The evening times., 1900-10-02
THE WASHINGTON LIBRARY.
Report Of the Hoard of Trustees Pre-
seufea IN the Carnn,iseiouers.

tepers Oh the bgHrG 1ft-
scented to the Commissioners.
The Board of Library Trustees has sub
n1itted to the Commissioners its report of
work done during the year. The report is
largely devoted TO the new Carnegie Ii
brary building. and in part says:
"A contract has been made with Rich
ardson & Burgess cf this city. for the
erection of the building complete, and
equipped with ali apparatus-exeepting
bookstaek. elevator, lighting fixtures. and
furniture-for the sum OF s277. 900. which,
with the cost of the omitted items, foun-
dation work, commissions to architects
and superintendent of construction, and
miscellaneous expenses. will exhaust the
$4,000 donated for public library pur-
poses by Mr.. Andrew Carnegie
THE building is to consist of a rectan-
gular central pavilion III feet and ) inches
long (north and soGth) and 90 feet ten
| inches broad. with equal wings, east and
west, respectively, each 63 feet inches
long (north and SOUTH and 81 feet 10
inches broad. The building is to stand in
The centre of Mt. Vernon Square, but
nearly seven -eighths of Mt Vernon Square
are untouched by the new building and the
PARK space available for public use in
ciuoas the ground upon which the best
| trees are growing.
The basement is but partly below the
ground level. Its central pavilion is oceu-
| pied By the entrance hall and bicycle room,
| the iavatories packing-room, and receir-
ing rooms. The east wing Is devoted 10
store rooms. In the west wing the base
ment is one entire room not yet assigned.
This may ultimately become the children's s
Teading-Toom.
in the first or principal story the een-
general delivery hall Behind the long de-
| livery counter for the service of books 10
| readers is wide passage to the book stack
! that occupies the whole north end of this
! pavilion. extending up through both the
/ first and second stories. The east wing IL
used as the general public reading-room
| and the west wing is divided equally BY
! partition between the children's reading
room and the main open SHELF ROOM
| In the second story the central pavilion
| contains a memorial or exhibition hall,
| several private study rooms and the trus-
| tees room. The east wing in this story
contains the public reading-room for pc
! TiCdicals and newspapers, and the west
, wing may also be sIsed a Teading-roon,
| but is designed as a lecture OF classroom
| There are altogether thirty-six rooms
/ and halls.
THE exterior stone work is somewhat
/ palmer than originally proposed, but CT a
/ good quality of white marble. and the
Milford pink granite for The basement
| is retained. The roof will be covered
| with black slate, with the sheet metal
/ work thereon of galvanized iron. and the
| cutters. fashings. and nat portions are
| to be copper
| White marble is retained for the stair
ways, but all other interior marble fn-
! ish is omitted. 1t is expected that the
I funds Will permit a pleasing color treat
ment fer the interior walls. The build
| ing will be freproof throughout.
! THE book racks will have a capacity
| of about 2545 500 volumes The press ut
/ library contains less than Is. coo volume 8
! While they overflow the shelves Of the
building now IN use, they will be lost
/ in the structure in Mount Vernon
! Square The special labor of all friends
| OF the library viii be to so increase the
| number of volumes on Its list that the
| shelves of the new building. al least 50
| far as the first floor is concerned, may
be filed when the library enters its new
quarters.
The creation OF circulating DEPART
| ment of the Library o. Congress has
/ been TorcIb1y urged in Congress, hut has
| met with determined opposition A
| compromise between these funcj ions
! views of the true functions of the Ii
brary of Congress should result in the
popular circulating use of many of
these books through their lean to the
| Washington Public Library