Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-25
The Public Library.

The Public Library.
The House and Senate agree upon small
appropriation for the municipal public Ii
braUy. The House couples with the appro-
priaiion a proyiso that the miscellaneous
circulating books in the departmental IL
braries shall be loaned to the municipal
library and that no more circulating librdr-
les shall be maintained in the departments
The Senate dissents from this Gmendn ant,
intimating that each library project should
stand on its own bottom and that cLr.soli-
dation of the miscellaneous books of the de-
partmental libraries. if desirable. should he
accomplished by direct general legislation
and not by an amendment of the District
app ropriatiol bill
The urgent plea of the people of Wash
ington is that the apparent agreement o.
the houses upon a municipal library ap-
preparation shall be made effective. what
ever is decided in respect to the depart
mental libraries: and that no disagreement
concerning the latter shall be permitted TO
endauger the former.
A few facts may be cited. which show
that the issue between the two houses in
this connection is rot of great Importance
and that no vast concession is made in a
temporary yielding by either party.
Investigation of the departmental libra
ries shows that very large percentage of
their three hundred thousand volumes is
composed of technical books and books of
reference. which have a direct bearing on
the work Of the department which pos
sesses them. that there are only between
1000 and 10000 volumes suitable for
general circulating library, and these are
confined mainly to the Interior, War and
Treasury Departments. The clerks in the
departments which have ne libraries need
and demand them. and the favored depart
ments need a wider range of reading ma
terial than the small collection at the dis
posal of each provides.
IL these miscellaneous books are re-
moved from the departmental libraries, as
only an insignificant percentage of their
volumes. ard the books. now accessible in
the main only to the clerks in three of the
departments. and accessible to them only
so far as the fraction contained in their
own library is concerned, will be enjoyed
by all the clerks in all the departments,
as well as by the general public. The gov
eminent employees now having a depart
mental circulating library at hand instead
of being limited to its five thousand or ten
thousand volumes. will have access to more
than twenty thousand in the consolidated
library. augmented by large additions from
private contributions. of which the public
library is assured.
But If the House yields to the Senate for
the present and these books are not touch
ed at all at this time the substance of the
House contention is sure to be realized
The public library does not need the de-
partmental circulating books By the de-
cision and action of the appropriations
committees provision for the maintenance
of the circulating departmental collections
has already been cut off, and they are be-
ing deliberately starved as victims of
reconcentrado system.
Even II these 10000 or 10000 books are
permitted TO remain where they are for the
present. the free public library when in
full operation will serve as a general de-
Partmentai library for the 20. 900 persons in
this city employed by the national govern
ment- The nation will thus be saved the
expense Of duplicating miscellaneous col
lections OF books. now enjoyed by a few of
the departments, which in justice and con-
sistency would otherwise need to be re-
peated In every department and bureau of
the government
The public library, with or without thesc
departmental books. will give to the small
number Of clerks who are now favored
with limited library facilities a much bet
Ter circulating library. AMI will Supply to
great body of government employees priyi-
teses OF which they ore now entirely de-
lriVed- It will serve as Al economical sub
stitute. not only for the three u:isceiia-
neous departmental collections now in Use.
but for the score or more Of small libraries.
which. as already suggested, must in jus-
tice and consistency be scattered among
the different departments. each with its
Librarians and its duplicate standard works
and its wastefui duplication CT cccupied
space for book-roon and for aIminis1ra
tion purposes Its creation, with or with
out the loan Of the departmental m;scel-
Ianeous books. will Cause the local tax
payers % share with the government the
expense Of a general departmental mis-
ceiianeods library. an expense hitherto
borne by the nation alone
The free public library is, however. Nv
the terms OF the law creating it "a suppIe-
Ihent OF the public education system of
the District 1t was created primarily to
meet the needs and in response to the petit
tons OF seventy Thousand children of
schooi age IN the District. and of twenty
tEree thousand working men. engaged in
Ii shutacturins. who. according TO the CEN
sus Of 1880. are residents of the District.
Whatever may be decided concerning the
proper relation Of this library to the gov
ernment departments. and whether the
books at issue are removed or permitted to
remain. the maintenance provision of the
library as an adjunct OF the schools and a
Workingmaa's university should be retained
in the bill by the conferees And to this
good end petitioners for the welfare Of the
schools. the workingmen and the whole
local community will ever pray!
The news OF American Victories in the