Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16

DerVlSl0n Oh the eIeCllOH VI tli0 iAbi al
building was delegated by Congress to the
District Commissioners, the superintendent
of public buildings and grounds and the
president of the library trustees, and also
provided for the submission of plans
through an architectural competition
The designs of twentyfour architects
were submitted, and in their selec-
ton Architects George B. Post of New
York and Henry Van Brunt, president of
the American Institute of Architects. were
called upon to assist. The design OF
Messrs Alderman & Ross, architects OF
New York was chosen, and this firm was
appointed architects of the building, while
Mr.. Bernard r. Green of the Library of
Congress was appointed to superintend the
construction.
Some delay was occasioned by necessary
alterations of the plans to make the con-
struction come within the available amount.
Mr.. Carnegie's attention was undoubtedly
attracted to this, and April IA, 1899 he
made an additional donation of $4,000 for
furniture and equipment, and in the follow
ing September he made still another addi-
ton of $4,000 to cover the increased cost
of building material.
The Beautiful New Library Home.
The new building is a graceful structure,
substantial, monumental and appropriate
in every way for the purpose it was de-
signed for and the site it occupies. Ample
book room is provided, as well as spacious
reading rooms for books and periodicals, a
lecture room, students rooms and corridors,
all fttngly appropriate. The book lovers
of the city have been provided home;
permanent institution, which can but make
for intellectual development and better citi-
zenship has been established, and the city
and nation can view with satisfaction
well-equipped municipal public lib airy.
In the meantime the New DIRK avenue es-
adjustment was made ready and began to
serve readers 1t opened for business Octo-
Der l. 1898, and the record of the first TWEEN
ty days shows how it was appreciated by
recording the fact that 5243 books we've
born owed for home reading during that time.
l. or the six months from January to June,
1880, 7,I31 books had been borrowed. From
that time to this the usefulness OF the in
stitLtion has maintained its initial rapid
slowth. New books have been supplied aud
new readers constantly enrolled. ne record
o. the fiscal year 1901 showed that 123 800
LUo..s had been borrowed. Now that the
library is housed in its new home, much
larger number of readers will undoubtedly
be recorded especially as provision has
been particularly made for the accommoda-
ton of children in the new structure.
The Library OF Congress.
The evolution Oh the Library OF Congress
from It's cro~ued ana dingy quarters The
Cap4tol to its present GROWING eminence
in "a sister building 10 the Capitol is a pro-
gress which / he star also TOOK delight in
reco. ding ana mdterIdIy alulng. 1nere
were MANY fr.enus of library expansion in
Congress long before the final success Of
the efforts TO construct an adequate home
OUTSIDE of the CapItoI for the great book
collection, yet. no w. Outstanding the fact that
the Library OF Congress is, strictly speak
ing, d na.IOndI INSTITUTION, the fuI tnerance
It's deve. oltment was left in a great meas
ure to the lnslstence of the residents of
Washington. Then, too, there were some
rSn,s wn-Sn lo~oI cl..zenS believed were
their Lue-su.h have the free of
this library during the evening and on Sun
day. NO p. ogresa, however, could be made
in this campaign until after the new build
ing lad been competed. linen it was that
the agitation began i'll earnest and went
wI.nout ceasIns until both privileges
were granted
While circulating books may be bor-
rowed by Washing tonians from the Library
of Congress, its million volumes are now free
of access from . o'c.ock in the morning until
10 o'c.ock at night every day in the week,
and on Sundays from to 10 pm This
campa gn for night and Sunday opening has
been large-y struggle with Congress. The
Librarians in charge of the Congressional
Library have in every case favored the
movement, and the only hitch seemed to be