14 



ARRANGEMENTS OF NEW READING-ROOM. 



*' The tables and enclosures are of wainscot, the chairs of 

 mahogany, the floors being covered with kamptulicon. 



"The main entrance into the new lleading-room is direct 

 from the Great Hall, and there are secondary entrances for 

 the officers from the King's Library and tJie Great Northern 

 Library rooms, through which all books are conveyed to 

 the centre of the Iteading-room, whence they are distributed. 



" The amalgamation of the several catal<^gues, which are 

 drawn up on various plans, into one catalogue prepared on a 

 uniform })lan, is proceeding i-apidly. Letters A, B, C, D, 

 E, F constitute about one-third of the entire catalogue, and 

 this portion, completed, will be placed in the new Heading- 

 room on its opening ; it will be comprised in nearly 500 

 volumes. The completion of this Herculean work is now 

 under the responsible superintendence of Mr. J. Winter 

 Jones, the successor of Jlr. Panizzi in the keepership of the 

 department of i)rinted books, Mr. Panizzi being now the 

 Principal Librarian." 



" The architect, Mr. Suiirke, has the merit of the pre- 

 paration of the original and first designs. The contractors, 

 Messrs. Baker «nd Fielder, share no common deserts in their 

 professional labours. Indeed the skill, perseverance, and in- 

 genious resources of their managing partner, Mr. Fielder, 

 have been beyond all praise. It is gratifying to record that 

 such a vast and lofty building has been completed without 

 loss of a single life or any serious accident." The warming 

 and ventilating arrangements have been carried out by Messra. ' 

 Hadon of Trowbridge. 



Arran(;ements of New PiEading-Room. 

 We will now proceed to describe more at length the 

 intei-nal fittings and arrangements of the Reading-room, ' 

 which will be better understood by reference to the plan 

 which forms the frontispiece to this paper. A, on the plan, 

 shows the circular enclosure occupied by the Superintendent, 

 the Clerk, and the attendants. The Trustees, having suc- 

 ceeded in providing for the public a Reading-room superior i 



