248 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



and plain and manifestly adapted to the purpose for which it is 

 designed, it can not well escape the attributes of dignity, and, 

 to the reasoning observer, of beauty. The magnificent pile, to 

 which architect and trustee can point the casual passer-by with 

 pride, which may awe the taxpayer into forgetfulness of the con- 

 tractor's bills, this has no excuse. It comes, and it promises to 

 come often ; but it is permitted by the populace in momentary 

 forgetfulness of the public library's excuse and function, not in 

 reasoned belief in the utility of bibliothecal palaces. 



The free public library building, large or small and of the 

 college, university, or reference library the same may be said so 

 constructed as to serve thoroughly well the purposes for which 

 it is intended, exists in theory only. It may be possible to find in 

 this country a few small libraries in which an honest attempt 

 has been made, with moderate success, to grapple with the libra- 

 ry building problem. In the vast majority of cases such light 

 as experience in library administration is able to throw on the 

 question of the proper internal arrangement of a library build- 

 ing the proper distribution of expenditure in securing room, 

 light, ventilation, and workableness has been simply ignored. 

 Arguments drawn from utility, from comfort of readers and 

 borrowers, and from economy of administration, have been set 

 aside. Full rein often, the loose rein always, has been given to 

 trustees' and architects' desires for architectural effect. This is 

 the more strange because certain principles of library construc- 

 tion are well understood and are no longer matters for debate. 



Convenient, economical, effective administration of a library 

 calls for greater ease of access and facility of communication in the 

 building used than does any other form of business, be it indus- 

 trial, commercial, official, administrative, or religious. And this 

 need for ease and speed in intercommunication increases rather 

 than diminishes with the increase in the size of the library, and in 

 the number of its patrons. Illustrations of how this general prin- 

 ciple of library construction has been ignored may be easily found. 

 To note the Newberry Library in Chicago and the Boston Public 

 Library is here sufficient. Compare the accommodation possible 

 for the busy and impatient patron and the busy and impatient 

 patron is one of the patrons the modern library should especially 

 strive to serve in these ill-adapted structures with that possible, 

 with a few quite minor changes, in the modern tall office building, 

 and the point is made clear at once. The whole monumental style 

 of library architecture is almost of necessity the greatest of handi- 

 caps on library administration. It may be said, of course, that 

 it is sometimes advisable to erect first a noble monument, then 

 to make out of it as good a library as its monumental character 

 permits. Granted. But it should be thoroughly understood, 



