LIBRARY CONSTRUCTION
ARCHITECTURE, FITTINGS
AND F U R N I T U R E

F. J. BURGOYNE

LONDON
GEORGE ALLEN, 156, CHARING CROSS ROAD
1897
[All rights reserved"]

P r i n t e d by

BALLANTYNE, HANSON &

At the Ballantyne Press

Co

EDITOR'S

INTRODUCTION

T H E development of libraries during the latter part
of the nineteenth century may be compared with
that of cathedrals and abbeys in Norman times,
or that of colleges and grammar-schools under the
Tudors. In all these cases the age, instinctively
discerning its needs, partly by public effort, partly by
private munificence, covered the land with edifices
for their satisfaction.
In so doing it necessarily
gave rise to a number of architectural problems.
That the libraries of the present day, however
smaller in scale, may not be architecturally less
honourable to their epoch than the corresponding
constructions of the past, must be the earnest aspiration of all who regard them as among the characteristic monuments of the nineteenth century, and
a most important manifestation of its intellectual
activity. This ideal is the more difficult of attainment, inasmuch as obstacles now exist which were
comparatively unfelt in the Middle Ages. The
mediaeval pious founder was frequently his own
architect; at all events, paying the piper, he called
the tune. In any case, there was a thorough community of feeling between him and the builders
he employed. The builder was thoroughly broken

Vlll

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

in to his task, and entirely absorbed in i t ; since,
from the inevitable slowness of mediaeval operations, arising from the deficiency of capital and
labour, the erection of an abbey or a college might
be the sole occupation of a lifetime. Far different
is it now, when the most extensive architectural
undertakings seldom require more than three or
four years, and the same architect is equally ready
to turn out a church, a library, a theatre, or a bank.
It is inevitable that in the absence of special knowledge of and special devotion to a particular style
of edifice, the sentiment of architectural display
should gain the upper hand. Hence a continual
conflict between the architect who desires a handsome elevation, and the librarian who aims at
practical convenience ; frequently determined by
a committee endowed with no great feeling for
either.
Parodying a famous saying, it may be safely
affirmed that this state of things will continue more
or less until architects are librarians, or librarians
architects. It is, meanwhile, a very useful service
to bring the parties together as near as may be,
by the simple exhibition of what has been done ;
showing how difficulties have been met, and objects
attained, occasionally even how they have been
missed. Mr. Burgoyne has performed this service
for both professions in this little volume, destined,
in the Editor's judgment, to rank among the most
valuable contributions hitherto made to library
literature. By copious illustration, indicative of extensive research, he has shown how the problems

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

IX

incident to the accommodation of books, and the
adaptation of all parts of a library to the public
service, have been actually dealt with in the most
civilised parts of the world. Librarians and architects are thus supplied with a number of models
to choose from, and abundant hints for further
development from the combination of the best
points of existing edifices. With this will be found
much valuable counsel respecting the organisation
of a library in so far as the material fabric is concerned, including in this definition furniture and
fittings, mechanical aids to efficiency, and protection from fire and other perils.
One important feature of a work like this is that
it enables us in a manner to codify the maxims
already deduced from experience. It will be found
that there are many points upon which librarians
are practically unanimous ; arrangements common
to most of the leading libraries here described,
other arrangements which they practically concur
in rejecting. Such observations may be developed
into a code of rules, extending gradually by experience, until, allowing for the inevitable differences
in the special needs of the various libraries, all
important points have the sanction of general consent. It is impossible to enumerate such details
within the limits of a preface. One cardinal rule
may be laid down, always to design with reference to the probable future of the library. If it is
destined to perpetual insignificance, no particular
provision is necessary; but if to a great expansion,
this should be foreseen and provided for from the

X

EDITOR'S INTRODUCTION

first. A generous view should be taken of such
a library, ample space for additions should be
secured, and the plan should be so framed that
any future accretion should be a legitimate and
harmonious development of the original model.
So liberal a procedure, however, is only practicable when and where the public library has
established itself in the public consciousness as
an institution of paramount importance. American
libraries are planned on a larger scale than the
British, and with more complete appliances, because the library and the librarian are more
regarded in America than here.
It rests with
librarians themselves, and with national instructors
generally, to raise the British conception to the
American standard, and with the public itself to
demonstrate the inadequacy of the existing libraries
by copious resort to them. Should this come to
pass, the subject of library architecture will gain
greatly in importance, and as the nineteenth
century has been an age of construction, the
twentieth may prove one of reconstruction.
R. GARNETT.

PREFACE
T H I S book has been written in the hope that it
will be of service to those librarians, architects,
and members of library committees, who have in
hand the planning of new libraries, or the adaptation of existing buildings to library purposes.
As this is the first treatise written upon the subject, it cannot fail to have imperfections; but the
numerous plans with which it is illustrated must
prove of great value to all interested in the subject.
Some of them have been specially drawn for this
work, and others, more especially those of continental buildings, have been copied from works
not often to be found in British reference libraries.
The aim of the book has been the strictly practical and useful, and accordingly technicalities have
been avoided as far as possible.
My most cordial thanks are due to many librarians and architects for information freely given,
and the loan of plans and blocks for the illustrations.
FRANK J. BURGOYNE.
T H E TATE LIBRARY,
BRIXTON OVAL,

S.W.

xi

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE

THE

EARLY

LIBRARIES—SITES—ALCOVE

AND

STACK

METHODS OF STORING BOOKS—ARRANGEMENT OF
THE

ROOMS—PLAN,

ELEVATION,

AND

FACADE-

DECORATION—DANGER OF FIRE, AND THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS—FLOORING

.

.

.

I-25

CHAPTER II
NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL

LIGHTING—HEATING

AND

VENTILATION

26-38

CHAPTER III
METHODS OF SHELVING BOOKS—DR. POOLE'S PLAN FOR
A LARGE LIBRARY—STORAGE CAPACITY OF A ROOM
—CONSTRUCTION

OF

METAL—BRITISH

MUSEUM

BOOKCASES

IN

SLIDING

WOOD

AND

BOOKCASE—

SHELVING FOR FOLIOS—VIRGO'S BOOKCASE

39~72

CONTENTS

XIV

CHAPTER IV
PAGF

THE ELLIOT, COTGREAVE, DUPLEX, MORGAN, SIMPLEX,
CHIVERS, AND BONNER INDICATORS—CARD - CATALOGUES—BULLETIN BOARDS—THE TELEPHONE AND
TELAUTOGRAPH—PHOTOGRAPHY

.

.

.

73~94

CHAPTER V
FURNITURE AND APPLIANCES : TRUCKS, LADDERS, STEPS,
BOOK-LIFTS,

TABLES,

EASELS,

BOOK

SUPPORTS,

NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE RACKS, CHAIRS, NEWSPAPER STANDS, DUSTING MACHINES, ETC.

95~I27

CHAPTER VI
THE BRITISH MUSEUM

128-T40

CHAPTER VII
BRITISH PUBLIC LIBRARIES : ABERDEEN, BELFAST, BIRMINGHAM, BLACKBURN, BOOTLE, BRISTOL, CHELTENHAM, DARLINGTON,

DERBY, DUBLIN,

EDINBURGH,

GLASGOW

141-166

CHAPTER VIII
BRITISH

PUBLTC

LIBRARIES

(continued)

'.

LIVERPOOL,

MANCHESTER, NEWCASTLE - UPON - TYNE, PRESTON,
ST. HELENS, WIDNES, WIGAN, WORCESTER ,

.

167-189

CONTENTS

XV

CHAPTER IX
PAGE

LONDON

PUBLIC LIBRARIES : THE

TERSEA,

BERMONDSEY,

GUILDHALL,

BISHOPSGATE

BAT-

INSTITUTE,

CAMBERWELL, CHELSEA, CLAPHAM, CROYDON, EDMONTON, HAMMERSMITH, HAMPSTEAD

.

.

190-217

CHAPTER X
LONDON

PUBLIC

POPLAR,

ST.

LIBRARIES
GEORGE'S

{continued)
(HANOVER

:

LAMBETH,

SQUARE), ST.

M A R T I N - I N - T H E - F I E L D S , STREATHAM, WEST HAM,
WESTMINSTER

218-238

CHAPTER XI
AMERICAN

LIBRARIES:

BOSTON,

LIBRARY

OF

CON-

GRESS (WASHINGTON), THE MERCANTILE LIBRARY
ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK

.

.

.

.

239-266

CHAPTER XII
AMERICAN

LIBRARIES

{continued)

:

THE

NEWBERRY

LIBRARY (CHICAGO), BUFFALO, MINNEAPOLIS, CORNELL

UNIVERSITY

PRATT INSTITUTE

LIBRARY,

MILWAUKEE,

THE

(BROOKLYN), THE PEABODY IN-

STITUTE (BALTIMORE)

267-292

CONTENTS

XVI

CHAPTER XIII
PAGE

EUROPEAN
PARIS ;

LIBRARIES :

BIBLIOTHEQUE

BIBLIOTHEQUE

ST.

NATIONALE,

GENEVIEVE,

PARIS ;

STADT-BIBLIOTHEK ZU FRANKFURT ; UNIVERSITATSBIBLIOTHEK

ZU

HALLE ;

THEK ZU LEIPZIG ;

UND LANDES-BIBLIOTHEK
ZOGL-BIBLIOTHEK

UNIVERSITATS - BIBLIO-

KATSERLICHE

UNIVERSITATS-

IN STRASSBURG ;

HER-

ZU WOLFENBUTTEL ; T H E VAL-

LIANO LIBRARY AT ATHENS

.

.

.

.

293-313

APPENDIX
LISTS OF ILLUSTRATIONS OF LIBRARIES, WHICH HAVE
APPEARED
IN
THE
" AMERICAN
ARCHITECT,"
"ARCHITECT," " B R I T I S H ARCHITECT," " B U I L D E R , "
AND " B U I L D I N G N E W S "
314-326

INDEX

327-336

LIST OF
NATIONAL

LIBRARY

ILLUSTRATIONS

OF I R E L A N D ,

DUBLIN,

ELEVATION

Frontispiece
FIG.

Page

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.

2
3
4
1 0
11
20
46
51
52
52
54
55
56
58
59
61

Interior of the Bodleian Library, Oxford
.
.
.
.
Plan of the old library at Wolfenbuttel
.
.
.
.
Santa's plan for a library
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Plan of a library arranged on the alcove system .
.
.
Plan of the same area shelved on the stack system
.
.
Plan of the Konigl.-Bibliothek, at Stuttgart
. . .
Dr. Poole's plan for a library
.
.
.
.
.
.
T h e T o n k s ' s h e l f fitting
Shelf fitting in use at the new Record Office
.
.
Library Bureau shelf-pin
.
.
.
.
.
.
Chivers'automatic shelf-bracket .
.
.
.
.
.
Chivers' wedge shelf-bracket
.
.
.
.
.
Library Bureau steel book-stack .
.
.
.
.
.
Halle University Library, section through stack-room
.
Halle University Library, section through bookcases .
.
Greifswald University Library, section through stack-room .
Gottingen University Library, construction of bookcase
and gallery .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
18. Halle University Library, step and iron floor
.
.
19. Amsterdam University Library, iron floor .
.
.
.
20. British Museum, sliding press
.
21. Strassburg University Library, shelving for folios
.
.
22. British Museum, folio supports .
.
.
.
.
.
23. British Museum, portfolio case for maps
.
.
.
.
24. Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, table-shelf .
.
.
25. T h e Elliot indicator
26. T h e Cotgreave indicator
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
27. T h e Cotgreave indicator book
.
.
.
.
.
.
28. T h e Simplex indicator
29. T h e Chivers indicator .
xvii

62
63
6 4
6 6
68
68
6 9
70
75
77
79
83
84

XViii
FIG.

LIST O F

ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE

30. T h e Chivers indicator, enlarged .
.
.
.
.
.
85
31. Card-catalogue cabinet
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
88
32. Card-catalogue drawer
90
33. Lambert's magazine frame, with movable titles . . .
91
34. Book-truck from the University Library at Gottingen .
.
96
35—37- Cotgreave's automatic steps
97~99
38. Library Bureau step .
.
.
.
.
.
.
100
39-41. Metal book supports
101-103
42. T h e Crocker book brace
103
43. T h e Barrett wire book support .
.
.
.
.
.
104
44. Book-lift in use in the British Museum
.
.
.
.
105
45. Cable book-carrier in use at the Library of Congress .
. 106
46. Reader's desk in use at the British Museum
.
.
. 108
47. Reader's desk in use at the British Museum, movable portion 109
48. Library Bureau magazine rack
.
.
.
.
.
.111
49. Cotgreave's wall rack for magazines .
.
.
.
.112
50. Cotgreave's table-rack for small magazines .
.
.
.113
51. Library Bureau table-rack .
.
.
.
.
.
. 114
52. Bowry's newspaper file, open
.
.
.
.
.
.115
53. Bowry's newspaper file, closed
.
.
.
.
.
54. The Banbury newspaper
file
.
.
.
.
.
55. Walker's book-rack and slip-sorter
.
.
.
.
56. Ladder from the Royal Library, Brussels
57. T h e Victor ladder
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
58. Table-easel from the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Public Library
59. Table-easel from the University Library, Gottingen .
60. Table-easel for copying
.
.
.
.
6 1 . Heathcote revolving newspaper-holder
62. Lambert's newspaper clip
.
.
.
.
63. Chivers newspaper-holder
.
.
.
.
64. Harvey dusting machine
.
.
.
.
65. British Museum, plan of Reading-room and Library .
66. Aberdeen Public Library, plan of lending department
67. Blackburn Public Library
.
.
.
.
.
.
68. Bootle Public Library and Museum, plan of ground floor
69. Edward Pease Library, Darlington, plan
71. National Library of Ireland, Dublin, plan of ground floor
72. National Library of Ireland, Dublin, plan of first floor
73. National Library of Ireland, Dublin, section through building

LIST O F

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG.

74. National Library of Ireland, Dublin, section through bookcase
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
75. Edinburgh Public Library, plan of lending department
76. Edinburgh Public Library, plan of reference department
77. Mitchell Library, Glasgow, plan of ground floor .
78. Mitchell Library, Glasgow, plan of first floor
79. Manchester Central Library, plans
.
.
.
.
.
80. Manchester, Gorton Branch Library, plans
.
.
.
.
81. Manchester, Openshaw Branch Library, plans
82. Newcastle-upon-Tyne Public Library, plan of ground floor .
83. Newcastle-upon-Tyne Public Library, plan of first floor
84. Gamble Institute, St. Helens, elevation
.
.
.
.
85. Wigan Public Library, plan of ground floor
86. Victoria Institute, Worcester, plan of library
87. Guildhall Library, London, interior
.
88. Battersea Central Library, plan of ground floor .
89. Battersea Central Library, plan of first floor
90. Bishopsgate Institute, London, plan of ground floor .
91. Camber well Central Library, plan
.
.
.
.
.
92. Chelsea Central Library, plan of ground floor
93. Chelsea Central Library, plan of first floor .
.
.
.
94. Croydon Central Library, plan of the lending department .
95. Edmonton Library, plan of ground floor .
96. Edmonton Library, plan of first floor .
97. Passmore Edwards Public Library, Plammersmith, elevation
98. Passmore Edwards Public Library, Hammersmith, plan
99. Hampstead Central Library, plan
.
100. T a t e Central Library, Brixton, plan of ground floor
101. Tate Central Library, Brixton, plan of first floor .
102. Tate Branch Library, South Lambeth, plan
103. North Lambeth Library, plan
.
.
.
.
.
.
104. West Norwood Library, plan
105. Poplar Public Library, plan
.
.
.
.
.
106. St. George's, Hanover Square, Public Library, plan of ground
107. Tate Public Library, Streatham, plan
108. West H a m Technical Institute
.
.
.
.
.
.
109. West H a m Technical Institute, plan of library portion
110. Westminster Public Library, plan
.
i n . Boston Public Library, Mass., elevation
.

XX

LIST O F

ILLUSTRATIONS

fIG. Page

112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
117.
118.

Boston Public Library, Mass., plan of ground floor 245
Boston Public Library, Mass., plan of first floor . 247
Boston Public Library, Mass., interior of the Bates Hall 249
Boston Public Library, Mass., book-waggon 251
Boston Public Library, Mass., plan of second floor 253
Library of Congress, Washington, plan
. 259
Mercantile Library Association, New York, plan of lending
library .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 262
119. Mercantile Library Association, New York, book-stack and
delivery counter .
.
.
.
.
.
.
. 263
120. Mercantile Library Association, New York, plan of readingroom .
.
.
.
265.
121. Buffalo Public Library, plan of ground floor 270
122. Minneapolis Public Library, plan of ground floor 272
123. Cornell University Library, plan of main floor 276
124. Cornell University Library, plan of third floor .278
125. Milwaukee Library and Museum, plan of ground floor 281
126. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, plan of ground floor .283
127. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, plan of first floor 286
128. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, plan of second floor 287
129. Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, delivery desk and stack-room 289
130. Peabody Institute, Baltimore, plan
. 291 .
.
131. National Library, Paris, plan of ground floor 294
132. National Library, Paris, plan of reading-room 295
133. T h e State Library, Frankfurt, plan of ground floor 300
134. The State Library, Frankfurt, plan of first floor .301
135. Halle University Library, plan of ground floor . 302
136. Leipzig University Library, plan of ground floor 304
137. Strassburg Imperial Library, plan of groundfloor306
138. Strassburg Imperial Library, plan of first floor
.307
139. Strassburg Imperial Library, section .
.
.
.
3
0
140. Wolfenbiittel new library, plan of ground floor .310
141. Valliano Library, Athens, plan of first floor 312

9

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE
AND FITTINGS
CHAPTER I
EARLY

LIBRARIES — SITES — ALCOVES

S T O R E S — PLAN,

ELEVATION,

AND

AND

BOOK-

FACADE —

DECORATION—PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FIRE.

T H E libraries erected during the couple of centuries
following the invention of printing differ considerably from the modern type of library building.
Then the readers were few in number, and the
student was ensconced in a snug alcove, founded
on the traditions of the scriptorium. Suites of
rooms were built with the idea that they would
be used more as exhibition galleries than as storerooms for books meant for study. Many examples
of this type of building are to be seen on the
Continent. Amongst them may be mentioned the
Biblioteca Laurenziana, at Florence, designed by
Michael Angelo about A.D. 1515 ; the most beautiful building of the Libreria Vecchia, at Venice,
built by Sansovino in 1571 ; and the present home
of the Vatican Library, Rome, built in 1588 by
A

2

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

Sixtus V. from the designs of Domenico Fontana.
The latter, indeed, is a typical example; the great
hall is a stately vaulted room, 232 feet in length,
48 feet wide, and 29 feet high. It is decorated
with frescoes, and contains many magnificent
specimens of sculpture, porcelain, and other works
of art, but the books are placed in cabinets

FIG. I.—The Bodleian Library.

and presses, with doors, so that one might walk
through the room without knowing the purpose
for which it was really erected.
In these old libraries the method of shelving
generally adopted was that of erecting high bookcases around the walls of each room. The nuisance
of having to use long ladders to reach the top

SITE AND PLAN

3

shelves would soon be felt, and so galleries were
built around them at suitable heights. The oldest
example of these early galleries (Fig. i) still in situy
and used for the purpose at the present time, is to
be found in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, built
by Sir Thomas Bodley in 1597, and enlarged some
thirty years later. Other instances of this style of
architecture may be seen in the library at the Castle
of Mannheim, the Court Library at Vienna, and

F I G . 2.—The old library at Wolfenbiittel.

the Monastic Library at St. Gall. The Radcliffe
Library at Oxford, designed by Gibbs in 1740, which
is now used as a reading-room for the Bodleian,
is notable, also, as one of the earliest instances in
England of a circular library lit from the roof.
An earlier Continental example, from which Gibbs
is said to have copied his design, is that of Duke
Anton Ulrich at Wolfenbiittel (Fig. 2), which was
built by Korb about 1710.
The first architect to plan a library which in

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

4

any way meets the modern requirements of giving
ample shelf accommodation was Leopoldo della
Santa, who in 1816 published at Florence a quarto
pamphlet, with the title Della costruzione e del rego-

F I G . 3 . — S a n t a ' s p l a n for a l i b r a r y .
A.
B.
C
D.
E.

Entrance.
Hall.
Reading-room.
Open courts.
Superintendent's office.

F.
G.
H.
I.

Catalogue room.
Choice and rare books.
Ordinary books.
Offices of librarian and his
assistants.

lamento di una pubblica universale Biblioteca) con la
pianta dimostrativa.
It is interesting to recall this
early attempt to construct a building entirely from
an utilitarian point of view (Fig. 3). He takes for
his site a rectangular plot, with light on all four

SITE AND PLAN

5

sides. The entrance is placed in the middle of
the narrowest side ; and leads to a reading-room
in the central part of the building one-third the
width of the site, and lit from four open courts
and the roof. The portion of the site behind the
reading-room is cut up into small rooms for the
staff and for the shelving of the rarer books. The
remainder of the site on left and right of the
reading-room is entirely devoted to two book
stores, which extend from the front of the building
to its rear, and are planned to shelve the books in
double cases, placed at right angles between each
window. This design, however, was never carried
into effect, although it received the commendation
of Vincenzo Follini, librarian of the Magliabecchian
Library, and of Molbech, librarian of the Royal
Library at Copenhagen.
The provision of a suitable site lies at the foundation of a satisfactory library building. A poor building may indeed be built upon the best site, but it
is certain that a well-adapted library cannot be
expected if the area on which it is to be built is
cramped and irregular. In choosing a site, there are
three questions which should be asked about it—
(i.) Is it suitably placed for the readers who are
likely to use it ?
(2.) Is there space sufficient, not only for the
present needs of the readers and stock of books,
but for its future growth and extension ?
(3.) Are the surroundings likely in any way to
interfere with the comfort of the readers, or the
safety of the building and its contents ?

6

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

In considering the first of these questions, the
general trend of the population is a good guide.
Most towns and cities have some recognised centre
—a main street, municipal buildings, town hall,
post office, or railwTay station—and it will be
natural to look for a site near one or all of these.
Care should be taken, however, to select one which,
while as central as possible, shall not be unsuitable
because of the noise of heavy and continuous street
traffic, or the whistling of locomotives and shunting of trains. In some cases a site may be obtained
sufficiently ample to allow the building to be set
back, and so minimise what many libraries have
found to be a great and irremediable nuisance.
Quiet is one of the first requirements of a library,
and every effort should be used to obtain it.
The second consideration, that of space, not only
for present needs of both readers and books, but
for future growth, is often but little considered. In
many towns expensive buildings, which should last
at least a hundred years, have been erected, covering the whole of the ground available, and it has
been found in ten years, or even less, that extension
is needed, and there is no possibility of shelving
more books, or of giving accommodation to the
increasing number of readers. Committees new
to library work often have no idea of the rapid
growth of their libraries. The following table
strikingly illustrates the rapid increase both of
books and of readers in a few of the representative British free libraries :—

SITE AND PLAN

7

Table showing stock of books in Central Library

only.

At end of the Years

1875.

Birmingham .
Bolton .
Cardiff .
Glasgow .
Leeds
Liverpool
Manchester
Nottingham

1880.

1S85.

1890.

1895-

57,o8l

f Burnt ]
\ out in \
{ 1879 J

104,286

i32>732

155,633

55>i2i
18,302
62,382
73,023
86,429
82,000
51,366

68,061

83,679
55*080
116,000

37,235
8,310
37,464
60,808
55,000

.

45,466
11,810
33,oi9
52,711
72,406
70,000
27,108

2o,579

33,509
87,i93
84,930
96,689
•95,400

68,535

99,090
108,279
107,000
81,436

Table showing the number of books issued in the
Central Library only.
For the Years
Town.
1875.

Birmingham.
Bolton .
Cardiff.

1880.

1885.

1890.

1895.

365,251
194,102
26,076

4IO,IOO
24.0,708

621,460
318,653
137,204

64i,37i
443,909
I79,78i

Leeds .
Liverpool
Manchester .
Nottingham .

