New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-29
THE BROOKLYN LIBRARY.
prupAK1NG THE INTERIOR OF THE MON
TAGUE-sT. BUILDING.

CHANGES MADE NECESSARY Di ii'H
u.r,cur Of BooKs-suBsT1TuTING IRON FL"
woonrS s,.pPoRTs-HIsToRY OF ONE OF
RROoKI.YNs MOST USEFUL 1NsllIO-
rIoNs-MR BARDwEIp TIE
LIBRARIAN.
.., ,veeks the Brooklyn Library mas oee'
I, state Of confusion and disorder 'o'a''s ,,,,
,,no Nth its character as a quiet anu ' :,
a,reat for study and the pursuit OF Nho"'e =,
-. hs.r IN a condition of upheava. lhs'eau ~
,houghtful men and women with DOCKS ~ ,.r t., i
arms II has been invaded by an army Vi - .re
ov.rals and shirtsleeves. The readins ioo' .a
e-s, eoor has been converted INTO oeS.'' ,ha !
Tn. reference-roon. on the seconn ''ooi .,ss /
,,s .,cn CLOSED and II one ventures a0'O,s
Tho threshold he is confronted by the st eoo~
,,,odap columns between the aicoVes "' ,. 49,
4. rnned I'D here and there the elec'io -" =, ,ha
s,annsared the table around which patrons " A.,
,,nr,rv have been wont TO gather 10 '''' 800,
,os cvco,aedias catalogues and tho"Sa""
andone books of reference Is covered w'.n o,coves
or brown paper. and some OF the a''a -, tho
are hidden from view win ru'e """'
same material ,o,
MAKING OVER THE INTERIOR
,,o interior OF the library build
,,a ,s being practically made over IRON U.S. -
me " ,a,,,rs the place of wood; but IN si'e %
,hs confusion and uproar the WORK Oh '"e i
has been going on as usuai' OF ,ooyen,encc
..o,nh q, course there have been some i"' a.,
49, ,,ovance The delivery-room mas not oee" o
.,rhsd and will not be for some V'"e ',,h,.
~. :, hos heen necessary to shift cohSiue'"o
S- NJ hooks these have been so pia0eu a'
he readily found again by me group % , IA ,ts
,,oroen attendants who know ever! -. =,
.,an.s almost as we'll as they know ''e $3.50,
49, .,,babe, The reading-room hao 10 oe ..
~ ,oo,n,inp OF the work on the improvement
a. .as transferred 10 what was formerly III. p ',,,
n, the library n room IN the I'o'i' =. -, for
,,,cb has been rented 10 business W. -
"''1' $3.50. ,,or ~ the present one. The space he''
., ,,,,,ed as compared with the oio ie 20, ,
IS hh','.. - ,nd magazines available anu
,nrs ., this part OF the library have no' oee''
d,snosed 10 find fault. The reading nun" -. hae,
t.. a mart of the reading-room spa'e' ,.,
closed and the same Is true OF the -sr ohl,e
, although the librarian. Mr.. baru"e,' oo 49,
hheii'' - -. ANXIOUS 10 consult certain DOORS
MS or,rn,tv 70 do so II II Is possible 70 arranse "
Tn. reason for the changes is 'na' "e 49, -
,ba library building was found 10 De Wv 80 :,
''e ~. immense weight OF the books storeu III
suppo.' una,na was ...cted more than Twenty-Five
~ 900 and is x.ll adapted for the u nbrarv
ysh1ns ~ Is put though. imp:' 'emen's ne II, ~
buildings nav Year o. so ago the woodwork OF ,ns
interior was carefully examined of The supporting
ns 70 such an that It would no Mr Ie Of
to rely them much ds scssTd upon 1t de-
rmined 10 Substitute iron for wood as lar Of
.ne b anq 10 considerable extent The TG
Is now we'll advanced toward c0mpeGI naSed in Sep
tember The exterior OF the ouiioi"s wiz
unaltered ,>rs
CHANGES IN THE ARRANGhMH->i
.s resnects the interior arrangements ue
,,r,sn, change will be the transfer OF the pooN
