The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-19
THE NEW NATIONAL LIBRARY.

J owing 20 the lack Of room, IL has not been
shown. Walking around the third noor,
you next come TO the side OF the oaliolas
facing the capitol Here VIII be depart
ment devoted 20 early Americana ana
early printed works 0. Americans On
the north side % the building / nave dS-
cided 70 put the maps and charts. TINS
VIII be a very interesting COLLECTION
There are many maps which were naaue
by our officers during the revolutionary
war. Some were drawn on the battieneids
and not a few were made by Brlilsh'
French and American engineers
in the attic there viii be s. restaurant,
and the building viii be so arranged thar
scholars who wish 20 work here VIII have
AL convenience
A Look Into the Reading Room.
TELL me something about the reading
room. Mr.. Young" said I.
Here II IS on the library floor. replied
John Russell Young. as he took another
plan and spread Il out before me. 1t Is
about hundred feet in diameter ana We
have the desks already in. though not the
chairs. I think we shall be able 70 seat
$50 people and give them plenty or wofk-
ing space. The librarians will be in the
center Of the room. and they will be con-
nected by telephone with every part or
the building and with both houses or con-
gress. They Will have pneumatic tubes
running from their desks TO every story
OF the book stacks. There are carriers
which run on endless chains from every
part OF the book stacks 70 the reading
room so that within five minutes libra
rian can get q book from any part OF the
library. At the right of the reading room
as YOU go out will be the office OF the IL
brarian, and near it will be the offices OF
Mr.. Spofford Mr.. Hutchinson and others
- y. h. -rr
ner 1 have decided to put a library Tor
the blind. We have large number OK
books with raised letters printed for the
use of the blind. We could give these out
In the main reading room, but fear that
the people reading in this way would at
tract attention and sightseers might BOTH
er them. so I have decided TO give them a
room to themselves.
Cataloguine Department.
Here along the north side OF the build
ing on the library floor" Mr.. Young went
on. will be the oataloguing department
This is a very important branch OF the
library. The catalogue OF library is Ike
the rudder of a ship-we should be al 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 which have come in. We have al
ready good catalogue OF the periodicals
and OF the volumes now in the library.
Further on. on the same floor, in the
northeast corner. is room which is 10 De
devoted 70 the Toner collection. This col
lection consists of $500 volumes. 1t was
made by DR.. Toner. of Washington. II is
very strong In documents manuscripts
and books relating to George Washington.
and / have placed IL in charge of one or
the last of the Washington family.
Further around the building to the east
there will be a department devoted 10
manuscripts. You remember that some
manuscripts were stolen from the library
not long ago. We shall have these kept
under special lock and key. and we nope
to guard such treasures carefully. Then
there will be a room devoted to research,
where people of good reputation, who are
known to be carrying on certain lines OF
study or research can have books
brought to them. and do their work apart
from the regular reading room. Another
important classification which will be in
this part of the building Is that of peri
odicais We have one Of the most valu-
able newspaper collections in the world.
We have all the magazines that have ever
been published in America, and many OF
those of foreign coun tries. These will be
accessible and by card catalogue one will
be able TO get almost anything In them
Copyright Department
at the south end OF the library floor
there will be the copyright department.
This has been thoroughly systematized.
II is now bringing in about $1,000 a week.
The mail is kept right up to date, and
make It a point 10 have every days work
done at the end Of the day. If the clerks
have to work late tell them that they
will have to rest the next day. but that
the business must be kept up. In addition
TO these departments. there will be a
number Of others In the basement there
IS the mailing department. We expect to
have bindery there. We have a branch
in which copyright books are kept, and,
in short we hope eventually to have one
OF the most complete libraries OF the
world" FRANK G. CARPENTER.