275,882
517,393
61,213
143,096

54,171
390,732

Glasgow

614,428
264,421
91,372
468,056

362,299
577,772
203,194
160,562

501,766
650,152
283,232
319,573

f Removed }
1 to new J
( premises J
43M36
619,748
307,785
333,8o7

513,456
504,989
619,259
416,100
397,446

The central libraries at Manchester, opened

in

1852, at Leeds, opened in 1872, at Glasgow, opened
in 1877, have all outgrown their original buildings,

8

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

and have had to be removed into others ; and those
of Birmingham, opened in 1866, and Liverpool,
opened in 1853, have had to be enlarged by the
absorption of adjoining properties.
In considering the size and shape of a site necessary for a town's library, no hard and fast rule can
be laid down. It will be self-evident that a deep
site, extending far back, and surrounded by other
buildings, with but a narrow street frontage, will
only allow of a building being erected upon it one
storey in height; while a site of the same shape
and area, with its long side fronting the street, will
allow the erection of a two-storied building, with
ample light to all its rooms. A corner site is, of
course, preferable to the same area enclosed, and
one bounded by streets or open spaces on all of its
sides is better still if it can be obtained. Much will
depend upon the accommodation required in the
building. A town's library should give the public
at least a reference department, a lending department, a reading-room or rooms for newspapers
and magazines, and the necessary working rooms
for the librarian and his staff.
To these may be added separate reading-rooms
for boys, girls, and w o m e n ; an inner readingroom for students; lecture hall; museum and art
gallery; residences for the librarian and the caretakers ; strongroom for the safe keeping of MSS.
and incunabula, or local collections ; and rooms
for binding and repairing. In the Birmingham
central library, space for the growth of the library
proper has been obtained by the transfer of the

SITE AND PLAN

9

museum and art gallery, and the patent specifications, & c , to another building, and dedicating the
whole of the space thus obtained to reference and
lending library purposes only ; but even this relief
is almost outgrown. Although these alterations were
only made in 1880, more shelf room for books will
be wanted at no very distant date.
The third consideration, that of the surroundings of the library, is also important. If possible,
it should be detached from all other buildings,
and so diminish the risk of damage by fire, and
annoyance from noise to a minimum, and allow
the free access of light and air. In some places
these requirements have been happily met by
erecting the buildings on plots adjoining open spaces
which will never be built over, such as recreation
grounds, disused city churchyards, or public parks.
The public rooms of a library should not exceed
two storeys in height, unless a constant elevator
service can be secured. A corner site containing
10,000 square feet will afford accommodation for
150 readers of newspapers and magazines; a
lending library of 50,000 volumes ; a reference
library of 150,000 volumes, with ioo r e a d e r s ;
together with librarian's office, and proper accommodation for the staff. In calculating the probable
shelf capacity of a site, the question of book storing
or warehousing, as compared with shelving the
books where the public can see them, must be
considered. The general type of library building
which has come down to us from the Middle Ages
is that of a large and lofty hall, with shelving

IO

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

around it to the height of 10 or 12 feet, and above
that a gallery or galleries, with similar tiers of
shelves. When more accommodation for books
was wanted than the wall-shelving gave, it was
provided by the addition of bookcases placed at
right angles to the walls, and projecting therefrom
some 10 or 12 feet into the room. These formed

F I G . 4.—Plan of a library arranged on the alcove system.
A. Catalogue counter and attendant's desk.

B . Space for tables for readers.

alcoves, and generally tables or desks for the readers
were placed in them between each bookcase.
No one can deny the fine effect of a library
arranged upon this plan. Those who have seen
the Guildhall Library, London ; the library of
Trinity College, Cambridge ; or of the Peabody
Institute, at Baltimore, know that the result is a

SITE

AND

PLAN

II

room which satisfies the eye, and impresses the
imagination. But the waste of space in the centre
area is enormous, and its shelf capacity is limited.
The opposite extreme is a plan which provides
simply for book storage or warehousing, and is
obtained by arranging the bookcases in a separate
room away from the readers. The walls are first

F I G . 5.—The same area as in Fig. 4 arranged on the stack system.
A. Catalogue counter and attendant's desk. B. Space for tables for readers.
C. Separate room for books, with double the shelf room shown in Fig. 4.

shelved, generally with shelves deep enough to take
the quarto and folio books. Then, separate bookcases, shelved on each side, are placed at a distance
of about 3 feet from each other, at right angles to
the longest side of the room, with passage ways
from the issue counter about 6 feet in width. The
accompanying plans fully illustrate the difference

12

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of the two systems. Fig. 4 is the plan of a library
arranged with alcoves, and Fig. 5 the plan of the
same room divided into book store and readingrooms, and arranged upon the stack system.
An examination of these two plans will show that
in each case there is practically the same area available for readers, while the shelf capacity of Fig. 5
is quite double that of Fig. 4. If the alcove system
is used for public libraries, it is necessary to have
locked doors to the cases, and the greater distance for the attendants to go to obtain the books
inquired for, combined with the delay caused by
locking and unlocking the doors, materially affect
the service. There is also much discomfort to the
readers who go into an alcove to be out of the
way, and have their attention distracted by the
passing to and fro of the attendants. Supervision
of the tables in the alcoves from the catalogue
counter is impossible, and opportunities for theft
and mutilation of books are provided, without
much chance of discovery. The initial cost for
shelving in the alcove system is greater than in the
other, for it is generally necessary to provide bookcases for the whole room at the inception, while
in the second plan they can be added as required,
until the room is filled.1 In Fig. 5 no doors are
required for the bookcases as a protection from
theft, and as they are out of sight, they can be
built without ornament, and of the plainest materials consistent with durability and neatness.
1

The question of the number of books that can be shelved in a given
space will be fully considered in the chapter on " Library Fittings."

SITE AND PLAN

J

3

The greatest disadvantages of the alcove system
are felt in large libraries, where it is necessary to
erect five or six galleries for the books. In cold
weather, when artificial heat is used sufficient to
warm the lower stratum of air and make it comfortable for readers, a continual current of heated
air will rise to the top of the building, and slowly
roast the unfortunate books shelved there. If
open gas-burners are used for lighting, their
condition is worse. The products of combustion
ascend, and the leather bindings rapidly deteriorate and rot into powder. Some of this decay,
however, proceeds from other causes, for many of
the leather bindings in college and other libraries,
where gas is not in use, have been noticed to be
similarly affected.1 Damage is also caused to books
by the dust consequent upon the daily cleaning of
the readers' part of the hall. In Fig. 5, where the
books are in a separate room, the only dust is that
made by the few attendants, and so the wear and
tear from this cause is reduced to a minimum.
A full consideration of the principles and faults
of the two systems lead to the conclusion that
for a library which can afford to allow its readers
access to the shelves the alcove system is the
best, especially where, as in university libraries,
the number of readers is limited. But a large
public library should have the bulk of its books
shelved on the stack system, in book stores
1

A valuable paper upon this subject, by Mr. C. J. Woodward, entitled "Some Experiments as to the Influence of Gas on Bindings,"
will be found in vol. v. of the Library Chronicle.

!4

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

adjacent to the readers' room ; but this may have
a wall case around it for the most popular works,
open for use without the formality of filling up a
reader's ticket.
The elevation or facade of a library building
should, as far as possible, be in keeping with the
object for which it is erected, although there is
always a difficulty in making the outside characteristic of the use to be made of the interior.
The fagade of the portion used for the staff and
administrative rooms may indeed differ from that
of the book stores and reading-rooms, as the best
light for the former may be obtained from windows
differing in size and shape from those used in the
latter. This has been done in the public library at
Athens (Fig. 141), where the central block, in which
is placed the reading-room and administrative portion, is accentuated, and the two wings, which are
used as book stores, form inner blocks set back
from the frontage of the centre.
In large libraries the plan of placing the public
reading-room in the central portion of the building
seems, on the whole, the best, although it necessitates grouping the books around it, and so many
will be shelved at a greater maximum distance
from the delivery desks than would be the case if
they were all placed on one side only of the readingroom. The book stores should be in direct communication with the reading-room, and should be
so arranged that the attendants will not have to
cross over any portion of the building used by the
public to obtain a book.

SITE AND PLAN

15

The decoration of the interiors of libraries
should in all cases be severely simple, and kept
subordinate. The book stores, to which the public
are denied access, do not require much decoration,
and if severe economy is necessary, the brick walls
may be left exposed to view, without even covering
them with plaster. It should always be remembered that the use and storage of books is the
raison d'etre of the building, and that if the public
rooms are so ornamented and decorated as to
become show-places for sightseers, the readers will
be disturbed, and the proper use of the library will
suffer. In the new building of the Boston Public
Library no expense has been spared to make the
large reading-room, with its approaches, one of the
finest in the world. The entrance hall and staircases have been decorated by Puvis de Chavannes,
the greatest modern master of decorative design.
Artists like Abbey, Sargent, and Whistler were commissioned to adorn the delivery and reading-rooms,
and a magnificent temple of art is the result; but
the rooms are more suitable for a museum or art
gallery than for study, the purpose for which they
were built. The beauty of the place attracts numbers of visitors daily, who audibly express their
admiration or criticism, and careful reading under
such conditions is impossible. It is a pity that the
mistake should have been made of attempting to
so beautify this noble building that it shall be regarded by the average man rather in the light of
an art gallery than of a place for literary work and
study.

i6

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

In arranging the rooms of a library, attention
should be given to the probable use that will be
made of them by the public. The most frequented
parts, generally, are the rooms devoted to newspapers and periodicals, the room for boys, the
lending library, and lastly, the reference department. If the library is on a busy thoroughfare, it
should be remembered that the latter department
must be located in the quietest part of the building.
In a two-storey library the natural position of the
rooms would be to place the lending library, newsrooms, and boys' rooms upon the ground floor,
and the reference department and its book stores
upstairs. The shelf accommodation required for
the lending library will not be so great as that for
the reference department, nor need such care be
taken to give ample room for its future growth.
The books in this department wear out quickly,
and as many are of ephemeral interest, they do
not require replacement. In our largest towns it is
doubtful if a lending library of more than 50,000
volumes will ever be required, as, before that
number is obtained, the annual withdrawal of
worn-out and undesirable works will almost equal
the additions. Another consideration upon this
point is the provision of branch lending libraries
and delivery stations. The experience of our larger
towns show that the active sphere of work of a
lending library does not extend more than a mile
around it, and that branch libraries are necessary
for the outlying and suburban districts of each
town.
It should, indeed, be an axiom that a

SITE AND PLAN

17

lending library is wanted for each 80,000 inhabitants, and the experience of towns like Birmingham,
Bradford, and Nottingham proves that the suburban residents who become readers and use the
branch libraries freely, are those who would but
rarely visit the central library. An indirect benefit
of the multiplication of branches is, that they
promote the personal intercourse of reader and
librarian in charge, to an extent which would be
impossible if the work was concentrated in one
building. In Manchester this principle of taking the
books to the readers has been carried even further.
There is no central lending library, but fifteen wellequipped branches, each containing from ten to
twenty thousand volumes, have been distributed
over the city with the happiest results.
The position of the librarian's office and the workrooms for the staff will depend greatly upon the
size of the library. In some places the librarian
seems to be considered as a kind of superior
janitor or caretaker, and an attempt is made to
so place his office that he can sit and watch the
entrance hall and note each person entering the
building. This is a wrong conception of a librarian's duties, and has come down to us from the
dark ages, when it was thought a librarian's chief
work was to preserve his books from the assaults
of the would-be readers, instead of acting as a key
to unlock the stores of his library. This old feeling
is happily changing, and the readers are finding
that the more " alive " a librarian is, the more useful
to them he can be in assisting and directing their
B

i8

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

studies. In small libraries the librarian should be
close to the delivery desk of the lending department, for it is there that his advice and opinion will
be chiefly in request. In larger libraries, where a
greater portion of the librarian's time is of necessity
taken up with the administrative duties of his position, it will not be possible for him to come into
close personal contact with the readers, but he
should be so placed as to be readily available when
wanted.
In small libraries, where the staff of -attendants
is limited in number, an attempt should be made
to obtain some supervision of all the public rooms
from a given point of vantage, say, the issue desk
of the lending department. In some libraries this
has been done by erecting one large room, shelving
the books round the walls, and placing the newspapers and periodicals on tables and stands in the
centre. This is a plan to be avoided if possible,
for not only is the noise inseparable from the work
of the lending department annoying to the readers,
but the vitiated air of the room—if it is used at
all largely—plays havoc with the unfortunate attendants, who have to respire it for nine hours or
more each day. The lending library should in all
cases be in a separate room. Supervision can
easily be obtained by good planning and a liberal
use of glass screens in the division walls. The
plans of the Edward Pease Library, Darlington
(Fig. 69), the Tate Public Library, Streatham (Fig.
107), the Westminster Public Library (Fig. n o ) ,
and the South Lambeth Library (Fig. 102), give

SITE AND PLAN

!9

examples of how this has been done on four sites
of different shapes and areas.
Opinions are divided upon the question of supplying free sanitary and lavatory accommodation for
eaders. If the library is large, and can afford to
engage an attendant, they are most useful adjuncts ;
but if they have to be left open without supervision, they will prove a nuisance in more senses
than one. The provision of a lavatory for handwashing only is almost necessary for reference
libraries, and will repay itself in the better condition in which the books are maintained. A
certain amount of dust seems inseparable from
the reference department, and it is well to
give the scrupulous reader an opportunity to
remove it.
Safety from fire is a great consideration, more
especially in the larger libraries, where special
collections have been formed, or unique specimens of typography or art are stored. In such
buildings the rooms for the staff and those used
for the administrative work of the library should,
if possible, be separated from the book stores.
This has been done in the Royal Library at
Stuttgart, which is planned in the shape of a
capital T (Fig. 6). The central block is entirely
administrative, and the reading-room is placed at
the junction of the cross-piece with the upright.
The book stores are situated on either side, right
and left of the reading-room. Space for extension
will be provided by building a return at each end
of the cross-piece parallel with, and as long as,

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

20

the central block. This plan admits of complete
isolation of the books from all other parts of the
building, and as they are shelved in two stores,
one half of the stock is separated from the other
half, and so the contingency of the total destruc-

FIG. 6.—Kbnigl. Bibliothek zu Stuttgart.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Book stores.
Vestibule.
Writing-room.
Reading-room.
Manuscripts.

f.
g.
h.
i.
k.

Librarian's office.
Bookbinder.
Assistant-librarian.
Catalogue-room.
Porter.

tion of the library is further diminished. A dread
of fire is by no means unnecessary, for history
gives us many examples of almost irreparable
loss. Without going far back, there may be mentioned the destruction of the Cottonian MSS. at
Ashburnham House in 1731 ; and the Central
Library at Birmingham in 1879, w ^ n ^ s priceless

SITE AND PLAN

21

Shakespeare and Staunton collections ; the Welsh
University Library in 1885 ; the library of Congress at Washington in 1851 ; and the University
Library at Brussels in 1886. Fires have also
recently taken place in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne
and Manchester libraries, but fortunately without
doing irremediable harm.
The National Library at Paris has for many years
been in danger of destruction by fire by reason
of its situation, as it is enclosed by four narrow
streets in a busy commercial locality. Up to a
short time ago, indeed, parts of the building were
sublet for shops and dwelling-houses. It has been
apparent to the authorities for a long time that
the library should be removed, and plans were
made for a new building, to be placed between
the Louvre and the Tuileries. This for some
reason fell through, and then an attempt was
made to transfer the collection to the Luxembourg.
This suggestion also was not carried into effect,
and the custodians seem now to have arrived at
the conclusion that they must make the best of
their present site. Much of the old building, some
of which was built by Mazarin, has been pulled
down, and new reading-rooms and book stores
erected worthy of the collection.
In the construction of a new library of any importance an attempt should be made to make it
fireproof.
Of course it is impossible to make a
building which has to be artificially lighted and
heated, and containing wood, paper, furniture,
and other inflammable material, entirely so, but

22

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

certain precautions may well be taken. The walls
should be of terra-cotta or brick, and of a good
thickness. The inner walls should be taken from
the basement up to, and through, the roof, so as
to divide the building into as many separate portions as possible. The book stores should be
built in a series of rooms rather than in one
large room, and all rooms should be separated by
double iron doors, or, what is even better, thick
doors of oak covered on either side with iron
plates, with a space the thickness of the wall
between them. The iron or steel girders and ties
used in construction should in all cases be covered
with terra-cotta or fireclay blocks, to keep the
direct action of the flames from them. Due provision must also be made for their expansion under
the influence of heat, for if this is not done, it is
probable that, in case of fire, the outside walls
would be pushed outwards, and the whole structure collapse. One of the many different methods
of making concrete floors should be adopted for
all floors and ceilings. Wood and felt should
not be used in the roof, but iron, and some uninflammable non-conductor.
In large libraries
the heating apparatus, refreshment rooms, mess
rooms for the staff, engines and boilers for
the production of electric light, & c , should be
separate and distinct from the main building, and
connected with it only by corridors with iron
doors. All wood used in construction should be
chemically treated, and if dust-blinds are fitted
to the bookcases, they should undergo a similar

SITE AND PLAN

23

preparation. A well-considered scheme of fire-drill
for the attendants should be in force, and telephonic
communication, tested daily, should be laid on to
the nearest fire-station. Provision should be made
of hydrants upon each floor of the building, and
buckets rilled with water always be available. If
the latter are placed in entrance halls, or where
they may be exposed to severe frost, a handful of
salt should be placed in each to keep the water
from freezing.
The use of automatic fire-sprinklers in the book
stores, unless applied solely to the floors, is only
mentioned to be condemned, as the water would do
almost as much harm to the books as a fire. The
Mitchell Library, Glasgow, has adopted a simple
method of precaution against damage which might
result from sparks from fires in the adjacent buildings. Tubes have been taken up from the watermains to the roof of the building, and are run along
the tops of the ridges of the skylights. They are
perforated with small holes, and upon turning a tap
in the basement a powerful stream of water is
forced through in the form of spray, which effectually wets the whole roof, and would keep in check,
if not extinguish, the fire of any burning brands,
sparks, or cinders which might fall upon it. In
fixing such a system care must be taken to so
arrange the levels of the pipes that no water can
remain in them, but must drain away at or near the
tap in the basement. If this is not done the imprisoned water will freeze in the pipes, and stop the
passage at the time probably when it is most required.

24

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

One valuable security against fire may probably
be found to be the cases invented by the eminent
bookbinder Mr. Zaehnsdorf, for the protection of
books of especial value. They have successfully
borne the ordeal of an actual conflagration at the
burning of Lord Carysfort's library, and have been
tested with encouraging results by the present
Keeper of Printed Books at the British Museum.
On this occasion the only part of the paper
charred was that actually in contact with the inside
of the case, which would not have happened at all
if the books tested had been bound. The expense
of such cases is, nevertheless, a serious obstacle to
their employment, but in practice it would probably
be found that separate cases were unnecessary, and
that it might even suffice to line the shelves with
the incombustible material.
The flooring of the public rooms of libraries
should be as noiseless as possible, and of a material that is warm to the feet, and capable of being
readily cleaned. The entrance halls and lobbies
will be best paved with mosaic or encaustic or
glazed tiles. These should be of a light colour,
for this part of the building is generally the worst
lighted. Stone floors laid in large squares are not
recommended, as they are apt to wear irregularly.
Marble looks well, but has been condemned by
many for its sonorousness.
In the reading - rooms and reference library
wood is generally used. If it is not intended to
cover the floors, the best floor will be one made
of wooden blocks laid upon a cement foundation.

SITE AND PLAN

25

Pine and deal are most often used for cheapness,
but they wear unsatisfactorily, and, if scrubbed
much, soon show the grain and become ragged.
Oak blocks are used in the Minet Library, and
form a close floor almost impervious to damp and
dirt. The most suitable covering for a wood floor
is cork carpet or corticene : this can be obtained
nearly half an inch thick, and it seems to consolidate with heavy traffic. A block floor is unsuitable
for covering, as the sharp edges cut the material
and cause it to wear. Covered floors should be
made in the ordinary manner, and of well-seasoned
wood that will not readily warp. Great care should
be taken to see that the wood is dry and wellventilated underneath before the cork carpet is
laid upon it, for if it is done while the wood is at
all green, dry rot will set in, and the floor be
destroyed.
For the same reason the cleaners
should be cautioned against using too much water
in cleansing floors of this character. Cocoa-nut
matting and carpets are unsuitable coverings for
rooms which are much used, and should not be
placed in any of the public rooms.

CHAPTER

II

NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING, HEATING,
AND VENTILATION

THE question of the lighting of the library, both
by day and night, is most important. It is best
to err on the safe side, and give too much natural
light than too little ; for it is an easy matter to
subdue with blinds too great a light, but the initial
mistake of a faulty natural lighting can only be
remedied by the use of artificial illuminants or
costly structural alterations, if indeed the latter are
even possible. In designing a library the architect
should adopt a style which will admit of high
windows with square tops, for a square foot of
clear glass two feet from the ceiling will admit
more light than ten square feet at the same distance from the floor. This proposition is very
elementary, but in how many cases do we see it
forgotten, and the comfort of the readers sacrificed for an artistic but unsuitable elevation ? A
striking instance of this want of foresight is seen
in the Dundee Free Library, designed by Sir
Gilbert Scott. Here we have Gothic-pointed windows, suitable indeed to give the "dim, religious
light" of a cathedral, but of little use for reading
26

LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

27

the small print of newspapers; and so the building,
outwardly artistic and handsome, is internally a
failure.
Side windows in the news-rooms should be
placed as high as possible from the floors, so that
the light may travel readily over the newspaper
stands and racks. Double windows are advantageous when the library is within earshot of noisy
traffic, and also in cold weather, as they diminish
the draught caused by the hot air of the room
chilling against the cold outside glass, the layer of
air between the two casements being a bad conductor of heat. Windows should be in definite
proportion to the size of the rooms they have to
illuminate. If the library is situated in a street of
ordinary width, and is not overshadowed by lofty
buildings, there should be a minimum of 8 square
feet for each 500 cubic feet of room space. On
upper floors a slightly smaller proportion may
suffice. In relation to this question the aspect of
the library should also be considered; a room
facing south will do with less window space than
one facing north. Large squares of plate glass
are better than the small panes or leaded lights
so often used. It may sometimes be desirable to
glaze the lower parts of the windows with tinted
glass to prevent overlooking.
The best light for reading is that which comes
from the left side of the reader, so newspaper
stands and tables should be placed as far as possible at right angles to the windows. If light can
only be obtained from one side of a room, its

28

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

maximum width should not exceed 30 feet, and
only be that if the room is lofty and the windows
high up. The colour of the walls is an important
factor, as dark colours absorb much of the light,
while light colours reflect and diffuse the rays of
light which fall upon them. A dado of glazed
bricks or tiles around reading-rooms is of value,
both from a sanitary point of view as well as that
of helping to diffuse the light.
So far, wre have considered the lighting of rooms
by side lights only. A top light can be obtained
in some of the rooms of most buildings, and its
use is often advantageous. The readers can be
arranged without regard to shadows, as all parts of
the room are equally well lighted, and there is no
limit to the size and shape of the rooms. The
inconveniences of top lights are, the difficulty of
keeping them rain-proof, and the draughts which
are caused by the heated air ascending, chilling
against the cold glass, and falling back again in
cold currents. The first defect can be minimised
by inserting clear glass windows in the clerestory
only, and not in the slope of the lantern. The
second can be met by an inner glass ceiling, which
also has the advantage of intercepting the direct
rays of the sun, and so keeping the room at a low
temperature during the summer months. In the
Edward Pease Public Library, Darlington, the roof
of the reading-room is ceiled in this manner, with
lightly-coloured stained glass. Each square is lifted
about two inches from its bed by supports at the
corners, and so allows free egress for the vitiated

LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

29

air, which passes through into the large open space
between the ceiling and roof, and from thence into
a ventilating shaft.
The best artificial lighting of a library is undoubtedly that by electricity; first employed, as is
believed, at the Liverpool Free Public Library,
and shortly afterwards at the British Museum. Not
only does it keep the air pure, and at an even temperature, but it has no products of combustion,
like those from gas, to rot the bindings of the
books and dirty the decorations of the rooms. The
expenses of installation and maintenance have debarred many libraries from adopting it, but in places
where,gas is high in price, it seems that there is
but little difference in the cost. The experience
of the Chelsea Public Library may be useful. The
gas bill at the central library in 1891, 1892, and
1893 averaged ^123, 2s. iod. per year at 2s. iod.
per 1000 cubic feet. The electric light was then
introduced, supplied by a company who charge
5d. a Board of Trade unit. The cost for 1894 was
£134, 14s. 2d. ; for 1895, £132, 8s. 9d.; and for
1896, ^149, 4s. 2d. In addition to this charge, an
outlay of about £3 yearly has been paid for new
lamps. The initial cost of the installation was
-£325, and for this 218 lamps were fitted, about
half being 16 candle-power, and the rest 8 candlepower.
The Newcastle-upon-Tyne Public Library is also
lit by electricity. In this case gas is much cheaper
than at Chelsea, the price being only is. iod. per
1000 cubic feet. The initial expense of installation

3°

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

was ^475. The number of lamps in use is 187,
and the cost for the year 1896 was ^190, as compared with a gas bill for the year 1891 of ^ 9 5 .
The difference in cost, however, must not be
closely compared, for several rooms are now used
by the public which were not in use in 1891. It
is estimated that the gas bill for the whole building
would now be about ^150.
In both these cases it will be seen that the
electric current is obtained from a company. Some
libraries, such as the British Museum, manufacture
it for themselves. The experience of the Mitchell
Library, Glasgow, which does this, is that the wages
of engineer, and cost and repairs of plant, gas for
engines, &c., amount to ^350 yearly for an installation of 274 lights. This experience, and similar
results elsewhere, seems to prove that only in very
large libraries is it cheapest to produce the light if
it can be purchased at anything below 8d. per unit.
It may also be mentioned that if it is decided to
make your own light, the machinery for doing so
should be placed in a separate and detached building away from the library. If the works are placed
in the basement, they will be found to be a nuisance
from the vibration and noise caused by the working
of the engines.
The system of lighting best adapted for libraries
is that of a plentiful supply of 8 candle-power
lamps, or larger, for the reading-tables, each provided with a separate switch, so that it can be
turned off when not in use. For large and lofty
rooms there should be provided, in addition, two

LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

31

or three arc lamps, with an opal shade or tray
underneath, to reflect the light on to the ceiling,
from which it will be deflected in a diffused form
downwards over the whole room. A few gas
lights should be introduced, especially on the staircases, for use if, from any cause, the electric light
should fail.
On gas lighting little need be said. The forms
of lighting which convey all the products of combustion away from the room into a ventilating
shaft are undoubtedly the best. Sun lights, Wenham lights, the Incandescent system, and Sugg's
burners, all have their advocates and opponents.
It is much a matter of individual choice. But a
word may be said as to the position of the lights,
as they are generally placed much too high above
the readers for the most effective use of the light.
A height of 8 feet 6 inches from the floor will be
found to give the best results.
The heating and ventilation of libraries is a question upon which much could be written. Taking
all things into consideration, heating by hot water
on the low-pressure system gives the most satisfactory results. Hot air and steam are used in
many of the larger libraries, and are successful
when the funds allow a competent engineer to be
engaged to superintend the apparatus. The chief
defects of heating by these systems are an extreme
dryness of the atmosphere, and the charring of
particles of dust and dirt by contact with the redhot sides of the heating apparatus. These can be
remedied by careful firing, the insertion of trays

32

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of water in the conduits, provided with louvres
for deflecting the particles of dust floating in the
air. A good form of heating small libraries by
hot air is that provided by means of " G i l l " stoves
placed in the different rooms, but these necessitate
the carrying of fuel and ashes to and fro, and so
are undesirable for large libraries.
The British Museum is heated by hot air obtained
through a shaft some sixty feet high. The air is
drawn along by a rotary fan and heated over boilers,
it then passes through a chamber provided with
sprays of water for counteracting dryness. Under
the central reading-room is a vast air-chamber,
divided into long, narrow compartments, which
radiate from the centre to the circumference, and
each provided with hot-water pipes. The hot
air enters the reading-room from inlets in these
chambers, arranged at the end and top of each
rowT of readers' desks. The room is lit by side
windows and a lantern, the latter being double to
protect the readers from draughts caused by the
chilling of the hot air against the glass, and the
upward current of the vitiated air is helped by
means of coils of steam-pipes placed in the dome.
The exits are the ordinary " Boyle" ventilators.
Much of the success of the Museum heating depends upon the efficiency of the engineer. Without
constant and unfailing watchfulness this extensive
building would be most difficult to keep at an even
temperature. As it is, complaints are not wanting. On one occasion a reader propounded to
a stoker a theory of heating, founded upon the

LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

33

maintenance of a definite proportion between the
warmth of the internal and external air, which demanded a reduction of the temperature to about
45° F. The attendant replied that his theory might
be excellent, but he was sure that if he reduced the
temperature to that point he would have his readers
at boiling point !
In heating by hot water on the high-pressure
system, small wrought iron tubes of |-inch bore
are carried through the room from the furnace
boiler. When the fire is lit the small quantity of
water is soon heated, and a very rapid circulation,
giving out great heat, is speedily obtained. This
system is often adopted by architects, as the pipes
are small and neater in appearance than those
used in low-pressure systems. Its disadvantages
are the danger of bursting, as the pressure will
vary from 50 to 500 lbs. on the square inch ; a
great liability of obstruction in the pipes through
the water freezing during cold weather, when an
explosion is sure to take place ; and the over-heating of the air in contact with the pipes nearest the
furnace, and the consequent liability to fire, if by
accident wood or other inflammable substances are
in contact with them.
For the low-pressure system of heating by water,
pipes of from 2' to 4 inches inside diameter
are used. The water leaves the furnace boiler,
which is placed at the lowest part of the apparatus, at boiling point, and circulates until it
returns to the boiler, where it is heated again.
The advantages of the system are that the risk
c

34

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of fire is reduced to a minimum, for no part of
the pipes can have a higher temperature than
212° F . ; and an equable temperature can be
readily maintained, as the heat is easily regulated
and controlled. The furnaces are economical, as
any fuel capable of generating heat sufficient to
boil water can be used. In fixing the pipes, a
word of caution may be given against laying them
in trenches in the floor with surface gratings.
Not only is more heating surface necessary, for a
great part of the heat is radiated into the brick
channels which hold the pipes, but they are most
unsanitary. Dirt, dust, and filth fall through the
grates and collect around and under the pipes,
where it is difficult to be removed, and as soon
as the pipes get warm, a constant current of fine
dust ascends with the heat and contaminates the
air. Hot-water pipes should in all cases be run
on brackets around the room, so that the dust
can be wiped from them daily with a wet cloth.
Radiators, or coils and stacks of pipe, should be
fixed near the doors in entrance halls, and adjoining all fresh air inlets, to warm the air entering
the building. The boilers and main pipes used
to convey the water beneath the floors should be
covered with some good non-conductor.
The ventilation of libraries is a difficult problem
which does not seem to be yet solved. In this
country but few libraries have adopted mechanical
methods ; nearly all rely upon natural ventilation,
and the same inlets are expected to be as satisfactory in July, when the outside air is hotter

LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

35

than the inside, as in December, when the inside
air is thirty to forty degrees warmer than the outside. It is self-evident that if the ventilation is
satisfactory in summer, it cannot be expected to
answer in winter. In considering ventilation, the
first question should be, How much air is vitiated
in each room in a given time for each person
occupying it ? A consideration of this point gives
us an answer to the converse problem, How much
fresh air should be allowed to enter the room per
hour ? The opinions of experts differ on these
points, but it may be taken as a general rule, that
in a room occupied to its maximum capacity, 25
to 30 cubic feet of air should be extracted per
minute for each adult. A rough guide is given
to us by our sense of smell, for if a room has
the slightest perceptible odour, its ventilation is
imperfect. The difficulty, of course, is to extract
the foul air and introduce fresh without creating
draughts. The method of doing so is practically
the same in all systems, the use of a shaft with
numerous inlets opening into it at the top of the
room to withdraw the air, an upward movement
in it being caused by the warmth of the vitiated
air itself, or by the use of a gas-burner or a stove
inserted in it. Corresponding inlets for fresh air
are necessary, and must have relation to the outlets. They should be a little larger in area, and
well distributed over the room. If but one or two
inlets are provided they will cause a current of
air to run directly to the outlets, creating a draught,
and leaving stagnant air in other parts of the room.

36

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The most suitable places for inlets are about seven
or eight feet from the floor, and they should open
upwards, so that the direction of the incoming air
shall be towards the ceiling. The " Tobin " ventilation tubes are constructed on this principle, and
seem to be one of the most efficacious of the various
natural systems of ventilation in use.
The following table, which was compiled by the
late Charles Hood, shows the cubic feet of foul air
extracted by a ventilating shaft of an uniform area
of 1 square foot—
"

'"'"i

Height of
Ventilating
Shaft in
Feet.

IO

15
20

25
30
35
40

45
5o

Excess of Temperature of Air entering the Vent ilating
Shaft above the External Air.

5
Il6
I42
164
184

10

15

20

25

3o

164

200

245
285

235
284
330
368

260

202

410

403
436
465

45°
486
518

284
348
404
450
493

493
518

55i
579

218

232
260
284
306

235
248
260

329
348
367

20I

318
347
376
403
427

45o

3i8
368

53i
570
605
635

As an example of the above, let us suppose a
ventilating shaft 30 feet high, and the difference in
temperature of the two airs to be 150, then the
discharge would be 347 cubic feet per minute ; if
the height be 40 feet, and the difference in temperature 200, then the discharge would be 465 cubic
feet per minute.
A system of mechanical ventilation, combined

LIGHTING AND VENTILATION

37

with warming, has been adopted in the Aberdeen
Public Library, which the writer has had the
opportunity of testing, and which is most satisfactory, both in summer and winter. The following account is condensed from a paper read by
the librarian at the sixteenth annual meeting of the
Library Association :—
The building consists of three main floors, each
about 18 feet in height, and 75 by 45 in area. In the
basement floor there is a small room, with an opening on one side to the outer air 36 square feet in
area. All the air supplied to the building is drawn
through this opening by a Blackman fan 5 feet in
diameter, propelled by a gas-engine of three horsepower. The fan is placed at the entrance of a
large duct, from which branch off other smaller
ducts to the several floors. The incoming current
of air is first drawn through a screen of manilla
hemp, which is kept moistened by an occasional
automatic flush of water, and so all dust, soot,
and other atmospheric impurities are effectually
excluded. In the winter this incoming current of
air, after passing through the screen, traverses a
large coil of hot-water pipes, and is suitably heated
prior to entering the rooms. In the rooms, at a
height of six feet from the floor, are oblong openings to admit the air thus screened and warmed.
The outlets for vitiated air are grated openings,
placed at intervals in the walls close to the floor ;
these lead by several small shafts into one large
central shaft, with exit at the roof of the building.
When the apparatus is at work the fresh air is

38

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

forced into the rooms, and circulates before it
finds its outlet at the floor level. The entire air
of the room may be renewed from four to nine
times per hour, according to the speed of the
engine. This is done without the creation of
draughts, a lighted taper held but a foot away
from an exit or inlet hardly flickering. It will be
understood that all the windows are closed, and
that no air can enter the building except by the
action of the fan. The currents caused by the
opening of the swing doors is outward rather
than inward, owing to the compressed state of the
internal atmosphere.

C H A P T E R III
METHODS

OF

STRUCTION

SHELVING THE
OF

BOOKS, AND

BOOKCASES

IN

WOOD

CONAND

METAL

IT is important to fully consider the different
methods of shelving books, in order that the most
economical arrangement may be adopted, and a
true estimate of the maximum number of volumes
which a library will hold be arrived at. Consideration has already been given to the difference between the alcove and the stack systems; this
chapter will, therefore, be chiefly concerned with
the question of the size, shape, materials, fittings,
and construction of the shelves and bookcases.
Bookcases may be of two kinds.
In one the
books are only shelved upon one side, the flat
back being generally placed against the wall—these
are termed " wall-cases " ; in the second, the cases
have shelves on both sides, and are placed in the
centre of the rooms away from the walls—these
may be termed " stack cases."
In considering what height the bookcases should
be, we have, firstly, to endeavour to obtain some
unit which may be divided by the shelves into
spaces which will take the books without wasting
39-

4°

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

room, and secondly, to consider what height is
the best for ease of service, and an attempt should
be made to combine the two. Nearly all modern
libraries have their bookcases low enough to allow
the books upon the top shelves to be reached without the aid of a ladder, or, at any rate, by
merely using one step 8 or 9 inches in height,
the general concensus of opinion being that some
height between 7 and 8 feet is the most suitable. 1
Mr. Melvil Dewey in Library Notes recommends
7 feet 8 inches, and my own conclusion is that this
or 7 feet 6 inches is the height that, on the whole,
is best adapted for ordinary libraries.
The greater portion of the books now being
published are octavo in size, varying from crowns
to royals, or, say, from 7J to 9J inches in height.
It seems probable that in the future the proportion
of small books will be even greater than it is now.
The days of folios, like those published from the
fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries, are numbered, except as regards newspapers, and no publisher nowadays dreams of printing books larger
than octavo unless they are illustrated, and space
has to be obtained for plates, maps, or plans.
It is necessary to have a base from 2 to 4 inches
high at the bottom of each case to prevent damage
to the lowest shelf of books. In some libraries
the base has been made higher, and the heating
pipes have been taken through it. This is wrong
1
The height adopted at Stuttgart is 7 feet 4 inches ; at Boston,
7 feet 5 inches ; at Stockholm, 7 feet 8 inches ; at the British Museum,
7 feet 10 inches ; at the National Library, Paris, 8 feet 3 inches.

SHELVING

41

in principle, for books require a low temperature
rather than a high one, and great damage will be
done to the bindings if the pipes are placed so
near to them. In a case 7 feet 6 inches high it
will be seen that with a base of 2 inches, and a
top of 1 inch, there is left a space available for
books of 87 inches. This will take eight shelves
for ordinary octavo books, 10 inches in height, or
ten rows of crown octavo books, 7 ! inches in
height, allowing f of an inch for the thickness of
each shelf. If mixed sizes are wanted, each division will take five shelves for crown octavo, and
four shelves for ordinary octavos ; and if a few
shelves for larger books are required, they may be
obtained by dividing the space into two shelves
of 8 inches, five shelves of 10 inches, and one
of 14 ; but generally the taller books will be best
shelved away from the smaller, as they are broader,
and will require deeper shelves. The depth of shelf
required for the ordinary octavos, whose height we
have been considering, will be from 5J to 7J inches,
so a shelf 8 inches in depth will be found to be
sufficient. To recapitulate, we may safely say that
75 per cent, of the books in ordinary libraries can
be placed upon shelves varying from 8 to 10 inches
in height and 8 inches in depth.
It is important that all shelves in the library be
the same length, so that when it is necessary to
remove part of any class to another place, the
books may still keep their relative positions to
each other. Another advantage is, that any spare
shelf will fit any place where it may be wanted,

4

2

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

and so it will not be necessary to keep a stock of
shelves of varying sizes on hand suitable for odd
places. Shelves are generally made of i-inch wood,
and wrhen planed and ready for use may be taken
as from f to £ of an inch in thickness. With wood
of this thickness it will be found that a shelf 42
inches in length may be used without it warping
or sagging in the centre under the weight of heavy
books. On the other hand, shorter shelves are
better for keeping the books upright, and so we are
led to the conclusion that for practical purposes a
length of between 30 and 36 inches is the best.
The shelving for the folio and quarto volumes
may well be provided in the wall cases. In constructing these it will be best to make the lower
part of the case of greater depth, so that a ledge
of about 8 inches in width may be formed at a
height of, say, 3 feet- from the floor. The total
height of the case will, of course, be the same as
the stack cases, but the depth of the top portion
above the ledge should be 13 inches, and below
21. Cases of these dimensions will give accommodation for the largest books likely to be found
in ordinary libraries, and if any of a larger size
should be acquired, they must be placed in a
specially constructed case.
We have spoken so far of one storey only of
bookcases, 7 feet 6 inches in height ; but if these
are placed on the floor of a lofty room, it will at
once be seen that similar rows may be built on
the top of them, if a floor of thick hammered
glass or perforated iron-work is placed between.

SHELVING

43

In this way are built the stack rooms of the larger
modern libraries, and the most compact storage
of the books, with ease of access to every part, is
obtained. In the new building of the public library
at Boston there are six of these book storeys ; in the
stack rooms, at the library of Congress, Washington, there are n i n e ; but the general rule is to
have four. At Boston but little reliance has been
placed upon natural light, and it has been thought
best to rely upon a plentiful number of electric
lamps. In book stores lit only from the roof the
light will no more than penetrate one floor, and
so light but two storeys ; if the gangways are of
exceptional width, as in the British Museum, three
storeys may be lit, but any greater number must
rely upon side lights. If the latter be large and
well arranged on two opposite sides, the book
store may be 40 feet in width, but the length of
the cases will depend greatly upon the size of the
room and its lighting.
It has been already recommended that the bottom
of the side windows in ordinary rooms should be
8 feet from the floor, so as to allow a continuous
run of bookcases round the room, but in book
stores with stacks more than two storeys in height
this is impossible, and side windows must be provided for each storey. The stack cases will be
placed at right angles to the windows, to allow
the light to penetrate between them. The distance
between each stack will depend upon the distance
the windows are apart, the minimum being 2 feet
6 inches; but this width should only be adopted

44

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

where space is of the greatest value.
Passages
3 feet wide will in practice be found quite narrow
enough. The central gangway running across the
room between the ends of the cases must be wide
enough to take the staircase which leads from one
book storey to the next, and for a few narrow
tables for standing books requiring replacement,
&c. The staircase should be in straight flights
and not circular, with a width of at least 4 feet.
There should be a small lift for books placed
near the door, and running from top to bottom
of the room, so that books may be easily and
readily transferred from one storey to another. If
the book stores are very large and some distance
from the readers, endless bands running over rollers
or cable lines can be fitted along the gangways,
to carry the books from the attendants in the
book stores to the delivery desk. Examples of
book railways of this kind may be seen in the
new library of Congress at Washington (Fig. 45),
and in the public library, Boston (Fig. 115).
The late Dr. Poole of the Chicago Library,
while agreeing with this principle of shelving books,
strongly objected to the stacks being more than one
storey in height. His plan for constructing a large
library was described in detail in a "Circular of
Information" issued by the United States Bureau
of Education in 1881, in which he said—
" My first requirement is a lot of ground 200
feet square, surrounded on all sides by streets,
or, what is better, by other open space. On the
middle of the side most appropriate for the main

SHELVING

45

entrance I place the central building, 60 feet front
and 75 deep, which will be wholly devoted to the
administrative superintendence and work of the
library. Here will be the offices of the librarian
and heads of departments, the catalogues, the most
general works of reference, and here the business
of the library will be done. Here will be apartments for the cataloguers, and for unpacking and
arranging books. The bindery will occupy the
upper storey. The books will be stored not as
now in one general repository, but in a series of
rooms thrown out as wings from the central building, and extending around the lot. These rooms
will be 50 feet wide, 16 feet high, and as long as
it is convenient to make them. The width of the
wings will be determined by the space that can
be wrell lighted by side windows, and that can be
spanned by iron girders without pillars. Ten of
these rooms are shown on Fig. 7, and carrying
the same construction four storeys high, there will
be forty of these rooms in the whole building.
Each of the rooms will contain the books on
some special subject, or, in the early stage of
growth, several related subjects. One room will
be devoted to the fine arts, and will have the
proper cases, tables, and other appliances for
shelving and studying the large and expensive
illustrated works which belong to such a collection.
Another room will have the mechanic arts, while
another will contain history. Political economy
and social science will be found in another room,
and so on through the different classifications of

46

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

knowledge. These rooms will have no alcoves or
galleries. The books will be shelved in wall cases
and double cases not higher than a person can
reach. High light will be taken on the exterior

FIG. 7.—Dr. Poole's plan for a library building.

side from windows above the wall cases, and each
room will have light from two sides, the reading
desks and tables being on the inner side where
there are no wall cases, and lit by windows of full
length looking into the quadrangle.

SHELVING

47

" T h e attendant in charge will have an opportunity to become acquainted with the books in his
department, and competent to assist readers in
their investigations. There will be no need of a
general reading-room other than one in which are
kept encyclopaedias, dictionaries, and general works
of reference. When it is necessary, books can be
loaned from one department to another, as they
are now sent to the general reading-room. As a
general rule, readers will go to the room which
contains the class of books which they wish to
study.
"As a protection from fire, each room used for
the storage of books is cut off from every other
room by a brick fire-wall extending through the
roof, and every floor will be made thoroughly fireproof. The only access to the rooms will be by
a light iron corridor at each storey, seven feet wide,
running around on the inside of the quadrangle,
as indicated on Fig. 7. If by accident fire should
start in any one of these forty rooms, it could not
endanger the safety of the other thirty-nine. In
the rear of the central part of the building will be
an elevator, which will land readers upon the level
of any of the corridors ; it will also have stairways, besides its elevator for reaching its several
stories."
It will be seen that Dr. Poole's plan is practically
that of the stack room system, with solid fireproof floors, and a distribution of the readers into
separate reading-rooms, instead of concentrating
them in one large room. One objection made to

48

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

the stack system is that it is unsuitable for libraries
where the readers are allowed to have access to
the shelves, its principle being the warehousing
of the books in the most compact manner, and
not the provision of facilities for reading them.
In the Amherst College Library this difficulty has
been met by shortening the alternate stacks to a
height at which they can be used as tables. But
even this will only give accommodation for a very
small number of readers ; and if the general public
are to be admitted to the shelves, some modification of Dr. Poole's plan seems likely to be the
best. The loss of space is a serious objection to
allowing the public access to the shelves at all ;
and the multiplication of reading-rooms is objectionable, as necessitating a similar multiplication of
catalogues and books of reference.
To calculate how many books can be shelved in
a bookcase, it is usual to allow 10 volumes to each
foot of shelving for ordinary octavos, and 6 for
folios and quartos. The average over the whole
shelving of an ordinary collection of books will
probably be 8 | volumes to the foot.
If it is
wanted to know how many books a. room will
hold if fitted with cases 7 feet 6 inches high, the
method of calculation is a little different. Let us
suppose that the case is 16 inches deep, and has
books on each side; that the width of passageway between it and the next case is the minimum
of 32 inches ; and that each shelf is 36 inches in
length. The floor space that one division of one
side of the case will take is half the width of the

SHELVING

49

case (8 inches), plus half the width of passage-way
(16 inches), multiplied by the length of the shelf
(36 inches), which gives a result of 6 square feet.
If the average number of shelves in the division
is 9, and there are 8J books to the foot, the
capacity of the division is 230 volumes; or an
average of 38 books to the square foot of floor area.
In this calculation no account has been taken of
the stairs, windows, doors, or cross gangway, and
only a minimum width of passage-ways has been
allowed. If space for these are taken into consideration, a conservative estimate of the shelving
capacity of a room will work out at 25 volumes
to the square foot. A book store, therefore, 50
feet by 40 in area, with cases 7 feet 6 inches in
height, will shelve 50,000 volumes ; and if the room
be 35 feet high, and four tiers of bookcases are
erected in it, its capacity is increased fourfold, to
200,000 volumes.
In the construction of bookcases and shelves
wood has been generally used, but of late years
iron has been introduced with considerable success.
The advantages claimed for wood are that it is
cheaper; it looks better ; and, if the corners and
edges are rounded, it does less damage to the
bindings than any other material. It is contended
for iron that it is fireproof; the stacks do not
obstruct so much light as the solid wood cases;
and that it allows free ventilation to the backs of
the books. The latter (ventilation) is an important
point, especially in the store rooms of large reference libraries, where long sets of books but little
D

5o

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

used are packed closely together, and are seldom
removed from the shelves.
In hot climates metal has the great advantage
of resisting the attacks of insects. Slate is used in
the Fitzwilliam Library at Cambridge ; and papiermache shelves might answer for light books, though
we have not heard of its having been tried. It is
unnecessary to have partitions running from top
to bottom of the double cases dividing the shelves
on one side from those on the other. The shelves,
however, should not be made to go right through
the case, but must be separate, so that if necessary
the shelves on one side may be placed at different
heights to those on the other. All shelves should
be movable, in order that the utmost freedom
may be obtained for the arrangement and classification of the books.
The shelves intended for the reception of rare
works, or those valuable for their bindings, should
in all cases be padded. In the British Museum
all the shelves are covered with cowhide, and twTo
square pads of leather are also provided for each
shelf, to prevent the end books rubbing against
the upright divisions.
In some libraries where
leather could not be afforded Canton flannel has
been used, but this is not recommended, as it is a
suitable habitat for moths. Falls should be of some
cheaper material than leather, or they will hardly
repay their cost; at the same time they must not be
dust-traps. Roller blinds, which are fixed inside the
top cornice, are in use in many libraries, and keep
much of the floating dust away from the books.

SHELVING

51

If any of the bookcases are exposed, and have
doors, provision must be made for ventilation ;
this is best done by inserting wire netting in the
panels instead of glass or wood.
The method of construction of a bookcase of
wood, with fixed shelves, is
too well known to need description. There are several
appliances in use for allowing the shelves to be easily
and readily moved. One of
these is that shown in Fig. 8,
and is known as " T o n k s '
Fittings." A groove is run
at the back and front of
each upright, and in this is
screwed a strip of metal,
perforated with oblong holes
f of an inch apart. A small
square catch, with a piece
projecting, is slipped into a
hole, and stands out at right
angles to receive the shelf,
which rests upon four of
these, placed one in each
upright strip. This fitting
FIG. 8.—Tonks'shelf fitting.
allows the shelf to be raised
or lowered at distances corresponding to the perforations in the uprights. In
fitting, it is important to cut the grooves in the uprights deep enough to embed the whole of the iron
strip; if not, it will project and damage the bindings.

52

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

In some libraries wooden pegs are used, driven
into holes bored at regular intervals. These cannot
be recommended, for they continually get loose and
drop out, as the wood warps or stretches under the
influence of heat or cold.
Fig. 9 shows the construction of the shelf supports used in the new Record Office, Chancery
Lane, London. A hole is drilled in the iron up-

F I G . 9.—Shelf fitting, from
the new Record Office.

F I G . 10.—Library Bureau shelf-pin.

right, and a similar hole in the one side of a piece
of stout angle iron. The latter is secured to the
upright by a hollow bolt inserted from one side,
into which is screwed from the other side a smaller
solid bolt. The shelf is laid upon the top of the
angle iron, and rests there securely.
Objection
must be taken to this manner of fixing the shelves,
as the projecting surfaces both of angle iron and

SHELVING

53

bolts are likely to damage the books placed against
them.
The revolving shelf-pin, shown in Fig. 10, is that
supplied by the Library Bureau. It is made of
metal, and allows of adjustment to two heights
from the same hole, the most usual being that
shown in the illustration. The second adjustment
is made by turning the pin with the projecting part
uppermost. The holes for receiving the pin should
be drilled in a groove broad enough to receive the
square head, otherwise they may sag under the
weight and slip out.
The Chivers' adjustable shelf fitting, shown in
Fig. I I , consists of a metal strip and brackets.
The strip is screwed to the inner side of the upright,
and is raised a little from the surface by washers at
intervals. The brackets which support the shelves
slide up or down this strip as desired, and are held
in position by an automatic device. This is one of
the latest form of shelf bracket, and, as it gives
absolute adjustability, it has considerable advantages
over many of the contrivances in use. It has been
adopted by the Hampstead Public Library, London
Library, and the University Library, Aberdeen.
In Fig 12 is given an illustration of the wedge
bracket. The construction will be apparent from
the drawing. The bracket slides between uprights,
and is held in place by two wedges, one of
which has a serrated edge. When it is necessary to alter its position a smart tap given to one
of the wedges loosens it, and it can then be
slipped up or down as desired. The front of the

54

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

F I G . II.—Chivers' shelf bracket and strip, as viewed from the back.

