went on, and to-day the number of books is not far short of 100,000. In 1881 a free readingroom in connection with the library was opened.

A few years later, when it was desired to make the library free to the public, Dr. Rice made earnest and successful efforts to insure the growth of the reference department by securing endowments for that purpose -amounting now to $60,000, with as much more not yet realized. As a token of his deep interest in the subject, he himself left a legacy of $5000 to the theological department. What was then a new departure in library organization was also effected, by which the management of the library was vested in the directors of the City Library Association, who, as an incorporated association, held the property; while the city government was represented on this board exofficio by the mayor, president of the common council, and superintendent of schools. The city government appropriates a certain sum annually for library expenses, and endowment funds, life-membership fees, etc., add to the income. The library was made free in 1885. In 1886 a new step in the line of progress was taken when the use of teachers' cards was introduced, and the special use of books by students in the schools was encouraged.

When one of our citizens generously proposed bequeathing to the city or the library association his fine art collection, Dr. Rice co-operated with him most fully in rousing public interest. Through their efforts, aided by others of the directors, an art building or museum worthy of the collection has been erected at a cost of $125,000, entirely by subscription and bequest. At the annual meeting of the City Library Association in 1892, Dr. Rice was honored by an unanimous resolution to christen the new art building with his name. This he absolutely declined, and the resolution was withdrawn, to be replaced by another: "That the present library building of the City Library Association shall be known henceforth as the William Rice building, in honor of the man whose devotion to the city and the institution inspired its erection, and whose service has filled it with treasures of knowledge and wisdom for the free use of all the people." The art building was completed in 1895, and is opened to the public on every afternoon for free use.

He

It was in his personal influence that Dr. Rice was most distinguished and successful. held to the fullest degree the confidence of his fellow-townsmen, and knowing that his work was done from the highest motives and desire to benefit the city, they were always willing to listen to his suggestions and fall in with his views. His wide range of reading, liberal views, cultivated tastes, and sound judgment eminently fitted him to be not only librarian of our library, but the leader and guide of the people in what has been well called "the people's university." It is mainly to his unwearied devotion and labors that the Springfield Library has attained so high rank among the libraries of the country. And now he rests from his labors, but his works do follow him and shall perpetuate his memory. MARY MEDlicott.

AFFAIRS AT THE CONGRESSIONAL
LIBRARY.

WITH the first of September the great work of removing the contents of the Congressional Library from the old building to the new was begun with energy. The old library was closed to the public and the process of removal was undertaken by the entire force under the general supervision of Mr. Young, Mr. Spofford, and Mr. Green. It is estimated that about six weeks will be required for the work, but the library will be settled and comparatively at home in its magnificent new building some time before Congress assembles. A feature of the removal is the use of "chutes," down which the boxes of books slide from the upper stacks and galleries to the ground. These chutes are simply long plank troughs, which are placed to span the distance between the high galleries and the floor of the old building and between the top and bottom of the main outside staircase on the east front of the capitol facing the new library building. To fit in these chutes 60 or 70 boxes have been constructed, of a size permitting one shelfful of books to be laid in each neatly and without disarrangement. The books are then placed, by shelf loads, in the boxes, each load being previously labelled to denote the exact place it is to occupy in the new building. The boxes are placed in the first chute, slid over the well-soaped planks to the floor, then carried by porters to the outer chute, slid down that, caught by other laborers, and loaded into express wagons carrying from 18 to 20 boxes each. A watchman accompanies each cartload of books.

Arrived at the new building, each boxful of books is subjected to a cleansing process devised by Mr. Green, who has utilized for the purpose the great pneumatic air-tank installed in the basement of the new building for the automatic pneumatic tunnel service between the library and the capitol. A long hose, with a nozzle like that of a watering-pot, has been connected with the air-tank. This nozzle is turned on the books and the stop-cock is opened, sending a hard blast of air against all the exposed surfaces of the books, and raising clouds of dust, even from volumes supposed to have been previously cleansed. So far the only insect discovered in the work of removal has been the cockroach, which does not injure the old books, but is attracted by the paste on the new. The books, after this thorough dusting, are placed in the new stacks according to the shelf-location directions previously prepared. The work of writing and pasting shelf-number labels for the individual books is also in process, and occupies a special force of assistants. During the removal from 20 to 60 extra temporary workers are employed. The new library will be open for inspection throughout the work, only the stacks and the special collection rooms being closed to the public.

