Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-13

1ttSourgh has a Semi-circular hall at
tached. but this con-
Carnegie Library tains the hish-vault-
of Pittsburgh. which vu m Il 81 s.on room
to the main building by two slender tow
ers 1854 feet high. This Pittsburgh library
combines SO many features other than
those commonly accepted as belonging
to library work that extraordinary scope
was given to the architect. The result
stands as one of the most beautiful Ii
brary buildings of the world 1t is built
OF tennessee marble with mosaic floors,
the ceilings decorated with white and
blue arabesques. the names of great writ
ers and printers marks. Handsome mar
BILE stairways lead from the first floor
TO the great reference room on the Sec
ond Moor. which is 392 feet long by 142
wide.
Steeples and towers are now considered
obsolete upon library buildings. except
ing under special conditions. The Oster-
hout Library at Wilkesbarre, Pa, is a
remodeled church. SO that to a certain
extent the library's need was subservient
to the construction of the building. al
though In this particular instance most
or the difficulties have been happily ad-
justed.
The growing number of libraries and
the need of having the buildings erected
SO as to conform to the requirements of
library economy has led the American
Library Association to make large COL
lection Of the floor plans OF public Ii
braries, which are on file at it's head
quarters in Chicago. These plans range
from the smallest village library to the
most important city structure, and are
available to any one interested in the
erection or library The plans most in
demand are for buildings rangins, from
$1,000 to. $4,000 in cost. Many state
library commissions also have collections
or typical library plans, and give their
aid in providing suitable plans for public
libraries. according to the needs Of the
locality
One of the most important features of
modern library architecture is its pro-
vision for fire prevention. TO
Prevention fight a fire breaking out in
IS E; an old-fashioned library
building was almost hope
less, for the large room gave the flames
full sweep. and the bookcases, which
were generally of wood, were only added
fuel. Smoke, SCOT and water are almost
as detrimental to books as fire itself,
and the modern library plan confines fire
to the smallest possible area None of
the bookstacks is more than one story
in height, and they are divided by fire.
proof partitions SO that If a fire breaks
out in one department there is no chance
for it to sweep through the building
No large American library is so obvi-
ousy fire trap as the Oxford and Cam
b:idge library buildings in England.
While in most other respects America is
behind Europe in her fire precautions
the Americal library plans are acknowI-
edsed 10 be superior in this respect to
those OF any other part of the world.
In addition to providing the floor plans
OF buildings the Library Association also
furnishes estimates upon their cost and
equipment. based upon the following as
symptoms: The sum of $1,000 will pay
for library building Of brick and $1J-
o0o will pay for one in stone which viii
PROVIDE accommodation for from 1900
TO D.VO books. with all the equipment
winch should go with library OF that
SIZE IN estimating the amount of shely-
| foot. In a small library bookcases are
placed next TO the wall, at right angles
with the window. AS the library in
creases in size floor cases are added. and
"nen the DOCK collections warrant 1t and
perhaps show signs of greater future
| increase the metal bookstacks are pro-
vidcd.
The association issues number of sug-
scstions to library builders which are now
| recognized almost as
suggestions to, rules. The most inn
Ru;ld.rs portant is that the Ii
brary should be built
with reference to the work to he dome
and not for its architectural effect For
this reason, the librarian should be called
| into consultation. The interior should be
planned before the exterior. Many. libra
| rians believe that public library should
| be built around the circulation desk.
since this is the important feature In
recognition of this. many libraries are
planned so that a section may be added
as desired. For example. library on a
triangular lot may have it's main en-
trance along one side or perhaps at a cor
ner and may thus form a V-shaped struc-
ture. which. as the library expands. NAV
be formed into a triangle by closing up
the side left open.
The importance of light I'm the book
rooms Is realized. and the windows in the
approved modern library extend to the
ceiling. In the library of the University
of Pennsylvania a novel feature was in
treduced The stackrooms include three
stories and the floors between are of tbjcl,
,.fr. kl..-