Evening star., 1896-11-27

Congress- and In the librarians Office. All
naA' museuil and lavatory floors are Of
tile or marble mosaic, and so is that Of the
main reading room and the basement under
II. The book stacks are entirely of steel
ana east iron, with marble decks
The Book Stacks.
ITO librarians one Of the most interesting
departments of the building is that of the
book stacks and tile provisions made for
their future extension. When the building
was begun. eight years ago. book stacks.
properly so called. We're few in number and
sa sinr IN entent aa probably the best sx-
tension at Harvard University. Its funda-
mental principles were excellent. and In Its
Hay, quarter century ago. 1t was a great
books With this exception there was lit
tie 70 pattern after in designing the best
possible stack-one which would provide
the greatest security, convenience of ac-
cess and classification of the books. as
well as the maximum storage capacity
ana II was necessary to investigate the
needs OF the librarian, the readers and the
OF growth of collections of books. and. for
the Cor gressional Library, the broader
junction as national library likely to be
assigned to 1t, had also to be borne in mind,
building was to be some 100000 Of vol
umes. Ihus the following requisites Of
such stack were arrived at namely:
..a !. Heady access to all the books.
close proximity to and intimate COM
munlcaion with the reading and catalogu-
Ing rooms.
"3 Accommodation Of books of all kinds.
Ing. or no binding
4 Arrangement and classification of
books variable at will.
p Shelves readily adjustable, removable
and interchangeable.
~ Shelf supports Of plain and simple
form, occupying least space. absolutely
rigid and substantial and easily removable.
II. Convenient and rigid support of books
on partially filled shelves.
.. Conveniences for every kind OF appro-
pirate work In the stack, including the di-
rect handling Of books by searchers.
, o. fassage at will through any part Of
the stack In any direction. including ready
deck to deck.
10. Thorough illumination by daylight.
IL Moderate and even temperature and
good ventilation.
''12. Perfect cleanliness and freedom from
dust, with absolute security from damp
l3. Maximum capacity and compactness,
with capability Of indefinite extension.
IA. Fire-proof.
10 All surfaces in contact with books
permanently smooth and protected from de-
terioration.
''16. Complete ventilation through the
shelves. with minimum of lodgment for
dust or insects.
III. Protected from leaks in roof or over
head floor.
''1S. Light and simple construction, with
minimum Of dissimilar parts.
The stacks are nine tiers, or stories, In
height. with white marble decks seven feet
apart, as before stated. The construction
Is such that for all practical purposes the
stack could as well be of twenty or more
stories without changing materially the
bulk OF the supports. Good walls and a
good foundation make a complete Enclosure
for such a stack. and IT, as in the Congress
sional Library, the side walls may admit
ample daylight. vertical openings Of three
feet in width, extending from the bottom to
the top Of the walls. will give excellent
are sealed permanently alright.
Liberal electric illumination is provided
for night use. In the construction Of this
stack the element or unit is a steel col
pa pmn &C composed n posed. CT pair Of, Of 2x4,inch
tending from footing at the bottom Of the
stack to the tot, with a half-inch space
between to admit at each of the seven-foot
or shelf support, at either side. to make
doubie-faced range Of shelving. This
cast-iron Partition bears on its front edge
a series Of blunt teeth, ana at its back,
series Of short horns. or projections. on
which the shelf rests. 1t cannot acci-
dentally slip forward or tip in any direc-
tion. At each deck level two horizontal
the shelves and the other at right angles
across. under the deck, extend in both d.
rections through the stack to the walls of
the building. to which they are anchored.
They are also conpected to the respective
rows Of steel columns in the shelf ranges
both ways. A thin steel diaphragm plate
b firmly secured at the deck level in each
bay OF the shelving and the decks consist
9f solid white marble slabs; rubbed on top
ind polished beneathyto reflect light. rest
ing or and between the cross bars referred
to-. The diaphragm plates and marble
slabs. together with the inherent rigidity
Of the riveted connections Of the steel
framework. furnieh all needfuI lateral stiff
ress without the use of upright diagonal
doing away with these are that two oppo-
site shelves of any range may be set at the
same level to receive a book too wide for
one. and the shelves may all be removed in
any bay In moment to open a passageway
through. To do this the shelves may read
lily be disposed Of by slowing them over
head in the regular notches. Such things
cannot be done with shelves that are not
properly nat and free from sides or end
pieces, like those ir. this stack. They may
also be set close together to admit aliases
and large books on the fiat. By removal Of
the shelves an additional aisle NAV he made
through the stack in any direction in a few
minutes-through one rarge. two ranges, or
the whole length of the stack An open
slit of five inches width ia left in the deck
along the front of every range protected by
a slight curb. serving to admit light from
the side windows free circulation of air
for warming and ventilation, and furnish
ing convenient communication between the
stories Books may, when necessary, be
handed upward or downward through these
Sits at any point. They are too narrow
and too near the shelves for danger OF
stepping into them. and the liability of
dropping articles through is very slight.
II necessary. they may be protected at any
point by covering of wire netting.
The Steel Shelves.
THE shelf itself is composed of a set
OF parallel longitudinal bars attached to
an end piece which carries a pin and a
notch for engagement with the shelf sup
port or partition. Its length is 3S inches
and width IL inches. The bars composing
1T are about half an inch wide, spaced
about a quarter Of an inch apart and are
made of cold rolled sheet steel, very thin
and bent into an inverted section They
are highly polished and treated to perma-
nently guard against rust. In general ap-
pearance the shelf is about the thickness
of a thin board shelf and quite as fiat, with
no fianges. rough or sharp edges or points
of any kind. 1t Is also quite as light as
board shelf and much sitter under a load
of books. In fact, 1t carries, without per-
ceptiple DETECTION, double the weight of
any possible load of the heaviest books
1t is removed and adjusted In its supports
more conveniently and expeditiously than
NJ tH4r 1nlP hi