The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-03-19
LIBRARY NOW
IN new HOME
STRUCTURE Is WELL EQUIPPED
Lawns will be Graded Saturday by Labor
Of Business Men Of City UEder SIper
vision Of Postmaster Lucas

II The handsome Carnegie home Of the
/ Hood River county library located on a
| plot formed by vacated portion of
Fifth street, between State and Oak
streets, and portion Of the lot on
which is situated the home residence of
+. /. Smith. Hood Rivers grand old
man. was opened to the public Mon
day. Experts, who have visited library
buildings in all parts of the United
States declare that no institution of its
size in all the land has better and
more mOdernly and conveniently
equipped building. In fact. there is
everything that anyone ceuld desire. To
the eye Of the layman, when he enters
the big reading room, there comes the
/ appeal of the comfort and harmonious
arrangement of everything. The loaded
windows open upon some of the city's
most classic oaks. The expert librarian
/ is struck with the conveniences at the
hands of those who will have charge of
the local institution.
The big reading room, which covers
all Of the second story, with the excep-
tlon of a small room in the northeast
corner. where is located the librarian S
office, is found the cOmmodiOus charge
desk, placed in the center Of the room.
Here are the shelves for magazines,
fiction and reference books. In the
southeast corner are the shelves for the
children. Two large low tables,
around which are grouped little chairs,
invite the chilren of the city to enjoy
the story books an instructive litera-
ture at their disposal.
The library now has about 3, 600 vol
umes. while 600 additional have been
ordered. I'VE have a sum apprOpri-
ated by the city for the further pur-
chase of books" says Miss Della F.
Northey, the county librarian, land we
will be glad for those who desire some
special book to let us know their
wants. We desire to please the public
to the best of our ability" Miss Elsie
McLucas, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
j. d. McLucas, is Miss Northey's as
sistant.
The library building on all floors is
extremely well lighted. food of soft
light pouring in through the big loaded
windows. The building is heated
throughout with steam. large, mod
ern boiler being placed on the basement
floor. A book lift will transport the
books from the fixing room" on the
second floor in the southeast corner, to
the main reading room. A fumigating
closet is found here, and no one can
have scruples or fears of reading books
that may spread disease. A fumigat.
ing cabinet will be placed in the closet
and the books given thorough bath"
every so often.
On the first floor is the small but ex-
ceedingly we'll arranged lecture or as
sembly room. 1t is fitted with dress
ing rooms. and stage, and on the east
side is pantry, where preparations
can be made for serving luncheOns or
banquets. On the north side of the
lower floor are the fixing room" and
the rest room for country patrons.
And in the northwest corner is the
committee room, where the story hour
will also be held. The mems toilet
room is on the floor with the main
reading room, where is also located the
coat room.
The State street entrance to the
building opens into the main reading
room. There is a side entrance on the
east side of the building on Library
Lane" This, however, will be closed,
except when some lecture or public en-
tertainment is being given.
Work of grading the lawns around
the building has been begun, and the
Woman's club has undertaken to plant
attractive shrubs. Prof. A. l.. Peck,
of the Oregon Agricultural College, has
submitted to the ladies model plant
ing plan. The civics committee, COM
posed of Mrs. r. d. Gould, Mrs. C. A.
Bell, Mrs. j. o. Mclaughlin and Mrs.
A. l.. Page, will have charge of this
work, and ask all who desire to con-
tribute shrubs to communicate with
them. The planting, it is declared,
should be completed before the dry
season begins. The varieties of plants
that will be appreciated as contribu-
tions are named below:
Japanse brush honysuCkle. shining
leaved rose box, japanese honeysuckle,
japanese huddleia, red Towering cur
ant, Van Houtes spirea, Scotch broom,
syringa. grandsel bush, doubel deutzia,
Japanese barberry, slender deutzia,
snow ball, Thunbergs spirea, Ibota
privet, Lawson cypress and Boston ivy.