The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-03-14
WIT ZROWI7

The gigantic palace for the mil
lions Of books Of New York city's pub
1ic library is slowly reaching the half
completed stage, that IS, the construc-
tion Of the steel frame and the mas
sive six foot walls and the marble
slab facing IS nearly finished and
READY for the contractors to begin
the work of interior construction. But
SO extensive Is the building. covering
a ground space OF 100000 square feet
for It occupies an entire square, be-
lng 394 feet long and pa feet in
depth, with a height of 1870 feet-that
1t is expected that 1t will be three
years before the building will be
ready to receive the 2,7OOOO0 volumes
which comprise the vast aggregation
of books at present catalogued, and
there will be room in the seven
storied steel stack room for 100000
more volumes without crowding a bit
The exterior appearance of the
building conveys something of the
magnihcence which the completed
structure will possess, and it is doubt
full whether the world has ever before
seen so vast a library building, or one
so complete in all its appointments as
this building will be when finished.
Compared with 1t the library of Alex
andria was only a beginning, and the
repositories for books which have
been celebrated in the lore Of the
bibliophiles were like Carnegie mon
uments.
The treasures of scores of ordinary
libraries could be placed on the first
floor alone. Apartments which are
intended only for special collections
of books are large enough to house
many thousands of volumes without
appearing crowded. Among the spe-
cial rCy.-s, which in themselves are
like commodious reception halls, are
the newspaper room, the periodical
room, the library for the blind, the
office of the superlntendents and
numerous other smaller apartments
connected with the administration Of
the institution.
In the rear of the building is the
stack room, which is the feature of
the structure, and is the only arrange
ment Of the kind known. Those who
} look at the building from the rear will
observe the long slitlike windows so
feet in height, which pierce the wall
so closely together that the effect is
that of a series OF plain pilasters.
These slits serve for the ventilation
of the largest bookcase in the world.
10 vtrttt,
a structure of steel beams joined to
fill a space 297 feet long, rs feet wide
and SO feet in height. 1t is in reality
building Of seven stories. each
seven and a half feet in height. In
4 it's construction were required 4,500,-
II 900 pounds of iron and steel The fab
ric is to sustain the weight of the SO
| miles of shelves, which are to re-
ceive 100000 volumes. The weight
of the thousands of tons OF books
which the case is designed to hold is
i to be sustained by the 704 cast iron
columns which are bolted at their
bases to the solid rock.
4 The cost of the bookcase-for the
stacks are, after all, one structure
made of parts riveted togeIner-will
be $4,000. The cage of metal sup.
ports the floor Of the large reading
room above 1t, thus evolving a prin.
ciple unique in library construction.
Hitherto 1t has been considered best
Ito either have the reading rooms sur.
rround the stacks or on one side.
The idea which the architects have
worked out is that of DR.. John s.
Billings, head of the New York public
library The reader gives his order
10 the person in charge of whatever
reading room he is visiting The de-
livery to the principal reading room
bn top Of the stacks is vertical, The
books are brought up by small ele-
yators as they are desired, and are
delivered by the attendants to the
.lesks where are seated the persons
Who have made application for them.
Special reading rooms flank the
Jtacks on all the floors, which make
4 possible for the repository to be en-
Iered from the sides.
Permits will be issued to a very
limited number of scholars, men who
Ire we'll known TO the director as be-
bg devoted to elaborate researches,
10 that they may enter the stack
bonn and wander as they will among
he miles OF shelves. There will be
OF more than 60 who will be permit
cd to this special privilege. Near
he windows on every floor are small
lcoves, where there will be tables,
here the Investigators may leave
ie volumes they are using overnight
nnd return to their work TO find them
ndlsturbed
Ehe principal reading room, where