SHELVING

FIG. 12.—Chivers' wedge shelf bracket.

55

56

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

bracket is of metal, and is grooved or recessed
to hold the shelf firmly and prevent it slipping.

F I G . 13.—Library Bureau steel book-stack.

The Library Bureau steel stack, shown in Fig. 13,
has uprights of cold rolled steel, about 8 feet

SHELVING

57

high. These are grooved to carry brackets, which
are held in place by keys, automatic wedges, or
other devices. The shelves, which may be of
wood or metal, are supported by the brackets at
either side. The uprights sink into feet secured
to the floor, and are tied together longitudinally
at the top with tie-bars, and completed with ornamental finials. The exposed ends can be fitted
with handsome pilasters, the capitals comprising a
label-holder for class and case numbers, and the
connecting bars forming an arch over the entrance
to the alcoves.
Another form of iron bookcase is the " Lambert," which may be seen in the Worcester Public
Library. The shelves rest upon brackets which
slide upon an upright, and automatically lock when
released.
A system of fire-proof library fixtures built up
of steel and bronze has lately been introduced
by the " Fenton " Metallic Manufacturing Company
of Jamestown, New York. The uprights are formed
of cold rolled steel plates deep enough to accommodate the shelf required, and are slotted at inch
intervals to receive the shelves. The latter are
made of steel, and have a bead or roll at the
front, the whole being polished and finished with
japan, thus giving the metal a smooth surface like
porcelain.
In Fig. 14 is given a section of the stack room
of the University Library at Halle, showing the
arrangement of the bookcases and stairs ; and in
Fig. 15 is shown in detail, on a larger scale, the

58

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

construction of the cases themselves. It will be
seen that the stack room is lit from both sides
by large windows, which give abundance of light,
and that the only top-light is that obtained from
a lantern over the staircase in the centre. More
top-light was not used, as it was thought that
damage to the books might arise from rain enter-

FiG. 14.—Section through the stack room of the Halle University Library.

ing through leaks in the skylight. The windows
are 3 metres wide, and are separated from each
other by a wall space of i | metres. The cases
are placed 1.60 metres apart, and are alternately
at right angles to the centre of each window and
of each wall space; each storey of the bookcases
is 2.30 metres in height. To each upright of the
bookcases is affixed a metal handle for holding

SHELVING

59

while reaching a book from the top shelf. A step
is also provided at the foot of each case ; the situation of these are shown in Fig. 15, and the con-

FiG. 15.—Section through two storeys of the stack room at Halle.

struction in Fig. 18. One defect, however, may
be noted ; the shelves are in one piece from back
to front of the bookcase, and cannot be altered

6o

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

on one side without interfering with the other.
This is a mistake, as of course it often occurs
that the books on one side of a case are taller or
shorter than those on the other, and so inconvenience and waste of space will frequently happen.
In all double bookcases each shelf should have
a separate bracket, rack, or pin arrangement for
altering its height, independent of its fellow on
the other side. The bookcases at Halle are eight
divisions in width, and each division is i metre
wide. The staircase in the centre of the book
stack takes up 2 metres, the total width of the
stack being about 20 metres. The floors are of
perforated iron-work, and are arranged to fall
opposite the centre of the windows, so that each
storey has light from about \\ square metres of
window.
In Fig. 16 is given a section of half of the book
stack in the University Library at Greifswald. It
will be seen that two storeys of the stack are
below the floor level of the reading-room, and
four above. Light is obtained from a skylight in
the roof and from large side windows, each of
them being planned to light two storeys of the
stack, the stone-work of the outer walls being
placed opposite the floors. The cases vary a little
in height, the five top storeys being 2J metres, and
the bottom one i\.
There is also a basement,
2 metres in depth, underneath the book store, to
provide against the possibility of any damp arising
from the ground and damaging the books. The
cases are divided into five divisions, each a metre

SHELVING

6l

in breadth, and the stairs giving access to the
different storeys are placed in the centre of the store.

FIG. 16.—Section through the stack room of the University
Library, Greifswald.

In Fig. 17 is shown the details of the construction

62

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

SHELVING

63

of a bookcase and gallery and lift from the
University Library at Gottingen. It will be noticed
that there is no central division to the cases, and
that each shelf has a thin strip of wood at its back
to prevent the books being pushed through. This
is a doubtful advantage, and may sometimes prevent the shelving of an oblong work, which would
otherwise have stood upon the shelf and projected
a little into the shelf-room of the adjoining division. A space is left between each case and the
floor of the gallery for ventilation, and an iron
rod is fixed, at a suitable height, at right angles
to the floor, to prevent unwary feet from going
through. In the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris
a space of 6 inches is left
Trlnsi*ng»
for the same purpose,
but it is covered with galvanised iron netting. In
the University Library at
Halle a similar form of
construction is used, but
here the rod is encased
FlG l8_Step
a n d iron floor
in a Strip O iron, which is
f

in the University Library,

screwed to the uprights,
and forms a narrow step
at right angles to the case. This allows an ample
space for ventilation between the case and the
flooring, with no liability to accident. Fig. 18 gives
the method of fastening, details of one of the steps,
and part of the perforated floor from the stack
room at Halle.

64

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

The construction of the iron floors of the book
stacks in the new University Library at Amsterdam
is shown in Fig. 19. The drawing is almost selfexplanatory. It will be seen that great strength
is obtained from the liberal use of rolled anglework, and that the floor proper is made of squares
of cast iron laid upon the angle iron framework.

F I G . 19.—Construction of the iron floor of the book stores in
the University Library, Amsterdam.

The stack rooms of the British Museum surround
the central reading-room on all sides. They are
divided into three storeys, each being 8 feet in
height, and the bookcases are a similar number
of feet apart. The floors separating the storeys
are of perforated iron gratings, held upon iron
girders half an inch in width and 4 inches
in depth. In thirty years from the building of
the reading-room the stack rooms had become

SHELVING

65

congested, and further shelf-room was a crying
necessity. The aisles were deemed too narrow for
the erection of central presses, and the great cost
of extending the building was almost prohibitive, to
say nothing of the vast inconvenience of placing
the books far from the reading-room.
The difficulty was solved in 1886 in an unexpected
manner by the introduction of a series of sliding
cases or movable presses, adapted by Mr. Jenner,
assistant in the printed book department, from a
system of supplementary bookcases hinged upon
the presses in need of enlargement, the value of
which had been discerned by Mr. Garnett, then
assistant keeper of printed books, when he casually
saw it in use in the Bethnal Green Free Library.
It subsequently appeared that a somewhat similar
plan had been introduced into the Bradford Free
Library by the ingenious librarian, Mr. Virgo, but
this was entirely unknown both at the Museum and
at Bethnal Green.
A narrow iron ledge was bolted to a pair of the
parallel iron girders which run at right angles
across the top of the cases. In each groove thus
formed two wheels run, from which are hung, at a
distance of a few inches from the floor, a lightlyconstructed case of iron-work, with shelves on both
of its sides, as shown in Fig. 20. The whole weight
of this " hanging press/' as it may be termed, rests
upon the wheels above. When not in use they are
pushed up close to the fixed bookcases, and form
a projection of about 16 inches from its surface,
thus not materially interfering with the light.
E

66

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

When books from the inner side are required, the
case is pulled forward on its overhead wheels for

F I G . 20.—Sliding press, from the British Museum.

a couple of feet, the book obtained, and the case
pushed back to its normal position. The weight

SHELVING

67

of a case filled with books averages about 9 cwt.,
but they are so delicately poised as tu be movable
with but little exertion. In th_ lower part of the
library the book capacity is trebled without inconvenience, for if one of the new cases is hung on
each side of the ordinary 8 feet aisle, a width of
5 feet clear is still left in the centre for passage-way
and light. A minor advantage of this system is its
cheapness, for the new cases need only be supplied
as required. They also meet the wants of more
shelf room for any particular class of literature,
which, through unexpectedly large additions, may
suddenly need more room for its accommodation.
Thus enormous space for the extension of the
library has been obtained without taking in a
single additional foot of ground.
The proper shelving of folio volumes is a difficulty often experienced.
If they are placed on
shelves of the ordinary width, and the shelf is not
quite full, the volumes lean against each other, and
speedily buckle the bindings, and allow dust to
enter. The beau ideal of folio shelving is undoubtedly to lay each volume flat upon a separate
shelf, but few libraries can afford the room necessary to so shelve a large collection of books. Fig.
21 shows a device used in the University Library
at Strassburg. A fixed projecting ledge is made in
a bookcase at a height of about 3 feet 6 inches from
the ground, with a depth of about 24 inches, thus
forming between each upright an open bin. A thin
fixed shelf is fixed inside at a distance of, say, 6
inches from the top, and thin upright divisions are

68

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

placed under it at distances of about 8 inches apart.
This allows two or three folios to stand between

F I G . 2i.—Shelving for folios, from the University Library, Strassburg.

each division, and two to lie on the top shelf. In
Fig. 22 is shown a device used at the British
Museum for holding upright the heavy volumes of
newspapers.
They are
small V's of sheet iron,
which are screwed to the
under side of the top
shelf ; but with these
great care has to be
F I G . 22.—Folio supports, from the
taken in replacing the
British Museum.
volumes, or they are
liable to be damaged.
Fig. 23 is an illustration of a skeleton bookcase
used in the British Museum for the large folio

SHELVING

69

cases of maps, plans, &c. It will be seen that
they slide on rollers, and so are easily withdrawn
and replaced. In the sliding shelf used for the
same purpose in the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris,
the edge of the shelf is grooved, and slides along
a strip of metal fixed to the uprights of the bookcases. The back of the shelf has a slight projection
at right angles, which acts as a stop, and prevents
the book being pushed past the edge of the shelf.

YIG.

23.—Portfolio case for maps, from the British Museum.

At the Liverpool Public Library the most valuable
and handsomely-bound volumes are kept in bookcases with glass doors. The large folios lie flat on
iron rollers covered with soft cloth, three of them
forming a shelf. The rollers are removable, and
can be adjusted to any height required. They have
a central pin at each end on which they revolve,
which fits into grooves made in strips of metal.
Three of these are sunk into each side of the uprights of the bookcases, back and front.
In libraries where the readers are allowed access

7o

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

to the shelves, it is necessary to have shelf guides
or labels to indicate the contents of the cases and
divisions. These are best made of tin or brass,
sufficiently long to slide on and fit tightly to the
shelves. The front portion, which alone is seen
when the shelf is full of books, has a turned-over
edge, into which printed cards containing the classification can be slipped.
These are readily removable, and by their
use the books can be
closely classified upon
the shelves.
A handy contrivance
is shown in Fig. 24,
which is used in the
Bibliotheque Nationale,
Paris.
It is a movable
table-shelf, which can
be fitted to any bookcase where required,
FIG. 24.—-Table-shelf, from the
and taken away again.
National Library, Paris.
In front of each case, at
a height of about 3 feet 6
inches, is fixed a length of gaspipe, a similar length
being also fixed about 6 inches from the ground and
4 inches from the case. An iron stay at each end of
the table-shelf is provided with hooks, which fit on
the bottom rod and over the top one, so forming a
comparatively firm support. It is rather costly, as
each bookcase must be permanently fitted with the
two rows of gaspipe, and the bottom row, from its

SHELVING

7*

position, is liable to be bent and damaged by being
trodden upon. A better adaptation of the principle
would be to screw on each upright of all the bookcases, at a suitable height, a metal ferrule, and a
similar one at the base of the upright. The top of
the iron stays nearest the table-shelf should be bent
at right angles to drop into the ferrules, and the
bottom of the stays would similarly slide into the
ferrules fixed to the uprights. If the table-shelf is
not intended to support a great weight, a cheaper
and better plan would be to screw beneath it a
bracket of iron or of wood sufficiently deep to hold
it at right angles to the bookcase, and merely hang
it on to the metal ferrule by a straight hook. The
convenience for many purposes of such a movable
miniature table will be apparent to any one who
has had to work in the narrow gangways of a book
store.
In some towns branch lending libraries are
open for a few hours only, generally in schoolrooms, on certain nights of the week. The system
of folding bookcases designed by Mr. Charles Virgo
for the Bradford central library seems well adapted
for use in such cases. It is, of course, necessary to
have the books under lock and key during the daytime, and this is generally done by providing an
ordinary door to the bookcases. In Mr. Virgo's
plan the inside of the door is itself shelved for
books, and when shut is closed against the fixed
portion of the bookcase, thus keeping the books
secure from prying fingers and damage from dirt
and dust. The bottom of each shelved door is

72

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

provided wTith a castor, which runs along brass or
iron quadrants screwed into the floor. A bolt is
also provided which enters a socket in the floor,
and holds the swinging-door securely open at right
angles to the bookcase. The doors work right and
left, and when open are back to back, forming
miniature alcoves some 30 inches deep and 5 feet
wide. It will be apparent that a great economy of
space is thus obtained.

C H A P T E R IV
INDICATORS, CARD-CATALOGUES, AND
BULLETIN-BOARDS

T H E use of indicators in public libraries is of
comparatively modern growth. One of the earliest
forms was that invented by Mr. F. Thornton
Barrett, and used in the lending department of the
Birmingham central library. It consisted of a
wooden screen, on which printed numbers were
pasted in horizontal columns of one hundred each.
Opposite each number a small hole was drilled,
and a plentiful supply of wire nails formed indicating material. The use of the contrivance was
to save the time of the assistants, who before its
adoption had to take the borrowers' lists to the
shelves and look for the books required.
The
horizontal numbers on the indicator corresponded
with the numbers of the books of fiction, and the
lists were hunted through by their aid. When the
assistant found a book number without a nail in
its hole, he knew the book was on the shelf, obtained it, put a nail against the number to indicate it
was out, and issued it to the reader. On the return
of the books the operation was reversed, the numbers
of the books to be replaced were called over, and
73

74

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

the nails taken out of the corresponding holes.
From this primitive contrivance, which was behind
the counter and used only by the assistants, all the
various forms of indicators, used either by the public
or by the attendants only, have sprung.
Indicators may be divided into two kinds, namely,
those which only show if the books are in or out,
and those which combine with this a system of
book-keeping and issue recording. One of the
earliest of the latter kind is that invented by
Mr. John Elliot, of the Wolverhampton Library
(Fig. 25). It consists of a wooden frame, with
a series of uprights at a distance of about 2
inches from each other. These are connected by
shelves of tin, placed about f of an inch apart.
Numbers corresponding to the books are pasted
to the uprights, one being placed opposite to each
tin shelf. The method of work is simple. When
a person joins the library he is given a reader's
ticket, formed of thick millboard, folded like a
book, with two or more pages of plain paper in
it. This ticket is retained by the borrower when
he has not got a book, and is kept by the librarian
when a book is issued. If book No. 608 is wanted,
for instance, the borrower looks for the number
on the indicator, and if the shelf on the right of
the number is empty, he knows that it is in, and
asks for it at the issue desk. The attendant fetches
the book from the shelf, stamps the date and the
book number on the borrower's ticket, and then
places it on the tin shelf in the indicator corresponding to the number. It remains there until

INDICATORS

75

the book is returned, and during that time shows
by its presence to every one who looks at it, that

2FT WIDE.

SPACE FOR 1250 TICKETSF I G . 25.—Elliot's library indicator.

the book is out, and therefore cannot be obtained.
The ends of the readers' tickets are of different

76

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

colours, and overdues are roughly indicated by
them. The readers' tickets for books issued during
any given period, say, a fortnight, have, for example,
a red end to the front, and those issued during
the next fortnight a black end. On the last day
of the second fortnight a list is made of the books
showing the red end, which will be all overdue,
and in a fortnight's time a similar process is gone
through for the black-edged tickets.
It will be noted in this description that the
whole of the process of issue must be finished
for each book as it is issued. The entries on the
reader's ticket must be made at the moment of
issue, and the ticket placed in the indicator to
show to other readers that the book is not available. At busy times, in libraries where there is
but a small staff, this causes some delay, and in
the rush and hurry it may happen that a ticket
is occasionally placed on the wrong tin shelf of
the indicator, an error which causes much annoyance both to the reader who returns the book,
and whose ticket cannot be found, and to other
readers who may ask for the book which is out,
but which by the displacement of the ticket is
shown to be in.
The "Cotgreave" Indicator (Fig. 26) was invented some twenty years ago by Mr. A. Cotgreave,
now of the West Ham libraries, and is that in use
in the majority of the British free libraries. It
consists of a metal frame with narrow wood uprights 1^ inches apart, tin shelves connecting them
at a distance of f of an inch from each other. On

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78

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

books in the library. The white figures are on a
blue ground at one end of the case and on a red
ground at the other, one colour (say, blue) representing the books that are in, and the other (red)
those that are put. Attached to each of the metal
cases is a little ledger of ruled paper, the author
and title of the book it represents being written
generally on the first page.
Upon joining the library the reader is given a
pasteboard ticket bearing his number, name, and
address. This is narrow enough to pass into the
metal indicator case, but it is a little longer, so that
one end may project somewhat. The ticket is given
to the borrower, and remains in his possession only
when he has not got a book out. It is kept by the
librarian when a book is issued to him, and retained
until its return. The method of issue is for the
borrower to examine the indicator and see if the
book he requires is in. If the colour is blue, he
hands in his ticket at the issue desk and asks for the
book by its number. The attendant goes first to
the indicator and takes out the metal slide ; he then
obtains the book, stamps the date of issue in it,
and gives it to the borrower. The number of the
reader's ticket and date of issue is then written in
the little book in the metal slide, and it is replaced
in the indicator's frame, this time with the red end
to the public, the reader's ticket being placed in it,
with its end projecting slightly from the case on
the librarian's side of the indicator. When the
book is returned the operations are reversed. The
attendant then receives the book and goes to the

79

INDICATORS

indicator, where he reverses the metal case to show
that the book is now in and available for issue,
returns the ticket to the reader, and the transaction
is completed. The ends of the reader's tickets are
coloured, or are cut to different shapes, and are
allowed to project, in order that they maybe readily

BLUE IN.

RED OUT.

F I G . 27. — Cotgreave's indicator book.

seen by the librarian when looking for overdues.
Different colours or shapes are employed to show
the different periods of issue. Another and more
exact method for doing so is by the use of tin slides,
or caps of different colours, which are slipped over
the upright portion of the metal case before it is
returned to the indicator frame.

8o

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The details of the indicator work vary in different
libraries. In some it is only used to indicate whether
the books are out or in, and one of the many
systems of card charging or book-keeping in vogue
is worked with it. In the Lambeth libraries no
entry is made in the metal slide at the time of issue,
but it and the borrower's ticket are placed in one of
the divisions of a tray made for the purpose, and
the entry is made at leisure by a senior assistant.
This is found to be a great help on busy nights,
the whole attention of the staff being given to the
actual issue, and the entering up can be left until
the next morning.
The " D u p l e x " Indicator, in use at the Aberdeen
library, consists of a frame with shelves, as in the
" Elliot," but large enough to take a block of
wrood 4 inches by 2J inches, and f of an inch in
thickness. The block has pasted on one side a
piece of ruled paper to receive a record of the
issues. On one end is pasted the author and title
of the book, as well as the shelf number ; on the
opposite end the shelf number only. The borrower
upon joining the library is given a reader's ticket,
and chooses a book from the indicator, those only
being in of which the author's name, title, and
number are visible. The attendant takes the block
out of the indicator, obtains the book from the
shelf, dates it, and gives it to the borrower. He
then enters upon the wood block the number of the
reader's ticket, and places block and ticket in a tray,
which completes the process for the time being.
The next morning (supposing that 500 books have

8l

INDICATORS

been issued) the tray or trays contain 500 blocks
from the indicator, with 500 readers' tickets sandwiched between them. The librarian takes the first
pair, and sees that the number of the reader's ticket
entered on the block is correct. He then enters in
the reader's ticket the number of the block (or
book) issued and the date, and places it in a numbered compartment of what is to all intents and
purposes a second compressed indicator. He then
picks up the block again, and under the number of
the reader's ticket puts the date of issue and number
of the compartment in which the reader's ticket has
just been placed. The block is then returned to the
public indicator and is replaced, but this time with
the title edge turned towards the staff, to indicate
that the book is out. On the return of the volume
the assistant goes to the indicator, takes out the
block, and reads the date and issue number of the
last entry. Supposing it is the 201st of the n t h
inst., he turns to the reader's ticket indicator frame
for the n t h , and takes out the ticket from compartment 201, which he gives to the borrower, and replaces the wood block, .this time with the title end
to the public in the indicator, to show that the book
is now obtainable.
The chief feature of this indicator is the register
or indicator of readers' tickets. A separate frame
is used for each day of issue, the date being shown
by a movable slide at the top. Those for the last
week of issue will be comparatively full of readers'
tickets, those for earlier dates more empty. If the
time allowed for reading is a fortnight, for example,
F

82

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

the 13th frame back will contain the cards of all
books one day overdue, the 14th of those two days
overdue, and so on. The detection of overdues
by this means is easy and certain, and a check can
be kept upon the books liable to be fined. The
counter space required is very large, and this no
doubt has been the chief reason of its non-adoption
by other libraries.
The indicators used for simply showing the
public whether a book is in or not, depend upon
some system of card charging or book-keeping for
recording the issue. One of the earliest of these,
which is still in use at the Birmingham central
library, is the " M o r g a n " Indicator. It has lately
been improved and superseded by the " Simplex,"
manufactured by the same maker, and shown in
Fig. 28. It consists of a frame in which numbered
diagonal shelves are placed, the numbers showing
when the book is in, and are hidden when the book
is out. The method of work is for the borrower,
or assistant, to enter the number or name of the
book required upon a coloured slip of paper. This
is placed in the frame, and covers the number of
the book from public view. Different coloured
slips are used for different periods of time, and so
the overdues are seen at a glance. The borrower's
ticket may have coloured ends, and be placed over
the number instead of the coloured issue slips.
The " Olivers'" Library Indicator, shown in Figs.
29 and 30, differs materially from the others described in this chapter. An indicator for a thousand
numbers consists of four movable blocks, enclosed in

INDICATORS

83

a single column by a frame of oak or mahogany. The
column measures 36 inches in height, and 9 ! inches
in width. The blocks are made of wood, stained
black on the public side, which is glazed, with gilt
figures, and white on the librarian side, with black

F I G . 28.—The Simplex indicator.

figures. The gold work is burnt on, in the same
manner as on the backs of leather-backed books.
The numbers are fixed in strict numerical sequence,
and under each number is a little slot containing a
narrow card or tab, which bears the same number,

LI BRARY ARCHITECTURE

LIBRARY

BOOKS

[-*

INDICATOR

UNDERLINED

ARE IN

9 > INCHES

F I G . 29.—Olivers' indicator.

85

INDICATORS

and represents a book in the library. The numbers
are arranged in movable groups of 250, running in
tens across the face, instead of in hundreds from
top to bottom as in other indicators. This allows
an economical arrangement of numbers in classified
indicators, especially in small libraries, where it is
an advantage to allot only a few numbers at a time

mm
mm
mm
mm
mm
mm
1

<

—

1

1

1

1

1

W&L
1

mi

1

mm, ws
mw
mm,
mm
1

r

F I G . 30.—Chivers' indicator enlarged.

to a particular class and allow it to expand, without at first purchasing a large number of separate
frames. There is nothing, however, to prevent the
indicator blocks being numbered in any manner
preferred. Under each one-thousand indicator is
a space intended to hold an indicator key or catalogue of the books, arranged in order of the indicator numbers.

