The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-03-05

modating those books. For. under tie system Of
interlibrary loan, they are made available to In
vestigaOrs throughout the United Stases. In this
respect it differs from national libra-ie abroad,
which are purely reference Libraries, which must
be consulted on the spot.
Its printed cards represent a service which is
also unique, the one successful attempt a gem
eral scale TO centraze once for ali ihe expense
OF Q) cataloguing books and 90 of manifOlding
the catalogue entries.
In addition it is % a legislative library for
congress- (2) the main reference library, for the
executive departments and bureaus; 60 the law
library of the Supreme court; az the copyright
office of the United States; and (5) the national
library to give a special service foe the entire
country.
Its reference readers number as many as those
IN the British Museum. the BbllOtheque Ma
uonale; but the facilities accorded tnem for ex-
ample of direct access to the she9es surpass
those of any other considerable reference library
whatever. Unlike the Bibliotheque Rationale and
British Museum which close at shutdown, the Ma
rional Library is open till ten o'clock every eve
ming, and on Sundays from two until ten
It's building is in cubic area 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 %fZU,UOU per annliln. Against
this receipts, copyright fee, ana proceeds OF
sales of the printed cards. totaling about $780,
600, so that the net outlay for the library is
about $4,000 per dnnum. In addition, there is.
however, the expense for printing and binding
for which the annual allotment has teen about
100000. The amount annually spent for books
and other material for collections is about $685.
O00 This barely sufices for the ordinary mate
rial.
The Library is pre-emnent in these respects:
Public (offcial) 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 Unexpectedly groups, for example: Rus
sia the Yudin collection, $4,000 volumes perhaps
the most thorough outside Of Russia China ons
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-lt 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 or written as here.
It's collection of prints developed 4n its recent
side by copyright. 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 1T may not be
knUwn 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 fO1nd in any
center in all the world. I,want TO emphasize that
1t is absolutely true. These scholars
are associated with the various governmental de-
each of which has special library facil-
ity 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
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 once give this capttl the
first rank of all capitals the worlds greatest
center-a mecca TO which the scholars
Of the future will come to add to the sun total
IF knowledge. This contamination Is easily with
In our reach"