The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-10
VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY Bu1Lprss
Or Conway II. Sands. of Honrico
Cost Was Increased.

Conway II. Sands of Honrfcos
Cost Was Increased.
In a. message to tho General AS
scmbly on February 81, 1896, Cover
nor O'Fcrrall stated that the cost had
exceeded the estimate, and that the
total charges had been s21s,1a4.14,
against an appropriation of $500, 900.
It seemed that after tho foundation
had been dug and the walls partly
erected, water had flowed In. and that
It had cost $4,000 to conduct the wa
ter beneath tho walls to the nearest
sewer. The moving cost and of tho
furnishings cost s2i,395.o1, also more
than the estimate of $4,000. This la
accounted for by the fact that all the
departments found they needed moro
than they thought they did BY that
time. of course, the building was full
~ completed and occupied. 49,
Tho new Constitution of 1909 madc a,
change In method, providing for State
Library Board, to be appointed by the
State Board OF Education. The prop
crty and funds We're turned over to it
by the Secretary of the Commonwealth
Tho new body was first composed OF
Arm'stead C. Gordon. who has aince
remained Its chairman J. A. G.
Chandler S. S. p. Patteson. John W.,
Fishburnc and Judge Theodore s. Gar
nett. Tho two latter arc still menu
bers,' while the places of Mr.. Chandler
and Mr.. Patteson have bcen since TAXI
en- by Edmund Foundation and EEbert
G. Leigh Jr This board found W. w. +
Scott In charge and made him State
librarian, but he resigned to take
charge of the law library of the SUI
prcme Court. John p. Kennedy was
elected librarian on November Q, 1908,
and served until July 8, 1907, when he
| resigned and was succeeded by Henry
X. Mc1lwaine. The changed regime of
~ cE, fat H. H..
been regarded almost universally aa
! mighty beneficial to tho institution.
| The board, cooperating with the III
brartan, manages tho funds for the In
tcrest of tho library, present and fu-
| tnre, and 1t gets specialized attention.
Under these circumstances 1t haa
| grown rapidly in Importance and use-
| fulncsa. Az
! Contents Mt Present.
On September so, 1911. there wore I'M
! the library total OF 1891 books.
which included unbound pamphlets ana
/ bound volumes of newspapers and
periodicals. There were, in addition.
$50 manuscript books, and between
| 100000 and 100000 loose manuscripts,
| The latter include petitions to the
General Assembly. which were SO much
| In vogue by all who desired legtsla-
tion up until 1850; reports of legisla.
! tive committees and other such docus
| nents.
This makes the Strongest coIlec-
ton of loose manuscripts In the coun-
try. save In the Library of Congress. 81
new building is earnestly advo-
Gated by the State Library Board In Its
forthcoming annual report It is be-
| licVcd that the needs OF tho future de-
| nand this. The cataloguinG of the
separate publications is about two
| thirds completed, but after this will
J.; come the analytical catalogulnG, Civ
Ing In detail the contents OF books. and
| this Will consume many years unless
the force should be greatly enlarged
| In 1909. the annex to the building
was erected, adding it's part to the
room OF the library, tho new space
being occupied by the portrait gallery,
a public reading room. files Of publ
| documents.
| Varied Activities.
F! The activities of the library are
, many. 1t furnishes a reading room,
| tree to ALL There arc many reference
books, which can DO used at Will 1t
carries copies of all leading publlca-
lions. and has priceless collections or
periodicals. Then IL has IL card cata-
loguc. which must be kept up, guiding
| the student TO what he desires.
The State Archvist II. j. Eckenrodc
| Is husied With all manner of research.
G Darlington Moselcy manages the
travelling libraries by means of which
Imany rural communities arc given
reading matter The library is pub
fishing che Journals OF the House OF
Burgcsscs of colonial days, under the
personal direction of DR.. McIlwainc.
4 RofernnCc lists arc gotten out especial
~ for members OF the General AS
scmbiy, referring them to all material
In the library concerning mattors
prominent In this public cyc rs present
Ing legislative problems The force
also includes Assistant Librarian Earl
G. Swcm. Mrs Kato Peasants Minor,
reference librarian; Miss EdmonIn
Blair Martin. assistant in charge OF
serials: w. T. Lewis. cataloguer, and
stonographers.
Tho library. though greatly moro
useful than formerly to tho public at
large, is still in tho main an institu-
ton for research work. whether thia
be carried on by members of the Con-
i, eral Assembly and state officials Gor y
by students preparing son,o work for
i publication. The library IN It's lnntaSi
| is still the kind OF library
which Thomas Jefferson. ITS pirfuat
founder. had I'm mind whom no wrote
his bill for The establishments OF a 4
public library at tho town of ! fsiclt.Ss