The times., 1898-12-04
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Its Various Departments and
Manifest Advantages.
THE. SYSTEM EMPLOYED

Readers-How Catalogues Are
Made-Systems of Print for Blind
Rraders-Intcrestins Features of
the Music Room.
Since the doors of the new Library of
Congress have opened to the public the
journalistic pen has been taxed to its ut
most capacity in descriptions of the build
ing's architectural spleador, its vivid col
oring, rich, fantastic paintings, ornate de-
signs and its ingenious workmanship
from the standpoint of engineering skill.
Yet the building itself is but the husk
around the grain. the body housing the
composite spirit of past and present ages;
so that vast structure of stones, costly
bronze doors, and $4,000 gilded roof.
are of far less Importance in reality
than many plainly-bound volume, sold
in the market for % cents, but rich in
that which stirs into being the souls
highest aspirations.
The collection of books moved into the
new Library, and which promises to be-
come in the future one of the most COM
plete in the world, obtained its first
great impetus toward systematic growth
about the beginning of Mr.. Spofford's ten
ure OF office, in 1864 Before that period
noble attempts were made at establishing
the Library on a good basis; such at
tempts being partially frustrated by the
burning of the Capitol by the British. and
by the subsequent unsettled condition of
affairs up TO the close of the civil war
From that time to the present the growth
of the Library has been phenomenal, and
its usefulness to the people increased an
hundredfold. From 7O,COO volumes in 1864
it has increased to 7S7.7l5 the last pub
lished estimate.
The New Library.
The wonder was, when Mr.. Young as
sumed the duties of librarian, not that he
found such masses of unclassifed ma
terial packed away in cramped quarters
at the Capitol, but that Mr. Spofford and
his little band of employees had managed
to keep nearly everything in the shape
of reading matter for which there might
be a call, accessible to Congress and the
people. So skilled were they in their du-
ties that none but themselves realized
thoroughly the need for new quarters
This need has been fully satisfied in the
new building. During the one year of its
occupancy, expansion along all lines has
made the Library's availability for pub
nc use so great, that its general reading
room bids fair some day to partake of
the nature of National University. as
ii Is already our greatest bureau of in
formation. Here in this reading room is
the center of the Isibrary's. usefulness.
Ihe casual sishfseer. who stands with di-
lated eye and mouth agape in the laby-
rinth of surrounding corridors and marble
arches, listening attentiyely (perhapsG to
the measured monotone Of a guide spin
ming out the history of each object of in
terest, goes back TO his home without a
conception of the work the reading-roon
is doing. not only for Washington people,
but for those in the remotest sections of
The country. About forty persons of the
l3S comprising the entire force are en-
ployed in connection with this DEPART
ment- There are several assistants to the
chief. besides number Of attendants en-
p.oysd, IN. distributing books and replacing
them on the shelves.
ne duties oI the assistants REQUIRE n
trained body of librarians for their per-
formsnce, while those of the chief of the
reading-room are oneroIis and complicat-
ed, requiring special aptitude and extern
sive experience in library work for wn,,e
ii is not necessary that he should himself
know everything in connection with print
ed publications, he must know exactly
where such information NAV he found
since il is TO this free aisuensary of
knowledge that people now flock not 50
much as formerly TO obtain a particular
book as 10 investigate special subjects
In Its capacity as a bureau of informa ton
the department has propounded to it ev-
cry variety of question under the sun.
Examples selected at random are typical
of few of these varieties. What is the
date of the thirty years war; How
much chloroform is required to Kill a
cat2' Why did Oregon have but one
Senator during the last session of Con-
gressg In addition to queries such as
these are requests for information on
technical subjects, making it necessary to
supply the student with everything of .nl-
portance relative to his studies. There is
no limit to the number of books for which
a reader may call. and all possible assist
ance is rendered him. There is also
large correspondence carried on with the
departments Requests for information
come daily from all sections of the Unit
ed States. The information Is furnished
typewriter and free of charge, and no
question. however trivial, is ignored. The
work even extends to copying long ex-
tracts from rare books for those to whom
the Library is not accessible, making the
ialleT IN OF DeDelil TO the WDOIt ma
ton. There are many calls from dis
tance for public documents, and when
ever possible these are procured and sent.
The Regulations.
Dissatisfaction has been expressed IN
Washington that the general public may
no longer take books from the Library on
payment of a deposit to secure their safe
return; but excellent reasons are furnish
ed for the withdrawal of the privilege.
Every other facility being given the stu
dent to aid his researches, he might Of
ten be handicapped in the beginning OF
his work, by finding the very book which
he would need most out of the library
Then the extra work entailed upon the
clerks hardly paid for benefits accru ng
to home readers, whose wants will be
supplied by the new municipal library
soon to be in operation with nucleus OF
1900 volumes as a beginning. This IL
brary will supply the class OF
books usually in demand by the average
reader So much has been said in regard
to facilities afforded those engaged in re-
search work that the impression is likely
to go abroad that the reading-room is
intended solely, or at least chiefly. for
that purpose This, however. is not the
case. While enlarged opportunities and
more particularly the night opening, at
which time a majority of readers are
found to be engaged in work of a serious
nature rather than for pastime, have re-