El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-10

similar TO that Of Brooklyn in it's style
Of architecture, but its beauty IS en-
hanced by broad marble terraces. The
building cost S2,0OO,OOO and houses a
quarter Of a million books, the circula-
ton OF WhicH was 1,326,lll last year.
The Chicago public library. in Dear
porn park, near the lake front. is easy
OF access because OF the excellent
means OF transportation The building
IS modern and imposing in appearance
This library was founded shortly after
the great fire by collections contrib
uIed CHIEFLY by EngliShmen- The cir
culatiOn last year amounted to 1611.645
volumes. The Chicago public library
makes special effort to advance its
work in technology and has also
large number of foreign readers
The Cleveland public library, which
was founded in 1864 merely as a help
to the teachers in the public schools.
has lately been moved into an exceD-
uonally Weu-appOlnted building on the
lake front Although in point Of size
the Cleveland library is below many
others, its book circulation last year
reached a million and three quarters
andAlt has developed to a high stand
ara It's children's department, as well
as other new features Of library work
Library Lacks Building
The Philadelphia free library has, as
yet, no suitable building It cfrcu-
lated nearly 1000, 600 books last year
from an Over-crOWded, iIl-arranged
building near the center OF the CITY
Philadelphia has number Of beauti-
ful modem branch library builds ngs,
several of which have been built BY
Mr.. Carnegie. but II is a matter OF
regret to all those interested in library
development that the library generally
recognized as the parent OF American
Libraries should still remain in such
poor accommodations.
These are only q few OF the more
important city Libraries Of the COUNTRY
which are supported by the public
funds of their municipalities. In ad
ditiOn to them there are a large num-
Der Of other Libraries, the privileges Of
which are more or less available to
the public but which are supported
by private means These include spe-
cial libraries Of various kinds sub
scriptiOn Libraries and others The
tendency OF the age is toward CONSOLE
dalton, and IN many cities these spe-
cial Libraries are uniting with the pub
lie libraries, thus ecOnOmizing their
expenses and charging their channels
OF usefulness
The New York public library Is the
best example Of this system Il was
formed by the consolidation OF three
distinct corporations the Aston library
Incorporated in 1919 with Washington
Irving as the first president Of the
board OF trustees. the LenoN library,
incorporated in 1870; and the Tilden
trust, incorporated in 1887. It's legal
name is the New York Public Library
AStOr. LenOL and Ildel Foundations
There is a strong feeling in Chicago
toward a similar consolidation OF the
John Crerar library. the NeWberry IL
brary and the public library.
Among the interesting subscription
Libraries OF the country is the Athen-
aeum in Boston. which was founded n
1907. Its membership Is still almost
entirely confined to the families and
friends Of its original subscribers This
institution contains the bulk OF the
original library Of George Washington
several Of the famous Stuart portraits
and many other treasures
Largest OF Subscription Libraries
The New York Mercantile library
was founded IN 1910. It has nearly half
a million books and is said TO be the
largest subscription library IN the
country. The Philadelphia Mercantile
library, founded in 1907, IS still an
active subscription library and. like
the Athenaeum. is largely supported
by the descendants OF its founders. The
Ridgeway library OF Philadelphia was
founded by DR.. James Rush with a be-
quest OF 1900, 600. This library has
& fine fireproof building containing
many valuable books and historic pa
pers, but the regulations governing II
are so restrictive as to limit It's use
fitness.
In Charleston there IS library
founded in 1928 by South Carolina cit
liens who organized a library society.
Before the Revolutionary war the
Charleston library had accumulated
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