New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-12-16
LIBRARY FOR CITY HALL
Adequate Collection of Books to
Replace ''CurlOSlty Shop
FOR MUNICIPAL REFERENCE
Will Be Under the Direction Of
New York Public Institution
as a Branch.

Plans have been made for the establish
ment and proper care of an adequate mu-
nicipal reference library in the city Hall
Funds for its maintenance under the direc-
ton of the New York Public Library, as a
branch, will be provided at the next meet
Ing Of the Board of Estimate.
Visitors from out Of town might be told
that the city now has a library. but any
city official or other person who ever looked
over the miserable collection OF musty and
moth-eaten volumes that have just gathered
themselves together in the last sixty years
would smile to hear them referred TO as a
library" They occupy a room just west
Of the city Clerks office, which could well
he fixed up as a good library room, although
ii is not any too large
Nobody ever uses the library except
some of the hangers-on in the City Hall,
who find It a nice. quiet, dark place in
which to take a nap when they are weary.
Raymond y. Fosdick. Commissioner of Ac-
counts, in a report made TO Mayor Gaynor
Yesterday calls 1t something Of a curiosity
shop" He adds:
While II undoubtedly contains many vol
umes, particularly the records OF the Dutch
and English governments in New York
ana tle carly reports OF the BOa1u o. Al
Cermen. much of the material IS practically
worthless. having been collected at various
times from odd sources. For years no APP
prOpriatiOns have been made to increase
its contents. its only additions being scat
tered reports Of various departments I'm
New York and other cities, together with
q f"w governmental documents from Wash
inGton. No modern works on municipal
government, except on few unrelated top
les Pre- to bc found I'm the collection. Some
Of the volumes. valuable enough i'm them
selves. have scant relation to governmental
problems. such as Audubon BIRDS of
America" l.ander's "Skeptic's Defense,
alcoholism As It Should Be-" etc.
The medals. prints ana plates once in the
possession Of the library, some Of which
We're presented 10 the city by distinguished
foreigners. have long since disappeared.
This library. which was started by the city
in 1s4s. contains approximately 5000 vol
umes and so pamphlets. Commissioner
Fosdck took up the matter of establishing
a real library with the trustees of the
Public Library and they have authorized
him IN say they will take the plant over.
get together an adequate collection Of
books on municipal subjects and maintain
# as a reference library.
II is proposed to place there a librarian
and an assistant and to place IT in touch
with the main library. so that such books
I as are lteutO may d. lIdHSIeII''l 10 inc
CIV Hall on demand. 1t is estimated that
n will cost about $4,000 the first year IN
, Guiding salaries and the purchase of the
necessary books. There is an uneXpended
fund Of Sl1.jnO i'm the Queens Borough Pub
lie Library. which the trustees arc willing
10 transfer TO start the municipal library,
50 that an initial appropriation of only
about $500 in revenue bonds will be needed.
with such library" said Commits
sioner Fosdick. mo ordinance need be
passed and no department Of the city gov
eminent need try any new scheme, measure
or device without first having full knowl-
edge of what other cities and corporations
have done along similar lines and with
what degree Of success. To put the matter
simply. q library of this kind serves as "A
clearing house for municipal information