The evening times., 1896-09-04
Opening Of the Building fsf
Public Use Next Year.
COMMITTEE WORK In VIEW
Problens That Must BE Discus and
Settled, Involving Arrangement OF
Books, Cataloguing and Rules for
Use-Sunday Opening to Be Dis--
cussed at Length.


head, in The arches at the right and left.
| Jus; Inside the first doorway at the head Of
| the grand stair. The work is progressing
rapidly, and in j short time will lie conf
oleied. In the rotunua the painting Of the
| great side panels of the ociiIng is nearly
| cOBpleted- Five Of the nine muses. by
\ simmons are Ill place, aud the paintings by
| Vedder, Cox and Maynard are hcIe. The
| desks have coine and are down. while the
| huge mechanism BY which books will be
| transported from tec shelves and alcoyes
| TO the reader has replaced the elevator
| where material was formerly carried 10 the
| dome.
I All this internal outfit for the furnishing
| OF The reading room is now covered with
| canvas, and bears the warning, Glands
I off, but it will Only be a few months, at
| The outside, till the whole work is sbso-
| lutely complete and ready for ITS splcndid
service. Ii Will stand lasting monument
| TO Librarian Spofford, whose persistence
ami yigilant care have contributed 80
-tnaeh along with the far-sighted patriotism
| of Congress, TO tie creation Of this bciev-
| oleDce 10 the human race, second TO noi:e III
| America.
All over the edifice similar work &c that
| mentioned above is going On In the midst
| OF 1t hundreds of visitors are coming and
| going every day; for the place is How one
t-uf the regular sights OF the capital 1t
is open from a m to /. m.
COMMITTEE Z AND ITS MEETING.
| But something like all this has b.cn said
before. The purpose OF this present writ
| ing Is 10 call TO mind the duty of The Joint
| Committee on Library Of the Fifty fourth
| Congress, which was assigned at the last
| session. This is a review of the whole
I problem OF removal OF the books from the
! old library to the new, the proper arrange
| ment OF the books in the new library, the
| ruies to govern their use and the very
| numerous details OF the mana cement Of the
! new building, together with the determine
| ton of what shall be done with the rooms
now occupied as library in the Capitol.
| The vote to impose this arduous and i'm
| por,ant labor upon the committee was taken
| near the end OF the session last winter
| Librarian Spofford, Architect Clark, Supt
Green and others will take part In the
work involved.
The committee consists of Senators
| tiarsbrough, WetInure, aud voorhees, AMI
| Representatives Harmer. Qmeg. and Cum
| niiEgs. 1t has been supposed by some ill.,
| .niprned persons that the committee woulI
| rieet during the summer to consider the
| Important questions upon which they are
| 10 pass. The resolution in regard TO the
| matter was that they should sit during
| the recess But the political campaign SO
| epgrosses their attention that no other
| public interest can conlmand 4 moment of
| their time. The first meeting of the com
| nhttee will take place soon after the
| election, aud the members will then re-
main inpTactically continuous session TN
| their work is completed They will re-
| ceiye. first and most important to giii lie
| their differentiation OF Questions before
! them. full and complete report upon
| the situation by Librarian Spofforl. They
| Viii also have reports and information from
! other officials and experts.
NAY OPEN ATINAUGURATI TIoN.
Mr.. Spofford said today that ii is now
expected the library will open some Time
il the early spring next year. 1t will lie
turned over for occupation about the Ist
| OF February Mr.. Spofford did not say ~,
but tits possible the program for the open
| ing of the building may be ready by the
| time of the Inauguration, so that visitors
| here for one may attend the other also.
Unless Mr.. spofford's hopes are disap-
shoulders part of the labor with which
he is now burdened at the sumo time that
| it will add duties more conrenial 10 his
tastes. The difficulties into which he fell
a year ago by reason of the copyrights a.
| counts will be remembered. An effort WIS
| made Mt the last session OF Congress to
relieve him OF the duties which brought
about this trouble. but at the last moment
be reaciiedas to how disappointment houid
6a made. This committee will uDdouhteri-
| Iy report in favor of the creation OF the
office OF register of copyrights Under
his care will be placed the administration
| of the whole copyrights system. Including
| The keeping of the accounts. lie viii be
| given rooms for his offices apart from
those of the librarian, and an adequate
| force of clerks.
Another official necessary for the new
Library will he custodian. He will have
| charge of all the physical care of the
| building The management nj the electrical
| apparatus. the elevators, the .watchmen,
| will be his, and he will manage all the
| cleaning. heating, ventilating, etc Many
| new places will be created under HIM
SUNDAY QUESTION TO COME UP.
The most serious problem will be- the best
| way for the removal OF the immense num-
| Der of books, pamphlets, periodicals and
| the varied copyright productions from the
| old rooms to the new and their proper ar
| raEgcmcDt SO as to be OF the greatest serv-
| ice to the public and to Congress-. A sys-
TEN OF arrangement must be determined
| upon, and with that a catalogue such as
| will be most helpful in enabling students,
Investigators and general readers 10 reach
| quickly the books desired and likely to bs
useful.
| The new Library will he lighted with
| electricity, lille the present quarters are
not lighted at all. The change win involve
some provision for opening the ropms at
night and rules for it
Also, while the committee will not prob
| ably raise the0questioD OF itself. Sunday
| opening will undoubtedly be discussed at
/ great length both in the committee. and by
those who are bent on helping them. and
| the discussion will be not only by letter
and memorial, but in the newspapers and
periodicals.
| The uses that have been proposed for tie
| present halls OF the library OF Congress
are numerous. The plan which probably
has met most favor is to put very cons
plcte reference library in the central han,
and to convert the wings into committee
rooms. Architect Clark las calculated that
this would givetwelveDew committee ROOMS,
| six for each branch IF Congress. Also, is
has been proposed to store here the manu-
script archives Of Congress which at pres.
eDt are not protected from fire