Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/216

* LIBRABIES. 198 LIBRARIES. Most small librarit-o now adopt the x or tre- foil type. The book-iooiii iirojetts from the rear anil has a eheap end wall for easy removal and extension. The main entranee in the middle front is into a central hall for loan desk and the less quiet work. In one arm is the reference or study room, in the other the children's room or periodical room. This general type gives best results for a given cost, and can be most cheaply administered. The Ix'st library buildings are all recent. Of the large libraries, the Xewberry of Chicago (ISilSl. lioston Tublic (ISUo), Library of Con- gress and Cliicago Public (1807), Providence i'ublic (I'JOO), Wisconsin Historical Society and Newark Public (1901), Washington (H)02). are most often quoted; of university libraries. Columbia, Cornell, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Xew York. Trustees may now wisely cojiy the plan that suits them best and uuike such clianges as local needs demand. The modified ])lan should be submitted for criticism to some e.vpert student of library buildings. State library commissions always give this aid, and the New York State Library School at Albany answers many such inquiries by suggestions in print. Trustees should be free to use any suggestions in any competitive plan by paying for tlicm, instead of being compelled to choose some <me plan as a whole and employ the successful anonymous com- petitor. A useful aid in fixing location of rooms is to cut cards to scale for the area of each room, and thus test various arrangements more quickly and plainly than by drawing plans. Urief general rules are: Plan each library spe- cially for its work and community; care for interiors before exteriors; provide amply for future growth : plan for economy in administra- tion by arranging rooms to allow supervision by the smallest possible staff: sacrifice no conven- ience for architectural effect : use no decoration that will attract sightseers to disturb quiet study- rooms. A model building might be said to be built around a standard catalogue card; for this card determines the size of trays and drawers, these of eases, and these determine spaces between windows and doors. Certain rooms must be near the card catalogue, because it is nuicli too costly to du])licate even with printed cards ; and the one catalogue must be close to reference-room, loan desk, and cataloguers. The plan should aim to give direct access to each department and be so obvious that people will know where to go. The general effect should be cheerful and hospitable. Experts advise omitting per- manent partitions except where necessary for support, and depending on temporary partitions, chiefly of glnss. which can be readily moved as growth and changes demand. These give spacious effect and much better light, and allow super- vision from another room, while shutting off noise. An attendant may often control two or three rooms as cheaply as one, if rooms open together. The smallest library starts with one room. The next need is a qniet studv-rooni. free from the noise of issue and return of books and current work. Tlie third room needed is usually one for children, which if possible should have an independent entrance, so they will not pass through the doors or corridors used by adults. On the main floor must be delivery and book rooms for quick service, children's room (unless in the basement), and, if space allows, rooms for librarian, cataloguers, and for reference. Above may go class, trustee, lecture, and other rooms used by fewer people or less often, both rooms and books most used being nearest the entrance. Basement and attic should both be made so they can be finished later for public use, for the rapid growth of libraries shows that they will surely be needed. Stairs should be inclosed or put to one side to lessen noise. Spirals cost more, waste room, are dangerous and inconvenient. Risers to stairs should be only C% or G% inches for easiest use. For book-rooms, ceilings should be fifteen feet high to allow two decks. Ten or twelve feet will answer foi' other rooms. The most common error is in building on too small a lot. Ample space is needed for light and quiet, and for inevitable growth. Booiv-SiiELVES. The rapid growth of libraries is a constant embarrassment. The most compact possible system of storage is still too costly. The lowest estimate for fireproof building is 30 cents per cubic foot, so that a building 30X50 feet and 40 feet high for two stories and high basement would cost $18,000. If half the whole building were given to close stacking of books it would hold in four decks only 00,000 volumes, making the cost of shelf-space 30 cents a volimie, or if no reading-room and administrative space is allowed for, 15 cents a volume. But often fireproof construction is unnecessary. Rari- ties can be kept in the safe or fireproof vault. Other books can be rcadilj' replaced if burned. A simple frame building for 5000 vol- umes costs from $1000 to .$2500. Brick and stone and better construction would cost two or three times this amount. Larger libraries must use a stack, i.e. shelving set as close together as possible and yet allow ready access by narrow aisles. Stacks are of iron or steel uprights with wood or sheet-steel shelves, and from one to ten stories or decks high, each deck carrying the weight of all above it, aisles always being exactly over aisles. Floors should be of thick glass, because it admits some light. Each deck is seven or eight shelves high, with aisles 75 cm. (30 inches) wide. Separate rooms for great subjects are very desirable, but in use cost more to administer than large central reading-rooms, where a single card catalogue and reference librarian can do the work that would require several on the department plan. In computing capacity of shelving, 33% volumes to the running meter (10 to the running foot) are allowed for public libraries, with shelves crowded. Economy requires ample vacant spaces to insert additions, so that buildings must allow for two or three times the volumes on hand. In book-stacks with average aisles and windows, each square meter of floor surface will hold 200 volumes on each stack-level. The standard shelf is 25.5 cm. high and 20 cm. deep; 75 cm. (30 inches) is the best length. Some use 00 cm. (36 inches). Longer shelves, unless extra heavy, sag when heavily loaded. Wall-spaces should not be divided into aliquot parts, but into standard shelf-lengths. If the building has not been planned with due regard to these standard sizes, any remaining space should be occupied by a single odd length, which for symmetry may be in the centre. A 10-cm. base, to protect the lower books when floors are cleaned, is enough. On at least one side of a double case the first four shelves should be