The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-12

No institution of a public nature is as
free and open to every citizen Of the
community as a public library. Eng
land is noted for her libraries and
museums, and many of the countries
IN the old world treasure the rarest
specimens of art and literature. The
libraries Of England are however.
strictly municipal institutions. and
Prof. Zueblin, in his lectures in this
city last fall gave the people very
Well-defined idea Of the library system
of the mother country. He stated that
the United States was fast branching
out in this part of public municipal
enterprise, and many beautiful and
magnificent institutions had been con-
structed in the East and West during
the last decade.
No city with a large public school
system like St Paul should be without
sufficient library accommodations. St
Paul has at present about 22,O0O school
children enrolled, with a daily average
attendance of nearly %. 000. The
library facilities at all of the schools
are very meager, and at best could
include but very few books which
would be in demand as the even course
In the graded schools covers such a
variety Of subjects that il would be
impossible TO include them all in
school library
The present public library facilities
of the city have long since become
Inadequate Even when the library
was situated in the third story of the
Field & Mailer building, or bridge
square, there was not sufficient room
for either books or patrons.
The removal of the entire library to
Its present quarters in the court house
was but little better than E. make-shift
as it was not long until there was an
other demand for additional room. For
almost ten years this demand has in
creased until the present small quar-
ters are a recroach 10 the citizens of
St Paul. The juvenile department has
been moved twice, and all departments
are crowded into a limited space. with
very little accommodation for the pub
lie on the outside.
AMERICAS FINEST LIBRARY.
The finest library on American soil
and unquestionabIy the most complete
is the congressional library at Wash
ington. situated on Capitol hill. The
building cost over Sc, ,O0o. 900 when COM
pleted and has very nearly 100 miles
of shelving, forty-four miles of shelly
ing being in actual use The new
pulIuiHSr " Hlcn was CU-I1plet6G abQIIt
tw elve years ago. was provided for bv
an act of congress April Is. 1886. By
an act of congress, passed Oct. s. 1855
before the foundations We're laid
Thomas l.. Casey, chief of the enpin-
eers of the army, was placed in charge
of the construction of the building
and the architectural features and
modlncatIons were worked out by P.
j. Pelz and E. P. Casey. The library
was completed in February. 1887. and
opened to the public In November of
the same year.
When completely filed the library
without encroaching on pavilions
reading rooms or exhibition halls vii
accommodate 4,5000O0 volumes A tun-
mel connects with the capitol by which
books may be mechanically transmit
ted in a few minutes. The entire
building with its architecture and fine
art, is the work of American citizens.
The original congressional library was
commenced in the capitol in 1900, but
was destroyed with the capitol In 1914.