Evening star., 1898-01-18
rational uses far more conspicuousiy than
the average municipal appropriation.
The Nation Interested.

IailOlldi uses lar more cOnSp.cuOuSly tudn
the average municipal appropriation.
The Nation Interested.
The nation is interested in the creation
of this library, not only partner in all
municipal concerns of the nations city,
but also for the reason that it will be
L oneysaving device in respect to expend!-
lures which have heretofore been purely
national. When this library is in full
operation it will serve as a general depart
mental library for the 10000 persons in
this city employed by the national govern
Hent. 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-
teated In every department and bureau
o. the government. This library would give
TO the small number of clerks who are
now favored with these limited library
facilities much finer circulating library,
ana would supply to a great body of gov
ernment employees privileges of which they
are now entirely deprived. 1t would serve
as an economical substitute, not only for
the three miscellaneous departmental COL
lections now in use. but for the score OF
more of small libraries. which, as already
suggested, must in justice and consistency
be scattered among the different depart
Ments. each with its librarians. and its
Gcpiicate standard works, and is wasteful
dupiicat!on OF occupied space for book
loom and for administration purposes
moreover, its creation would cause the
Ncal taxpayers to share with the govern
Hient the expense of a general depar; mental
miscellaneous library, an expense hi herto
borre by the nation alone
but tne library project is J.oU threat
eLed with a rev and distinct danger. At
the last session of the last Congress the
opposition to it's maintenance w9s ;,asa6
pen the alleged unwiIhnyness NJ tho n,N
tlon 10 meet oiie-haJf of the expense of cir
culatlnS library facilities for this commr
hty' the opposition this session is based
Upon a supposed Willingness of tine marion
10 NEE! through the Congressional Library
the entire expense Of supplying such fa,.iIi
ties.
a Inherent Field From the Cenrres
siOnIl Library.
opening of the Congressional Library
at hlSht and on Sunday, perfecting it as a
great national reference library, will not
remove the necessity of the existence of
the free public library. The field of the lat
ters usefulness as a reading room for ref.
erence purposes will be curtaiied. and its
i.Eources can be concentrated upon its de-
neiophleht as a circulating library The
wise and logical evolution of the ideaI rer
eFence library from the national Co1Iectin-
mas been and is expected by this commr
hty but 1t Is not viewed as at all antaen-
hlstc 10 the municipal library The library
committee of the board Of trade which I;,
much to secure the free library leeisIat
lor the District, says in it's last annual re-
port: '""i ie-
IherG is another subject to which at
~ ~ae!itlCii may be appropriately called by this
I! .oi.iiiietee IN the performance of the du-
sl's assigned TO il. The Congre ssforal IL
hrdry mas now been removed to the noble
structure prepared for it, This library
lihe i, similar great collections in other large
cities OF the world, is primarily reference
library for students and cannot Darhans
ne converted INTO popular circulating Ii
trary. 1t can. however he made of VASTLY
SiedteF user fulness as a reference library to
ne people of the United States for whose
beheht IT is maintained. by an enlargement
OF the hours within which il is open 70 the
Pubic. The new library building is so ar
ranged and equipped that it can he well
!lented at night This committee conceives
1t to be part of its duty to labor. if in anv
way ITS assistance is needed or can be made
cHecliVe, 10 secure for the people of the
capital and of the United States the great
so possible hberailty in the legislation and
lhe lDfary regulations which will deter
mine the hours during which the Congress
slondl Library may be utilized by the pub
lie N pN"
The proposition now is to repeal the free
library legislation of the last Congrcss or
TO starve that project by Withholding an
preparations in The hope of making "a cir
cu!ating library of the great national ref
erence collection. This hope and this pos
sibll1ty served for many years to defeat
wholesome free library legislation for the
District. and now that such legislation has
ieen secured. the same delusive suggestion
rs pres a1ted in order to kill it. We are to
be Sc: to chasing again the will-of-the-wIsn
OF congressional circulating library.
Obstacle of the COPYRIGHT Iux
When attempts have been made in the
past 10 put in circulation the Congressional
Library books We have been met by the
obstacle Of the copyright law We have
constitute the bulk of those suitable for
circulation. are simply placed in the Il
hrary as legal depository and are not to
De removed Fourteen thousand duplicates
OF uncopyrighted volumes were found TO
constitute tie legally circulating wealth of
the library. The transfer of those to the
free public library has been sought in vain
Another answer made to the plea for cir
culauns department of the Congressional
Library Is to the effect that the national
collection is distinctiveiy a great reference
library, like that of the British Museum or
the French National Library, and that a
popular circulating use of it, unheard of in
respect to such collections, would impair
It's reference usefulness
Now, We of Washing on are no; so fool
ish as TO insist upon maintaining a mun:ci-
pal circulating library with private sub
Scfiptions and onc-half at the local tax
payers expense. if the law or the construc-
ton placed upon it is to be changed. and
the nation vii! really supply far better cir
culating library facilities exclusively at the
national expense. What we ask is that the
latter be actually done, before the former is
undone. We have our public library leg.s-
lation- We have not a circulating depart
ment of the Congressional library. "A bird
IN the hand is worth two in the BUSH
Congressional sentiment can easily be
tested en- tbs subject withou. Going njus-
tice to the District by killing offhand or
starving by non-suDport the municipal Ii
brary.
The legislative appropriation bill upon
which the provision for the circulating, de-
partment of the Congressional Library,
which Librarian Young urges would nat
uraliy be placed, has already taken its
start. Let this provision be inserted in The
bill in the Senate. We who are interested
in library facilities for Washington will
wish it GCdspeej, and, if IN any way we can
help its passage. Will gladly cooperate. If
ii is found in the bill when that measure
becomes a law. the District bill which will
later come into conference for final consid-
Grafton, can omit all provisions for the
public library and, that project can die q
natural death.
But do not kill 1t now before yOa are
sure that ii Will be necessary to XIII it at
all. Provide in this bill for its reasonable
maintenance. and If Congress by it's action
on the legislative appropriation bill shuts
out the Congressional Library from cir