New-York tribune., 1902-03-31
4 RrRDEN OF BOOKS.

Since Of the making Of books there IS no end,
the librarians OF the great collections Of books
are looking forward to the future with not
little perpexity, They want everything that
ever has been published and that ever will he;
and yet so great is the food pouring forth from
the press, 10 say nothing of the Accommodations
OF past ages, that even the largest buildings
that now exist or that are planned for immedi-
ate erection Will sooner or later he inadequate
to house them. OF course, structures like the
Congressional Library at Washington and the
new Public Library Of this city will suffice for
many years 10 come; but tho pressure Is already
severely felt in some of the older libraries,
whose librarians are in despair and scarcely
know which way 10 turn. It is an accepted
principle of library administration that every
thing. even the most insignificant and futile of
books, is worth keeping, aud is certain some day
to be wanted by somebody This implies the
necessity of keeping everything catalogued,
classified and stored in an accessible place;
which in its turn, implies the expenditure of
money, time and space that in many cases can
i'll be spared. This is particularly true in the
case of university libraries, whose funds are
often insufficient for desirable expansion and
whose collections must primarily he so shaped
as 10 forward the study and research in which
the members Of the university are engaged.
Yet even mere IL Is sui true lndt inere is nOtn-
ing that may not some time he of value 10 some
body. and therefore should not properly be pre-
served. At the same time the uniyersty's re-
sources must be chiefly expended in forwarding
its current work.
Closely allied with this problem IS that of
keeping files of newspapers These are fire.
quently of the utmost value and Importance to
students in many lines of research and yet the
multiplication of periodicals has probably gone
| on in even greater ratio than that Of books. No
great library can afford to neglect them, or
even to neglect filing them very fully; but few
forms of literature are more bulky. The Brit
ish Museum which preserves a vast number Of
British fewspapers, has been an especial suf-
ferer from their space devOuring qualities. and
owing to its legal responsibilities in the matter
Of copyright has found itself between the devil
and the deep sea. An application 70 Para-
ment has been necessary; the plan to which its
consent is asked is substantially that to which
IL is thought many American libraries will have
to resort on a large scale. The museum au.
thorities propose to store the back numbers OF
provincial periodicals that experience shows are
only IN certain limited demand; they are to
be sent 10 special storage quarters in a sub
urban village near London. whence they may
be obtained by would-be users at twenty-four
hours notice And any who think that this is
hardship should gain experience in some of the
stiff necked German libraries where to get any
book in the collection slip must be deposited
In box twenty-four hours in advance.
Harvard is one of the chief sufferers among
American universities from congestion in its
library, which is the largest and most valuable
university collection in the country. For the
relief of all institutions that find themselves in
| similar case, President Eliot has made a sug-
| gestion Of n radical sort that he never shrlnks
| from when there is something important 10 he
| gained. He proposes that n few of the great
| Libraries OF the country such as the Congress
| sional Library, the New-Yor Public Library
| and the combined libraries of Chicago be made
repositories for smaller institutions all over the
! country and store any and all books making
| them accessible 10 scholars by means of the
safe and cheap facilities that now exist for for
| warding everywhere. Space time and money
| would thus be released for their best uses in
| such libraries ms that of Harvard while the
| repositories would increased in Importance
| through their completeness Whether or not
such plan is adopted. or whether that of the
large libraries Of Boston. which are proposing a
union storage depot in a neighboring suburb, is