The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-03-10
Hz4W CE4HRN4Y

rnodating those books For under the system OF
interlibrary loan, they made available 10 IN
vestigators throughout the United States In TINS
respect it differs from national libraries aorOau'
which are purely reference libraries which must
be consulted the spot.
Its printed cards represent a service which is
also unique. the successful attempt on a gen
eral scale to centralize once for all the expense
of ID cataloguing books and (2) Of manifold1ng
the catalogue entries.
In addition it is I'd a legislative library for
congress; ~ the main reference library for the
executive departments and bureaus; 90 the law
library OF the Supreme court: "a the copyright
Office of the United States; and 90 the national
library to give a special service for the entire
country.
Its reference readers number as many those
in the British Museum, the BibliOtheque Ma
tionale but the facilities accorded them, for ex-
ample, of direct access to the shelves, surpass
those of any other considerable reference library
whatever Unlike the BibliOtheQue Rationale and
British Museum, which close at shutdown, the Ma
tional Library is open till ten O'Clock every eve
ming, and on Sundays from two until ten
Its building is in cubic about 100000
cubic feet, equal to that of the Capitol In floor
area it greatly exceeds it. It's shelving capacity
is sufficient to accommodate 100000 volumes and
can be increased to double that number.
The total appropriation for the library, the
copyright Office, and the care of the building and
grounds is about $4,000 per annum. Against
this are receipts, copyright fee, and proceeds Of
sales of the printed cards, tOtaling about $780,
about $4,000 per annum- In addition. there is,
however the expense for printing and binding
for which the annual allotment has been about
100000. The amount annually spent for books
and other material for collections is about $685.
600. This barely suffices for the ordinary mate
rial.
The Library is pre-eminent in these respects:
Public (oficial) documents Of all countries, re-
sulting from the international exchanges conduct
ed by the Library itself. And in special fields Of
literature for example: Americana, including the
results of copyright; political science; law; and
certain (uneXpected) groups, for example: Rus
STA, the Yudin collection, $4,000 volumes. perhaps
the most thorough outside of Russia; China. one
of the largest, and in certain respects certainly
the richest, outside Of China.
Its collection of music is probably the largest
In the world. Developed for the needs OF the
serious investigator composer, critic, historian,
conductor-it is rendering signal service to such
investigators in America. For instance, in no
other institution in the world could the history
of modern opera be studied written here
It's collection of prints developed its recent
side by copyright, or its more classical side by
gift is constantly drawn upon for Illustration and
the exhibits from it interest inform and influence
thousands of visitors annually.
In conclusion Mr.. Fess said: "It may not be
known to all members Of the house that here In
Washington connected with the various research
divisions Of the government is located the greatest
group Of great scholars that can be found in any
center In all the world. ] want to emphasize that
statement. 1t is absolutely true These scholars
are associated with the various governmental de-
partments each of which has special library facfl-
fty for its use The step necessary to make the
largest use Of the capital the worlds greatest
center for scholarship is a national university as
a research institution to utilize the vast library
sources and the laboratory facilities connected
with the various departments OF the government
rich beyond those OF any other country on the
globe. This would at give this capital the
first rank OF all capitals as the worlds greatest
intellectual center-a mecca to which the scholars
OF the future viii come 10 add to the sum total
OF knowledge. This contamination is easily with
in our reach"