Evening star., 1894-02-17


umes were saved from the ruins. BY this
time Congress thoroughly appreciated the
need OF good library and the year follow
ing S'2,"o were appropriated for new
books, and the appropriations have gone on
from that time to this until we now have
6So,oSo volumes and 100000 pamphlets Last
year we added about $1,000 volumes to the
library and the copyrights are now increas-
ing our stock at the rate of $4,000 and up
ward per year.
Model Institution.
Tell me something about the new H.
brary."
1t will be one of the finest libraries OF
the world and 1t will be as perfect as mod
ern invention and modern science can make
1t. The three great enemies of books are
Dust, heat and moisture. AS to heat and
flre, we have prevented this by putting the
heating arrangements away from the main
structure and there will be no possible
chance for anything to catch fire. There
Will be nothing in the building that would
burn except the books, and 1 hope to have
the heat so arranged that the whole build
ing viii never be at a higher temperature
than Us. The windows are SO fixed that the
building will be dust proof 1t is situated
IN park and surrounded by streets when
are not much used. The windows, save
those OF the top, will never be opened, and
II Will be one of the cleanest buildings in
the world. AS to moisture. we went down
nifty feet to get the foundations in order
that there might be no dampness connected
with them, and our heating arrangements
are such that there will be no possible dam
ger from dampness. Another great advan-
taSe Will be the having of all the work con-
nected with the library under one roof As
IL Is now we send valuable books every day
from here TO the government printing Of
nee to be bound. The danger OF loss Is IN
many ways great, and 1 trembIe when
let them CO.
How about the binding of books, Mr..
Spofford?'
1T i3 a science in itself, and ali librarians
should watch very carefully the binding or
their volumes. 1t is only a man OF books
who Knows how book should be bound L
examine and pass upon every book that
comes from the bindery and this is now a
great task. l began it when the library
was small and keep it up today. There Is
great danger that a title Will be misspei led
or that the book will be improperly stitched
or covered. l am strongly IN favor OF the
binding of books in leather rather than calf
and IL pays to use the best of materials
Lea ather-bound books are first laced to the
boards by twine or cords, to which the
leaves are sewn. The leather is pasted
over this and 1t makes a strong and dura-
ole covering. There is vast difference in
the qualities OF leather. and the best cover
ing is a genuine Levant morocco / do not
like calfskin. 1t is too brittle and il breaks
at the joints. The average morocco is often
colored sheepskin. This is soft and easily
worn out. Russia leather also breaks at
the joints. while for the shoddy substi-
tutes for leather and calf. they ought never
to be used in public library AS to color
l am strongly in favcr of red. 1t does not
fade and 1t livens up the dark-coiored books
This question of binding books however is
one that Will admit Of d great deal of dis
cussion. AS for myself, | believe that the
very pest binding is the cheapest in the
end l think that magazines ought always
to be bound with the covers and advertise
ments, as these are sometimes very vaIu-
able as historical material, giving the date
and price of each number, and a. time goes
on matter which becomes very interesting"
FRANK G.. CARPENTER