Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-01-30
A CENTER RAplATlNo
LIGHT AND LEARNING
When It's New Building Is Completed
the Free Library VIII Be Better
Euulpped 70 Serve the People

TO OcTVo NHG FSOPlC
A FTER more than twenty years of talk
n about it, an adequate building for hous-
ing the main collections Of the Free Library
is now moral certainty. The foundations
for the new structure on the Parkway at
Nineteenth and Vine streets we're completed
few weeks ago, and the Department OF
Public Works and the trustees Of the
library have just ordered that bids for
the supersIructurc be solicited. Thcy will
be opened on February 81. The bidders
must agree to have the building completed
within one year Of the date Of the award
Of the contract
The plans call for dlgniicd structure
in the French style. built Of limestone and
granite. so that It may be Il suitable orna I.
ment to the Parkway, on which there is to
be erected a series Of monumental public
aud semi public buildings. 1t will set the
pattern for the others. When the Parkway
from the City Hall TO the Art Museum is
lined with the projected buildings this city
will have Il thoroughfare uneQualed in
beauty and distinction by anything else in
all America.
1t is well to remind ourselves Of this once
IN n while, for the habit of knocking Phila-
delphia for its lack Of progrcssiVencss is
altogether too common. Years we're de-
voted TO discussion Of the Parkway prof.
oct. It is true, but the time was not wasted.
It has served to convince every one of its
wisdom, and today thcre is no one of i'm
portance who is not heartily in favor of
carrying out the program for making the
Parkway from the center Of the city to the
entrance 10 Fairmount Park an avenue
worthy Of the dignity OF n great metropolis
interested in all those finer things that dis
tinguish civilized from an uncivilized
community
But this new library building on which
work is TO begin in the spring IS significant
not alone as an architectural monument on
thoroughfare devoted to such structures.
1t is helated recognition of the important
place which the Free Library has come to
occupy in the life Of the community.
IT is one of the youngest libraries here.
The first public library in America was
founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1881,
but it was not free. Other subscription
Libraries were opened after the Franklin
library, but II was not until 1891 that the
library for which the new building is to be
erected received q charter. and II was not
until three years later that it began the
circulation OF books from three rooms set
apart for It's use in the City Hall. In 1895
it was moved to 1917 Chestnut street. and
in 1910 ii took IN it's quarters at Thirteenth
long been outgrown. There are now more
than GOO,O volumes on It's shelves. II has
twenty eight branches in different parts of
the city, all but one Of them in a building
Of its own. and it has funds with which TO
erect other branch buildings as they are
needed
And what is Of much more Importance.
its records show that its collection Of books
is used By the people Of the city. Last
year nearly 1000. 900 books were taken out
for home reading. or an average Of more
than $4,000 4 day. OF these books more
than 100000 were non fiction. such as
history, biography, science, religion, philos-
ophy, travel and art. This !s an average
of about one and half serious books n
year for every adult in the city. In view
of these figures. it cannot be argued that
this IS not reading community interested
in something more than that mental re-
Taxation that comes from novels
There are 21G,TH2 persons who now hold
reading cards that permit them To take
books home with them. The cards run for
three years. During 1921. S2.440 new
reading cards were issued. This is II 900
more than we're issued in 1920. This pro-
gressire demand on the facilities of the
library is due 70 the growing appreciation
OF the opportunities that it offers The
record or the number OF books withdrawn
shows only part OF the service OF the
library TO the community, for thousands Of
persons consult books in the reading rooms.
The number asked for last year for such
use was ",330, 900. without taking into
account the tens of thousands Of volumes
consulted on I'll" open shelves Of which there
can be no record
The completion Of the now building will
certainly be followed by n great increase in
the usefulness Of the library. The build
ing will be large enough to accommodate tho
readers, many Of whom now find it difficult
If not impossible to get a chair in the read
ing rooms or to find table vacant on which
TO rest the books they wish TO consult.
This library is one Of the most useful
educational institutions in the city. II sup
plements the work of the schools and it
carries light and learning into tens Of
thousands Of homes
THE SENATE'S COAL REPORT