When the library is thoroughly established in the new building it is planned to widely extend and improve many of its departments, and to bring it more closely in touch with public needs than it has ever been. The art department, lo

cated in the special quarters designed for it in what is known as the "south curtain," on the first floor, will be made specially attractive by permanent exhibits of prints, engravings, and photographs; the music department will be rearranged to permit the fullest use practicable; and in the department of maps and charts the fine collections long buried for lack of space in the crypts of the capitol will be arranged for ready consultation, and the rarest and most notable specimens will be displayed as an historical and geographical exhibit. A department for the blind will be established in the Pompeiian room on the first floor. In it will be collected the large accumulation of books, papers and music in raised print, crowded out of sight in the old building. This will be increased by all possible means, a catalog will be printed in raised letters, and the department, which will be in charge of a qualified attendant, will be made as comprehensive and available as possible to meet the needs of its special readers. It is also probable that the hours of opening of the library will be extended to 10 o'clock at night during the next session of Congress.

room.

interest.

THE CHILDREN'S ROOM.

THE Examining Committee of the Boston brary, make some interesting suggestions for Public Library, in the 45th report of that liincreasing the attractiveness of the children's "In no part of the library," they say, "is it so necessary that there should be active life large table should be loaded with books, maps, and variety. It would be practicable that a and pictures, illustrative of subjects of current Children learn more quickly than adults from suggestion, and no device should be neglected to lead them early into the delights novels spare no pains to attract children, and, of substantial reading. The cheap papers and unless the library is prepared to cope with these many boys and girls at the most impressionable foes of good taste, it will lose its hold upon age. Especially is it advisable that books with many pictures should be ready to the hand of children. Many a book which seems to an adult over the head of a 12-year-old boy will be found intensely interesting to him when he has once been beguiled by illustrations into beginning it. For example, books on Cuba, or on Constantinople, or on modern Athens, might well be laid within reach of the children at slightly injured by the use made of them, they the present moment, and, even if they were would be doing service of a sort to make good citizens.

"WHY THERE WAS NO STRIKE." AT the London International Library Conference the Public Library of Butte, Mont., was represented by Rev. de Putron Glidden, a member of the board of trustees. In the Anaconda (Mont.) Standard of July 29, Mr. Glidden gives at some length his impressions of the conference and relates the following incident, which was, indeed, one of the most striking that occurred during the convention: "The Butte delegate had listened to a debate on classification, and how to do it, and in the course of his remarks, spoke of the Butte Public Library and its excellent librarian. The speaker mentioned an incident which happened in Butte some time ago, when there was a talk about a strike being possible. He was going up Broadway at night and met a miner whom he knew, and asked him whether there was to be a strike, and whether the men were likely to be led astray by bad leadership. His sidewalk companion spoke about the matter for awhile, and then they came in sight of the northeast corner of the public library, and the miner said to him: No, I don't think the boys will be badly led away. They have learned to think a bit, and they learned lots of it there' (pointing to the library). Again and again this story has been referred to, and our library and librarian will not be forgotten by many of the delegates."

States should be hung in a conspicuous place in the room.

44

'Fifteen-minute talks on books, given by men and women who know how to talk about literature, would be an invaluable adjunct to the work of the children's room, and would certainly attract even more children to the library on Saturdays."

A COURSE IN BIBLIOLOGY IN DARTMOUTH COLLEGE.

THIS Course was a junior elective of 30 hours, and was conducted on the plan of securing the largest amount of actual handling of books. After a few preliminary exercises devoted to showing the place of the subject in a college course and securing familiarity with bibliographical apparatus and library methods, a week was given to each of several distinct subjects, with one lecture, one quiz, and the rest of the time given to reports presented in writing. Each member of the division was assigned to some special phase of the general subject, so that no two did the same work, but all had the benefit of the work of the others. The first week was given to leading books on important subjects, each report calling for a selected list of books, with careful estimates and quotations from standard reviews.

The next week was devoted to great periodicals, requiring sketches of leading reviews, magazines, and papers, with their editors, their more important contributors, the permanent

literature that first appeared in them, their literary and political influence, etc.

