Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-10-31

the State library. 1t presents the facts
and the need of prompt attention in
clear and forceful manner and will be
sent to all members of the incoming
Legislature and published in the Bull
letin of the Maine State Library 1t
follows:
To the Legislature:
The state Librarian wishes briefly
to call the attention of the incoming
legislature to the immediate necessity
of doing something to remedy the
present lack of shelf room in the State
Library and provide for its growth.
When the present stacks-which by
the way, we're among the first steel
stacks to be installed in this country
were put in in 1891, 1t was estimated
that they would hold 10000 volumes
and provide for a growth Of 10 years.
In Mr.. Emerys report for 1866 he
called attention to the crowded condi-
ton of the library and estimated that
at that time it contained $4,000 vol
umes. Nine years have passed away
and the library has increased to at
least 100000 volumes and pamphlets
with no increase in shelf room in the
library proper except for few wood
en- stacks put in during the last two
years and the wall shelving put into
the Reference room when the library
was moved to it's new quarters. Inc
rest of the growth is practically in
storage in several rooms on three
floors of the Capitol. Some or the
most valuable reference sets in the IL
brary are not readily available for use
on account of lack of room. For IN
stance, the splendid set of Parliamen-
tary Debates, covering the debates III
the British parliament for the past $50
years, and costing the State in the
neighborhood of $1,000, is seldom seen
by anybody as it is in storage in the
basement along with much other valu-
able material. In the basement also
are all town and city reports, and
valuable sets of American and Engllsn
law reports. In the arcade over the
main entrance on the top moor are all
of the bound volumes of newspapers
which the library has been accumulat-
ing for many years-extremely .valu..
able for reference work, as everyone
knows. There also are the Canadian
documents, U. s. Patent Office re-
ports. public documents and maps. In
an unfinished attic is also stored other
valuable material.
Such a condition of affairs causes
great inconvenience. not only to the
library force but to patrons of the Ii
brary as well. II is a condition that
should not be allowed to exist
The State has a splendid library
which is growing at the rate Of about
5000 volumes per year. 1t is worth
from 100000 to 100000. At the time
the library was moved in 1910 an ex-
pert law book man who assisted in ar
ranging the law section, estimated the
value of that alone to be 100000. We
have the only large law library in the
State, the only large library of general
reference and the only library con-
tanning the public and legislative docu-
mentS of other states and of the United
States. 1t is a library for all the peo-
pie and they are using it to a greater
| extent each year.
The State Librarian has charge of
the distribution of all public docu-
| ments. and there is handled account ed
for and in great part distributed
through the library each year total
of from $4,000 to 10000 publications of
the various State departments. laws.
supreme court reports, etc. The
shipping department is crowded and
the storage rooms are overlooking. The
law provides that the State Librarian
shall put away for future use at least
| 80 copies Of every department report
If it is not thought best to erect a
State Library building (and this must
come before MANY yearSl at this time
will not the incoming legislature do
something to relieve the situation by
| double decking the stacks in the main
room, making the Reference room into
| stack room or devising some other
way to remedy conditions?