86

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

Books are shown " IN " by the presence of the
little cards, which appear as white underlinings to
the number above ; when " O U T / ' the slots are
blank. The records of issue are kept by a charging
system, which may be adapted for various purposes,
as individual choice and fancy may direct.
The indicator invented by Mr. Bonner of the
Ealing Library has a similar frame to that of the
"Cotgreave," but the columns are a little wider.
Each of the tin shelves holds a pentagon-shaped
block, on each side of which a number is printed
on a different coloured ground. The books are indicated " IN " by one colour, say red, and " O U T "
by any of the other colours. Only one side of the
pentagon can be seen by the public, and the difference of colour shows how long the book has been
out, and how soon it may be expected back. All
books issued during the first week of the month
have, for example, a black number to the front;
those issued during the second week, a blue number ;
the third week, a green number ; the fourth week, a
yellow number. No record of issue is kept in the
indicator. That is done by the ordinary day-book,
but the borrower's cards, which are of thin millboard, are slipped into the indicator frame, over the
pentagon representing the book borrowed. The
counter space required for a block of one-thousand
indicator is about 2 feet.
In planning the lending library, attention must
be given to the amount of counter space required
for the display of the indicators. The " Duplex"
takes 32 inches for each thousand n u m b e r s ; the

INDICATORS

87

" Elliot/' 36 inches, or in a compressed form, 24
inches for 1250; the "Cotgreave," 15 inches; the
" Bonner," 20 inches; the "Morgan," 15 inches;
the "Chivers," 10 inches; and the " Simplex," 11
inches. The system of issue to be adopted should
be decided before the construction of the counter.
If indicators are used, care must be taken to have
the counter low enough to allow even children
to easily read the top numbers. A height of 32
inches will be found the best for this purpose.
The length, of course, must be determined by the
number of indicators required, but two issue desks,
each at least 3 feet in width, should be allowed
for every 10,000 volumes. It should also be remembered that a good light is necessary upon
each side of the indicator, so that it may be consulted with ease both by borrowers and staff.
In America the card-catalogue (Fig. 31) is universally adopted for use in libraries, but in Britain
those using it at present are in a decided minority,
although it is rapidly gaining ground as its advantages for certain departments of library work
become known. It consists primarily of a series
of drawers deep enough to hold a card about 5
inches by 3 inches, with a brass rod running from
front to back of the drawer, upon which the cards
are strung.
The books are catalogued upon the cards, one
entry on each, and so are readily classified and
arranged in the drawers in any order that may
be wished for consultation by the readers. The
great advantage is that by this means it is possible

88

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

to keep the catalogue up to date, and always in
proper order.
The drawers for the cards may be kept in a
separate cabinet upon one of the tables, or be
arranged in the counter near the issue desk. In
the Guildhall Library, London, the cards are kept

F I G . 31.—Card-catalogue cabinet.

in a cabinet, while in the Lambeth and Battersea
libraries they are placed in rows, two deep, in a
counter. The card-catalogue cases at the University
of Giessen have four revolving circular platforms.
On these are placed the boxes which hold the
cards. The reader can by revolving the platform

CARD-CATALOGUES

89

obtain any box without it being necessary to alter
his position. The boxes have movable ends, and
the covers which, when closed, keep the end upright
in box form, allow them to drop back to the proper
angle for consultation upon being removed.
Whatever method is adopted for keeping the
cards in order, care should be taken not to place
them too high or too low for comfort in consulting
them.
Where the card-catalogue is likely to be greatly
used it is an advantage to have the drawers removable, so that they can be taken out and placed
upon tables. They can thus be used by a larger
number of readers than if massed together in a
small case or cabinet. Much of the success of
the card-catalogue depends on the quality of the
appliances used. Too much attention cannot be
bestowed upon obtaining material and appliances
perfect in every detail.
In a large catalogue,
necessitating a cabinet with many drawers, the
contents of each drawer should be marked on the
outside, and by the use of guide cards at frequent
intervals, as shown in Fig. 32, search is quick and
easy. With these aids search for any name is
always limited to about twenty cards, no matter
what number of cards the catalogue consists of.
The label on the outside of the drawer directs the
reader to the drawer required, and the projecting
guides within the drawer to the section wherein he
will find the card he is looking for.
The principal uses to which card-catalogues are
put in public libraries, are for catalogues of the

9°

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

additions to the lending and reference departments, and for indexes to the borrowers and their
guarantors, &c. For these purposes they are
always serviceable ; but they will not serve for the
sole or general catalogue of a large library, on
account of their cumbrousness and the space
required for their accommodation when they run

F I G . 32.—Card-catalogue drawer.

to any considerable length.
In such cases the
catalogue should always be printed in book form.
For use in a lending library, the card-catalogue
will be best if fitted into small light trays which
the readers can hold in the hand when consulting
the indicator.
For reference library purposes,
drawers of heavier construction are better. Heavy
drawers should run on slides strong enough to
support their weight and prevent them sagging.

CARD-CATALOGUES

91

The trays and drawer cases illustrated in Figs. 31
and 32 are those of the Library Bureau. They are

FIG. 33.—Lambert's magazine frame, with movable titles.

substantially built throughout of hard wood, and
are as perfect in detail as experience can dictate.

9

2

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

Bulletin boards are necessary in all rooms for
the display of notices, manuscript lists of recent
additions, books of the hour, &c. They are best
made in the shape of a shallow picture frame, with
glass front to protect the notice from damage. In
news-rooms they are useful to exhibit the large
pictures and engravings issued with the illustrated
papers, and which, from their size, cannot be kept
in the reading-cases. A form of board formerly
used at the Liverpool Public Library was useful
for this purpose. It consisted of a series of strips
of thin wood, each about six inches in length, which
were placed between uprights, allowing them to
be moved easily up and down. The titles of the
recent additions were pasted one on each wooden
slip, and inserted in its proper place, the whole list
being thus kept in regular order. It took considerable wall-space, a square foot for about forty
entries, and was for this reason abandoned. A
good adaptation of the same idea is that shown
in Fig. 33, which is a representation of Lambert's
adjustable holder for lists of magazines and newspapers.
The protection of valuable plates from injury by
handling is very important, but very difficult. It
can perhaps be best effected by only allowing them
to be examined through some transparent material,
such as xylonite, a patent substance now coming
into use for many purposes, as tough as gelatine,
and as translucent as glass.
In very large libraries some rapid means of
communication throughout the building is very

CARD-CATALOGUES

93

important. The telephone has been introduced on
a small scale into the British Museum, but is inadequate for the despatch of messages in writing,
and consequently for the needs of the reading-room.
A writing telegraph is required, and would probably
be found in the Telautograph, an American invention
which, for some reason, has not been properly
brought before the public, but which has been
tested with satisfactory results by the editor of this
series. It consists of two machines connected together, a transmitter and a receiver ; the message
is written with a pencil in ordinary handwriting at
the former, and appears simultaneously in facsimile
at the latter. If transmitters were placed on the
desks in the Museum reading-room, connected
with receivers in the library, the ticket which the
reader writes for his book would be conveyed to
the proper quarter as fast as he wrote it, and all the
delay incident to collecting the tickets in the readingroom and carrying them out would be saved.
Few adjuncts to a really first-class library, containing rare books and valuable manuscripts, could
be more important than an efficient photographic
department, where such treasures could be multiplied at a low charge for the public use. To their
honour, the Delegates of the University Press
have provided such an appendage to the Bodleian
Library. A similar institution would be still more
serviceable at the British Museum, but cannot be
established without Government aid. Were this accorded, and the superintendence of a photographic
department, both for the service of the public and

94

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of the Museum itself, entrusted to a salaried
officer on the same footing as any other officer of
the Museum, the cost of photographing books,
MSS., and other objects in the collection, would
sink to comparatively nothing; since the photographic staff being salaried by the State, no element
of expenditure would remain except the cost of
chemicals. At present the charges which the photographer is compelled to make for his own remuneration prohibit any extensive work of the kind from
being undertaken, except by speculative publishers.
If all the great libraries of the world possessed
similar establishments, they might by mutual exchange assist each other with facsimiles of all manuscripts of national interest and of rare or unique
books. The question was fully discussed by the
Editor of this series in a paper read before the
Library Association Congress at Dublin in 1884.
Nothing has been done since, so slow is the
march of improvement.

CHAPTER V
FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

IN considering fittings useful in libraries, attention will only be given to those that are either
specially made for the work, or that are peculiarly
adapted for the technical equipment of a library.
It will be self-evident that the ordinary fittings of
an office are requisite for a librarian who has much
administrative work. A good roll-top, self-locking
desk, with ample room, and sliding arm-rests, should
be provided ; a copying press and stand ; a typewriter and table, suitable for card-catalogue writing ; a plentiful supply of cupboards for stationery
and forms, should also be supplied. Money drawers
and tills for fines and other receipts will be necessary in the lending department, and hat and coat
hooks and umbrella stands for the use of the
assistants should not be forgotten. If a proper
cloak-room, with attendant, cannot be afforded for
the public, a number of small umbrella stands
must be provided, which should be placed at the
ends of the reading slopes and tables. This will
be found more satisfactory than a single large
one near the doors, for the latter seem to increase the difficulty which some persons have of
95

96

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

distinguishing between meutn and tuum. In the
reference reading-rooms hat pegs should be placed
under the tables, or the chair seats may have double
rails for that purpose. It will be found, however, that the general users of the newspaper and
magazine rooms do not consider the removal of
their hats to be at all necessary, and so plentiful
provision need hardly be made for them.
In large libraries one of the most useful appliances is a book truck. Those in use at the
<

io5 cin

^4.,

>

51

,1

F I G . 34.—Book-truck in use at the University Library at Gottingen.

British Museum are 40 inches long, 40 inches
high, and 14 inches in width. They have three
shelves, which will each hold two rows of ordinary
octavos, or about 220 volumes in all. The wheels
are so placed that the truck can be turned in its
own length, and as they have thick indiarubber
tyres, a full load can be moved easily and noiselessly. The sides of the truck are covered with
rubber to prevent injury to the furniture.
In Fig. 34 is shown a book truck used in the

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

97

University Library at Gottingen. This is a little
wider than that in use at the British Museum,
and has space for books only upon its top. The

FIG. 35.—Cotgreave's automatic step, closed.

top has sides and ends to prevent the books slipping off, and the side pieces are hinged to fall
back if it is wanted to carry large folios.
G

98

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

Different forms of the Cotgreave Automatic Step
are shown in Figs. 35-37. It consists of a metal box
or case, which can be fitted into the upright
divisions of the bookcases. The step, when not in

FIG. 36.—Cotgreave's No. i step.

use, lies enclosed in the box, with the exception of
a small projection at the top, just enough to enable
it to be pushed down by the toe of the boot.
Immediately the foot is removed the step swings
back out of the way. If it is necessary to use one

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

99

particular step for any length of time a bolt is provided, by means of which it can be prevented from
closing. Brass or iron handles should be screwed
to each upright, at a suitable height for grasping.
In cases where the upright divisions are slender,

F I G . 37.—Cotgreave's No. 2 spring step.

and will not allow the woodwork to be cut away for
the insertion of the step, those illustrated in Figs. 36
and 37 will be found useful. They are screwed to
the outsides of the uprights, and do not require any
fitting. The step is removable, and may be raised

100

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

from two to five inches if necessary. With these
kinds of step an end pad of stout leather should
be used, to prevent the binding of the books
being damaged by the projecting iron work.
A cheap form of step and
handle is that shown in Fig. 38.
It is fixed by screws to the uprights, as high as may be needed.
In narrow gangways it is an
advantage to place the steps
opposite each other, so that an
attendant can stand upon them,
and have his hands free without
holding on to the bracket above.
Besides the regular use for reaching books, steps of this kind are
useful for reaching door and window bolts, gas jets, ventilators, &c.
Book supports of various kinds
are in use for supporting the
books in an upright position on
half-filled shelves. The simplest,
probably, is a rectangular piece
FIG. 38.—Library
of heavy wood, about 3 inches in
Bureau step and
thickness, and (if used for ordihandle.
nary octavos) 8 inches in height.
These may be cut diagonally
across, so forming two supports out of one block.
There are various forms of bent metal supports
in the market. Different varieties are shown in
Figs. 39 to 41.
The " Crocker , ; Book Brace is a plate of wood,

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

IOI

with rounded edge and polished surface, a little
smaller than the shelf upon which it is to be used.
A fine spring of steel is attached by screws and nuts
in a slot on one side, so that the length from end of
spring to foot of brace is about half an inch more
than the space between the shelves where it is to be
used. The foot of the brace is placed against the

FIG. 39.—The Marlborough metal book supports.

books, with the spring outward. On raising it to
a vertical position the tip of the spring is pushed
along the under side of the shelf above, and so
keeps it firmly in position. The end of the spring
is slightly curved to facilitate its removal, and when
a book is taken away, it is easily pushed forward;
the accompanying illustration, Fig. 42, shows how it
is worked.

102

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

The " Barrett" Book Support is made of bent
wire. Fig. 43 shows its construction. It will be
seen that it grips a shelf, and holds the books on
the shelf underneath firmly and rigidly near the
top, a point where a small force is much more

F I G . 40.—Mason's metal book support.

effective than if applied at the bottom. It is easily
adjusted, and is very cheap.
The Liverpool Public Library has a support for
thick folio volumes which will not stand upright.
It consists of a strip of iron, with flanges, screwed
to the under side of the shelf above that on which
the folios stand ; on it another piece slides, and
hangs downwards for about 9 inches. In use,
the suspended portion is pushed along to the side

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

FIG. 41. —Library Bureau metal book support.

' !!, ' l!i iifiiiiilW f f i p i i i i j ^
F I G . 42.—Crocker's book-brace a n d support.

103

104

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of the last book on the shelf, and is secured there
by a thumbscrew, which allows it to be tightened
up or released as may be necessary. The support
is fixed about the centre of the shelf, and holds the
books near the top.
Fig. 44 is an illustration of one of the small
book-lifts in use at the British Museum for carry-

FiG. 43.—Barrett's wire book support.

ing books up and down from one storey of the
book-room to another. A paper with the title
and press-mark of the work required is fastened
to a clip, and so carried to the attendant on duty
in that particular part of the building. He obtains
the book, and places it in the wire cage shown in
the illustration, which travels on an endless band
around pulleys at top and bottom of the book-

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

105

room, and so reaches an attendant at the storey
on the level of the reading-room floor. In the new
building for the Library of Congress at Washington,
a very extensive system of book lifts and book
railways has been adopted. In that library it is
necessary to send books out of the building to
the Capitol, some hundreds
of feet away. The books
are ordered by telephone,
and sent through a subway connecting the two
places, through which endless bands, carrying holders
at intervals, are continually
travelling, as shown in
Fig. 45. When the holder
reaches its destination it
turns over, and dumps the
book carefully out upon a
leather cushion in front of
the attendant. In Chapter
XI. will be found a deF I G . 44.—Book lift in use in
scription of the mechanithe British Museum.
cal appliances in use in
the new library building at
Boston, Mass., for conveying books from the book
stores to the delivery room.
The ordinary tables used in the reading-rooms
do not require much to be said about them. Care
should be taken to have them a proper height
from the floor, say 30 inches, and of size sufficient
to give stability; they should not be fitted with

io6

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

castors, and if small, should be screwed to the
floor. In some libraries it is the custom to seat
the readers on one side of the table only, but in
the majority they are seated on both sides. The
latter is the most economical of space, as two

Cfrc&sfaction or7him&.
F I G . 45.—Cable book-carrier in use at the Library of Congress
to convey books to the Capitol.

persons can be seated to face each other at a
table 36 inches in width, while a table to seat on
one side only must be 24 inches wide at the least.
The table space for each reader will vary.
In
news-rooms and magazine-rooms a space of 21

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

107

inches may be considered enough, but this should
be considerably increased in the rooms used for
study and in reference libraries.
An ordinary
chair is about 18 inches across, but arm-chairs
will take a floor space of quite 24 inches, and a
little room must be left for movement of the chairs.
In the Mitchell Library at Glasgow, where it has
been necessary to pack the readers in the smallest
possible space, 196 persons are seated at 14 tables
in a room 68 feet by 38, an allowance of less than
13 square feet of floor space for each reader, as
part of the room is taken up with use of catalogue
counter, &c. To allow of proper freedom in movement, at least 16 square feet floor space should
be given to each reader in a magazine- or newsroom, and 20 in the reading-room of the reference
library.
Flat topped tables are generally used for newspapers and magazines, but some should be provided in the reference library with sloping tops
for the accommodation of the larger books. These
should have a slight ledge at the bottom edge to
prevent books and papers from sliding on to the
floor. In libraries where there are valuable books,
the table tops should be padded to prevent injury
to the bindings.
In the Newcastle-upon-Tyne
reference library they are covered with billiardtable cloth, in the British Museum with cowhide.
A few of the tables in the reference reading-room
should be fitted with slides for use when several
books are consulted.
The British Museum provides an elaborate desk

io8

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

for its readers, which is worth detailed consideration. Fig. 46 shows the desk as allotted to each
reader. It is 50 inches in length, the table portion
is 28 inches in height and 24 inches in breadth,
and the middle division separating it from the
opposite reader is 22 inches high and 6J thick.
In the centre of the upright is an inkwell, pen-

FlG. 46.—Desk for readers, from the British Museum.

wiper, and place for penholders and pencils. In
Fig. 47 the central portion of the desk is shown
on an enlarged scale. The parts marked A in Fig.
46 open outwTards ; the right hand side is hinged
at the bottom, and falls down, forming a shelf 17
inches by 11 inches. On the left hand side a
movable shelf for holding an open volume is hung,
as shown in Fig. 47.
The front easel part is hinged at C , and is 16

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

109

inches square. It has at the bottom edge a folding
ledge, E, for holding a book up. On the top edge,
in the centre and at the left hand corner, are two
hinges, and a brass rack and pinion arrangement, H,
reached through an opening in the easel, allows

F!G. 47.—Central movable portion of the British Museum desk
for readers.

of adjustment to any angle. When not in use
the whole folds up, and fits into a recess 2 inches
in depth. On either side of the reader, underneath
the desk, are wooden pegs for hats. The whole
of the desk and folding shelf arrangements are

no

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

covered with padded leather to prevent injury
being done to the bindings of the books.
In addition to the desks just described, a row
of flat tables with padded leather tops is placed
between each row of desks for the easy consultation of large folios.
The magazine rack, shown in Fig. 48, is so
arranged that each shelf is at a different angle,
and a man of ordinary stature standing in front of
it can see the whole of the papers placed thereon
without stooping. The shelves are covered with
a movable glass slide, so that the name of the
magazine, or an old cover, may be placed underneath to indicate where the paper should be replaced. The newspaper racks invented by Mr. A.
Cotgreave are of different construction. In one the
papers are placed behind each other, and are
attached by clips to the shelves. The papers hang
down behind the shelves, and only expose the
upper portion to view containing the name : great
economy of space thus ensues, and 100 different
periodicals of quarto size can be exhibited in a
rack 5 feet 6 inches in width.
Cotgreave's improved rack, shown in Fig. 49, is
made in the form of a wall case, with shelves at
intervals, and brass rods fitted across each division
to hold the papers in a vertical position. The St.
Giles' library has a smaller rack on the same principle, Fig. 50, placed along the centre of the tables,
for the reception of the magazines. Another table
rack, shown in Fig. 51, is triangular in form, and has
a ledge at the bottom to prevent the papers slipping

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

III

down. In the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, one is
used consisting of a flat shelf screwed on brackets

FIG. 48.—Library Bureau magazine rack.

to each table at a height of about a foot.
The
magazines are placed flat on the shelf, and so

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

112

do not interfere with the use of the table underneath.
An excellent newspaper file is that shown in

FIG. 49.—Cotgreave's improved wall rack for magazines.

Figs. 52
consists
which is
about J

and 53,
of two
inserted
inch in

and called the Bowry File. It
strips of stout ash, in one of
two lengths of thin spring steel,
width, with pointed ends. The

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

113

newspaper is pierced by the steels, and the second
piece of ash, which has two corresponding holes,
is placed over the springs. A couple of brass
runners are squeezed along over them, and clamp
them down, keeping the ash strips with the enclosed papers tightly together. Another form of
file is the " Atwater" ; it consists of two strong
sticks, held together by strong rubber rings at

F I G . 50.—Cotgreave's table-rack for magazines.

each end. The " Athenaeum" File consists of a
centre stick, around which are arranged seven
smaller sticks, kept in place by the handle at the
bottom and an indiarubber ring at the top. Each
of the smaller sticks binds the middle of each
paper against the others, and holds it securely.
Both of these files are useful for keeping a small
number of papers together.
A form of newspaper file which is useful in
H

r

5
>
>
o
EC

o
H

FIG. 51.—Library Bureau table-rack for magazines.

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

115

news-rooms for holding back numbers of newspapers
is the " Banbury/' shown in Fig. 54. It is made
in polished wood, with nickel-plated metal-work.
The spring arm, when pulled down, stands out at

F I G . 52.—The Bowry newspaper file open.

F I G . 53.—The Bowry file closed.

right angles, and forms a support for the papers,
leaving them free to be turned over until the one
required is found. The wire-work may be obtained
separately, and a series of them can then be screwed
to a suitable upright.

n6

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

A comfortable chair should be provided for the
reference reading-room. One without arms is to
be preferred for use in the news-rooms. In some
libraries, where space has to be greatly economised,
chairs are furnished with revolving tops, and are
screwed to the floors. This allows a narrower
passage between the tables than can be obtained if
the chairs are movable. A word of caution may be

FIG. 54.—The Banbury newspaper file and holder.

given against the use of benches or forms in newsrooms. They are unsightly in appearance, and a
great nuisance to those who have to use them.
Several attempts have been made to render the
movements of the chairs noiseless. In rooms
whose floors are covered with thick cork carpet
the noise is not noticed to any great extent; but
in large reading-rooms, where the boarded floors are
bare, the constant movement is a nuisance. Rubber

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

117

thimbles to fit over the chair legs, and plugs of
rubber fastened into holes, have been tried, but
they are soon dragged off in rooms where there is
much traffic. The most satisfactory form seems to
be a round rubber or leather pad the same diameter
as the chair leg, screwed into it, but the screw hole
must be countersunk, so that the head of the screw
shall not project and scrape the floor.
One of the most useful appliances in a library is
the " Walker " adjustable book and card rack, shown

FIG. 55.—Walker's book-rack and slip-sorter.

in Fig. 55. The wire partitions are movable, and
can be adjusted to any space. It is useful for sorting catalogue slips, as with it they can be kept in
an upright position, and do not require to be spread
out over a large surface. The physical fatigue
thus saved will be apparent to any one who has had
much experience of alphabetising catalogue slips
and cards. The rack is suitable also for holding
the cataloguer's books of reference upright on the
table in front of him, and so keeping them close to
hand. Sorting trays are also a great convenience
to the card cataloguer, as they save a great deal of

n8

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

labour and trouble. They are made of tin or wood,
divided into five compartments. Five trays, provided with a set of printed guide cards, A-Z, should
be included among every cataloguer's tools.
In libraries where the books have to be shelved
above seven feet high, ladders are a necessity. Of
these there are several
forms. If an ordinary
ladder is used, it should
have a cross-piece at
the top long enough to
reach from one upright
of a bookcase to another,
so that when in use it
will rest against two
uprights and not against
the books. The crosspiece should be padded
to prevent any damage.
In narrow gangways a
long cross-piece is apt
FIG. 56.—Ladder with movable
to be in the w a y ; and
head, from the Royal Library,
at the Royal Library,
Brussels.
Brussels, a ladder is used
which has hinged to its
top two vertical cross-pieces, hanging downwards,
and wThich rest against the fronts of two or more
of the shelves. Fig. 56 gives an illustration of this
ladder and its method of construction.
In the Newcastle-upon-Tyne public libraries a
brass rod is fixed across the front of the bookcases
at a height of about ten feet from 1the floor. The

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

119

ladders have hooks at the end of each side-bar, and
a second pair at a distance of about three feet from
the end. When in use the ladder rests upon the
fixed bar, and is held firm by the top hooks, and
when not in use it is hung up on the bar by the
lower hooks, and rests against the bookcase.

FIG. 57.—The Victor ladder.

An American adaptation of this principle is seen in
the " Victor " library ladder, of which an illustration
is given in Fig. 57. The ladder runs upon a brass or
hard wood rod screwed to the face of the bookcase
at a suitable height. The rod is gripped between
the grooved edges of two small wheels on each side
of the ladder, and also has wheels at the foot upon

120

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

the floor. When not in use it can be pushed close
up to the shelving, and can be brought out readily,
while it stands at any desired angle.
It will be advisable to have a few ledger rests or
easels for use with the larger books. Fig. 58 illustrates the kind in use at the Newcastle-on-Tyne
Library, and Fig. 59 a table used for the same
purpose from the University Library at Gottingen.
The table-rest shown in Fig. 60 is very useful for

FIG. 58.—Easel for folios, from the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Library.

holding a book open at a given place for a length
of time, as is frequently wanted when copying illustrations, manuscripts, illuminations, &c.
Reading-stands for the display of newspapers
are used in all public reading-rooms. The shape
and principles of construction are well known,
but the design and ornamentation give ample
scope for originality.
The most useful size is
a double stand, 8 feet 6 inches in length; this

FITTINGS AND

FURNITURE

121

gives ample space for two of the largest morning
papers, or three of smaller size, on each side. A
good arrangement which prevents overcrowding
is to place an evening paper next to a morning
paper, or to insert one of the local weekly papers
between each of the daily.
Care should be taken to have the slope at a
proper angle, for if it is too steep the papers droop,
and if too great the upper portions are unread-

FiG. 59.—Table-easel for folios, from the University Library, Gottingen.

able by many ; an angle of sixty degrees will be
found reasonable. The height of the stand should also
receive attention. A good medium height is 3 feet
to the bottom of the slope, and 5 feet 6 inches to
the top. No fixed height will be correct for persons of both tall and short stature; and in Lambeth,
where the stands are 37 inches to the bottom of
the slope, a platform or step, 7 inches in height
and 9 inches broad, has been screwed to the floor
in front of each stand. There should be a slight

122

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

ledge on the bottom of the slope, and a brass
rail running the length of the stand, secured by
brackets to the slope, will be found useful in preventing readers from leaning on the papers and
tearing them. The names of the papers should
in all cases be affixed in bold type to the top of

FIG. 60.—Table-easel for copying.

the stand for easy identification. They are best
seen if painted black on movable slips of opal
glass.
There are many methods of fixing the papers
to the stands, but in all cases where papers of a
single sheet are exhibited it will be found best to
glue to the slope under the fastening rod a thin

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

123

strip of indiarubber. This gives a grip, and keeps
them firmly in position.
The " H e a t h c o t e " revolving newspaper-holder
is very useful in libraries where the illustrated
papers and periodicals are placed upon reading
stands. It consists of a strip of wood, as shown

F I G . 61.—The Heathcote revolving illustrated newspaper-holder.

in Fig. 61, revolving on a pivot in the centre.
Near either end a small indiarubber wheel is provided, which prevents any defacement of the slope
when the holder is turned around. A brass rod,
hinged at the bottom and locked at the top, holds
the paper securely. It is provided with adjustable
brass prongs for holding the pages flat. When
fixed to the slope the holder can be turned in

124

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

any direction, and thus allows a full view of all
the side illustrations, which cannot be properly seen
if held by the ordinary newspaper fastener.
The " L a m b e r t " clips, shown in Fig. 62, are also

F I G . 62.—Lambert's newspaper clip.

useful for illustrated papers with double page engravings. They consist of two short pieces of brass,
fastened at the top and bottom of the slope. The
paper is inserted at either end, and one turn of a
screw fastens it securely down, no portion of the

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

125

printed matter being hidden by the fastening. For
ordinary newspapers without illustrations there
are many forms of fasteners. The " Cummings " is
a somewhat expensive contrivance of gun-metal,
which is fastened by a key or a revolving eccentric
nut. The "Chjvers," shown in Fig. 63, is a steel
rod, hinged at one end, and fastened with a lock at
the other, which drops into a groove in a strip of
wood. It is readily movable without disfiguring

FIG. 63.—Chivers1 newspaper-holder.

the slopes. The North of England School Furnishing Co. have fitted several libraries with the
" B u r g o y n e " fastener. This is a thin brass rod
hinged at top, and snapping into a lock at the
bottom. A second form of fastener is a rod which
has a screw attached to the bottom end, falling
through a hole in the slope. It is tightened up by
means of a thumbscrew underneath.
Harvey's Pneumatic Dusting-Machine is a most
useful appliance for large libraries. By means of
this novel contrivance loose dust is drawn off from
any surface by air suction and conveyed direct
into a dust-tight receptacle within the machine,

126

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

from whence it can readily be removed. Fig. 64
shows the working parts of the machine. E is a
lever wThich works the bellows, resulting in a continuous indraught, or suction of air, at the nozzle

FIG. 64.—The Harvey dusting-machine.

