Evening star., 1939-01-08
$350,0O0 Sought
To Start Work on
Central Library
Budget Bureau Asked to
Urge Appropriation
For First Unit

Inc commissioners nave asked
the Budget Bureau to recommend to
Congress that $3.50 900 Of the unex-
pended balance of an appropria-
ton of $500. 900 ip the current bud
get for the Municipal Center be re-
appropriated to begin construction
of the first unit of the new central
library building, it was learned yes
terday.
In transmitting the request to
Acting Director of the Budget Dan
iel w. Bell, the Commissioners en-
phasized that the present head
quarters of the Free Public Library
at Seventh and K streets NV. has
long since proved to be definitely in
adequate for public service or for
administration of the library sys-
tenn"
The $500, 900 appropriation was in
cluded in the 1889 supply bill for be-
ginning construction of part Of the
Municipal Center development, but
1t now will not be used for that pur-
pose because of the allotments made
for the Municipal Center under the
Districts $18,l50,000 P. w. A. pro-
gram.
Location Designated.
The projected new central library
structure would be located in square
491 of the original Municipal Center
site, now owned by the District and
already designated by Congress as
tho 1nNo finvS fNr thu 6s,i1I;v,rr
The site Is at John Marshall place
and Pennsylvania avenue NV, be-
tween the Ford Building and the
National Guard Armory.
The Commissioners requested au-
thoriZation to enter into contracts
for construction Of the first unit,
the total cost of which would not
exceed 100000, including the cost
Of improvement of the grounds, fur
niture and equipment.
In their letter of transmittal, the
Commissioners asked the Budget
Bureau for early and favorable con-
sideration and urged that the re-
appropriation be included in the first
deficiency appropriation bill.
In justification of this new re-
quest, the Commissioners pointed
out to budget officials that the Board
of Library Trustees has urged a
new central library building for more
than 10 years.
The Commissioners letter of
transmittal was accompanied by a
memorandum which listed the fol-
lowing reasons for the need for a
new central building:
l. The present structure is neither
convenient nor accessible to parking
facilities.
2. 1t is physically inadequate for
service to 5000 persons, the daily
average attendance, because the
entrance Is small, the lobby is so
congested at rush hours, there are
no reading rooms where several sub
jects in active demand can be
studied, more than half of the book
collection is shelved in stacks too
narrow to permit access to readers:
there are no meeting rooms nox an
auditorium; there are no checkrooms
or public toilets and because the
working space for the extension di-
vision is poorly arranged and over
crowded.
3. The departments which pur-
chase. catalogue and repair books
are housed in congested quarters
more than mile away, resulting In
serious handicaps for consultations
Of the staff and the records needed
In the public service, and involving
transportation of thousands of
books.
Added Burdens.
The Commissioners emphasized
that the administration of additional
branch libraries is impossible until
new main library is available.
Every new branch library means
from Is to 80 per cent new busi-
ness" necessitating sending books
from the main library, they said.
In addition, the purchase, catalog-
ing and rebinding of each new
branch's books throws added bur-
dens on the central library, thus
requiring more space and more staff.
Additional branches therefore do
not relieve the pressure for central
library space, but progressively in
crease it," the memorandum de-
clared.
The Commissioners said the Ii
brary Of Congress relieves the Pub
lie Library of advanced research
use by Congressmen and scholars,
and that 1t cannot and should not
meet the usual library needs Of the
citizens Of washington.