STUDIES ON MUSEUMS AND KINDRED INSTITUTIONS. 857 



iiio'the inclination of the Americans towanl <;reatness, it need scarcely 

 be said that the new buildini^" has been planned on a corresponding- scale. 

 It is about 350 feet long, 250 feet wide, 6^ feet high in front, 98 feet 

 in the rear (that is, about the size of the (lei'iuan Reichstag ])uilding), 

 with two open courts, each 81 feet square. It consists of three stories 

 and a basement, connected with one another by elevators and stairs. 

 It is tireproof throughout. This library differs from many others in 

 not having the main reading room situated centrally in a loft}', 

 spacious hall, as is generally the case, but in the back part of the 

 topmost story, occupying, in several sections, almost the entire length 

 of the building." It is also noteworthy })y having the iron book- 

 stacks, seven stories high, located imder this main reading room, 

 beginning in the basement. They are 270 feet long, 72 feet wide, 

 and altogether 53 feet high, afl'ording space for 1,250,000 volumes, 

 while another quarter of a million can be provided for elsewhere. 

 The deliver}^ desk for these is located in the middle of the main 

 reading rooms, connected with the underhung bookstacks by means 

 of book lifts. The rooms for lending books outside of the building- 

 are situated in one of the courts in the basement and groimd floor. 

 A possible extension of the library to a capacit}' for 5,000,000 volumes 

 is provided for by the park hang behind the building. There will be 

 about 800 seats in the main reading room, besides a))out six special 

 study rooms in the third story and seats in the special libraries (Gov- 

 ernment publications. Oriental literature, sociology and political econ- 

 omy, mathematics, i:)hysics, chemistry, maps, music, Bibles). There is 

 also a reading room for children and a newspaper and periodical room 

 in the second stoiy. The whole manuscript section is as a safe for 

 itself. The power plant will be located outside of the building. The 

 other details may be seen in the ground plans. 



The land, buildings, and books of the united libraries are worth 

 about $3,600,000. There is, besides, an invested fund of $3,000,000, 

 yielding $125,000 interest, seven-eighths of which is applied to 

 administrative purposes. After the completion of the new building, 

 however, ample provision will be made by the city for running 

 expenses.'' 



There can })e no doubt that the New York Public Lil)rary, under the 

 administration of Dr. John S. Bilhngs, who has been director since 

 ISIM), will become a model institution, and, supported by the liberality 

 of the rich New Yorkers, it will be a magnificent ornament to the 

 great city. 



«This is also the case in the Chicago Public Library. 



^ Since Mr. Carnegie has, in 1901, presented $5,200,000 for 65 branch libraries in 

 New York, the task of the {)nblic library has been enornionsly increased, as they are 

 all to be under the administration of the New York Public Library. Already, in 

 1902, 2,000,000 hooks were in circulation for home use from 17 branch lilnaries. 



