New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-04
COLUMBIA'S LIBRARIANS.
THE GROWTH OF THE LIBRARY UNDER
GEORGE H. BAKER. RECENTLY
MADE EMERITUS LIBRARIAN
DIR. JAMES Fl. CANFIELD,

THE NEW LIBRARIAN.

marked progress both in the growth of its col
| lectlons and in increased use by the university
students and by scholars generally. Recent
years have also witnessed change Of the loca-
ton Of the library from its cramped quarters in
the old buildings in Madison-ave. to the beauti-
full building Morningsde Heights. the gift
of President Low The library is considered
by the President to be the centre of the intel
lectual life of the university. and the new build
| ing was therefore made the central one In the
architectural scheme.
AS has been announced In The Tribune. the
Columbia University trustees at their recent
meeting voted to make George Hall Baker. uni
versity librarian for the last ten years emeritus
| librarian with half pay for life. This act of
pensioning Mr.. Baker shows the warm appre-
citation the trustees have for the years of de-
voted service that he has given to the library.
In May 1885, Mr.. Baker elected librarian
in-chief, succeeding Melvil Dewey. who had be-
come secretary of the University Of the State
Of New-York and librarian of the New-York
State Library. Mr.. Baker had been assistant
librarian for the preceding six years, and dur
ing the last year Of that period acting chief IL
brarian. When he formally placed In
charge the library contained about 9O,OOo vol
umes Under Mr.. Dewey's administration 1t
had begun TO make remarkable growth, the ad-
OltlOHS LOT tne SlA years VI iio 'iSNi''DNNS' ~
ing about $4,000 volumes. Of which $500 were
added during the college year of 1SsS-S9
During the first five years of Mr.. Bakers ad-
ministration the additions were s0,931 volumes;
In other words the library almost doubled
in size in these FIVE years. Estimating In ad-
vance the additions Of the current month and OF
June the growth of the library during the final
five years Of Mr. Bakers incumbency may be
stated at 90 100 volumes
The increased use Of the library during these
periods is even more gratifying The number OF
books loaned In the fve-year period ending IN
1850 was 51.22S 1t rose to 1856 for the
wears 1889 '94 while for the last FIVE years the
loans will reach on June 30 about $1,000 1t
will thus be seen that during this period Of ten
wears the use of the library, as indicated by
loans. has been multiplied more than seven
times. During the same period the number OF
students has increased from l. 1853 to 2,oSo. or
an increase Of but 46 per cent.
In the last ten years the library has grown
from about $4,000 volumes to about 2io'ooo' us
estimated number at the close OF the present
college year, substantially trebling IN SIZE IL
has now become the second university library
in size and Importance In this country, being
only excelled by that Of Harvard University 1t
has also become one Of the three or four lead
|
poses of research This pre-eminence has been
gained during a period in which great activity
has also prevailed among other libraries Dur
| ing this time most Of the great special collec-
| tions-such for example, the unsurpassed
| Avery Architectural Library-which have made
| the library famous have been gathered, often
| with the co-operation Of the professors Of the
| university.
| During the last ten years some great gifts ana
bequests have come to the library. The most
| noteworthy, after the gift by President Low OF
the building itself. is that of the Duke de Lou
| bat His entire estate valued at $1,1OOOOO Is
to come to the University Library. but will not
become productive until his death Samuel z.
Avery has already given In money and in books.
at least $4,000 to the Avery Architectural Lii
brary. The permanent fund for the increase or
this department is $4,000 The Barnard Fund
was the entire estate Of President and MIS-
Barnard It amounts to $4,000, and the in
come Is devoted to the purchase OF BOOKS on the
physical and mathematical sciences. Another
important fund is that left by Alexander l. ca
theal OF 5000. Mr. Catheal was the Spanish
Consul in this city for many years. He left his
entire library to the university. and the fund
was created for the purchase Of works on ORR
entail languages and literatures
OF course. the library would never have made
the great growth indicated without the large
gifts, which have come to 1t every year. OF
money that could at once be applied for the
purchase of books. The trustees have yearly
appropriated from $1,000 10 1000 for the Ii
brary, and that has nearly all gone for the sub
scriptions to periodicals and for binding.
During these years of remarkable growth and
progress Mr.. Baker has given himself unre-
mittingly to the work Of the library, and THIS
advance is in large part due to his efforts. Many
improvements that do not show TO one unac-
qrainted with library administration have been
accomplished by him. Thus the library nas in
large part been reclassifed during the last ten
years and the catalogue has been almost en-
tirely remade. Much analytical cataloguing- has
also been done.
Mr.. Baker was born at Ashheld. Mass. en-
April o. 1850. He prepared for college at Will
liston Seminary. and was graduated from Am
herst College In 1914 in the same class win
Melyil Dewey with whom he was afterward as
ISOLATED and whom he succeeded ut Columbia.
He remained a year in ost-graduate study at
Amherst and then spent two and haif years
in travel and study in Europe. mainly at the
University of Berlin where he studied history
and political science. He also became thor
oughly conversant during these years with the
most important European languages. On his
return to this country he engaged In private
teaching, writing and study. and early In 1913
1cned the editorial staff OF THE Century DC
tionary." In August Of that year he became
assistant librarian at Columbia Two years
later he added to his other work that Of lect-
ureship on tho photography Of history and po-
litical science.
Mr. Baker is a retiring. studious man. and has
devoted himself to the problems OF library
growth and administration. rather than to the
attempt TO make q name FOR hlmself In the
world He has been seldom seen at the meet
inys of the American Library Association or Of
local library associations In changing the ad-
ministration from his charge to that Of DR.. Can
field the thought of President Low and the trus
tees is TO have librarian man OF National
reputation, more OF man OF affairs.
DR. James Hume Garfield. the newly elected
librarian answers these qualifications. He 10
not a trained librarian. and whether the library
interests will suffer in the loss OF the expert
knowledge of books, catalogues and appliances
on the part of its chief librarian remains to be
seen. Dr. Garfield Is a strong and capable ad-
ninistrator and will probably intrust The tech
meal administration to others having expert
Knowledge.
AMUSEMENT NOTES.