Evening star., 1937-11-06

consulting architect, have achieved
architectural dignity both within and
without, despite the fact that eff
cheney plans have necesSitated con-
struction that it may be said that,
when completed, there will be perhaps
no building not connected with in
dustry which is more completely
mechanized.
Built to accommodate about 10000
00G volumes, double the capacity of the
main building, the annex will be
essentially a solid mass of shelving
encircled with work spaces. Mechan-
ical provisions for efficient and speedy
dispensing and returning of books to
and from shelves, and for altering the
stacks to suit changing needs, lend
themselves well to that fascinating
parcel of stories which today's practical
science has to tell.
ROOK carriers, unique in design and
operation, will solve the problem
of the general public as far as location
of books is concerned. The public
will still use the main reading room
of the present building. Pneumatic
carriers for call slips and books will
transport materials between the two
buildings and through the buildings
themselves.
At present books are secured by
messengers. When the annex is open
and the proper mechanism has been
installed a control room will be set
up underneath the main reading room
In the main building. 1t will become
the terminus for the pneumatic carrier
to the annex, and other mechanical
carriers and pneumatic tubes which
might disturb the quiet of the reading
room. Materials will be supplied to
the reading room by silent continuous
conveyor, and there will be a. tube
for the exchange of call slips and
messages.
To appreciate the service which will
De provided when the annex facilities
are In operation it becomes necessary
to examine the structure of this FIVE
story building. The whole central
core of the building below the fifth
floor is constructed OF bookstacks,
IL tiers of them, from the cellar to
the fourth floor. Together they pro-
vide about 20 acres of floor space.
A corridor through the center of each
stackroom divides it into a north and
south deck, and facing each other across
this corridor are the entrances to the
control rooms for each desk. From
these control rooms centers the activity
Of the attendants. The arrangement
Of the rooms themselves allows one
person to oversee the work of the two
rooms when necessary. There are "a
decks, each with capacity of more
than 100000 books.
In the control rooms will be the deck
catalogue, access to two automatic ele-
vators, to the book carrier, the news
paper lift, and the pneumatic tubes
through which calls for books are
received. Shelves will be provided for
sorting returned books. There will be
. work shelf and room for numerous
book trucks.
ONCE the proper deck assistant has
received your call slip through
. pneumatic tube and has located your
book, he will dispatch it to the proper
annex reading room, or to the main
control room, If 1t is to go to the
main building, by means of q book
carrier. These book carriers may
accommodate from one to ten volumes
and are intended not only for the
dispatch of books needed in the read
ing and study rooms Of the annex and
the main building but also for the
return of books which have been in
use, and for the transfer, when neces-
sary, of large bodies of books from
one point to another On the mechan-
ical carriers the books are sent in an
upright position, just as they stand on
the shelves. When book is placed
on the carrier its destination u de-