Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-03
CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY
THE BENEFITS ACCRUING TO THE
PUBLIC AT LARGE.
Libraries I'm Other Cities and in Eng
land Open on Sundays-Mr.
Putnam's Views.

by reason of the location of the Con-
gressional Library here. which is one Of the
best reference libraries in the world Wash
ington is the center more or less during
the entire year Of literary men and others
who have occasion to consult and tap the
store of knowledge In the million or so vol
umes within the granite walls in the beau
tiful building on the HILL said literary
man Of note to Star reporter today.
"A man who has made his fortune and
position in the fields far removed from the
literary once said to me that he considered
Libraries good things, but, he said, they
contain SO many books no one ever reads
or can read-hundreds of thousands Of
Them 1 tried to explain to him that
library such as the Congressional was
Godsend to any community possessing it,
that the knowledge contained in the books
upon its shelves was not expected to be
read by the general public book by book;
that they were consulted by other writers
and readers and the information they de-
rived therefrom percolated through their
own writings and sayings to the under
standing and the ears of the general pub
lie, and that this is one Of the accepted
ways which these vast storehouses of use
fulness could be drawn upon for the gen.
eral dissemination of their precious con-
tents.
Sunday Opening.
1uSL, Ac tHcSS great uuEdIlSS
should be open every day and on Sunday
that all classes and conditions of men may
avail themselves of the privilege of using
them. l have worked all my life every day.
and on Sundays the libraries in the city IL
which lived were closed. What opportuni-
ty had I Of reading except on that day :?
This is true Of tens of thousands Of other
men who work practically continuously
from Z o'clock Monday morning until IL
al 01r CT ,{~Lk <Io lit, NO
open on Sunday they could spend portion
Of the day there to their everlasting profit
This plain man spoke the truth. AS
much Of a literary hack as am would be
glad to get into the library on Sunday. How
much stronger must be this desire on the
part Of those whose days are devoted to
fixed employment. 1t Is in the furtherance
of the sacredness Of the day. in my opinion.
to fortify and improve the mind.
when the proposition was first preached
in New York to open the Metropolitan Mu-
scum Of Art on Sunday an opposition was
encountered which lasted several years.
strong to be resisted The gallery was OPEN
ed, and, after Witnessing the quiet, orderly,
neatly dressed people who worked during
the week file in and out of the big building,
gazing interestedly at the objects of art
which they had at no other time an oppor-
tunity of seeing, a revulsion of feeling set
in, and those who had opposed the move
ment became its f1rmest advocates"
Librarian Putnam's Views.
To Star reporter Librarian Putnam
said he trusted that the Senate bill provid
ing for the appropriation and the opening
Of the library on Sundays from 2 until 10
pm. would pass this session.
1T have yet" he said, ito hear any but
favorable comments on the question. The
hours are so arranged as not to Interfere
with religious observances. and q reader
may attend church in the morning and
spend the afternoon In the library. Person.
ally, strongly favor the bill. and 1t Is sim
ply question of appropriation. as the force
reQuisite-about flfty-have volunteered: In
fact, have more applications than re-
quire. most Of the employees being anxious
sequence be temporarily transferred from
one department to another, thus afIordinE
an agreeable change and permitting them