A. When the machine is in use a flexible tube is
fitted into the socket at A, and a cleaner or brush
is fitted at the opposite end of the tube. The
cleaners are of various shapes, depending upon the

FITTINGS AND FURNITURE

127

purposes for which it is to be used, whether flat,
like table tops or shelves, or irregular, as for the
tops of books. The action of the cleaner is as
follows : the air, as it is drawn through by the
action of the bellows, is concentrated into a small
compass, and so produces a very powerful current,
which, being directed sufficiently close to the dust,
instantly carries it away into the dust-bag. The
latter is placed immediately under the lid A, and is
made of porous calico, which arrests the dust, but
allows the air to pass through and escape at the
exit. The machine is in use at several of the larger
libraries for dusting books without removing them
from the room, and has received great praise from
those who have used it. It cannot be too strongly
impressed upon librarians that no system of dusting
can be adequate that does not insure the absolute
exportation of dust from the premises, instead of
its mere removal from the books to be deposited
upon surrounding objects.

C H A P T E R VI
T H E ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF T H E BRITISH
MUSEUM LIBRARY

T H E history of all library architecture is pregnant
with two especial morals—the need of building from
the first upon some well-considered plan, so prepared as to admit of harmonious development in
the future, and the necessity of making extremely
generous estimates in respect of space. Unless
in the case of libraries devoted to special classes
of books, or of branch libraries controlled from the
parent institution, or of libraries where books no
longer in general demand are systematically sold
off, space, unless the most effectual measures have
been taken at the very outset, must eventually
become the librarian's master. The architectural
history of the British Museum is to a considerable
extent a history of struggle against circumstances
created by neglect of these elementary principles.
When the Museum was established in 1753 by
the posthumous munificence of Sir Hans Sloane,
the same question presented itself to the Government as that now agitated in connection with the
still more munificent bequest of Lady Wallace,
Was it better to build a new repository, or to
128

THE BRITISH MUSEUM

129

acquire a repository already built ? It is not likely
that the scientific side of the question attracted
much attention in those days. Little thought or
care had been bestowed upon the construction of
museums, by reason of the lamentable paucity of
such institutions.
It was enough for the most
scientific if room could be had and something
to spare, and the prodigious development of the
establishment was utterly unforeseen.
Instead,
therefore, of erecting an edifice on a consistent plan,
with provision for due enlargement, the Government
bought a mansion which happened to be vacant,
splendid indeed, and commodious for the purpose
it had been intended to answer, but erected without the remotest idea that it could ever serve
for a museum. It certainly does appear to have
fulfilled this end longer and better than could have
been anticipated. It was, in truth, a palace, and
the work of no mean builder ; for the plan was
formed by Robert Hooke, the first natural philosopher of his age after Newton. Built in 1674, burned
down in 1686, it was re-erected by a French architect, Pierre Puget. A French traveller who visited
England in 1818, in a state of great soreness by
reason of the battle of Waterloo, speaks with contempt of the Museum collections of that day, but
tells us that he highly admired the edifice, and
could not refrain from inquiring who had built it.
On being informed that the architect was a Frenchman, "Thought s o ! " he exclaimed, rubbing his
hands, and records the incident in blissful ignorance
of the fact that Puget had built on Hooke's lines

1

3°

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

and merely reproduced the design of his predecessor. No doubt, however, Hooke had taken many
hints from France, where, in the then palmy days
of Louis XIV., architecture flourished much more
than in England.
Buckingham House had been offered as an alternative site to Montague House, with surrounding
fields which would have allowed room for extension ;
but it would have cost .£30,000, while Montague
House could be had for .£10,000; it was also, and
not unnaturally at a period when the Prime Minister
lived in Lincoln's Inn Fields, considered a more outof-the-way situation than Bloomsbury. Before censuring the Government for parsimony, it should be
recollected that -£12,800 were paid for the repairs
of the house, which had been estimated at -£3,800.
The noble proprietor, Lord Halifax, must have
been glad to escape from this heavy obligation, and
as he was a friend of the Duke of Newcastle's,
private influence may have had something to do
with the selection of his mansion as the national
repository.
However this may have been, Montague House—
a really magnificent structure, with pictorial decorations of great merit—was probably quite as well
suited as any other private mansion to house its
miscellaneous stores of books, manuscripts, coins,
stuffed animals, shells, fossils, and reptiles in spirits.
As the books were removed to the new building
in 1838-39, not many now living can remember
the appearance of the library when within its walls.
Many more will remember the appearance of the

THE BRITISH MUSEUM

I31

rooms at Marlborough House during the temporary
location there of the Vernon Gallery, and probably
the general appearance was much the same. In
both cases elegant rooms en suite were applied to
purposes for which they had never been intended ;
the pictures could not be well seen, and the books
can only have been accommodated at a sacrifice of
the space and convenience wrhich they might have
enjoyed in chambers constructed under other conditions. It must be acknowledged that no great
multitude either of books or of readers was contemplated, the accommodation provided in the
reading-room on the basement, described as a very
comfortable room, being for only twenty readers,
the actual daily attendance rarely exceeding ten
or twelve. It would be interesting to learn in
what proportion and under what principles the allotment of space was made, whether the several
departments were satisfied, and whether frequent
readjustment was found necessary. The materials
for such research probably exist among the mass
of Museum official papers, which must some day
be made public in the form of a calendar, which
will be pronounced one of the most valuable contributions ever made to the history of literature,
science, and archaeology.
For long after the establishment of the library in
Montague House the annual additions to it were
so limited that a fair idea of its original extent may
be derived from the first catalogue of its contents,
published in 1787 in two volumes folio. It is true
that thirty thousand Civil War tracts had been

132

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

presented by George the Third, but these are compendiously entered in the said catalogue under a
single title, headed Anglia. They claimed considerable space, and so did the valuable benefaction of
the Garrick plays; but on the whole, if there was room
to spare for the library atthe beginning of the century,
there probably was also at the end. Early in the new
century, however, a great engine of extension came
into operation. The enforcement of the Copyright
Act, passed in Anne's reign, and extended in 1774,
had been neglected both by the Museum and the
Universities. In 1805 Mr. Basil Montagu, the distinguished biographer of Bacon, at that time a resident
at Cambridge, rinding that he could not obtain the
books he required for his studies otherwise than by
purchase, moved the University authorities to put
the Act into effect. They did so ; the Museum
authorities were obliged to follow suit; the publishers protested, and the controversy resulted in
the enactment of a new Copyright Act in 1814,
which endured until 1842. Although the Museum
authorities had scarcely risen to the conception of
the national library as a universal repertory of the
national literature, they were by no means averse
to obtain gratuitously books which they esteemed
valuable; and it appears from a contemporary article
in the Quarterly that their proceedings were considered, by Mr. Murray at all events, to savour of
undue harshness. The resulting accumulation of
books pressed upon the resources of Montague
House, which had already given way in another
department—the archaeological collections. These,

THE BRITISH MUSEUM

133

scarcely existing at the foundation of the Museum,
had assumed large proportions by the Townley bequest and the captures of Egyptian antiquities made
from the French. The charming garden, with the
fine trees, still surviving in the contemporary plates
which show the military encamped in it on occasion
of the Gordon Riots, had already been sacrificed to
those antiquities, which claimed a further extension when, in 1817, after a tremendous fight with
economists, connoisseurs, and moralists, the Elgin
Marbles were acquired for the nation. The internal accommodation they got may be seen in a
most interesting picture preserved in the Trustees'
Board Room ; it was not worthy of them. It is due,
however, to the administration of that day to point
out that this was regarded as a mere temporary
shift, and gave place about the year 1821 to a
comprehensive scheme of rebuilding, of which Sir
Robert Smirke was no doubt the author, and which,
the new reading-room and its annexes excepted,
has determined the general character of the edifice
to this day. Nor was it unworthy of a great nation
and a distinguished architect. Our concern with it,
however, is merely as regards the library. This
department, probably very unexpectedly, came to
be the first to exemplify the new scheme, in consequence of the donation of the King's Library in
1823. Room must be found for the books, and
accordingly nearly one entire side of the quadrangle projected by the architect was devoted to
the magnificent King's Library, a hall probably
without peer in the world as the receptacle of a

J

34

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

single collection of books. Superb, it was in no
way utilitarian ; space was lavished for effect in a
manner to horrify a modern librarian anxious
before all things to make the most of every inch
of ground. But for the happy invention of the
sliding press it would ere this have been necessary
to adapt it to the reception of more books, even to
the ruin of its architectural effect. Ere the movable press had dawned upon him the editor of this
series had proposed to introduce the Grenville and
Cracherode Libraries into it by carrying out presses
from the wall, a step which if on architectural grounds
at best a sad necessity, would at all events have
displayed the noblest assemblage of books given to
the nation that the world ever saw. It may now
be hoped that no such step will ever be necessary.
The King's Library, though claiming so large a
portion of the available Museum space, provided
only for the additional books which it was especially constructed to receive. The need of provision
for the annual accessions remained as great as ever ;
but years elapsed before it could be met. At
length, besides the handsome manuscript rooms
at the south end of the King's Library, the North
Library was constructed, comprising the really magnificent Great or Large room, the Banksian and
Cracherode Libraries, the two supplementary rooms,
and the two new reading-rooms. In such of these
rooms as were sufficiently spacious, the readingrooms of course excepted, great additional space
was gained by carrying out presses at right angles
with the wall, otherwise they did not materially

N O R T H

LIBRARY

FIG. 65.—Plan of Reading-room, British Museum.
A.
B.
C.
I).
E.
F.

Superintendent's desk.
Catalogue tables.
Readers' tables and desks.
Access for attendants.
Entrance from Royal library.
Entrance from North library.

G.
H.
I.
K.
L.

For registration of copyrights.
Ladies' cloak-room.
Gentlemen's cloak-room.
For gentlemen.
Umbrella room.

136

LTI RARY ARCHITECTURE

differ from libra ies of the accepted type, of which
they were favourable examples. One great defect
—the absence of glazed cases for the preservation of valuable books—was subsequently supplied
by Sir Anthony Panizzi. The rooms were ready for
occupation in 1838, and the removal of the books
from the old apartments of Montague House was
carried out under Panizzi's directions, with a speed
and smoothness which astonished every one. A
minor but most valuable improvement was made
in the alteration of the barbarous old press marks by
affixing Arabic numbers to the new presses, as already
done by his predecessor, Mr. Baber, in the King's
Library. The labelling of the books followed,
due to a suggestion from Mr. Winter Jones. While
this removal was in progress another library
was beginning to rise, which really did present
novel features, and which, had it been possible
to have made it four times as long, would have
been the most imposing library in the Museum,
except the great Reading-room. This is the exquisite and most practical arched room at the
end of the North Library, one-third as lofty again
as the other libraries en suite, where enormous
space is gained by spanning it with a succession of
arches, thus admitting a series of transverse galleries.
The effect is not unlike that of one of the arcades
of the Mosque of Cordova, and Moorish decoration
is not unsuccessfully represented by the masses of
coloured bindings, mostly in the morocco which
Panizzi substituted for calf. It does not appear,
however, that he was concerned in the design of

T H E BRITISH MUSEUM

J

37

this library,credit for which should probably be given
to Sir Robert Smirke and the Rev. Josiah Forshall,
then secretary and ruling spirit of the administration. About the same time the design seems to
have been adopted for the "long r o o m " constructed on the eastern side of the King's Library,
whose skylights came just underneath the windowrs
of the great building. These galleries, devoid of
architectural pretensions, and irreverently described
by Monckton Milnes as sheds and warehouses,
nevertheless well answered their immediate purpose of providing for the overflow of books, and
at this day accommodate a considerable part of
the Oriental collection.
The necessity for increased library accommodation, nevertheless, far outran the attempts to meet
it, considerable as these were in comparison with
anything effected in former years. Panizzi's great
report on the deficiencies of the library in 1845,
backed by his considerable social influence, caused
the augmentation of the grant for purchases to
.£10,000 a year, and a few years of this activity
swamped the available space. All this time the
interior court remained unoccupied by buildings,
though Thomas Watts had pointed out the waste of
room as early as 1836 in an article in the Mechanics
Magazine. Suggestions for making it available were
offered between 1840 and 1850 by Mr. Hawkins,
Keeper of Antiquities, and by Mr. Fergusson and
Mr. Hoskins, architects, but the only one of these
which contemplated the erection of a reading-room
was Mr. Fergusson's, and his scale was most

138

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

inadequate. Panizzi came forward with his plans,
subsequently modified, on April 18, 1852, and carried
them, after a tough battle with Sir Charles Barry,
who, apparently taking his cue from the Crystal
Palace, proposed to cover the court with a skylight,
and use it for the exhibition of sculpture. The idea
of the circular reading-room, whose walls should
be merely books, and all the still more remarkable
arrangements of the iron library adjacent, belong
solely to Panizzi. The dome which adds so much
dignity to the structure does not appear in Panizzi's
plan, and was probably the conception of the architect, Mr. Sydney Smirke. It is not improbable,
however, that useful hints may have been derived
from the remarkable plan for a circular library put
forth in 1835 by M. Benjamin Delessert, when the
question of rebuilding the French national library
was under consideration. M. Delessert, however,
proposing to begin entirely de novo, and erect his
library in an empty space, was able to conceive of
his entire library as a circular building. This was
not practicable at the Museum, where a quadrangular space had to be filled. M. Delessert's
reading-room was evidently adapted from the
ancient amphitheatre, and his plan has of late, though
probably unconsciously, been developed by Mr. E.
Magnusson, of the Cambridge University Library,
with the interesting suggestion that the circle should
be a spiral coil, resembling the shell of an ammonite, thus providing indefinite space for extension.
This ingenious idea should not be allowed to drop
out of sight.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM

139

It was supposed at the time that the additional
space gained by the erection of the reading-room
and its accessories would have sufficed the library
until the end of the century, but the estimate proved
fallacious. The need was met by the introduction
of the sliding press, elsewhere described, which has
solved the problem for the present, except as regards newspapers. It does not appear how these
are to be provided for without some extension of
the buildings, room for which has been happily
provided by the acquisition of the surrounding
houses and gardens.
No important example of library architecture,
meanwhile, has been given at the Museum of late
years except the White Wing (1880-88), which
includes the newspaper reading-room and its annexes, extensive additions to the manuscript department, part of the Oriental Library, and the entire
department of prints and drawings. The students'
room and the exhibition room of the latter department are on a magnificent scale. The Oriental
room is remarkable as the first instance of a room
specially constructed to receive the sliding press.
No grated ceiling being available as in the new
library, stout iron bars have been stretched across,
from wrhich the presses depend. These have been
made a foot too high, thus becoming unduly heavy
when quite full, although not unmanageable. Eight
feet appears to be the most suitable height for
presses of this description. No step has yet been
taken to occupy the ground recently purchased,
whose disposition remains a problem for next

140

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

century. It is to be hoped that a grand and consistent scheme for the whole will be adopted after
due consideration, and rigidly adhered to, thus
obviating the mere hand to mouth provision for
pressing needs, and the timidity in allotting space,
which are the causes of most of the architectural
disadvantages of the British Museum.

C H A P T E R VII
BRITISH PUBLIC LIBRARIES : ABERDEEN, BELFAST,
BIRMINGHAM, BLACKBURN, BOOTLE, BRISTOL,
CHELTENHAM, DARLINGTON, DERBY, DUBLIN,
EDINBURGH, GLASGOW

IN the following chapters short accounts are given
of the architectural features of about sixty libraries
in England, America, and on the Continent. The
descriptions are brief, and are in nearly every case
illustrated by plans, which will give a good idea of
the arrangements of the buildings and disposition
of the rooms. In the selection of the libraries to
be described, an attempt has been made to choose
representative examples of the different types of
buildings likely to be of most use to the librarian
and architect.
The Aberdeen Public Library was erected in 1892
from the plans of Mr. Alexander Brown of that city.
It consists of three floors, the ground floor being
chiefly occupied with the news-room, which is 66
feet by 45. It has been provided with stands for
thirty-four newspapers, and has accommodation for
120 readers at the tables. The specifications of patents
are also stored on this floor, and may be consulted
in a small room opening out of the news-room.
141

142

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The lending library is placed upon the first floor,
over the news-room, but, as the site has a considerable slope, it also has an entrance direct from the
main street. It is contained in a room 76 feet by
46. The books are arranged in cases which stand
in the centre of the room, and a counter runs
round three sides of the rooms, the borrowers being
between the counter and the wall on three sides
of the room, as shown in Fig. 66.
The reference library is a room of the same
dimensions, on the floor above the lending library.
It has seats for sixty readers. The total shelving of
the library amounts to about 60,000 volumes. The
cost of the building and fittings was ,£10,000.
The Belfast Free Library was erected in 1884,
from the designs of Mr. W. H. Lynn. The main
entrance to the building is placed in the centre of
the principal front, and gives access to an entrancehall 33 feet square, with a small enclosed lobby for
a porter on the left, commanding both entrancehall and newspaper reading-room. The lending
library, which is 72 feet by 20 feet, has a space in
front of the counter for the public 27 feet by 13 feet;
it is on the right of the entrance, and is shelved for
about 25,000 volumes, in double cases placed at right
angles to the windows. The newspaper-room on
the left is 61 feet by 30 feet, and has accommodation for about eighty readers.
From the entrance-hall a stone staircase leads
to the reference library, upon the first floor. This
is a fine room, 102 feet by 40 feet, and extends
across the whole width of the building. It is lit

BELFAST PUBLIC LIBRARY

143

from windows on two sides, and from a large
domed skylight over the centre of the room,
which is carried up through the next storey to the

FIG. 66.—Plan of the lending department of the Aberdeen Public Library.

roof. The central area, 52 feet square, is used
for readers, and seats about 150 persons. On the
left of the entrance to the reference library, and

i44

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

in the front of the building, is placed a readingroom for ladies, 20 feet square, and on the right
the librarian's office.
The second floor is occupied with rooms for
art gallery and museum, which are lit from the
roof. Residence for a caretaker is provided in
the north-east angle of the building, and the heating apparatus is placed at the rear of the building,
the chimney being carried up inside a ventilation
shaft, with which the reading-rooms are connected
by conduits in the walls.
The central library at Birmingham was destroyed
by fire on n t h January, 1879, and rebuilt and
opened in June 1882. The new building is much
larger than the one it replaces, although the site
and elevation are practically the same. In the
old building provision had been made for a
patent library and a museum and art gallery.
These are now housed elsewhere, and the space
thus obtained is wholly occupied by the library
proper. It is situated on a corner site, with its
principal entrance placed at the end farthest from
the corner. The vestibule is 32 feet by 12, and
opens into a hall 28 feet by 60. Entrance is obtained here to the lending library and news-room,
which are in one room, divided by pillars. The
news-room is 100 feet in length by 64 in width,
and 26 feet high. The lending library portion is
a wing 82 feet by 75, and forms a square projecting from the longest side of the news-room,
part of the space being occupied by a private
staircase and rooms for the staff. The books are

BIRMINGHAM FREE LIBRARY

145

arranged in wall-cases and in a double gallery,
and there is shelf-room for about 35,000 volumes.
The staircase to the reference library winds
around the entrance-hall, and admits to two
rooms of the same area as those below. They
are lit by a range of clerestory windows fitted
with stained glass, a series of groined arches connecting the clerestory with the ceiling, which is
50 feet high. Opening out of the wing is a room
30 feet by 21, containing the Shakespeare collection, and between this and the private staircase
are a series of strong-rooms for the more valuable
books. The books are arranged in wall-cases,
which extend around each side of the rooms,
with a gallery above, and shelf accommodation is
given for about 150,000 volumes. Already the
stock is 140,000, and the question of more shelving has become pressing. The addition of a stackroom, if ground can be obtained adjoining the
library, would give the necessary room. The
library will have outgrown its present accommodation in less than twenty years fron. its reconstruction, and so forms a striking illustration of
the necessity of obtaining in the first place a site
large enough for reasonable growth.
The branch libraries at Birmingham are all constructed upon the same principle—that of building
one large room, which is shelved upon one or
more sides for books, and has newspaper stands
and tables for readers in the centre. Attention
has already been given to this mode of planning
in Chap. I.,%and nothing further need 1 be said here
K

146

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

than that while such a plan is cheap to work,
it is noisy and unpleasant for readers who wish
to study, and is decidedly unwholesome for the
attendants, who are stationed for eight or more
hours daily in the rooms.
One of the best of the branch libraries is that
designed by Messrs. Cossins & Peacock, at Saltley,
and opened in 1892. It is placed on a narrow
site, and has an entrance at the corner, which
gives admittance through a vestibule to the large
reading-room. This is 82 feet by 32 feet, and has
a carved roof of open timber-work 19 feet from
floor to springing. The room is lighted on the
front side by large mullioned windows, and the
opposite side is broken up into arcades of similar
shape and size, in which are placed the bookcases
containing the lending library. The counter, which
is 60 feet in length, runs down the room about 10
feet in front of the bookcases. There is a clock
tower 10 feet square over the vestibule, with spire
70 feet in height. A notable feature of the facade
is a series of panels in terra-cotta, forming part of
a frieze over the windows. They were modelled
by Mr. B. Creswick, and contain figures illustrating
the principal trades pursued in the city. The cost
of the building was about .£4000.
The Derby Free Library and Museum was erected
in 1879 from the plans of Mr. R. K. Freeman. The
building is almost square, with its principal entrance
in the centre of the main front. On the left of the
entrance-hall are the ladies' reading-room and
general news-room, and in the centre the lending

BLACKBURN

PUBLIC LIBRARY

147

library, 56 feet by 24, which is carried up to the
full height of the building, and is lit from a lantern
in the roof.
On the right of the library is the reference library,
of similar size to the reading-room, librarian's office,

F I G . 67.—Free Library and Museum, Blackburn.

&c. The first floor is used for the! museum and art
gallery, which are lit by lantern and ceiling lights.
The Blackburn Library and Museum, an elevation of which will be seen in Fig. 67, is a stonebuilt edifice in mediaeval Gothic style. In the
interior of the building is a vestibule, 15 feet
by 9, and a spacious hall, 24 feet by 20. On
the right is a room for librarian and a news-room,

T48

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

66 feet by 20, with accommodation for eighty readers.
On the left is a large room, 69 feet by 35, which
is divided by a glazed screen into a reference
reading-room and a ladies' reading-room and two
smaller rooms for students. The lending library is
at the back of the building, opposite the entrance.
It is 43 feet by 20, and has a storeroom adjoining
nearly 2000 feet in area. The shelving capacity of
the library is about 80,000 volumes. The upper
floors are used for art and sculpture galleries and
museum, the dimensions of the rooms being : art
gallery, 56 feet by 35 ; sculpture gallery, 45 by 20 ;
natural history museum, in two rooms, 66 by 20, and
62 by 16 ; and an industrial art museum, 69 by 35.
The Bootle Public Library and Museum stands
upon a corner site adjoining the Town Hall, and
has the advantage of light upon three of its sides
and a portion of the fourth.
The newspaper reading-room occupies the front
of the building, and is 43 feet by 28 feet. It has reading stands for thirteen papers, and also seats fortytwo persons. The lending library is in the centre
of the building, and is 32 feet square; and the
magazine-room and reference library, 64 feet by 26,
occupy the back portion of the site. The upper
floor is occupied by the museum and art gallery
and lecture-hall, which are approached by a staircase facing the lending library. Fig. 68 gives the
ground plan of the building, and shows the general
arrangement of the rooms. It will be noticed that
good supervision over the reference library and the
reading-room is obtained from the lending library.

