Evening star., 1896-12-01
THE New LIBRARY
Continued FROM First Page.)

books by annexation. of book titles. He
could tell the student of history whether
or whether it was entirely ex parte in char
acter.
The Center Of History aud Statistics
The Congressional Library should be the
center of history and statistics of the coun-
try The library might have copies of
DOCKS IN duplicate, which could be sent to
other libraries and loaned for stated peri
ods' thus travelling all ever the country and
penentlng libraries which could not other
wise equip themselves with such books.
~ tne course of his remarks Prof. Dewey
uesciipeo tne work Of the travelling IL
brary' of New York The state library
makes up collections of certain books an6
sends them olt to communities, the aDpli
cants paving for the transportation. The
coihnunlty~ls allowed to keep the books fol
stated period, and every person in thai
pace Is allowed to withdraw those books
ana read them. He said the work of edu.
catlon pelng done by this travelling library
was incompatible.
Prof. Dewey, in reply to a question, said
nc old not think Librarian Soofford's esti-
mate OF the force for the new library is
adequate.
SpoHord has been required to carry on that
library with force that was shockinsly
inadequate. l do not think that the in.
crease OF thirty-two attendants provided
IN Mr. Sponords estimate can do all of the
work that will be imposed upon them in
the new library"
Rapid Growth Predicted.
Professor Dewey said the number would
be outgrown. The force of cataloguers
proposed would be entirely Inadequate. As
soon as the library is opened the pride of
the country in the library will be aroused.
There will be hundreds of people who will
give their cherished hnnkc q ND mannScrinfS q
to this, the finest. library in the world. All
OF those will have to be handled, and that
feature alone will require more employees.
The growth Of the library will be rapid.
Museum. The British Museum employs
about two hundred people. The force es-
t1mated by Mr. Spofford includes only six
ty-eight. 1t must be remembered. said
Professor Dewey, that there are appalling
arrearages in the work of the Congression-
al Library.
In the new library the entire collection
should be broken up into their proper class
es Books upon stated subjects should
be marshaled side by side on the shelves.
Ihe new library ought to be put In such
shape that by reference to the catalogue
bright boy could go and get any book.
EVERY book should be numbered. There
should be shelf lists and Inventories BY
the modern method the number of the
book shows its location upon the shelf.
Professor Dewey then entered into an
Cidpoidlc eApldHdtlOn OF the plan OI cdta-
loguing, numbering and shelving of books
used in modern libraries.
Prof. Dewey said he thought force of
cataloguers very much larger than Is pro-
posed by Mr.. Spoffords estimate is neces-
sary to catalogue the new library on the
plans used by modern libraries. There
should not be less than twenty people in
this department to start the work. A Erea t
deal will depend upon the amount Of ar
rearage of cataloguing that may now ex-
list. ,!
Mr.. Soule's Evidence.
Mr.. c. c. soule of Boston was then ex-
amined by the committee In regard to the
scope of the new Congressional Library,
he said the people Of the United States
should be given more adequate advantages
for enjoying the library than they have
enjoyed in the past. 1t should be a refer
ence library to every citizen of this coun-
try.
The Congressional Library should also be
the center of the library educational in
terests of the country. 1t should come
into closer touch with state libraries of the
country.
This ought to be the most thorough and
most beneicent library in the world said
Mr.. Soule. 90
What should we do to make the H.
brary such an lnstitutIon?' asked Mr..
Quigg.
Mr.. soule replied that the main feature
of such effort would be the equipment of
the library. The next would be the force
of employees and their disposition. He
would take the salary list of the British
Museum as the best criterion of an ade-
quate force of employees for the Congress
sional Library.
Mr.. Soule thought that twenty men
would be the minimum number employed
on the cataloguing. 1t would require sew
eral years for even that number to COM
plete the catalogue. AS to librarians prop
err the British Museum empioyS sixty-fwO
men in that capacity and finds even that
number inadequate.