Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-10
More Adequate and Much
Needed Quarters Are Prov
vided for Institution.
DR.. PUTNAM DESCRIBES
PROGRESS IN REPORT
Additions to Collections and En-.
dowment of New Chairs Are
Reviewed by Director.


half of land to the east of the present
Library of Congress Building for con-
struction of an annex, to the north of
which Is another half square upon
which Henry c. Folger is erecting a
monumental building for his great COL
lection of Shakespeareana, and with adj
dition of four floors at the top of the
east and southeast stacks now under
construction, the Library of Congress
is being provided with more adequate
and much needed quarters.
Gifts of money amounting to nearly
100000, acceSSions of 10000 books and
more generous governmental appropria-
tionS for the various collections and
service have made the year Just closing
a record-breaking one for the national
library, as is shown in the annual report
of DR.. Herbert Putnam, submitted to
Congress today.
The additional floors now under con-
Struction will add 35 ,088 square feet of
floor space and 22.259 linear feet to the
shelf spaces, bringing the total shelving
in the building up to 1922 miles. It
will provide rs additional study rooms
and two conference rooms.
The Library of Congress now has
larger holdings in the various collec-
tions than any other library in the
world, save perhaps only the Biblio-
1907 800 printed books, 1,117,200 maps,
1,045 400 pieces Of music, 495, 900 prints
and countless manuscripts.
Wilbur Left Library 100000.
Among the contributions enlarging
the resources Of the Library for mate
rial or service beyond the scope of
appropriations alone, the first men
toned is an additional endowment
100000 to the Library trust fund
board-from the estate of the late
James B. Wilbur, who died on April %.
He was, from its beginning, a member
of the board, suggestion Of his as to
the desirability of such an agency being
influential in its creation five years ago.
He gave the first endowment ($100,000).
His interest in the library as a national
center Of historical studies also led him
to provide contingently for delivery to
the board of still other funds in case
the remainder man." the University OF
Vermont, fails to limit its student body
to 1000 students in any one year.
To the vacancy on the trust fund
board. the President, in August, APP
pointed Mrs. Eugene Meyer Of Washing
ton.
The report deals, as usual, with no.
table acceSsionS of books, manuscripts.
maps and music, including gifts from
Edward S. Hardness of two collections
of original manuscripts relating to the
conquest of Mexico and Peru by Cor
teZ and Pizarro.
It deals in detail with the operations
under the Rockefeller grants of $4,000
for this year, in particular with the re-
markable activities of the director Of
the European mission, DR.. Samuel F.
Bemis, who this year added to the col
lections 100000 facsimiles Of important
original historical documents in Euro
pean archives relating to American his
tory. DR.. Worthington c. Ford, for 20
years editor of the Massachusetts, His
torical Society, now succeeds DR.. Bemis
in direction of the project.
The report notes gift OF $4,000
from a member of the trust fund board
toward the purchase of notable Chi
nese collection of 1876 900 volumes. in the
first rank of those outside of China and
A beouest of $4,000 from the late
Oscar G. Sonneck, for Is years chief OF
the division of music, an endowment in
his memory from the Beethoven Asso-
citation of New York, and gifts from the
newly organized Friends of Music in
the Library of Congress" are noted.
New Chair Is Endowed.
There also is reported the gift of
$4,000 from the Daniel Guggenheim
Fund for the Promotion OF Aeronau-
tics" to endow a chair in that subject
and to provide literally for the imme-
date acquisition of books. This Is the
Library's fifth endowed chair. the
others being music, American history,
the fine arts, and one still to be named,
The chair of the fine arts. established
in 1927 by the Carnegie Corporation,
was filled in September by appointment
of DR.. Leicester B. Holland OF Phila-
delphia. specialist in architecture and
classical archaeology.
These chairs are in each case based
on an endowment fund which enables
an honorarium, in addition to the
Government stipend, to be paid to the
chief of an existing division of the
Library, having considerable admins
tratiye duties in the service of col
lection of material and directing a sub
ordinate staff. The resulting total COM
nensation assures for the position a
competent specialist with the qualifica-
tions of a professor in a university.
Distinct from these holders Of chairs
and from the regular technical staff of
library experts, there occurred the idea,
unite new in libraries, of employment
of group of specialists who, without
administrative responsibility, might
render to the Library valuable aid in
developing the collections, and to the
nublic expert aid in the use of them.
The general education board has pro-
yided a pioneer fund of $4,000 for a
demonstration of this plan during a
brief period. Should the demonstra-
ton prove successful, it is hoped that
Substantial and permanent funds for
its continuance will be provided. DR..
Putnam states that, considering the
departments Of literature in which such
SPECIALISTS could render service, IS such
consultants should be the minimum.
The nioneer fund now provides for six
The plan, foreshadowed in last years
report. contemplates the employment
for this interpretative service Of schol-
ars of high repute, including men who
are ready to hand over to their young
er colleagues the active conduct of an
academic position, but who still retain
their accumulated experience, knoWl-
edge and understanding OF Cher spe-