The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-05-24

the most beautiful editices III
America. 1t is of marble
throughout, except for a small amount
of wood trimmings and the supports
for the bookshelves, which are of
steel. 1t is situated between Fifth
avenue and Byrant park and between
Fortieth and Forty-second streets, eX-
tending two full blocks in width and
nearly as far in depth. While on the
statistical slant it may be as well to
add that the building contains over
eighty miles of bookshelves, capable
of accommodating 3J00,C01 books;
that the reading room is the largest in
the world; that the structure and fur
nishings, exclusive of books, cost $10,-
100000 and that it has been more
than ten years in building.
In city architecturally hideous
from skyscrapers. tenements, apart
ment houses, elevated railroads, elec
trio and other kinds of signs and made
still more unattractive by the constant
tearing down of old buildings and the
erection of new and by the ripping up
of streets to put in subways the New
York Public library building shines
like an oasis in desert or a temple
in a wilderness. l think those who
know about such things say its archi-
lecture is a combination of the ltal-
ian and French renaissance. Anyway,
it is simple and strong and has rest
full look Any book can feel honored
to be invited to such house.
Three Libraries Consolidated.
This magnificent library, which is
just now opening to the public, is d
consolidation of the old Astor and Len
OK libraries and the Tilden foundation
and already contains more than 1,OO0.
600 volumes. Measured by the mum
ber of books alone there are two or
three larger Libraries in Europe and one
the Congressional library-in Amer.
ica. But measured by the size or ca
pacity of the building it has no equal.
In number of readers the New York
library also exceeds all others. 1t has
forty branches scattered about the
city, and from these millions of books
circulate yearly.
No, gentle reader, Andrew Carnegie
did not contribute anything to the cree
tion of this greatest of libraries. Ii
was built solely by public money. He
did give some millions to New York
city for library purposes, but this was
used in smaller edifices. Carnegie is
like the Emperor Titus, who said II
have lost Il day" when he remembered
that he had done no good action that
day. Carnegie thinks he has lost u
day when he has not founded ii
brary.
The late Sir Caspar Purdon Clarke
once said that New York had few sat
istactory buildings, but rather pieces OF
scenery-structures with elaborate ia
cades of stone and side and rear walls
of plain brick. The library building is
of the same material in all its parts
and is beautiful from every side. The
back of it has columnar effect owing
to the long and narrow slits that serve
as windows for lighting the miles OF
bookshelves. These slits extend from
the bottom to within one story of the
top of the building, The reading room
is on the top floor and is splendidly
lighted by broad and high windows.
Despite its palatial appearance and
fashionable location on Fifth avenue,
the New York Public library is open
to the poorest in the city. AS matter
of fact, most of those who patronize it
come from the middle and lower class
es. If your member of the smart set
does any reading at all, which is
doubtful, he does it in his own library
after knowledge, the specialist look
ing for technical information, the
newspaper or magazine writer. the col
lege professor. the historian and the
great masses seeking light that crowd
the public libraries. The vast numbers
of foreigners at the old AstOr library
were a revelation to the average Amer
lean. Their presence made him more
hopeful of the future of his country.
Some Statistics.
Now for some more statistics. There
is seemingly no way to avoid figures
when talking about anything so mon
umental as the New York Public IL
brary. The building contains 3Ol
rooms, vaults and halls. 1t covers u
floor space of about nine acres. The
shelving of the entire stack room il
placed end to end would extend from
New York to Philadelphia. This stack
room, where most of the books are
stored, is 297 feet long by 7S feet wide
and is made up of seven floors which
are seven and half feet apart. The
reading room, which is just over th'
stack room, is 295 feet long, II fee
wide and 80 feet high One side of i
overlooks Bryant park. In the center
of this immense chamber is a double
screen, behind which the attendants
work. 1t is so placed as to break thu
great length and also to accent it. A
narrow balcony runs around the room
giving pleasing effect. Below an'
ahnva tha haIconV ia a wall of book,