Evening star., 1935-10-13
By Marguerite Drennen.


Aonal Library-a masterpiece
u of architectural beauty and
modern engineering which houses five
million volumes, innumerable memen-
tos and treasures, priceless originals
and the sacred documents that found
ed the Nation-the Declaration of In
dependence and the Constitution
permanently preserved in America S
Shrine of Liberty"
Through this portal of knowledge
an average Of 5000 visitors pass dali
ly-coming from hither and yon and
going nobody knows where-free to
wander through the galleries at will.
Courteous and watchful guards, as
they direct the strangers to exhibits or
answer their questions, seem as much
part of the institution as the friend
ly walls-nviting, not repelling, free
dom. As the stream of humanity
moves on, day after day, bearing its
highlights Of human interest, stories
of interesting personalities and Incl
dents remain with the guards like
memories that cling to mellowed mar
BILE and entwine in colorful mosaicS-
the echoing walls of a pageant of ma
tions.
Some come to learn, some to see,
others come merely to be able to say
they've been there. Whatever their mo-
tives, they enter with reverence and
conduct themselves with decorum-
seeming ever to wonder at the abb
sence of customary restrictions. What
regulating force impels this variegated
procession to conduct itself so deco
rously?
Blythe buildings clever construction,
for one explanation. the points of in
terest can be seen without disturbing
the readers. Visitors readily find their
own way about. Guides from outside
are not permitted to function inside
the library. but organizations are pro-
vided with trained guides by the
librarian, upon request, as are inter-
prefers who speak all the living
languages. One door, however the
sightseeing public may not enter, for
the quiet of the reading room is kept
inviolate. Although an arresting sign
at the entrance warns For Readers
Only" an alert guard is kept con-
stantly vigilant.
People don't believe in signs-they
believe in finishing what they've
started" explains Special Police Off
Ger Joe Bazata. now on the door, and
who turned the bronze key on the
day of the opening. when the metal
was new and cleaning. Seldom does
he err as he clicks off each reader
and diverts the visitor with a courte-
GUS word-"You have an excellent
view from the visitors gallery-youll
find the elevator on the left"
THERE was the woman from Iowa,
who thought the country had gone
wrong because the library could not
furnish recipe for the piece of lemon
pie she had eaten for lunch in a
downtown restaurant. And then
there were the two sisters. around 60
who stopped to inquire of Guard Ba-
zata. He relates: "One of them told
me right up and down-'We've just
arrived here in America from England.
They were carried away with the
beauty of the place and had caught a
glimpse of the reading room as they
approached the door.
".Will I be able to get into this
room?' she asked doubtfully.
1--WE make exceptions sometimes,
and you're just over from England
Now, if there is some book you'd like
to read
"'Oh, I'd love to read a book-and
know the title and the author
Imagine our being able to go inl Sis
ter, isn't it just too marvelous?'
IF you know the title and the au-
thor, it will be easy for you to fill out
this call Slip
"'Call slip?-and what is a call
slip?'
I will call an assistant who will
gladly go with you and show you just
what to do. He will take you first to
the index where you will find the call
number of your book. Then he will
olAOW yOu w oSdLS, "IIlS Lille seal IIuIIl-
Der on the slip and in 10 minutes your
book will be there
but you have millions of books
How can you find mine so soon?'
"'At the central deeis is a system oi
pneumatic carriers. The man at the
desk will know from the call number
exactly to which station in the vast
store rooms to direct the carrier. The
! man who receives it, somewhere among
the shelves, knows exactly where that
book rests in his department He gets
it at once, lays it on the station plate
where the endless chain of grill bas-
kets continuously passes. He signals
the route the book is to automatically
take. When an empty grill goes by,
the book automatically slides in-this
slip is automatically replaced in your
book-the book is carried over the
proper route to the central desk-the