The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-19
A Chat With John
Russell Young as to the
New National Library

the library, and l think the building
will cause it to do better as. to the
book fund than it has in the past.
Heretofore the library has had about
$1,000 year, and one-third of this has
gone to the supreme court. The
new library building cost Sc, 000 900. The
interest on the investment at per cent
is $3.50, 900 a year. AS long as the United
States is paying $3.50, 200 a year for it's
| library, it ought to add the small sum
of $4,000 or $4,000 more for the pur-
| chase Of books, which would keep it
abreast of the great libraries Of the
| world. AS 1t is, we have a great many
good nuggets in the library. We have,
for instance, the first folio edition Of
Shakespeare, a volume which is worth
from $4,000 to $4,000. I think we should
have not only every book, but all the
editions of the greater writer's that can
be found, & sg.s
A CHANCE FOR RICH MEN.
'"There is one idea that I would like
to see grow in the minds of the rich
men of the United States" continued
Mr.. Young, "and that is, that one of
the best places to leave their money to
is the National library. The British
Museum library was founded by. the
gift of a man named Hans Sloan, $50
years ago. 1t was first kept in one Of
the ducal palaces and for time was
called the Kings library. George ".
desired to sell it at one time, when he
was hard up, but when he found that
he could not do Sc he gave it to the
people. 1t has since been largely in
creased by gifts. Just now | under
stand that there is a fine collection of
Burns works in this city. 1t is owned
by William r. Smith, the superinten-
dent of the Botanical gardens, and is
said to be one of the finest Burns col
in he Kn1,16 T h
stood that he expects to give it to the
Masonic library, Of Washington, but 1
have written him that he should give
it to the national library. Why should
not some rich man buy collection Of
this kind and give it to the library.
Take some of our nillionaireS, such as
John Mackey, Rockefeller and others.
What better monument could they
leave for themselves than big collec-
ton of some kind to be known in the
library as their collection, and to be
always called by their name? l would
like to see national pride aroused in
the library. 1t is library for the
people, and we hope to make it SO &C
cessible that it will be at the command
of every one who comes to Washing
tom"
is not Washington already one of the best
literary centers of the Unon?"
Yes. it is was the reply. cit is fast be-
tional library os only one of a number There
should be general catalogue published of all
the books in Washington, stating where they
may be found. We have here what is said to
be the best medical library Of the world. This
| is known as the Library of the Army and
Medical museum. 1t has more than 100000
volumes and about 10000 pamphlets, compris-
ing, it is said, copies Of about three-fourths
of all the medical literature published, and
copies of nine-tenths of all the medical books
published within the last ten years. Doctors
now come from all parts of the country to con-
suit this library. Along some lines it sur
passes the Library of the British museum,
/ is very rich in scientific matter. 1t contains
something like Soc, 900 volumes and pamphlets.
There will be about 100000 of these books
| stored in the: National library and accessible
there Then each of the great departments
has a library. The patent office library Is one
| of the finest of its kind. 1t contains about
GO, 900 volumes, and is rich in scientific works,
and periodicals, The state department has
many valuable books and manuscripts, and
the war department and navy department. are,
I rich in publications along their own lines The
geological survey has fine library of travel
and science, and there are other collections OF
value, all of which are open to the public.
A great deal [,, Of scientific work Pr is steadily
son why IT should not be the chief literary
center of the. country.
IN THE NEW LIBRARY.
I AT this point Mr.. Young spread out the
plans of the floors of the library, and showed
me how. he expected to arrange the different
departments. We first took the third floor
plan.
ffeHere," said he, 1--WE will have lecture
room, which will seat 500 people, and which
may be used for scientific and literary con-
ventions. We shall use one of the rooms
for the Smithsonian institution collection,
so that it may be right near the lecture
room. In the south gallery we will have
collection of the graphic arts of the United
States, making here an art gallery in which
people can see what our people have done
along these lines since the government has
been founded. This collection is the out
growth of the copyright law, but hitherto,
owing to the lack Of room, it has not been
shown. Walking around the third floor, you
next come to the side of the building fac
ing the capitol. Here will be a department
devoted to early Americans. On the north side
of the building l have decided to put the
maps and charts. This will be very in
teresting collection. There are many maps
which were made by our officers during the
revolutionary war. Some were drawn ION
the battleheldS and not few were made
by British, French and American engineers.
''In the attic there will. be a restaurant,
and the building will be arranged that
scholars who wish to work here will have
all conveniences.'
Tell me something about the reading
room, Mr.. Young" said l.
Here it is on the library floor replied
John Russell Young, as he took another plan
and spread it out before me. "It is about
hundred feet in diameter, and we have
the desks already in, though not the chairs.
and give them plenty of working space The
librarians will be in the center of the room,
and they will be connected by telephone with
every part of the building and with both
houses of congress- They will have pneu-
matte tubes running from their desk to
every story of the book stacks. There are
carriers which run on endless chains from
every part of the book stacks to the read
ing room, so that within five minutes a Ii
brarian can get book from any part of
the library. At the right of the reading room
as you go out will be the Office of the lbrar-
ian, and near it will be the Offices of Mr..
sSpofford. Mr.. Hutchinson and others of the
assistants. In the northwest corner l have
decided to put a library for the blind. We
have a large number of books with raised
letters printed for the use of the blind. We
could give these out in the main reading
room, but l fear that the people reading in
this way would attract attention and sight
seers might bother them, SO / have decided
to give them room to themselves.
CATALoGUING DEPARTMENT.
eHere along the north side of the build
ing on the library floor Mr.. Young went
on, will be the cataloguing department.
This IS a very important branch of the Ii
the rudder of a ship-we should be at sea
without one. We want to keep the book
lists up to date. We publish, you know, a
bulletin every week Of the copyrighted books
good catalogue of the periodicals and of the
volumes now in the library
Further on on the same floor, in the
northeast corner, is a room which is to be
devoted to the Toner collection. This col
lection consists of $4,000 volumes. 1t was
made by DR.. Toner, of Washington. 1t is
very strong in documents, manuscripts and
books relating to George Washington and
I have placed it in charge of one of the last
l,of the Washington family. Further around
the building to the east there will be de-
partment devoted to manuscripts. You re-
member that some manuscripts were stolen
from the library some time ago. We shall