Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09


in America is generally known. But
that more books are probably written
in the Library of Congress than any
other one building in America is not generally
realized On stopping to think it Is easy 10
see why this is true. A large part OF the ma
t4eTjal in books is based -on material taken rom
other books, pamphlets or manuscripts with
nearly 1000, 600 items, including about 30oO,-
600 volumes of books, the Library of Congress
possesses the most valuable depository OF source
material for authors in America. For ac-
euracy even fiction writers often refer to It's
collection. And historians scientists genealo-
gists, biographers. candidates for advanced ce-
grees and the general advanced research stu
dent regard the library a photographer
paradise.
How to make easily available to the writer's
and more serious investigators this huge mass
of material is the problem which DR.. Putnam,
for the past 80 years Librarian OF Congress and
his associates have within the past four years
taken steps to solve. Something more tnan
an unexcelled physical plant housing superb
collection Of books, expert stan, an appara-
tsls Of advanced scientific methods was needles
The best card reference system, the highly
trained corps of professional librarians the
bTiFe central reading room did not Sufnce
The card index system often failed 10 last All
possible references, especially "fugitiFe ones
that the Investigators were seeking; STAN mem
beers with their manifold routine duties could
not be expccted to be conversant with the
wide variety Of knowledge contained on the
inside Of the books; the reading room did not
furnish the solitade and quiet demanded BY tine
scholars.
WITHIN the past four years PLANS have been
put into operation TO overcome this lAek q
Quiet nooks and lack of Interpretation, which
had been 80 keenly felt. A group Of expert
consultants in the various branches Of learn
ing have been assembled at the Library TO
atd the hundreds Of seekers after truth. Schol-
airs now have ct their command 81 ssady
rooms and 100 study tables where necessary
auietness and solitude rule A. . result, more
ana perhaps better books are being written
In the Library and more scholarly work -
being done than ever before.
An example Of how the two plans aid the
scholar might be given. person desires 70
write . History Of Balloons IN france,
gather his mEterial. The best place m
this country would be the Library Of Con-
gFess. The writer would put IN an APP
pncataon for the use Of = study room; - soon
as oaae was available, IL would be assigned TO
him. Assignment Of the study rooms Is based
upon "(a) the importance Of the work not
merely TO the investigator personally bat In re-
Iat3on to the public interest; and "(bl . need
substantially continuous as against one merely
occasional" Obt&ining the study room, the
writer wDuld find himself the occupant Of glass
enclosed space. equipped with electric fans. desk.
outside ventilation, space both for himself and
aoenographer typewrtterS, to be supplied by
the investigator; lamps and book space. He
would have use Of the study room from . Am.
10 10 pm. week days and on Sundays from
70 10 pm, excepting the Fourth Of July
and Christmas day. He would find nearby 8
se00- volume reference library. He would be
allowed to occupy the study room a. long -
he found 1t necessary TO refer to the Library Of
Congress for material the usual time Of oc-
cupancy is three four months-l8 months Is
the record
His source material would be found in the
Division Of Aer0nautics which Is directed by
DR. Albert Francis zahm and supported with
4I4O, coo grant by the Daniel Guggenheim
Fund for the Promotion Of Aeronautics. Prior
10 1923 when the Guggenheim Fund was re-
ceived, the Library had not endeavored TO
secure an extraordinary collection Of aero
nautical literature nor to provide specialists
to facilitate the public's use of the linnit~
material on hand" Since then, under the
direction Of its chief DR.. Zahm, the Division
Of Aeronautics has assembled probably the
richest collection, consisting Of more than
10000 volumes and pamphlets of aeronatical
literature in the country. Most OF the books IN
America on The History, Of Balloons IN
France would be found in the Division O.
AeroDautics.
\ nearly as valuable AS the books would be
IN the expert advice he could obtain from
Or zahm. DR.. zahm possesses technical prac-
teal and literary qualifications that few aero
nautical experts can boast Of. He is graduate
of the University of Eotre Dame, with M A.
and M. S. degrees from that institution and
has q Mechanical Engineering degree from
Cornell and PHI D. from johns Hopkins. He
was professor Of mathematics at Notre Dame
Sr@ Tess to 1883, and professor Of mathe-
nnatics and mechanics, iSsS to 1897. Or.
2ahm WAS q professor at Catholic University
during 1907 and 1908. He has been the director