The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-09
By F. NJ. Crunden. Librarian of the 81.
a.;. D,kl;. I ibrarv

BY r.. NJ. Crunden. isnratltn u nv ~"
Louis Public Library.
A Judge or juryman who should come to
q decision on a case without listening 10
either facts or would make Il
good subject for the COMIC paraSraphist'
The basis of sound Judgment Is know ieiSe'
indeed, TO make judgment valid. knowledge
must be comprehensive: and a hasty JudS-
ment based on the first thought that oc-
ours TO the mind. or. at best. on a very
cursory consideration. should have no
weight at all
This truism applies to some Of the Nafi-
Gus opinions held regarding the proper To-
cation for the central building of the Pun
lie Library. l believe there Ia praciicai
unanimity as to latitud,nal limits. No one.
so far as I nave heard. has ventured 10
suggest a site farther north than Franklin
avenue or farther south than Nirke'
street: but within these lines L nave E~
ceived suggestions varying all the way
from Broadway to Forest Park. some OF
these recommendations are based on insuf-
ficient data. some on a single and made
quate consideration. Fec example. tne
Forest Park site Is recommended oy one
person because the building would show so
well with the park as a background. by
another. because the books and the rooms
could he kept so clean. Other opinions age
founded on false assumptions as To the
class of people who make most use OF the
library-assumptions in direct contrariety
TO each other and equally unwarranted by
the facts. One. for believes that
cardholders are chiefly residents OF the
West End and. therefore, the central build
ing should be located on Grand avenue:
Another assumes that the library is mainly
for the working class" tmeaning artisans
and operatives). and. therefore. II would
be better TO build on the Eighteenth street
lot. because of its proximity to a number
OF factories and TO the residences OF manual
laborers. 4 few incline to Jefferson ave-
City Hall has quite a following. because The
building would front on the broad Twelfth
street and have on the diagonal corner the
new City Hail.
PRIME CONFEDERATION
IN SETTLING SITE.
Now. let us agree Gor ! believe We can
agree) on what should be the controlling
consideration. or considerations. in selecs-
ing a location for the central library. Near
ly every one. In urging his choice. claims
that IL Is either the site where the building
would look best. or where ii would be most
accessible TO the bulk of the population COR
to the particular class supposed TO be the
chief users of the library) The latter argu-
ment is the one more often presented. and
] think it would be declared by a large ma
jority the prime consideration. The former
no sane person could ignore: and a combi-
nation of the two would certainly carry the
DAY against a combination or all other con-
siderations. II only remains, then. to apply
the accepted test to each OF the suggested
sites.
Forest Park does not call for a e.ond
thought. because it In no measure fills the
prime requirement of accessibility. Grand
avenue cannot be dismissed. II
furnishes the second desideratum.
A fine building located on Grand avenue.
anywhere between Easton avenue ana
Lawton avenue. would show to great ao-
and the advocates of this loca-
ton can present an argument in favor Of
its accessibility that. at first sight. appeals
to many as irrefutable. They say, truthful
y. that somewhere about Grand and Frank
lin or Washington avenue Is the center
of the residence district A natural con-
clusion from this fact Is that the central
Library should be located here. This reason-
ing is plausible. but fallacious. Truly. the
center Is here: but where Is the circumfe--
ence? What is the mean radius! Over how
many miles OF raiIroad track ra wn, 3 would
the library? When would he draw his books
on his way downtown In the morning. or
either case the stop would cost him a sec
ond fare. |
The lot must be large enough to set the
at least seventy-nve feet back
from the street. in order to secure the due |
effect of the architecture. to obtain ample
and ventilation and to diminish as
trafic. 1t will not do to have any
holding on the block. lest a tall struc-
ture be erected. which some day may take
fire and topPle over onto the library: Isola-
ton is ar added security from fire. An edi-
containing the priceless treasures of a |
public library should have on all sides the
of a street plus a liberal margin OF
It's own lot between 1t and the nearest build |
Again. 1t would not do to build on a |
ot that meets all the requirements OF the |
present but affords no room for future |
growth. I do not know a single case Of a |
community resretting that 1t had planned |
IN too large a scale for a public building. |
Dut 1t would be easy to find hundreds Of in |
stances of the opposite error. |
FUTURE NEEDS MUST
BE CONSIDERED.
The Boston Public Library had not been |
n its ma sni1cent new home two years be- |
ore there was a cry for more room. Let /
IS profit by the all-but-universal experience /
II others. and not make this irredeemable |
mistake Of undertaking the future OF our /
lily and its Institutions. The building, Of /
curse. will not suffice for many years. Bet
ef not try to build for anything beyond the
Immediate future. If We secure the ground, /
'ur successors can add to the building: but 1
hey cannot stretch the ground. And re-
that II all the ground Is never 4
nothing is lost or wasted. Any ex-
OF ground over what is absolutely
lecessary will serve always to set OF the
Office, to please the eye and refresh the
enses. For many years the municipal au-
horftes Of London, and. I understand, this
3 now true of New York-have been pur-
hasing costly real estate in the heart Of
he city merely to tear down the houses and
open spaces. or small parks.
THAT
|HOULD DETERMINE LOCATION.
I have tried to set forth the considera-
Ions that should determine the location Of 1