Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-10
| LIBRARIES AND THEIR WORK.
uI-THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
By Frederic ]. Haskin.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

BY Frederic
Imagine a magnificent building, located
ON one Of the most beautiful and desirapie
sites in New York city. built In the styie
of French renaissance, yet showing
tang of the classic Greek. Its decorauoh
the most beautiful that artist and scuip-
tor could desire. and you have some rant
conception Of the appearance OF the new
York Public Library. The fittings and
furnishings of this building are the best
that money could buy. The arrangements
for ventilation. heating and lighting are
the best known to modern science. NO
detail has been overlooked which would
go to make this great library the most
perfect building of the kind in the world.
The New York Public Library has been
open to the public only a few months. 1t
stands on the site Of the old reservoir in
Bryant Park, New York city. 1t fronts
on jth avenue and it's northern and SOUTH
ern exposures are on 10th and 42d streets.
The rear Of the building. with it's formal
terraces. faces Bryant Park. On all sides
1t is beautiful to look upon, while the
spacious windows let in sunlight in an
abundance seldom possible in a city build
ing.
The front is most imposing. Six huge
figures by Paul Bartlett. representing
Philosophy. Religion. Drama, History,
poses of the building. On either side OF
the main entrance stands a figure by
Frederick MacMonnies, representing Wis
dom and knowledge. There is also a
group Of carvings by George Barnard,
representing Science and Art. The main
pediments north and south Of the main
entrance are decorated by z. c. Potter
Three magnificent bronze doors in the
main entrance give admission to the ro-
tunda. which is the most perfect large
marble hall in this country. The rotunda
gives the impression Of gigantic size and
its decorations are In keeping, yet the
artistic spirit of the whole appeals to
every visitor. It extends through the
first and second floors. and its vaulted
ceiling is sixty feet high.
To the right and the left of the rotunda
are grand stairways Of white marble. up
held by great
Building Arches marble archie $
a Great Problem. ssnan.e.r, S tsa. =, OIL
tween their buttresses. These arches
were a problem to the architect and sew
eral quarries of marble We're taxed to
furnish the material. They required 5000
cubic feet of perfect marble, the slightest
flaw or blemish causing a block to be re-
jected. 1t was chiefly the difficulty Of
securing sufficient marble of the quality
desired which caused the delay in the
completion Of the building. but those who
view it now in its perfection agree that
the wait was we'll worth while
Electric elevators are provided. but few
use them, for the marble stairs have an
easy incline. Each flight gives access
to long lines OF marble corridors. The
floors and walls are Of marble. beautifully
polished. The ceilings give the only touch
in neutral tints illuminated in metallic
bronze luster. Standing in the marble
corridor Of the loggia, one looks through
three marble arches into the rotunda and
across the rotunda into 5th avenue,
through large glass windows set in a
frame of ornamental bronze.
The New York Library Is in the shape
of the letter E. The back Of the E gives
the long corridors
Structure in Shape on all floors; the
.-ur arms Of the E are
VI Act1eA E. the marble halls
along 10th and 42d streets. In the tongue
Of the f is the exhibition room on the
first floor: the oriental department and
special study room and the electric book
lift on the second floor, and on the third
floor the public catalogue room. This
last leads into the main reading room,
which stands directly above the gigantic
stacks. which occupy three floors, name
Iy. the basement, the first and second
floors.
The public catalogue room contains
8 1000 boxes Of card catalogues, fitted in
shelf drawers on three sides Of the room.
AS a provision for future additions there
is a gallery above protected by an ornate
bronze railing. The method by which
this great library should handle the
crowds Of readers was for years the sub
ject Of careful consideration on the part
world. 1t is believed that the plan adopt
ed approaches the maximum Of speed and
facility.
The reader enters the catalogue room
and because OF its simplicity of arrange
ment has little difficulty in finding the
book he desires. He makes out a slip
and gives 1t to one Of the attendants In
charge and then passes into the main
reading room. His slip is sent by pneu-
matte tube into the service bureau or
the reading room, from which 1t is for
warded quickly to the stack. The book
Is found In q. few minutes IL 1t is in the
and in an incredibly short time
reading room announces the number of
the book and the reader goes up to the
huge screen that separates the delivery