stated that every one thousand volumes will require at least eighty to one hundred square feet of floor measurement. Thus, a library of 10,000 volumes would occupy an area of nearly one thousand square feet. But it is necessary to rovide also for the continual growth of the collection. To do this, experience shows that in any flourishing public 1rary, space should be reserved for three or four times the number of volumes in actual possession. If rooms are Fred for the books, because of inability to build, the 11brary should be so arranged as to leave each alternate shelf vacant for additions, or, in the more rapidly growing d.visions, a still greater space. This will permit accessions to be shelved with their related books, without the trouble of frequently moving and re-arranging large divisions of the library. This latter is a very laborious process, and should be resorted to only under compulsion. The preventive remedy, of making sure of spice in advance, by leaving a sufficiency of unoccupied shelves in every division of the library, is the true one.

In some libraries, a separate reading-room for ladies is Mr. W. F. Poole records that in Cine nnati #h a room was opened at the instance of the library directors. The result was that the ladies made it a kind of social rendezvous, where they talked over society matters, and exhibited the bargains made in their shopping exeurLadies who came to study preferred the general real ng room, where they found every comfort among well ucted gentlemen, and the "lad reading-room" was abandoned, as not fulfilling its object. The same experirent in the Chicago Public Library had the same result.

*

Some libraries in the larger towns provide a special real it room for children; and this accomplishes a two-fold ot, namely, to keep the publie reading room free from flocks of little people in pursuit of books under difficulties,

and to furnish the boys and girls with accommodations of their own. It may be suggested as an objection, that the dividing line as to age is difficult to be drawn: but let each applicant be questioned, and if falling below twelve, or fifteen, or whatever the age limit may be, directed to the juvenile reading-room, and there need be no trouble. Of course there will be some quite young readers who are gifted with intelligence beyond their years, and who may dislike to be reckoned as children; but library rules are not made to suit exceptions, but for the average; and as no book need be refused to any applicant in the juvenile department, no just cause of complaint can arise.

In some libraries, and those usually of the larger size, an art room is provided, where students of works on painting. sculpture, and the decorative arts can go, and have about them whatever treasures the library may contain in that attractive field. The advantages of this provision are, first, to save the necessity of handling and carrying so many heavy volumes of galleries of art and illustrated books to the general reading-room, and back again, an! secondly, to enable those in charge of the art department to exercise more strict supervision in enforcing careful and cleanly treatment of the finest books in the library, than can be maintained in the miscellaneous crowd of realers in the main reading-room. The objections to it concern the general want of room to set apart for this purpose, and the desirability of concentrating the use of books in ore main hall or reading-room. Circumstances and experience should determine the question for each library.

Some public libraries, and especially those constrasted in recent years, are provided with a lecture-hall, or a large room for public meetings, concerts, or occasionally, even an opera-house, in the same building with the libra There are some excellent arguments in favor of this. ari

especially where a public benefactor donates to a city a building which combines both uses. The building given by Mr. Andrew Carnegie to the Public Library of Washgton will be provided with a small hall suited to meet1.2*, &c. But in all cases, such a public hall should be

isolated from the library reading-room as not to annoy readers, to whom quiet is essential. This end can be effected by having the intervening walls and floors so constructed as completely to deaden sound. A wholly distinct entrance should also be provided, not communicating with the doors and passages leading to the library.

Comparisons are sometimes made as to the relative cost of library buildings to the number of volumes they are de»gned to accommodate; but such estimates are misleading. The cost of an edifice in which architectural beauty and interior decoration concur to make it a permanent ornament to a city or town, need not be charged up at so much per volume. Buildings for libraries have cost all the way from twenty five cents up to $4. for each volume stored. The Library of Congress, which cost million dollars, and will ultimately accommodate 1,500,000 vo umes, cost about $1.36 per volume. But it contains besides books, some Half a million musical compositions, works of graphic art, map and charts, etc.

The comparative cost of some Pbrary buildings erected recent years, with ultimate capacity of each, may be of interest. Kansas City Public Library, 132, 144, 125,000 V., $200,000, Newark, N. J. Free Library, 13× + 216, 40.000 vols., $18,000 Forbes L rary, Northampton, Miss. (granite), 107 137, 250,000 vols., $134,000. Fall River, M. Library, 130, 250,000 vols., $100,000. Pr.a, Il. Puble L. brary (bruck), 76-4 135, $70,000. Smiles Memorial Ibrary, Redian 1, Cal Crick), 96 +100, $50,000 Reuben Hoar Library, Littleton, Mass (brick),

50+57, 25,000 vols., $25,000. Rogers Memorial Library, Southworth, N. Y. 70+100, 20,000 vols., $20,000. Bfast (Me.) Free Library (granite), 27+54, $10,000, Ga.Borden Public Library, Elgin, Ill. (brick), 28+52, $9,000 Warwick, Mass. Public Library (wood), 45+60, 5,000 vola, $5,000.

The largely increased number of public library buildings erected in recent years is a most cheering sign of the times. Since 1895, eleven extensive new library buildings have been opened: namely, the Library of Congress, the Boston Public Library, the Pratt Institute Library, Brooklyn, the Columbia University Library, New York, the Princeton, N. J. University Library, the Hart Memorial Library, of Troy, N. Y. the Carnegie Library, Pittsburg", the Chicago Public Library, the Peoria, Ill. Publie Lbrary, the Kansas City, Mo. Public Library, and the Omaha, Neb. Public Library.

And there are provided for eight more public 1. rarv buildings, costing more than $100,000 each; namely, the Providence, R. I. Public Library, the Lynn, Mass. Pa',e Library, the Fall River, Mass. Public Library, the Newark, N. J. Free Public Library, the Milwaukee, Wis. Puke Lbrary and Museum, the Wisconsin State Historical Society Library, Madison, the New York Public Library, ani te Jersey City Public Library.

To these will be added within the year 1900, 2a .* fdently expected, the Washington City Puble Irary, the g.ft of Andrew Carnegie, to cost $300,000,

No philanthropist can ever find a nobler object for 1 s fortune, or a more enduring monument to his memv. than the founding of a free public library. The year 19 has witnessed a new gift by Mr. Carnegie of a one hun ired thousand dollar library to Atlanta, the Capital of Georza. on condition that the city will provide a site, and $5,00

a year for the maintenance of the library. Cities in the cast are emulating one another in providing public library buildings of greater or less cost. If the town library cannot have magnificence, it need not have meanness. A competition among architects selected to submit plans is becoming the favorite method of preparing to build. Five of the more extensive libraries have secured competitive plans of late from which to select --namely, the New York Pu Library, the Jersey City Public Library, the New ark Free Puble Library, the Lynn Public Library, and the Phoebe Hearst building for the University of California. which is to be planned for a library of 750,000 volumes. It is gratifying to add that in several recent provisions

de for erecting large and important structures, the li'rarian was made a member of the building committee ↑ ., in the New York Public Library, the Newark Fro Public Library, and the Lynn Public Library,

CHAPTER 17.

LIBRARY MANAGERS OR TRUSTEES,

We now come to consider the management of Pbraries as entrusted to boards of directors, trustees or library man agers. These relations have a most intimate bearing upon the foundation, the progress and the consequent success of any library. Were a liberal intelligence and a hearty eperation are found in those constituting the library beard, the affairs of the institution will be managed with