDS

Librarian W. M. Stevenson, of the ALE
gheny library. is very busy just now. He
is having some repairing done and is get
ting in number of new books.
In referring to the reference room yester-
day Mr. Stevenson said: ''The delay in
opening the reference room of Carnegie
Library is due to the fact that the tables,
chairs and delivery desk are not yet COM
pleted. The chairs and tables are promised
for not later than next week. The letting
of the contract for the new counter
is now in the hands of the Pub
lrc Works Committee of Allegheny.
1t will be pushed terough as rapidly as pos
sible. The department has many duties
just now that are more important than the
library fittings If the people cannot wait
until the room is ready, will try to ac-
commodate them in some way, if they make
personal application.
A Valuable Scientific Collection.
'rI am getting in some new books. In
the Phipps collection recently received
there was a set of books that is almost in
valuable. 1t is 'Poggen Dorff's Annalen Der
Physik und Chemie.' The set is composed
of over 200 volumes and runs from 1924 to
date. 1t is a very rare collection, and one
much sought after by scientists and
scholars. 1t is the most thorough
production ever written on the subjects
of physics and chemistry. 1t treats
them in detail, something which no other
writer has ever done. Covering as It does
period of over 6s years, the collection en-
braces much which was never before given
to the public. The set is a very valuable
one and cost over ST. 600. Since we have had
it the most prominent students along that
line in the two cities have been in to exam
inc it and all are high in their praise of the
collection.
"Just now 1 am working on a new idea.
1t IS my intention to get q collection of the
public documents of the two cities.
Collecting the Two Cities Reports.
81 have so far been able to secure a COM
plete list of the municipal records of Ale
gheny City from 1872 up to date. 1 would
like to get them back of that if could.
Through the kindness of Controller Morrow,
of Pittsburg, and City Clerk Booth. of Pitts
burg, am to l-et set of their munich
pal records. Controller Morrow has also
presented the library with the "PiUtsburg
Digest" It is complete from 1904 to 1886. 1t
was compiled by W. W. Thompson. Mr..
Morrow's report for 1891 has been received
also. The Pittsburg Departments of Public
Safety and Works have contributed their
last reports. The extreme rarity of
these reports is remarkable. When
gobbled up. 1 could not find a copy of
Allegheny's last report in any of the City
Hall offices when 1 went in search Of one.
having any of the reports of either
city, which 1 do not have, will send tn em
in they will confer great favor on the
library.
The County Records to Be Collected.
Gas soon as finished collecting the city re-
ports will turn my attention to gatheDing
county records. do not know just what
there is in that line, but will get every
thing 1 can. State and national records are
easy to get and we haze very complete
collection.
sI was at an auction the other day. There
were number OF rare books sold. Among
the number were ten volumes of John 3.
Coughs Memoirs of libraries 1t is one of
the most interesting books 1 ever read.
Aside from this it is also valuable from the
fact that 1t contains a very good autograph
of the author. The books we're the personal
property of MI. Cough, ana were sold when
his tire library was disposed of.
"There has been great deal of talk lately
by the trade unions concerning the class of
people patronizing the library. They con-
are the maj ority of readers at a free library.
They are ignorant of facts. The people who
come here are those who cannot afford to
buy books for themselves. Those who have
libraries at home do not frequent Carnegie
Library.
Who the Library's Patrons Are.
"I have made study of this and know. I
have asked numerous people of wealth why
they do not come to the library. Their an
swer invariably is that they would rather
purchase books for themselves. Then they
can read the book and do not need to
go sto the trouble of coming here
for it or returning it. This is not
the case with the people of more
moderate means. The average book costs
81 so, and every time some one wants to read
q book they cannot always afford to
buy it. Take mathematical view
of the case and that will show how
the institution is patronized. Take Uncle
Toms Cabin 1t is a book that still is very
1t will cost ST 3d. but many people
cannot afford to buy it. We have it here
and have paid that price for it. 1t will
stand the wear and tear of 200 readers.
There Is q saving of $500 to the people and
yet they have been allowed to read the
book. The library is not only popular with
the working people, but it is money-saving
institution to them. To show that the patron
age at the library is increasing take the
number of cards issued for this year. On
February "a, 1892, there were $3.50 cards out.
Now the number is up to nearly 5000. The
cards are used by several people in the
same family. This swells the number of
readers considerably"