The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-04
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
Housed In the Finest building Of Its Kind
In the World.

Housed In the Finest Building Of Its Kind
In the World.
Ten years after the United States Of
America came into existence the library
had its beginning Congress was about 10
move from Philadelphia. The seat of gov
eminent was TO be transferred on two
sloops to the District of Columbia. There
was fine collection of town lots, but not
much else In Washington So long as they
remained in Philadelphia the senators and
Representatives made use OF the Loganian
library When they came 70 consider the
needs of the new location. they appropri-
ated 1000 10 buy books and ordered a
room set apart for them In the capitol
The grandfather of the present ambassador
| Bayard was one of the committee which
carried out the provision. Two years later
congress employed librarian at 81 day
10 take care of the books, but stipulated
that the pay was for Only such time as he
was actually az work The early appro.
priations for the library were $3.50 year
1t took IA years TO get together 3, 900 books
Then came the British, under General
Ross, entering Washington in 1914 They
burned the capitol and the library went
up i'm flames The next year congress made
another start 10y purchasing the 800 books
of Thomas Jefferson for 1928, $50 In 1851
the library of congress, as 1t is officially
known, had grown TO about 90 900 vol
umes. fire on Christmas day destroyed
$4,000 books and part of the capitol.
From 20, 600 volumes in 1852 the library
has reached its present collection of S00-
900 and the finest library building i'm the
world which cost $4,000, 600 and was
nine years in course of construction.
A public building covering block of
ground and without IA dark corner Is some
thing novel in architecture. Yet that is
what the new library is. Such a result Is
made possible by / 800 windows and by an
arrangement of courts within the exterior
rim Of halls. The reading room is in the
very center. But flood of light pours i'm
on the cloudiest day. 1t is under the gold
en- dome. 1t is an eight sided room, with
the elevated desk of the librarian in the
center and all of the apparatus for COM
with assistants around and |
beneath. The desks for readers are i'm cir |
Giles facing the librarian. The distance |
across this octagonal room is 100 feet |
Rotunda is better description than room, |
for the ceiling is the vauted interior of |
the dome. The walls of this rotunda for
40 feet from the floor are of amber tinted |
marble, rich enough in polish and color to
DO mistaken at first glance for onyx.
Opening into the rotunda on the eight
sides are alcoves, where encyclopedias,
books of reference, dictionaries and works
or which there is almost continuous use
will be kept. These alcoves are on the
evel of the floor. Readers will be allowed
% go into them and consult such books as
hey may need. Sitting on his high perch
the center of the rotunda, the librarian
r his immediate representative occupies a
osition much like the lookoutis i'm a mod
IN penitentiary. He not only has every
OCCUPANT of the reading room under his
yes, but he can see into every one of the
lcoves which are open to the public.
hese reference alcoves will be the only
arts of the library containing books to
hich readers will have direct access. The
ook racks are completely isolated.-St.
ouis Globe Democrat.