Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-30
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Annual Report Of Trustees
Made to Commissioners.
THE NOTABLE EVENTS
MANY REQUESTS FOR PROPOSED
BRANCH LIBRARIES.
New Building Completed and Dedicated
Under Distinguished Auspices
Transfer of Books.

Mr.. Theodore w. Noyes,, president of the
trustees of the Washington Public Library,
today submitted to the Commissioners the
annual report of the board. Mr.. Noyes
reviews in detail the happenings of the
year relating to the library and tells of the
completion Of the new building in Mount
Vernon Square and its occupancy. He says
The notable events in the history of
the Public Library, occurring in the year
which ended June so, 1908, are the COM
pletion and opening to the public of the
new library building donated by Mr.. An
drew Carnegie; his additional gift of s25,-
COO to furnish and to decorate the in
terror of the new building; Mr. Carne-
gies supplementary gift of the money to
be needed from time to time in the
future to build branch library buildings
in the District of Columbia; and the first
donations of miscellaneous circulating
books from the departmental libraries,
coming under statutory direction
through the Library of Congress and
suggesting the final assembling in the
cniating books, Whetherin departmental
libraries or the Library Of Congress.
The New Building.
On September 30, 1902, the date of the
lost annual report of the trustees, the
building was practically completed, eX-
cept some pieces OF the marble string
and iron railing of the main stairway.
1t could not be finally accepted from the
contractors, however, until entirely fin
ished on their part, and asthe stairway
work involving few tedious details Of
remodeling and adjustment of the mar
bic work and iron work consequently
delayed such acceptance4 until August 8,
1903, when the final contract payment
was made.
The use of the building for library pur-
poses was not. however, postponed to
this date. A conditional acceptance was
arranged by the library commission with
the contractors on December Is, 1902,
when the warming and care of the build
ing were assumed by the trustees OF the
library and fun occupation begun, fol-
lowed on the 18th of January, 1903, by the
formal opening of the structure for the
use of the public. While the event of
the opening of the new library building
lis within the period Covered by this re-
port, postponement of the publication of
the last annual report of the trustees en-
hbed the at tbs opening to
port, and reference is consequently made
to last years report for the speeches OF
President Roosevelt and Mr.. Carnegie
and the other proceedings of that inter-
eSting and significant occasion.
Mr.. Noyes briefly describes the main fea-
lures of the new buildingi and continues:
The new building, when the book stack
is completed to its full height of five
tiers "a work now under way), can shelve
go volumes. emitting from the calcu-
lation portable cases or book presses.
The book stack will accommodate 264,50O
volumes; public reading room, ITO; chill
dren's room, $500; open-shelf room, $500,
and additional shelving Gas in the new
childrens room in the basaenD is
planned and is already partly provided.
Donation to Complete. Building.
When Mr.. Carnegie was inspecting the
new Washington Public Library building
on the occasion of its public opening, he
expressed great admiration for the
structure and surprise at what had been
accomplished with the $350,OO0 which he
had donated for the erection Of the
building. He asked both the president
and vice president of the library trus-
tees If anything was needed to complete
the building, and expressed the wish to
add to his donation any sum which
should be necessary for that purpose.
Although the most careful estimating
and economy were exercised In the ex-
penditure of Mr.. Carnegie's original gift
of $3500o0, it was impossible to execute