Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-07-01
W|DENER LIBRARY,
THIRD LARGEST IN
u. s., IS DEDICATED
Great Memorial to Harvard
Graduate, Victim of Titanic,
Is Designed to Hold
100000 Books.

Cambridge, Mass June "a The WIDEN
er Memorial Library ranking third among
the libraries of this country in the num-
Der Of volumes which it will accommodate
was dedicated with simple exercises at
Harvard University to-day. The address
of presentation was made by Senator
Henry CABOT Lodge and the library was
accepted on behalf of the university by
President A. Lawrence Lowell
The monumental structure is the gift
OF Mrs. Eleanor Elkins Widener Of Phila-
delphia In memory Of her son, Harry FL
kins Widener. member of the Harvard
class OF 1907, who lost his life in the Ii
tanic disaster Specifically intended to
house the rare collection Of books be-
queathed to the university by Mr.. Widen
or the building was planned on scale
to care for the entire Harvard library,
with allowance for great enlargement in
the number of books. The capacity Of
10000 volumes, with provision for ex-
tension to hold 2,3c0T, is exceeded in
this country only by the New York Pub
lie Library and the Congress sional Library.
! The building, standing within the COL
lege yard near Massachusetts, Avenue. 10
on the site of the old Gore hall, the
!
doHn In style and material it harmon
! ICES with the Colonial Halls in its i'm
mediate vicinity The exterior is OF brick
and limestone, with long, square headed
windows. Romanesquo arches and CORN
THAN columns The outside measure
nents are 90 by 21 feet Within the
hollow square of the structure is a court
yard Ito by 10 feet The principal en-
trance, on the north side. is ny 80 gran
,ite steps through a portico formed by
twelve limestone Corinthian columns. The
three doors are of glass and wrought iron
The marble coonnade Of the entrance
hall and broad marble staircase lead
directly to the central section. where the
Wdener collection IL located Within the
lNestibuie are two simple memorial tab
lets, and in the entrance hall is tablet
placed by the class Of 1917 and bearing
the following inscription;
HARRY ELK1NS WIDENER
A. f. 1901.
LOVED THE BOOKS
WHICH HE HAD COLLECTED
AND THE COLLEGE
TO WHICH HE BEQJ EATHED THEM
HE LABORED
NOT FOR HIMSELF ONLY
BUT FOR ALI. THOSE
WHO SEEK LEARNING"
This Memorial
Has Been Placed Here by His Classmates.
The memorial section consists Of two
rooms On the south wall of the inner
room. which will house the Nidener col
lection, over a marble-framed fireplace,
is the portrait OF Mr. Widener. by Fer
rier the Paris artist. The bookcases in
this room have plate glass shelves and
bronze sashes. The outer room includes
the ONCE Of the specia librarian of the
collection, George F. Winshp, who serv-
ed for twenty years as librarian of the
John Carter Brown Library at Brown
University.
on the first floor are tho offices Of vii
liam c, Lane. the college librarian and
Prof A. e. Coolidge, director of the uni
versity library. the treasure room.
equipped with metal bookcases. and A
room for the library council The stair
ways At the sides lead to the reading
room. ~ feet long with soft-to glass
skylights; the card-cataog and delivery
room and the periodical room. The book
stacks extend through eight low-studdet
stories. and space has been reserved in tn,
asen,ent for two more floors OF stacks
for future needs. On the third floor are
rooms for special collections and depart
mental libraries, a photograph room ant
a map room. Seventy studies for pro
fessors and 800 reading stalls for research
students are placed close to the stacks
The Widener collection contains abou
S,0Oo volumes. All OF these are rare books
: gathered by Mr.. Widener through tire
less search Of this country and Europe
Among them are Shakespeare FRS
Folio. a famous Caxton, the English Bib!
, of lN0 and first edition Of Burton
. Anatomy There are also many frs
, editions Of famous American writer's eacl
t autographed by the author
The task Of moving the books OF tn
= Harvard library from the buildings wher
v they have been temporarily housed begin
D to-day. II IL estimated that mors thai
! the moving and arrangement Of the vol
1 umes, The library. however, will be read
4 for working use when the college terri
e opens on September q, and during tn
summer most OF the rooms will be opel
4 to the public
!: B00TH-BADGER WEOO|NG