The next week was spent upon the publications of learned societies, like the Smithsonian, state historical societies, etc.

The fourth week was given a wider range, taking up the work of the leaders of the Renaissance, the literary monks, the part taken by the monasteries, the early universities, the early printers of Venice, Paris, Holland, and Germany, great critics, and special collections. At the close of the course each student read a carefully-prepared thesis upon such topics as the relation of the library to popular intelligence, the library movement, bibliophilism as an accomplishment, etc.

by) and the stack-room are glass. From the delivery-desk, therefore, the assistants in charge will command a view of the entire floor. This is the distinctive feature of these plans. Heretofore, where the public has had free access to the shelves, it has been necessary either to dispense with this complete supervision and arrange the stacks in the ordinary way, or secure such supervision by shelving only the walls of the room, thus sacrificing shelf capacity. In the Lawrenceville branch plans every person on the first floor can be seen from the central desk without any special effort on the part of the assistants.

THE LAWRENCEVILLE BRANCH OF THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH.

As is well known, Mr. Andrew Carnegie gave $1,100,000 to the city of Pittsburgh for a free public library, with branches. The main building (including an art gallery, a museum, and a music hall) was erected at a cost of about $800,000, and opened to the public in November, 1895. The remaining $300,000 was to be used to purchase ground and erect buildings for branch libraries. Since the city is cut up into separate districts by high hills and the Monongahela River, the board of trustees decided that seven branches would be required to satisfy the needs of the people. Sites have been chosen and the ground secured for six of these; and the plans for one, the Lawrenceville branch, have been prepared and approved, and the building is now in process of erection.

In the preparation of these plans, which are here reproduced, the problem was not only to provide for a stack-room with a capacity of 20,000 volumes, a delivery-desk, a general reading-room, and a children's room on one floor, and on a lot 90 feet front by 80 feet deep; it was further required that every part of this floor should be visible from the delivery-desk, in case it should be decided to give the public free access to the shelves. It should be stated, also, that not the whole of this 90 by 80 feet was available for building, because the lot was situated on the side of a hill with the high ground in the rear. So it was necessary to sacrifice some floor space in order to secure sufficient light.

The plans will show how the requirements have been met. The general reading-room and the children's room are on either side of the lobby reached by the main entrance. The circular delivery-desk is in the midst of things. Back of it is a semicircular stack-room, with the centre of the semicircle coinciding with the centre of the delivery-desk. The 10 bookstacks are radii of this semicircle; and the partitions separating the general reading-room and children's room from the delivery-room (or lob

in this case), will be closed, and entrance to the stack-room will be through the turnstile F, which works in only one direction, and thence to the reading-rooms through doors A and B. The exit from all parts is through the turnstile E, which also works in only one direction. By making it necessary for every one to pass out by the delivery-desk through this turnstile, the temptation to carry a book away without having it charged is reduced to a minimum, especially since no one can feel sure that he has escaped observation at any time during his visit. Either of the turnstiles would register automatically the total attendance. If, as is probable, the openshelf system is adopted, what is called a children's reading-room in the plans will become a children's department, with all the juvenile books on shelves around the walls.

If it should be decided to abandon the openshelf system it would only be necessary to open the doors C and D, close the doors A and B, and substitute for the circular desk and turnstiles a desk of the form indicated by the dotted lines back of the circular desk in the first-floor plans.

The 10 stacks in the stack-room alone will have a capacity of about 25,000 volumes, which may be doubled by superimposing 10 more stacks of the same size and connecting them with balconies. The capacity of the wall shelving in the children's room will be about 4000 volumes, with a like capacity in the general reading-room, very little of which will ever be needed. The total shelf capacity of the first floor, therefore, will be about 33,000 volumes, which may be increased to 58,000 by adding another story to the stacks.

The basement will contain a newspaper-room, if one should be needed, a work-room for unpacking, repairing, etc., a boiler-room, and an auditorium for university extension and other popular educational lectures.

Since the Lawrenceville branch is merely the first of seven branches which will complete the Pittsburgh system, and since the plans for some of the others are now being prepared, the trustees would be glad to have the benefit of criticisms and suggestions from librarians and others with reference to the plans printed and described herewith. Such criticisms and suggestions will be gratefully acknowledged, if addressed to E. H. Anderson, Librarian, Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh, Pa.