The times., 1901-03-16
MIR. CARNEGIE TO new YORK
Makes an Offer Of S5.200.000 for
Branch Libraries.

A Proposition TO Pay for SiNty-five
Local Depots of the Great Public
Institution-onIy the Usual Copdi-
tions Imposed on the GIFT.
NEW YORK. March 15.-Andrew Car
Negie has made a gift to New York of
81 POO Ha for library purposes.
For some time before he left for Europe
he had frequent conferences with the Off
cials of the New York Public Library. and
the Astor. Lenox and TIldeu Libraries. as
r. the needs of branch library stations in
Greater New York. to be operated from
the central library. and the result was
that he agreed to furnish the money to
build sixty-Gve branch libraries in the
Greater City at an estimated cost Of S52oa.-
eAh
The conditions of the gift are that the
city furnish the necessary land and pro
vice satisfactory arrangements for the
maintenance Of these branches. The offer
has been submitted 10 Mayor Van Wyck
for action by the city officials. That the
magnificent offer will be accepted there
seems TO be no reason TO doubt.
The correspondence relative TO the prop
oSftion was withheld from publication at
Mr.. Caruegie's request until after he had
sailed for Europe The letters that passed
sre as follows:
- West Fffty-first Street.
New York, Z March, 1871.
'Dr. John s. Billings, Director New York
York Public Library:
Dear Dr. Billings: Our conference
upon the needs OF Greater New York for
branch libraries 10 reach the masses OF the
people in every district have convinced me
of the wisdom Of your plans. SiXty-tive
branches strike one at first as very large
order, but other cities have found one
necessary Tor every sixty OF seventy thou
sand Of population, the number IS not eX-
cessiye.
You estimate the average cost OF these
libraries at. say. $50, ,000 each. being 50 POO
e@ for all. II New York will furnish sites
for these branches for the benefit of the
masses OF the people, as Il has done for
1he central library. and also agree in
satisfactory form to provide for their
maintenance as built. I should esteem il
"a rare privilege to be permitted to fur
Hish the money as needed for the build
ingS. Say s.. .20o99H
''SiXty-fiVe libraries at one stroke prob
ably breaks the record, but this is the day
of big operations and New York Is soon
10 be the biggest OF cities, Very truly
yours ANDREW CARNEGIE
'The Trustees Of the New York Public
Library. Astor, LenoX, and TildCn
Foundations.-OfIice of the Secretary,
3 Nassau Street.
New York March Is. 1901
Hon r. A. Van Wyck. Mayor. etc. etc:
Dear Sir: BY direction OF the Board Of
Trustees Of the New York Public Library.
Astor. LenoN. and Tiden Foundations
] have the honor 10 hand YOU herewith
COPY Of a letter which we received
through our director, Or. John :. Bill
inSs, from Mr.. Andrew Carnegie. on the
18th inst. the day of his sailing for Eu-
rope. h0u VIII observe that Mir. Carnegie
offers 10 bear the expense of building a
large number of branch libraries at an
estimated total cost Of S5.2oa 600, provided
sf#
and provided satisfactory ARA ngenIents
can bc made for the maintenance OF these
branches. There are no other conditions.
II am instructed TO say if the city all-
thofiJ1"S look with favor upon the gen
'-I7li plan. cur board of trustees will hold
ltSeli IN readiness to cooperate. in every
way possible iu fuTthering the beneficeut
purposes which are the object of Mr..
FarUegie's munidccnt offer u is under
stood that Mr.. Iarnegie's offer is in
tenoeo To apply To the entire city. The
methods ana agencies of administering
branches in horoughs other than Manhat-
tan and the Bronx may well be left TO bc
settled hereafter.
- am further instructed to say that
in communicating Mr.. Carnegie's proposal
20 our board Dr. Billings accompanied
ii with the following statement:
I'm The conferences referred to bH air.
Carnegie. the suggestions which ] have
made have related mainly To a free public
library system for the bOroughs OF Man
haitian aud the Bronx. have stated
thar such q system should include the
great central reference library on fortE-
second Street and Fifth Avenue, about
forty branch libraries for circulation
small distributing centres in those public
school buildings which are adapted to
such purpose. ana large travelling d.
iTary system operated from the ceutIa!
building
Each Of the branch libraries should
contain reading rooms Tor from - 10 ln1
adults and for from - TO l23 children.
and in these reading rooms should be
aboU. 7HH -oIUmes Of encyclopedias, die
JiUTarfeS, aliases. and large and impor-
taHC reference books. There should be
amule telephone and delivery arrange
Uelts between the branches and the cen
tral library.
To establish this system would re-
Tliro TJ least five wears. The average ol
1hC cost Of the branch Libraries ! estI-
mated al from Ss5,T'J 10 Si25uH. Including
sites and equipment. The cost OF main
taiHiHs the system. when completed. ]
estimated at $5a10'1 per year. The cir
collation. o. books for home use alone ia
thc~a i,proughs should amount To more
ghau l.fttH" volumes per year ana there
should b. al least 10000 volumes in the
circulation department. with additions of
4rw books and TO replace woTuout books
ol at least to,pp5 per year.
with regard TO the other bcrouEhs
"l Greater New York, ] have made no
special plans gr estimates, but have said
hat about twenty-five libraries would be
required FOR them
The following are some of tho data
which i have furnished AIr Carnegie
The population figures are those OF the
last census
Boston. with 5S9l92 people. has fifteen
branch libraries and reading rooms and
fourteen delivery stations and npraf,J-i-
ates N-N>.6il for library purposes. being at
Tho rate Of over 80 cents per head of pop,i-
iatinn, and Cf about U.025 per cent OF the
s.7~eSsed value nf property.
Chicago has IC4s.575 peoplc. six
branch libraries. and sixty delivery STA
5i3us. besides stations in the public
schools. and appropriates Sg53zs4 for
library purposes. being at the rate OF
t3.- cents per head OF population and 0UT
l.-r cent OF The assessed value of PROPERTY
fUfalo has - - people and aBEro-
PIRATES s. i5.ZH for library purposes be
IrE at tho rate OF 81 cents per head of
population and u.U5 per cent ou the ass,s ss-
'i value oi property.
-NeE York city Borough of Manhattan
alo Size BrCuED has = go 60 Dopulation
and appr0uristes $is2 956 for library pur-
poses. lHriHg al the rate of 50 cents per
head or population and 0.06 per cent on
ile assessed value OF property.
Greater New York has 3.s37 POP IoDu-
purposes. being az the rate of S4 cents
ger E,ad of population and COOS per cent
or 1l- --sess-d value OF property.
The contract made by the city Of Buff
1HiH with the Buffalo Public Library
under tnr provisions OF Chapter XVI. OF
tg" laws Dt 1886. Of the State of New York
b. worth careful examination in cOHucc-
tDH Uiun the question Of how best 10