New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-27
NEW FREE LIBRARY, PRATT INSTITUTE.

:. ,,,or,ste system of house telephones anu
s,sa,snr.tubes provide full intercommuhica'io"
..r<,., on carts Of tire building. Inc Hen'ine
4. nv electricity. the heating by not air am ~
very latest theories Of ventilation nave Dee"
,uad IN the system with which the new puii'i"e
is supplied. No.. eoor &c the
O,,os,ta the entrance on the first moor Is Tic
.,udrens room. 25x45 feet, which Is az ei"oo-
,atslv furnished and supplied with Convenience
az any room in the building. Inc cha'iS ""N
tables of which there are great hunioe'' a.
NJ varying heights, and the STACKS Oh .',
ars 60 arranged that the young patrons OF TINS
denartment may help themselves 10 the iei' u
the chidren's room Is the general reading-roon'
o,ee ,oa, The second floor Is almost wholly
devoted 70 the reference library The central
room, will be used as a workroom for Classifying
and cataloguing The top floor contains large
room 70 be III ed for the library school the CEN
,ra, room will be used for exhibition purposes
and the front room as an art reference Ioo'i''
still another room is FOR the use OF the depart
ment of museums. The basement contains toiie'
roous and room where books will be unpacked
before taking them to the catalogue clerk
ruE RoOKRooM is THE MAIN FEATURE.
The stoctroom occupies the right wing OF the
,uud,ng Is 49x53 feet in area. and five stories
b,sb These stories are connected by easy nights
~ stairs The interior structure OF the stackroom
g. all ~ iron and steel with glass floors. The
etacks are Of the improved library bureau va
rety The building is carefully hreprooleu' Inc
steam and electricity required TO warm ana Hsht
the edhce are transmitted from the pant IN
Crandave and no fire rs allowed In the oulldlng'
In STYLE the exterior is free Renaissance out
10 columns or pilasters are used Inc material
e red Lrick and the trimmings are behe'hie
brownstone The building has been SO construct
"a that II may be used as wing OF larger
building or as one of a group OF pulidlhes' i he
cost was $4,000. and the annuai expense u US
maintenance will be S3oOOO.
About four hundred people were present yester-
aov afternoon. among them men and women
nrononent in literary. scientific ana educa'ioha'
circles Of Brooklyn. Frederic b. Pratt presioe''
The exercises began with Mendelssohn Ovei-
,ure ~ Athalie," rendered by the Dannreu'hef
Quartet oeNew-Ycrk The Rev. Dr. john Hump
stone made a brief prayer, and the quartet piayeo
Rubinstein's Music Of the Spheres
THE PURPOSES OF THE GIFT
Charles NJ. Pratt. the president OF the Board
Of Trustees was then introduced ana spoNe az
follows: 49,. u.,-
1t is with than usual pleasure nf p hst pst
psnnng for facilities for our ,SGsa
wSrk are most needed Since It's existence Pratt
institute has xDressy aes ihat such
Of the various objects which its founder proPoseo
THIS t sSk wa' its growth has been until
the facilities provided in this new sruS'use e
~ uo model OF organization housing and equipment
while we have studied 10 keep the cost 81 ms rs
douSy interior nish and dsa9 6af sa Tnlf
regard 10 their permanent character ana 10 IN
creased efficiency Of light Dasn %ST on the
frst floor front will be supplied win several nun
dd papers and on he south is the
chdren's reading and delivery room This depsrt-
ompete lists Of books designed to provide for the
growing child a comprehensive and discrimina MAJ h
OUR library stan and have gone into many a6I SSm s
in city The whole Of the seSOnq b n W S Se as
signed four trained assistants. In addition TO these
reference rooms s ,n en the third story for
works on art in all its forms and our conecuon
q art no a s
rope and which will number within rev months
On the third story School Of Library Train.
Ing which has been S s has w aY iop into
complete school orga-isaon The number 9r OF a ap
greater fSs hn our ft
the has made 1t possible san to for our
graduates has been greater than We could supply,
a vino hs sS ALREADY
are occupying important positions all over the coun-
try. Some Of them are now assisting In recata-
ioguirg the newly organized New-York Public Ii
brary-Astor. Lenox and Tiiden foundations. For
several years we have had in contemplation a sec
ond-year course, the time for which seems now
ripe. The need Of catalogues who can deal with
growing in this country. European collections are
bought by colleges and universities and rarites
by private collectors So far known. this field
has not been chosen by any of the other library
schools and so IL seems well for us TO pre-empt IT,
This course will be open the first time In the fall OF
1893
WHAT THE LIBRARY HAS DONE.
Since the establishment OF our free library eight
years ago there has been other similar work
undertaken this city. During these years the de