'npo 'a" - the erst floor where II will take
49, rlaca of the old reading-room whhe t'e ''"
ing-room will occupy the space no" CIV" ,
.tha de,yery-room. on the second "ooi' ", nae,
nv 1891 ocross the western end OF the ouiiaing'
nv alCOVeS
WIZ. 80 ,,. galleries over them are removed
roomv and wel-nghted space will be prov,ueu
Th. front part OF the new readns-roo'n WIZ
.ovr.s h. amply lighted from the Moniasues"
dows. the other portion will nave 'ne p."'"' al,
.., skvl,ght in the centre OF the ouildihe as WI"
:. 49, severai windows IN the western wall
The book-delivery department Is 'e ~
-ortant feature OF the library ana there ~ Nv ~, 49,
IT,, ,ha, placIng this on the first hoor WIN
~ -, c,ange with the lbrary's patrons SheVihs
\ pop"'a a,.'aad on the first floor for about 500"
d ,s. these will OF course. include the oooN'
os, frequently called for. so that they WIZ w
nished promptly 10 those asking ior "',,,h,n.
mill no longer be under the Necessary "a on,
On. stairs 10 the second floor The reference ~.
,,,u remain where 1t has heretofore oee' " g.
s,x uhrarv as IL has been termed wiz as
rlrtuaily part Of the I u, ne building
no" a. serSnd floor being used Tor the DON or %,
0 on TO the library wish TO read Tor 0"s''
SHORTER tine improvements are completed the buiid
Ing will be as e eoo the iron which the place Of
wood will be practically ,be structure The
Weight Of the books in the library Cv, na a. 600 voumc
mated in tons Th Tef 2I ceo yo1Des we're SOLD las
IN rhe and nearly 5000 duplicate copies OF repo, s,
the IKE Were s has been established at which j.
Sraries can in such duPca shcS a want tfem
and receive in exchange copies OF s'a rs tSe oia
which they are latest not Catalogue 100 les
tSan that given last year but OF tune and otber
OF ora" new books have been procured SINCE anu ''"'
are being purchased constantly
HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY
yor,vn Library has had interesting MS
49,. The movement which led to It's estap'shine'
-.s bern in 1851 by few puol'c-spiri'e' yV'Ie INV
ho conceived the idea OF provd'hg io'"is
prookIyn on the lines OF the Mercaiue "' A.
Saw.yor, They succeeded In arousing good ue
NC. ,..rest IN the matter. which was brougn
uh,c attention BY a meeting held IN 'ne DrooA
" .,h.namm on November 80 IN that o YEAR pr,e ~
Xthenaeum then bad h1 Srsrv VI in the city An
MnSe was made with the Athenattu ,bp nr,
for the use nd the library and reading room %rf
opened May !, lS ,Sst here were H. 100 books
The shelves and membersehiR OF The progress Of Ii
from all s s,eady About 1854 the plan OF erecn
a building especially for IT'S u use wa ,.s hroken fc
surapnt binding on June q. 1861 and the pu''a
uras opened January 10 1900
THE PRESENT LIBRARIAN.
The present librarian is Wits A. baruwe", ,oa :,
,ss been in charge OF the library since u'e iva
Of stephen b. Noyes whose 'fnuenoe % su
ha,nrui in establishing the institution Oh ~
1anpaa,,on. MI Noyes left behind him as MS 81 e,
during monument the complete catalogue o.
,hrary embracing all the books which II conan. .,
nm 70 1882 1t Is the most complete ea'a'os"e ,,nra,
kind ever made. The BOOKS anu " - oo,aIog,,
%hlch IS feature n of e Seen
far
ses librarian under MI Moves ne r.
so hoid this place for time altci as9u m.s ~ a.
Me- hut a number OF years ago ne Wa az an,e