Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-18

Is the great brain reservoir of the
United States, and 1t should contain
everything published"
But does 1t do this" l asked.
Yes, | think so far az the United
States is concerned. The law requires
that two copies Of each book copy
righted must be deposited in the Ma
tiOnal library. We also get every for
eign book registered under the inter-
national copyright law. and our addi-
lions to the library alone amount to
tens of thousands IA year Last year
there were over 10000 books, pictures.
and other things copyrighted and the
Increase of copyrights seems to be
steady from year to year"
ENOUGH ROOM FOR THE NEXT
CENTURY.
"Will not the library soon become
full at this rate Of lncrease?'
asked.
No, think not" replied the librari-
an. I'VE can put all the books in one
wing or stack of the new building.
We have shelving for years to come.
The library covers about three acres.
There are three stories. which gives
nine acres for books machinery, offices
and reading rooms. Nine acres Is a
great deal of space. There are al
ready miles Of shelving, and. If neces-
snry. room could be made for more
than 100000 books. / doubt whether
we will fill the library within the next
one hundred years. The greatest Ii
brary of the world today is that OF
Paris. 1t has 100000 volumes. but
the books are badly housed. The
British Museum library ia next. with
more than 100000, and I think that
st. Petersburg follows. As for US,
we stand about eleventh In number
but If Congress Is as liberal In provld-
ing books has 1t has been I'm putting
up this book palace, we will soon be-
come third in rank, and we may even
tually be first"
OUR sPECIALTIEs.
in what features Is the library
especially strong? | asked.
at has n fine collection of American
pamphlets and books published in
America. 1t is very strong in law,
political economy and history. There
are, however, many gaps In our col
lection OF French, German, and Span
ish literature, and also in other things.
! want to see the gaps filled up.
hope that Congress will give us a big
enough appropriate II to buy the
the things which we have have not.
Mr.. Spofford and myself are now
watching the catalogues of sales all
over the world. in order to supply our
deficiencies. Congress ought to give
n good appropriation to the library.
to do better as to the book fund than
IL has in the past. Heretofore the
library has had about $1,000 a year.
and one-t third Of this has gone to the
Supreme Court. The new library
building cost s6,OOO,OOO. The interest
on the Investment at 6 per cent Is
1850, 900 n year. AS long as the Unit
ed States is paying s36O.000 year for
its library, 1t ought to add the small
sum of $50, 900 or $4,000 more for the
purchase of books, which would keep
IT abreast of the great libraries of The
world. AS 1t is, we have great many
good nuggets in the library. We
have, for instance, the first folio edi-
ton OF Shakespeare, volume which
is worth from $4,000 to 5000. l think
we should have not only every book.
but all the editions of the greater
writer's that can be found"
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" con-
tinued 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