The times., 1899-10-17

would be transferred to the basement wing
reserved for that purpose, or it might pos
sibly be removed to the second floor.
-'The reading-room, in the east wing vii.
be fitted with wall shelves. The value Of
open-shelf provision, rendering books easily
accessible, has not been underestimated,
and arrangements have been made for the
occupancy of every available space for this
purpose On the second floor the west
wing viii be occupied by a lecture or class
room Of about 3,000 square feet. In the
east wing will be situated the newspaper
and periodical department The trustees
room and four special study rooms viii
also be situated on this floor.
In addition to the usual rooms provided
in Easements, such as elgine-rooms, boiler
space. packing. delivery, binding, and repair
departments and stock and storerooms, with
ample toilet facilities and quarters for jan
itors and charwomen, the lunchroom, with
kitchen and pantry equipments, will be To-
eated in that portion of the building. The
bicycle room will also have place in the
basement, near the front entrance. Here
wheels may be safely stored while volumes
are being procured for outside reading, or
while the reading-rooms are being used by
the riders.
The Easements particular feature, how
ever is the reservation OF an entire wing,
constituting a single large room, well
lighted and accessible, which may be used
as chiIdren's room If at any future time
such use may seem desirable. Wherever
the children may be ultimately located,
their comfort and convenience viii be care
fully considered. Mindful of the library S
functions as supplement of the public
educational system of the District the trus-
tees viii continue to endeavor 10 develop it
Il --1ex,1 ,1--l-~ fn
the schoolchildren of Washington.
To he Completed I'm 1902.
After concluding the description Of the
new building the report says:
Mr.. Bernard r. Green, of the Library
OF Congress, has been appointed TO super
tend the construction of the library build
ing. in accordance with the terms Of the
law The building must be commenced
not later than March g. 1900, and completed
not later than March 8, 1902, Such progress
has already been made In the preliminary
work that the structure will be easily
begun and finished within the time limit.
The library is to be housed in building
exceedingly attractive arehitecturally, and
delight TO the reading public as a model
lending library in the convenience and
thoughtfulness Of it's interior arrange
ments. Especial attention is TO be given
to the development of those features of
work which. under the law, are TO charac-
terize the Washington library. 1t is TO be
conspicuously lending library, with nota-
bic development of the open shelf room,
characteristic feature of the model
modern library, and marked as already
noted by the special attention paid to the
children's room and to all departments
which will increase the usefulness of the
library in performing its primary func-
tion. in the words of the law creating it,
as supplement of the public educational
system of said District
While Mr.. Carnegie's original donation
was $3.50, ,00o this amount does not indicate
the full measure of his benefeence in re-
lation to the public library. On the 14th
day Of April, 1898, he increased his gift
by $50, 600 in order TO cover the cost of
furniture and equipment for the library,
architects and superintendent commits
sions, and other incidental expenses; and
on September rs, 1899, he made an addi-
tional donation OF s50,000 to meet an ex-
traordinary increase in the cost OF build
the execution of the accepted design of the
library with the money available in the
manner most creditable TO Mr.. Carnegie
and to the National Capital
The acceptance of Mr.. Carnegie's gift
carried with it the pledge of suitable
maintenance of the library by Congress,
upon which the donation was conditioned.
Congress acting as the Districts legisla-
ture will undoubtedly fulhll this pledge
of suitable maintenance, as it does in the
case of the existing library. by appropria-
tions in the District bill under the pro-
visions of the organic act OF 1878. II is in
respect TO the equipment Of the new build
ing with an adequate supply OF books that
thought and energy on the part of Wash
ington will be most required. The present
small library, though it is growing with
sufficient rapidity TO work Inconvenience
in the present rented quarters and to over
whelm the small library force available
for cataloguing will be pitifully INSULT
cient, even as beginning, in the book
stack Of the new library.
In the two years OF grace which viii
be required for the erection of the new
structure large donations of money and
books are hoped and expected from private
sources, and the friends of the library are
disposed to leave no stone unturned in
this public-spirited work. The donations
committee of the trustees has outlined
a systematic plan of canvasslng for sub
scriptions TO the library, and the prospects
are excellent that the library will in the
near future enjoy further large and val
liable accessions.
Legislation to Provide Books.
There is a possibility that legislation
may be secured from Congress which will
turn over to the library the miscellaneous
books not necessary for reference and Of
fetal use in the departmental Libraries
/ These number between 10000 and 80 ,00C
! volumes. Their withdrawal from the 300,-
000 volumes OF the departmental libraries
would not injure the latter as technical
! reference fnr off al nca hftf
would cause the Washington Public Lib
Tary 10 become a general departmental
Z library for the enjoyment and free circu-
1 lating use Of all the employees in all the
! departments. These books accessible IL
| the main only TO the clerks in three Of the
departments, and accessible TO them only
so far as the fraction contained in theil
OVID library is concerned, would, If col
lected in the Washington Public Library
be open 70 all the clerks, and great body
of Government employees would enjoy
privileges Of which they are now entirely
/ deprived. The establishment of such
general departmental library, open also tC
the public, would save the Government tht
expensive duplication of books in numer-
Gus small collections, and would alsC
economic in the room space devoted Il
departmental library purposes.
There is also a possibility of securing
the use for circulating purposes Of SOM
OF the duplicates, copyrighted or uncopy
! righted. in the Library of Congress. Tn,
creation OF circulating department of tn
latter library has been forcibIy urged il
Congress. but has also met with deter
mined opposition A compromise betweel
! these conflicting views of the THE func
/ tions of the Library OF Congress shoul'
/ result in the popular circulating use o
I many OF these books through their loan t