BRISTOL PUBLIC LIBRARY

149

The central library at Bristol is housed in an
old building quite inadequate for the work which

FIG. 68.—Ground floor plan of the Bootle Library and Museum.

is being done in it. When the erection of a new
building is contemplated, it is to be hoped that the
corporation will be as successful in their plans as

150

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

they have been with the new branch library at
St. Philip's, which was opened in 1896. This was
erected from the designs of Mr. W. V. Gough, and
is a handsome building of the Renaissance type,
with a frontage of 100 feet to Trinity Street. The
entrance is at the corner, and after passing through
vestibules, each about 13 feet square, the newspaper reading-room is reached. It is a large hall,
78 feet by 33. feet, and 30 feet in height. It is lit
by windows on either side, and the walls are of
coloured brick, with a dado of wood.
The lending department is ingeniously arranged.
It is triangular in shape, and the sides are about
30 feet in length. One side opens to the newsroom, and the other to a general reading-room
and boys' reading-room, about 38 feet square.
This arrangement gives good supervision from the
attendants in the lending library to all parts of
the building.
The new building, in which is housed the Cheltenham Public Library, School of Art, and Science
School, was erected in 1889 from the designs of
Mr. W. H. Knight. It occupies a central site, 114
feet in length, with an average breadth of nearly
80 feet. With the exception of the entrances to
the two schools of art and science, the whole of
the ground floor is used for library purposes. The
chief entrance is planned centrally, and opens with
a spacious hall 30 feet in length and 13 feet wide.
On the left is the newspaper reading-room, which
is 70 feet by 27 feet, with accommodation for over
100 readers. On the right is the reference library,

DARLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

151

50 feet b y 22 feet, with a s t o r e r o o m for b o o k s
b e h i n d . T h e l e n d i n g d e p a r t m e n t is at t h e b a c k of
t h e building, a n d is lit b y w i n d o w s o n t h e n o r t h
side a n d by a skylight. It is shelved for 25,000
v o l u m e s , in d o u b l e cases 8 feet high, p l a c e d at
right angles to t h e wall, a n d t h e r o o m is high
e n o u g h to take a s e c o n d tier w h e n n e e d e d .
T h e E d w a r d P e a s e Library, D a r l i n g t o n , is built
from t h e designs of Mr. G e o r g e G o r d o n H o s k i n s of
t h a t t o w n . T h e style of a r c h i t e c t u r e is R e n a i s s a n c e ,
t h e materials e m p l o y e d b e i n g r e d s a n d s t o n e a n d
pressed brick a n d t e r r a - c o t t a .
It is situated o n a
c o r n e r site, with a frontage of 106 feet o n the
western a n d of 90 feet o n t h e n o r t h e r n side, t h e
m a i n e n t r a n c e b e i n g at t h e n o r t h - w e s t angle.
T h e site is s o m e w h a t angular, a n d so t h e c e n t r a l
hall or p u b l i c l o b b y was p u r p o s e l y m a d e irregular
in form, in o r d e r t h a t t h e o t h e r r o o m s m i g h t b e
properly squared.
T h e l i b r a r y is only o n e storey
in height, a n d a c c e s s to t h e four p u b l i c r o o m s is
g a i n e d from this hall. Directly facing t h e e n t r a n c e
floors is t h e l e n d i n g d e p a r t m e n t , w h i c h m e a s u r e s
57 feet b y 30.
It is entirely lit from t h e roof,
a n d t h e b o o k c a s e s , to h o l d 32,000 v o l u m e s , a r e
p l a c e d at r i g h t angles to t h e e a s t e r n wall.
A
c o u n t e r with r e t u r n , s o m e 55 feet in length, r u n s
t h e l e n g t h of t h e r o o m , a n d t h e issue desk is at
t h e angle i m m e d i a t e l y b e h i n d t h e e n t r a n c e d o o r s .
F r o m this p o i n t t h e w h o l e of t h e e n t r a n c e - h a l l a n d
l o b b y a n d t h e d o o r s of t h e o t h e r r o o m s are easily
seen, a n d t h e w o r k of s u p e r v i s i o n t h u s materially
reduced.

*52

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

The newspaper reading-room is on the west side of
the building, and is 51 feet by 30. It contains newspaper stands for thirty papers, and tables seating
sixty-six persons. It is lit from the sides, and also
from stained glass windows in the ceiling. The reference library is a smaller room in the north side,

FlG. 69.—Ground plan of Darlington Public Library.

36 feet by 29, shelved to contain 3000 volumes,
and capable of seating forty readers.
A reading-room for ladies is provided, 18 feet by
13, and a room of similar size to serve as librarian's
office and committee-room. A plan of the building
is given in Fig. 69, and it may be stated that, as it

NATIONAL LIBRARY, DUBLIN

153

was erected [as a memorial, no expense was spared
by the donors to make it in every way worthy of
the memory of its founder.
The new building of the National Library of
Ireland, Dublin, was opened on 30th August 1890.
It forms the northern boundary of an open quadrangle off Kildare Street, Dublin, and faces the
museum of science and art on the south side.
It was built from the designs of Messrs. T. M.
Deane & Sons.
The special features of the building are the isolation of the large central reading-room, and the
adoption in the large book-stores on either side of
the stack system of bookcases. The reading-room
is on the first floor, and is approached by a colonnade, large vestibule and hall, which run through
the centre of the building, and give access to the
staircase. It is of horse-shoe shape, with a greatest
length of 63 feet, and width of 60. It is nearly
50 feet high in the centre, and is lit by a large
central dome and side windows high in the walls.
The lower part of the walls are shelved for books
of reference, to which the readers have unrestricted
admission.
The remainder of the stock is kept in two bookstores right and left of the reading-room, and connected therewith by a short corridor on either side.
Of these stores, the one nearest Kildare Street is
only as yet completed. The arrangement of the
floors and bookcases in the storerooms was suggested by Mr. William Archer, the first librarian,
in a pamphlet he published in 1881, entitled

>
X

>
o

s

H
W
O
H

a
x

F I G . 7T.—National Library of Ireland—plan of the ground floor.

>

5
>

d
CO

r

2

FIG. 72.—National Library of Ireland—plan of the;first floor.

u-i

156

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

" Suggestions as to Public Library Buildings/' and
was carried out by Sir Thomas Deane, the architect. The stores are divided into three storeys
by two floors, the first 16 feet 8 inches, and the
second 19 feet 1 inch in height. These are again
divided horizontally by perforated iron floors,
making in all four tiers or storeys of bookcases.
Across the stores 26 double bookcases, between
#7 and 8 feet in height, are placed at nearly equal
distances apart, the average width of the gangways
being 3 feet. They stand at right angles to the
windows, and so are fairly well lighted ; but as the
architect was prevented by aesthetic considerations
from giving to the side walls a sufficient number
of windows, it has been necessary to provide
accumulators to supply electric light during the
daytime in several of the divisions. There are eight
uprights in each bookcase in the central portion
of the book-stack, where the room is slightly
narrower than at the ends, and nine in the latter.
In the lower storey they are set in the concrete
floors, and fixed in the ceiling. In the upper
they are also set in concrete, but do not rise to
the roof, and the bookcases are steadied by iron
bands running along their tops. This method of
construction strengthens the whole building, for
the uprights connect the two concrete floors, and
the weight of the books is evenly distributed over
the whole structure. The different floors are
reached by straight staircases placed in the centre
of the room.
An examination of the plans given in Figs. 71-74

NATIONAL LIBRARY, DUBLIN

157

will show that the stores are well placed for ease
and rapidity of service, for the entrance from the
reading-room is at the middle point, not only horizontally but vertically, the second storey of the bookstores, forming the third floor, being on the same

F I G . 73.—National Library of Ireland—section through the
building, showing the arrangement of the book-stack.

level as the reading-room floor. Thus there are
two stacks of bookcases below the level of the reading-room, one above, and one on the same level.
The length of the book-stores is 101 feet, and height
49 feet 3 inches ; the average breadth is 33 feet. It
may be estimated that 200,000 volumes can be

158

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

shelved in each of them. The completion of the
building is an urgent necessity, and it is to be hoped
will take place at an early date.
The Edinburgh Public Library was erected in
1890 from the designs of Mr. G. Washington
Browne.
It is in the
French Renaissance style,
and may be said to be
one of the most artistic
buildings in the city. The
general plan is that of a
Greek cross for the three
great public rooms, with
staircases in the re-entering angles.
The latter
are roofed at a somewhat
lower level than the main
building, which is carried
to a greater elevation, and
crowned with a cornice
and balustrade. The arms
of the cross are covered
with flat roofs, and subordinated to the central
F I G . 74.—National Library of
Ireland—section through
figure of the composition,
a bookcase and gallery.
which is a steep pitched
roof carried up over the
intersection of the cross containing the dome of
the reference department, and terminating in an
ornate fleche.
The public rooms are arranged upon the top
three floors, the building consisting of five, the

3

4

L

EDINBURGH PUBLIC LIBRARY

159

fourth from the bottom being at the level of
George IV. Bridge. The basement, on the level
of the Cowgate, was occupied by the boilers,
engines, and dynamos for supplying the electric
light, but the noise and vibration caused by the
machinery was found to be a nuisance, and it
has recently been resolved to purchase the light
from the corporation and use the rooms for
book storage and for the files of newspapers
and magazines.
The news-room, which is on the floor immediately
above this, but below the level of George IV. Bridge,
is reached from the latter by a wide and easy stair.
The room is in the form of a Greek cross, its
greatest length being 90 feet, and its breadth 72
feet. It is well lighted from four sides by large
mullioned and transomed windows. Eight massive
Ionic columns support the panelled ceiling, while
the walls to a height of 8 feet are lined with specially
designed Faience and decorated tiles. Provision is
made for displaying fifty daily newspapers on stands
at right angles to the walls, and the weekly papers
and magazines are placed on tables in the centre of
the room, at which 132 readers can be accommodated.
Entering from the news-room is a
juveniles' library, with a stock of 7000 volumes.
Tables of similar design and construction to those
used in the news-room are provided for the readers
in this department.
The lending library (Fig. 75), on the level of
George IV. Bridge, is of the same form, and
lighted in the same manner, as the news-room.

i6o

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The shelving is arranged on the alcove system,
and will hold about 48,000 volumes, within reach
of any person of ordinary stature without the
aid of steps or ladders. The counter forms three

FIG. 75.—Plan of lending department of the Edinburgh Public Library.

sides of a square, and is n o feet l o n g ; on it are
placed at intervals twelve blocks of Cotgreave
Indicators, the spaces between each being used
for giving out and taking in books. In the centre
of the room is a large desk-table, on the four

EDINBURGH PUBLIC LIBRARY

l6l

sides of which are catalogues and application
forms.
The reference library (Fig. 76) occupies the
top floor, the staircase leading to which forms

FIG. 76.—Plan of the reference department of the Edinburgh
Public Library.

one of the most interesting architectural features
of the building. The plan follows the Greek
cross form, as in the floors below; the square
space in the centre of the room is provided with

162

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

tables, at which ioo readers can be seated. Over
this rises the dome, from which, as well as from
the windows on the four sides, light is admitted
to the room. The shelving is on the same principle
as in the lending library, but a gallery tier is
carried round three sides of the room, access to
which is obtained by winding stairs in the four
projecting angles of the room. The shelving
already fitted gives accommodation for 40,000
volumes, and provision is made for the addition
of a third tier of shelving being added when
required. The basement is also shelved for the
bound volumes of newspapers and magazines,
and the flat immediately above, under the newsroom, is used as a book-store for reference
books.
The building is lighted by electricity supplied
by the corporation. Fifteen arc lamps are used
for the illumination of the large spaces, while
120 incandescent lamps light the entrance-hall
and gateway, the alcove recesses, the public
and service stairs, and the board and librarian's
rooms.
The library was the gift of Mr. Andrew
Carnegie, who gave the sum of -£50,000 for the
purpose of erecting it.
The Mitchell Library, Glasgow, is different
from most of the British public libraries, inasmuch as it is a reference library only, and
has no newspaper reading-room or lending department.
For some years it was situated in rented flats,

THE MITCHELL LIBRARY

163

but in October 1891 it was removed to a building formerly used by the Water Commissioners
as their offices. It is interesting to note how it
was altered for its present use, and so adapted
as to make a building well suited for its new
purposes.
The street frontage is 120 feti, and the entrance
is placed at the one end. The entrance-hall,
which is 16 feet wide, gives access to a readingroom at the back, 78 feet by 45. Occupying
the floor of this room are fourteen tables, each
seating fourteen persons, a total of 196. The
walls have no windows, the lighting being from
the roof; and bookcases are carried up to a
height of two storeys, those in the upper part
being arranged in alcove cases, carried on a
gallery 10 feet deep, as shown in Fig. 77.
The ground floor of the front of the building
is shelved for about 30,000 of the most popular
books, a counter 48 feet in length separating
it from the reading-room. A railing runs around
the latter at a distance of about 5 feet from
the wall. The rooms on the first floor (Fig.
78) are reached by a staircase ascending from
the entrance-hall, and their level coincides with
that of the gallery in the reading-room; they
are arranged for the use of magazine readers,
students, and for ladies. The magazine-room
has seating accommodation for 104 persons, and
is lit from the street on the one side, and the
upper part of the reading-room on the other.
The ladies' room seats thirty-two, and the students'

164

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

FIG. 77. —Ground floor plan of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow.

T H E MITCHELL LIBRARY

FIG. 78.—Plan of first floor of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow.

165

i66

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

room twenty-four. The second floor is shelved
for books, and contains those least in demand.
There is room altogether for about 150,000
volumes. The building is lit by electricity, a
statement of the yearly cost of which will be
found on page 30.

C H A P T E R VIII
BRITISH PUBLIC LIBRARIES {continued)
\ LIVERPOOL,
MANCHESTER, NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, PRESTON,
ST. HELENS, WIDNES, WIGAN, WORCESTER

T H E Liverpool Free Library, Museum, and Art
Gallery form a spacious and handsome suite of
buildings fronting the eastern end of the St.
George's Hall, and divided from it by the roadway. The three buildings, to which will shortly be
added Mr. Mountford's new building for technical
schools and extension of the museum, are of
classical character, and form a noble group in
architectural keeping with the hall opposite.
The westernmost building is the museum and
library, erected by Sir William Brown at a cost of
about .£60,000 from the designs of Mr. T. Allom,
and opened in i860. The most eastern is the
" W a l k e r " Art Gallery, built in 1877 by Sir A. B.
Walker, Mayor of Liverpool. The " Picton " Reading-room, opened in 1879, was built by the corporation on the vacant ground between the " Brown "
Museum and the " Walker" Art Gallery, and so
forms the connecting link of the two buildings. It
is named after Sir James A. Picton, wTho was for
many years the chairman of the library committee.
167

i68

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The entrance to Sir William Brown's building is
by a flight of steps high enough to give a good
light to what must be called the basement, but
which from the slope of the ground is practically
the ground floor of the building. The east wing
alone is used for library purposes, the remainder
being devoted to the museum. In the basement at
the front of the building the central lending library
is placed in quarters far too cramped for successful
work. At the back is the library of patents, and
storeroom for part of the reference books.
On the ground floor the newspaper reading-room,
40 feet by 28 feet, and librarian's room, 33 feet by
28 feet, occupy the front of the wing. Opening out
of the newspaper room is a reading-room, 80 feet
by 40 feet, which is used by readers of fiction, the
illustrated papers, and for lighter literature generally. This room seats about 250 persons, and is a
useful means of separating the studious reader, who
is sent to the "Picton" reading-room, from the reader
who merely wants an interesting book for recreation. Parallel with this room is the book-store, 80
feet by 24 feet, which is lit from windows on one of
its longest sides, and is shelved in two tiers, with
a gallery. A second book-store of similar size is
placed over it, on a level with the floor above. At
the back of the building are other rooms for cataloguing and administrative purposes, and the staff.
The librarian's office, in the front of the building, is
specially shelved with glass bookcases for the reception of the rarer and more costly works of
interest or value.

LIVERPOOL PUBLIC LIBRARY

169

The " Picton " reading-room, although a separate
building, is connected by a corridor with the
" Brown " Library. It is a circular hall, 100 feet in
diameter, and was designed by Mr. C. Sherlock, the
constructional iron-work of the floor being designed
by Mr. J. N. Shoolbred. The room is 32 feet high to
the spring of the ceiling, and 56 feet at the highest
point, and will seat 260 readers.
It is entirely
lit from a circular opening in the roof 24 feet in
diameter. The lecture-hall underneath, which is
of the same area, and seats 1500 persons, is 27 feet
high, and is cut out of the solid sandstone on which
Liverpool is chiefly built, the rock being cut into
terraces to form the raised seats of the auditorium.
The reading-room is shelved all round to a height
of about 20 feet, the upper shelves being reached
by a gallery ; it is contemplated placing another
tier of shelving above those now in situ with a
second gallery whenever more shelf-room is required. There are also 16 double bookcases, 8 feet
in length, and 8 feet high, projecting from the walls,
forming radii of a circle. The readers are seated at
tables in the centre of the room, and formerly some
were allowed to use tables in the alcoves formed
by the double bookcases ; but this privilege has now
been withdrawn, the " open access " thus allowed
to valuable books being found to be too great a
strain upon the honesty of some of them.
The lecture-hall underneath was first intended
for use as a book-store ; but this was abandoned in
favour of an aquarium, and then the latter, in its turn,
was dropped for its present use, the committee

170

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

being helped in their decision by the fact that
lectures given in a small lecture-hall on the first floor
of Sir William Brown's building were found to be
much appreciated, and of great educational value.
It seems a pity that the new building for museum
extension and technical schools, which is to adjoin the west side of the il B r o w n " Library, is to
be used for the purposes indicated. The lending
library, as I have before stated, is in an unsuitable
room in the basement, and the newspaper room
is admittedly overcrowded, and much too small
for the use made of it. The other departments
of the library are well housed, and have room for
expansion and growth, but the two departments
which in other towns form the most popular side
of the library work, are crippled by an unsuitable
environment. The remedy is very simple, and has
been pointed out by one of the competitors in the
recent competitions for the extension plans. It is
to find another site for the new schools of science
and art, and use the new building entirely for
museum and library purposes. On the ground
floor suitable rooms for a new lending library and
a second news-room could easily be made, and the
whole upper floor, when combined with the old
building, would form a noble suite of galleries for
museum purposes.
The Manchester Public Library system consists
of a central reference library, with branch lending
libraries and reading-rooms scattered over the
city, so as to bring the advantages of the library
as *'near to the homes of the people as possible.

MANCHESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

171

The reference library is " cabin'd, cribb'd, confined "
in the old Town Hall of the city, and has long
outgrown the accommodation there provided.
It is strange that the town which was the first in
Britain to obtain parliamentary powers to establish
a public library should be content with a makeshift
building as a home for its splendid collection of
books. It has now in its reference library over
100,000 volumes, and by common consent the
quality of the collection is second to none. Liverpool, as we have seen, has housed its central library
in buildings worthy of the city, but Manchester
in this respect has lagged behind, and has yet to
erect a suitable home for its literary treasures.
In Fig. 79 are given plans of the ground and
first floors of the central reference library. Study
of these will show the many disadvantages under
which the library suffers. The large reading-room
is shelved around its walls to a height of about
20 feet for the books most in demand, and the
remainder of the stock is scattered over different
rooms in other parts of the building. On the
ground floor is a lower reading-room — a wellfitting name, for its ceiling is low, and the last time
the writer visited it he wondered how any one could
exist in it for many hours without asphyxiation.
The branch libraries at Manchester, however,
are worthy of the city.
They are now fifteen
in number, and most of them have, in addition to
the ordinary accommodation of lending library and
reading-room, a special room for boys. This is
a feature of great usefulness, and other libraries

172

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

would do well to consider j the wisdom of providing
such a room.
The lending library at Gorton—the tenth established by the corporation of Manchester—was
opened on 5th May 1894. The building is situated at the junction of Gorton Lane and Belle

ijiiowi^p fr.coft

F I G . 79.—Plans of the Central Library, Manchester.

Vue Street, West Gorton. The shape of the site
suggested an octagonal plan for a portion of the
building, and this has been adopted, the section
at the union of the two streets being an octagon measuring 29 feet 6 inches in diameter,

MANCHESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

173

communicating by wide-arched openings with two
wings, each 21 feet wide, facing the streets, the
portion between them
forming an open area
for light. The ground
floor
(Fig. 80) is
kept up 6 feet above
the street level in
order to give a good
light to the basement
floor, in which is a
boys'
reading-room,
book-store, and heat.a
ing apparatus.
The
o
entrance to the buildCI
ing is in Belle Vue
Street, and a wide
staircase leads up to
the first floor and
down to the basement, the staircase
hall having an octagonal end with large
windows lighted from
the area.
To the
left of the entrance,
on the ground floor,
is the library, which,
with the rooms for
the attendants, occupies the whole of the storey, The bookcases,
counter for borrowers, catalogue desk, & c ,

174

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

are all constructed of pitch-pine, stained and
varnished.
The first floor is entirely occupied by the readingroom, and is fitted up with newspaper racks and
reading tables, and a small bookcase for reference
books. It is a lofty room, ceiled half-way up to
the roof, and lighted by windows on all sides,
skylights over the wings, and a lantern light over
the octagon. Special attention has been given to
the artificial lighting and ventilation throughout.
A number of flues have been carried up in the
walls, and into these are passed the tubes from
the ventilating sunlights. For the inlet of fresh
air, hopper casements are fixed in many parts of
the building. The warming of the building is
accomplished with hot water in pipes and radiators.
The elevations are faced with grey bricks, with
red terra-cotta in windows, door, cornice, and
string courses. A feature has been made of the
octagonal, which is covered by a hipped roof, and
this is crowned by a square clock turret, the total
height from street level to top of iron vane being
about 81 feet.
The cost of the building and fittings has been
about -£4100, and the work was carried out from
the designs of Messrs. J. W. & R. F . Beaumont,
architects, Manchester.
A fine range of municipal buildings has been
erected in Openshaw, and have been provided
jointly by the Manchester Corporation and the
Legatees of the late Sir Joseph Whitw 7 orth. They
were opened in 1894, and are built from the

MANCHESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

175

designs of Messrs. Beaumont of Manchester. In
the buildings there is provided a library, containing
space for 20,000 volumes, a public hall, a technical
school, and, what is a new departure in municipal
buildings, a coffee-tavern and chess and billiard
rooms. The total cost, including the site, has
been about .£15,000, and towards this the Whitworth Legatees have contributed £8500. The whole
site contains an area of about 1830 square yards,
and is almost entirely covered by the buildings.
As the site has frontage to two streets, ample
entrances and exits are provided to the different
departments.
The library is entered from Ashton Old
Road, and comprises lending library, with space
for borrowers 49 feet by 30 feet, reading-room
60 feet by 40 feet 6 inches, and boys' readingroom, 42 feet by 29 feet, with separate entrance
from South Street (Fig. 81). The rooms are
divided from one another by glazed screens, which
insure complete superintendence of all parts of
the rooms by the attendants in the library. The
library is lighted from large windows looking into
Ashton Old Road, and the bookcases are fixed
at right angles to the windows, giving space for
about 10,000 volumes. The reading-room is in
two parts, the larger part being 60 feet by 30 feet,
and the smaller part 47 feet by 9 feet, divided from
one another by an arcade of four semicircular
arches carved on polished granite columns. The
larger part has an open timber roof, finished the
whole length of the room with skylights of

176

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

Hey wood's patent glazing ; the walls are faced with
bricks, the lower part, to a height of 4 feet 6 inches,
being a dado of golden brown-glazed bricks, and
the upper part faced with buff bricks, relieved with
bands of red pressed bricks ; the arches and jambs
of windows are also finished with red pressed
bricks and terra-cotta; the windows are glazed
with leaded lights. Newspaper racks are fixed on
both sides of the room, and two rows of reading

F I G . 81.—Plans of the Openshaw Branch Library, Manchester.

tables, accommodating about eighty-four readers,
run down the full length of the larger part of
the room.
The boys' reading-room is lighted from South
Street, and contains reading tables and forms, with
accommodation for about 120 readers. A separate
counter and bookcase are provided in this room.
A room for the use of the assistants, fitted up with
small cooking range, and lavatory accommodation,
is provided in the basement.

NEWCASTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

177

The central public library at Newcastle-uponTyne adjoins the old building of the Mechanics'
Institute, with which it is incorporated. It was
erected in 1882 from the plans of Mr. A. Fowler,
at a cost of about .£22,000 for buildings and
fittings.
The front of the facade is 175 feet in length, and
the depth of the building varies from 90 feet to
35 feet. The principal entrance is placed in the
centre through a portico, 30 feet long and 8 feet
wide. This is ornamented with massive stone
columns supporting an entablature, from which
springs a continuous row of balustrades running
the entire length of the front. The panels over
the door and windows are carved with sculpture
emblematical of local celebrities and trades. The
bays at each end of the building are furnished with
a medallion cornice, surrounded by the balustrade,
and the roof is semicircular in form. The building is set back a little from the main thoroughfare,
and is protected by a dwarf wall surmounted by
ornamental railings.
On entering from the portico a large hall is
reached, with a grand staircase to the first floor
facing the entrance doors, as shown in Fig. 82.
To the right is the news-room, measuring 43 feet
by 28 feet, with an irregular shaped annexe 30 feet
in length. In this room accommodation is given
to about forty newspapers on reading stands, and
sixty readers at the tables. On the left of the
entrance-hall is the lending library, which is contained in two rooms, one a rectangle, 60 feet by
M

178

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

42 feet, and the other of horse-shoe shape, 60 feet
by 36 feet. The books are arranged in wall cases
around the room, and in double bookcases placed
at right angles to the north and south walls.
Shelving for about 50,000 volumes is supplied in
the two rooms. The centre of each room is used
by the public, and a counter for indicators is run
around both of them. In the entrance-hall, and

F I G . 82.—Plan of the ground floor of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Public Library.

on the staircase and landings, is some fine statuary
by the Newcastle sculptor, John G. Lough.
The reference library occupies the whole of the
first floor, and runs the whole length of the building.
It comprises a series of rooms opening into each
other, as shown in Fig. 83. In the centre room,
which faces the entrance doors, is placed the public
card-catalogue and attendants' desk. The books
are shelved in wall cases 8 feet in height, which are

NEWCASTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

179

run around the whole library, and have a narrow
counter in front of them. There are no side
windows, the lighting being from skylights, and wall
space is provided for a gallery when necessary.
Tables are placed in the centre of the rooms, which
will seat fifty readers. The semicircular room over
part of the lending library is also used for a magazine
room, and several smaller rooms are also provided

F I G . 83.—Plan of the first floor of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Public Library.

on a second storey in the bay and central part
of the building. In the basement there is a large
storeroom for unpacking boxes, & c , and the usual
accommodation for heating and other purposes.
The building was lit by gas until 1884, when great
damage was done by an outbreak of fire, caused
through defective workmanship in the flues carrying away the products of combustion from the sunburners. The electric light was afterwards installed,

i8o

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

and is now in use : a statement of the annual cost
will be found on pages 29, 30.
Reference to the plans will show that the library
is considerably narrower on one side than on the
other. The adjoining land was fortunately vacant,
and has been recently acquired by the corporation.
It is proposed to extend the news-room, which is
the most congested part of the building, by continuing it outwards. A large book-store for the
reference department could be placed over it, and
so additional room be found for the rapidly increasing number of volumes.
The branch library at Elswick, which was opened
in 1895, was the gift of Alderman W. H. Stephenson,
and is notable as providing other accommodation
than that ordinarily given in libraries established
under the Public Libraries Acts. The building is
86 feet by 43 feet, and comprises two floors. On
the ground floor there is a ladies' reading-room, a
room for games, committee room, and a restaurant,
the rent from the latter being expected to provide
a large share of the annual cost of maintenance.
The upper floor, which is reached by a separate
entrance, consists of one large hall, 70 feet by 36
feet, with raised platform and retiring rooms. This
is used at present for a newspaper and magazine reading-room, and will shortly be fitted with
shelves for use as a lending library also. One of the
conditions of the gift is that the donor and his
family shall have the right to use this room on
certain days for public and social meetings and
lectures, but political and religious debates and

PRESTON FREE LIBRARY

181

discussions are prohibited. How this arrangement
will work remains to be seen. If the library work
is to be successful, it should be continuously carried
on, without liability to interruptions by the room
being used for other purposes. The wishes of the
donor would have been better met by the erection
of a separate lecture-hall, and not by trying to make
one room answer both purposes. The cost of the
building was about ^4000, and it was designed by
Mr. John W. Dyson of Newcastle.
The Harris Free Library and Museum, Preston,
is one of the most important buildings erected
in England of late years. It is designed by the
architect, Mr. James Hibbert, in the Greek Ionic
style, and has cost, with its fittings, nearly ^~ 100,000.
In choosing this style of architecture, Mr. Hibbert
says, that as the Hellenic race reached the highest
standard in plastic arts, literature, and geometrical
science, the suitableness of the style for the purposes of a building which is to be a repository
of knowledge, of examples of the arts, and of
specimens illustrative of the sciences, will be admitted by all, and he has therefore sought to plan
a building which shall be a work of permanent
value, and an example of memorial art.
The building has four frontages; its principal
elevation, which is 130 feet long, is on the west,
looking over the market-place. The portico consists of six massive columns, with bold capitals,
and is surmounted by an overhanging cornice, the
tympanum being filled with a group of sculptured
figures, with a carved inscription underneath, " To

l82

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

Literature, Science, and Art." The frontages on
the north and south sides are 170 feet in length,
and on the east 130 feet. The building contains
three floors above the street level and a basement.
The ground floor contains news-room, 29 feet by
55 feet, magazine-room, of same size, rooms for
the specifications of patents, and lending library,
each 50 feet square. The central hall is 54 feet
square, and has a staircase which admits to the
reference library on the first floor. This is contained in two rooms, each 120 feet by 30 feet. On
this floor there are also smaller rooms for games,
conversation, &c. The upper floor is wholly devoted to the museum and art galleries. Shelving
is provided for 90,000 volumes.
The St. Helens Public Library occupies the
whole of the ground floor of the " Gamble" Institute, which was presented to the town by Colonel
Gamble, C.B. It was opened for public use in
1896, and was built from the designs of Messrs.
Briggs & Wolstenholme, at a cost of about
£30,000. (See Fig 84.)
The entrance gives immediate access to the lending library, which extends 56 feet back. An oak
counter, 60 feet in length, is provided for indicators and serving purposes. A special feature of the
counter is a revolving bookcase, holding about 100
volumes, for the display of recent additions. The
front of the case is covered with wire-netting,
through which the titles of the books can be read
by the public.
The newspaper and magazine reading-room is

GAMBLE INSTITUTE, ST. HELENS

"

"

183

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184

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

about 114 feet by 32 feet. It is fitted with reading
stands for fifty papers, and also seats ninety readers
at the tables. The reference library is 50 feet by 32
feet, and is shelved for about 20,000 volumes. A
reading-room for boys, 32 feet by 21 feet, is placed
in close proximity to the attendants in the lending
department, from which direct supervision is obtained. There is also a reading-room for ladies, of
similar size. The basement contains a large bookstore, which communicates with the lending department by an iron staircase and book-lift. The
ground floor is 7 feet above the street level, and
so ample light is obtained from side windows. The
shelf capacity of the building is for upwards of
50,000 books, but this can be considerably increased when necessary by the erection of a second
tier of bookcases. The building is heated and ventilated on the Blackmail system, and is lit throughout by electricity, 800 lamps of 16 candle-power
being provided.
The free library at Widnes forms part of a
large building, in which is also situated a technical
school. It was built from the designs of Messrs.
Woodhouse & Willoughby of Manchester, at a cost
of about .£12,000, and was opened for public use
in 1896.
The library is separate, and divided from the
other parts of the building by an open area 21 feet
wide. On the left of the entrance-hall is the newsroom, 22 feet by 40 feet, which is one storey in height,
and has an open timbered roof. On the right of
the hall is a room for ladies, 20 feet by 13 feet,

WIGAN PUBLIC LIBRARY

185

with a private room for the (lady) librarian, 20 feet
by 1.0 feet, communicating with it. At the back of
the news-room, with a separate entrance from the
side street, are the lending and reference libraries,
and on the other side of the central corridor is a
reading-room for boys.
The lending library is a room 40 feet by 24 feet,
and the attendants' desk is placed against a clear
glass screen with a hatchway in the wall of the newsroom, so that control of the two rooms can always
be exercised. The books are shelved in double
cases placed at right angles to the desk, and the
borrowers have access to the shelves.
In the
corner of the room is a staircase to a book-store
above, with a storeroom for newspapers and periodicals. The boys' reading-room is 21 feet square,
and is lit from the area. It is open on one side
to the librarian's room, which it adjoins, and on
the other to the attendants' desk in the lending
library, from which it is separated by a corridor
8 feet in width.
The Wigan Public Free Library was erected from
the designs of Mr. A. Waterhouse, R.A. It consists
of a main building with cross gables at each end,
the central portion forming a recess supported by
buttresses. A bold skyline is obtained by the use
of dormer lights, and in the principal front a distinguishing feature is produced by leaded windows
following the line of the staircase.
The entrance-hall contains a granite column supporting two arches, through one of which access
is gained to the staircase, while through the other

i86

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

the librarian's room is reached. With the exception of this room, the whole of the ground floor is
devoted to the lending library and reading-rooms,
which are separated by a low partition. The reference library, on the first floor, occupies the same
area as the lending library and reading-rooms. It
is divided into eleven bays, with a light gallery
round each. There is a fine hammer-beam roof,

FIG. 85.—Plan of the ground floor of the Wigan Public Library.

and the decorations, though plain, are effective.
There is accommodation in the building for a resident custodian, and a room is provided for the
use of the committee.
The length of the reference department is 81
feet, and its breadth 37 feet 3 inches, except at
the further end, where it is 46 feet. The middle
of each bay is 13 feet. The bookcases are 7 feet
in height from floor to gallery, and an additional

WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

187

7 feet from gallery to top ; they are 13 feet in length,
divided into four compartments. The bookcases
in the lending library are 18 inches higher than
those in the reference library.
A noticeable feature at Wigan is a special building for boys, which was opened in 1895 : it is
called after the donor, the " Powell" Branch
Boys' Reading-room. The building is three storeys
in height, viz. : basement; reading-room and caretaker's rooms on ground floor; and lecture-hall,
committee room, and retiring room on first floor—
the principal room on each floor being 56 feet by
36, all lofty and well lighted. The reading-room
floor is of wood blocks laid in concrete, and the
room is furnished with light tables for reading,
with seats, chairs, long counter, and bookcases. A
platform for entertainments is fixed in the lecturehall. A system of open shelving has been adopted,
by means of which the youthful book-lover may
choose his own book without having recourse to
the catalogue, and at the same time the volumes
will be under proper supervision.
The Worcester Public Library forms a portion
of the new Victoria Institute, designed by Messrs.
Simpson & Allen, and was opened in 1895. The
whole of the ground floor (Fig. 86) is used for library purposes, the other floors being occupied by
a museum and art gallery and the technical and
art school.
The principal entrance is in the centre of the
building, and opens into a large vestibule, from
which access is gained to the committee room and

i88

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

reference reading-room on the left, the lending
library in the centre, and the news-room on the
right. The news-room is 84 feet by 22 feet, and seats
eighty readers at the nine tables, and has reading
stands for twenty-eight papers. It is well lit by
windows on one side, and is under supervision from
the lending library, from which it is separated by a

FIG. 86.—Ground plan of the library, Victoria Institute, Worcester.

series of glass screens running the whole length of
the room.
The reference reading-room is 48 feet by 20 feet,
and seats forty-two persons. The lending library
is arranged upon the " o p e n access" principle. A
square enclosure for the attendant immediately
faces the entrance doors, the readers entering by a
gate in the left hand side, and leaving by a similar
gate in the right. The books are shelved in cases

WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

189

7 feet 4 inches in height, which are placed at right
angles to the attendants' desk. Shelving has been
provided for 20,000 volumes, but further storage is
available in a large book-store adjoining the reference library. Fig. 86 shows the disposition of the
rooms upon the library floor, and the arrangement
of the bookcases.

CHAPTER IX
LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARIES : GUILDHALL, BATTERSEA, BERMONDSEY, BISHOPSGATE, CAMBERWELL,
CHELSEA, CLAPHAM, CROYDON, EDMONTON,
HAMMERSMITH, HAMPSTEAD
THE free public libraries in London and its
suburbs are of quite recent growth. They usually
comprise a central library for each parish, containing reference and lending departments, wTith
reading-rooms for newspapers, and magazines.
Many of the larger parishes have, in addition,
branch lending libraries and news-rooms, the provision found necessary being, roughly, one library
to each 60,000 or 70,000 inhabitants.
The purchase of suitable sites, where ground is
so valuable, has been matter of much difficulty,
and consequently many of the buildings are not so
large or well-arranged as they would have been if
greater choice of location had been possible. The
libraries described in this and the following chapter
comprise examples of successful planning under
many difficulties, and may be taken as fairly representative of the whole. Plans are here given of buildings erected upon corner sites, both square and of
varying angles ; and of others erected upon enclosed

THE GUILDHALL LIBRARY

I9I

sites, where light could be obtained only from the
front and back, and in some cases from the roof.
In no instance is the accommodation provided
for reference work equal to that found in the
largest of the provincial public libraries, nor,
probably, is this needed, as the British Museum,
with its magnificent stores of books, gives facilities
to, Londoners which no local library can hope to
provide. The best that can be done by them is
to provide for the readers the most useful of the
ordinary works of reference, which satisfy the
needs of three-fourths of the readers, and refer the
remainder to other libraries for information upon
subjects to which they cannot provide any clue.
In an account of the public libraries of London,
that of the Guildhall naturally takes first place, for
there was a public library here as early as 1425.
It lasted to 1550, when the building was dismantled, and the valuable manuscripts and incunabula scattered. In 1824 it was resolved to
re-establish the library, and it was carried on in
various unsuitable rooms until 1873, when the
present building was opened for public use.
The new library and museum was built from the
design of Sir Horace Jones, on a site at the east
end of the Guildhall. It has a frontage of 150 feet
to Basinghall Street, and a depth of 100 feet. The
building consists mainly of two large halls, placed
one over the other, with committee room, muniment
room, and reading-room for directories, & c , adjoining. The museum occupies the large hall in the
basement, and the library is placed above it.

I92

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The library is 100 feet in length, 65 feet wide,
and 50 feet in height. It is divided into nave
and aisles by a series of pillars, and the walls
are shelved for bookcases. Double bookcases are
also placed at right angles from each pillar to
the wall, and form twelve alcoves, a method of
construction adopted to facilitate the use of the
room as one of a suite of reception rooms when
required for civic gatherings. The bookcases are
17 feet in height, and have a gallery round them
at a height of 8 feet 6 inches. It is lit by stained
glass windows in the clerestory, and two large
windows occupying the centre of the north and
south end walls of the room. The w7hole of the
fittings, tables, screens, bookcases, and roof are of
English oak, and are elaborately carved with the
arms of the City Companies and Corporation.
Adjoining the library on the east side is the committee room, which has a richly moulded waggonheaded roof, and is decorated with elaborate
carvings. The reading-room is at the south end
of the library, and is 50 feet in length by 24 in
width. It is lit by a window at the west end, and
by skylights in the roof.
The library, a view of the interior of which is
given in Fig. 87, is a fine example of the alcove
type of library building. It now contains 70,000
volumes and 40,000 pamphlets, and its shelf room
is practically exhausted. It seems impossible to
obtain adjoining space for extension ; but if it is
to carry on the noble work it has done in the past,
it must have room for growth. The most feasible

FIG. 87. —Interior view of the Guildhall Library, London.
N

194

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

plan for extending its shelf room seems to be to
transfer the museum to other quarters, and to convert
it into a book-store. The museum is 83 feet long
and 64 feet wide, with a height of 20 feet. It would

F I G . 88.—Plan of the ground floor of the Battersea Public Library.

easily shelve nearly 200,000 volumes, and so provide ample space for the additions for many years.
The central library for Battersea is situated on
Lavender Hill, and was opened in 1890. It was
erected from the designs of Mr. E. W. Mountford,

BATTERSEA PUBLIC LIBRARY

195

at a cost, exclusive of site, of -£6600. The site,
which cost ^3000, is a corner one, and the entrance
is centrally placed on the main road (Fig. 88).

FIRST-FLOOB PLAN.

F I G . 89.—Plan of the first floor of the Battersea Public Library.

On the left of the entrance-hall, on the ground
floor, is the magazine-room, 890 square feet in area,
with seats for forty-eight readers. On the right is
the news-room, which is 1000 feet in area, and has

196

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

reading stands for thirty-four papers, and seats for
twenty-eight persons. The librarian's office divides
the news-room from the lending library, and the
main staircase which faces it adjoins the magazineroom. The lending library is 2000 square feet in area,
and extends across the site. It is lit by windows on
three sides, and at present is shelved for about 25,000
volumes, in double bookcases 7J feet in height.
On the first floor (Fig. 89) is the reference library,
which extends over the whole area of the lending
library beneath. It is entirely lit from the roof, and
is shelved for books on all sides to a height of 16
feet, a gallery all round giving access to the upper
shelves. In the centre of the room eight tables
are placed, with seats for sixty-eight readers. The
attendants' desk and counter for card-catalogue are
placed close to the door, so that all persons entering or leaving the room are under the close observation of the official in charge.
A ladies' room is placed over the librarian's office,
and a book-lift runs from the reference library
through the lending library to the basement beneath. The front of the building is occupied by a
large book-store, reached by a passage at the back
of the staircase, and is shelved to take 20,000 volumes.
A residence for the librarian is reached by a staircase at the side of the building, between the librarian's office and the news-room. The second floor
contains the upper part of the reference library,
with its gallery; a room for committee meetings,
the same size as the ladies' room, over which it is
placed; and a second book-store, over that upon

BERMONDSEY PUBLIC LIBRARY

197

the first floor. The remainder of the area forms
part of the librarian's residence. In the basement is
placed a large book-store, covering the whole area
under the lending library, and rooms for bookbinding, staff, and caretaker.
Although the building was only erected in 1890,
experience has shown that it is already too small
for the dense population entitled to use it. The
library commissioners in purchasing the site were
wise enough to buy one larger than they actually
needed at first, and an area almost as large as that
covered by the present building was left for future
additions. Plans are now being prepared for an
extension on the ground floor. It is proposed to
build at the back of the lending library an annexe
48 feet by 26 feet, and to take away the return of
the counter on the left of the entrance shown in
Fig. 88, and continue it down to the back wall of
the present building, where the first double bookcase is now placed. This will give double the
existing space for the public in front of the counter,
and shelf room for about 25,000 extra volumes in
the lending library.
The public library at Bermondsey was designed
by Mr. John Johnson, and was opened in 1891.
The principal entrance is placed in the centre of
the building. On the right is a newspaper readingroom, 41 feet by 33 feet, and at the back of the
building, immediately opposite the entrance, is the
lending library, 41 feet square, with shelf accommodation for about 25,000.
The reference library is upon the first floor, and

198

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

is of similar size to the lending department, over
which it is placed. It has a domed roof in the
centre, supported on columns, and is lit by windows
in the clerestory, as well as by others in the side
walls. The books are shelved all around the walls,
and the tables for readers are placed in the centre.
A room for magazines, 41 feet by 24 feet, with a
ladies' room, 20 feet by 16 feet, and a committee
room, 24 feet by 16 feet, complete the accommodation provided on this floor. A residence for the
librarian is provided on the second floor; and in
the basement a book-store for about 30,000 volumes,
together with the usual rooms for heating, &c.
The Bishopsgate Institute was erected in 1894,
from the plans of Mr. C. Harrison Townsend. It
provides a lecture-hall, lending library, and reading-rooms for the inhabitants and employees of
the eastern portion of the City of London.
A plan of the ground floor of the portion of the
building devoted to library purposes is given in
Fig. 90. It will be seen that the lending library is
in the front of the building, a reference readingroom at the back, and an office for the librarian
forming a connecting link between them. On the
first floor the whole of this area is devoted to a
large reading-room for newspapers and magazines,
which seats 130 persons, and also provides reading
stands for seventy newspapers. The basement is excavated for a bindery and book-stores, and the total
shelf capacity of the building may be estimated at
60,000 volumes. All the public rooms are 15 feet
6 inches in height. The corridors and staircases

CAMBERWELL PUBLIC LIBRARY

199

are lined with glazed tiles. The cost of the building
and furniture was .£41,000.
The central library at Camberwell was opened in
1893. The whole of the public rooms are on the
ground floor, and the entrance is centrally placed, a

tJouse.a

in D r u s h field

Slrcel

F I G . 90.—Plan of the library portion of the Bishopsgate
Institute, London.

corridor 10 feet wide and 100 feet in length splitting
the building into two equal portions (Fig. 91).
On the right hand side of the corridor is the lending department, a room 55 feet by 30 feet, and
shelved for about 22,000 volumes. On the left,
facing it, is the news-room, of the same size, with

200

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

accommodation for thirty-eight newspapers on reading stands, and seats for twenty-eight readers at
tables. The magazine-room, 40 feet by 30 feet,
adjoins, and has doors communicating with both
the news-room and the central corridor; it seats
forty-eight persons.
On the opposite side of the building, facing the
magazine-room, and occupying a similar area, is a
board-room and storerooms. The reference library

FIG. 91.—Plan of the Camberwell Central Library.

is at the end of the building, the corridor giving
admittance to a door at its centre. It is 50 feet by
28 feet, and has an open timber roof. The walls are
shelved for books, and tables for fifty-five readers
are placed in the centre of the room. The usual
rooms for caretaker, heating apparatus, messroom
for assistants, & c , are provided in the basement.
The Chelsea central library, designed by Mr.
J. M. Brydon, has its entrance in the centre of the
front. A short wide corridor leads directly to the

CHELSEA PUBLIC LIBRARY

201

rooms on the ground floor, comprising the newsroom, the lending library, the ladies' room, and
the boys' room.
The principal news-room (Fig. 92), which has an
area of 3047 square feet, may be said to be arranged
in two main sections ; the first, nearest the entrance,
for newspapers, is 50 feet 6 inches by 30 feet 6 inches ;
the second and more retired, for magazines, is 62 feet
by 24. It is amply lighted all round, and affords
accommodation for 116 readers at the tables and
100 at the newspaper desks, or a total of 216,
allowing 14 square feet to each person.
Adjoining the news-room is the lending library,
from which the staff can overlook the former at all
times. The news-room from its size required that
it should be of good height, 17 feet, and it being
advisable to keep the floor above on one level,
advantage has been taken of this to allow room
for the providing of a gallery for books all round
the lending library when necessary. The accommodation thus obtained is for 22,230 volumes on the
floor of the library, and 7290 volumes in the gallery,
or a total of 29,520 volumes. Ample waiting space
is also provided for the public, with a counter for
indicators and show-cases. The lending library is
1800 square feet in area. Direct access to the
book-stores above, including the gallery and the
workroom below, is secured by a staff staircase in
the centre of the bookcases.
The boys' room, which is 25 feet by 18, is well
placed near the entrance, and is arranged to afford
complete supervision by the staff in the lending

202

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

library. The ladies' room, of similar size and
shape, but with an annexe 10 feet by 7, occupies
the remaining apartment on the ground floor. It
will thus be seen that all the rooms to which it is

FIG. 92. —Plan of ground floor of the Chelsea Central Library.

important there should be short and easy access for
the public are on the ground floor.
A wide well-lighted staircase leads to the reference library (Fig. 93), on the first floor. It is

CHELSEA PUBLIC LIBRARY

203

lighted from each end, and by a dome light in the
centre. It is 63 feet by 24, and will accommodate
seventy-two readers. There are no books at present
shelved in the room, but it communicates directly

FIG. 93.— Plan of first floor of the Chelsea Central Library.

with the book-stores in the rear, which are 50 feet
by 24, and 50 feet by 10.
The commissioners' room and librarian's office is
on the first floor, entered from the principal staircase, and has a strong-room attached. A librarian's

204

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

residence, with separate entrance, is provided on the
first and second floors, and there is a spare room
on the second floor for newspaper files. In the
basement is the storage and the unpacking room,
with a separate entrance. The workroom, with
staircase to lending library above, the heating
chamber, and the caretaker's room, all in the front
portion of the building. The premises are lighted
entirely by electricity, there being over 200 lights
in use : a statement of the annual cost will be
found on page 29.
The total cost of the library, inclusive of all
furniture and fittings, was .£12,966. There is estimated accommodation for books to the number of
100,000, but the present stock is 26,000. The area
of the site is 188 feet by 85, and the building is n o
feet 9 inches deep, and has a frontage of 85 feet.
The Clapham Public Library was built in 1889,
from the designs of Mr. E. B. F Anson. The site
is about 8000 square feet in area, and the library
occupies about three-fourths of it, the remainder
being left for extension.
The building is practically one room, supported
on brick pillars where necessary, and divided with
plain glass partitions for supervision. The entrance
is placed at one corner, and admits to the public
side of the lending library counter. On the right
is the news-room, with reading stands for twentyfive papers, and seats for eighty persons. Adjoining
the news-room, at the back of the building, is the
reference reading-room, 28 feet by 24 feet, which
is overlooked through a glass screen from the

CLERKENWELL PUBLIC LIBRARY

205

librarian's office. The library is shelved for about
25,000 volumes at present, a number which can
be materially increased when required. On the
first floor, approached by a staircase from the
entrance-hall, is a room used for lectures, &c.,
45 feet by 24 feet. The remainder of the area
is occupied by a residence for the librarian, with
a separate entrance from the side. The cost of
the building and furniture was ^5000, and of the
site £1100.
The Clerkenwell Public Library was erected in
1890 on a triangular corner site of some 3000
square feet in area. It is in the English Renaissance style, built of red brick and terra-cotta,
the design of Messrs. Kerslake & Mortimer, and
consists of three storeys and basement.
The cost of building and furniture was nearly
.£7000. The lending library is on the ground floor,
and is flanked by the news-room. The former has
an area of 560 square feet, and the latter of about
900; both rooms are 15 feet in height. The
shelving capacity of the lending library is 11,000
volumes.
This library is somewhat noteworthy as being
the first of the British free libraries to open its
lending department to the borrowers, and to allow
them to choose their own books. The public enter
the library at one side of an enclosed counter in
which an assistant is placed, and leave with him the
books they are returning. After choosing a volume
from the open shelves they bring it to the other
side of the counter, where it is booked to them, and

2o6

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

they then leave the library by a different door from
the one by which they entered. The bookshelves
are placed end on with the issue counter, so that
an assistant stationed there cansee between each,
and has full control of the whole library.
The site is small, and consequently the library
is very much cramped and crowded. On the first
floor is the reading-room for magazines and reference library, the former with an area of about
1400 square feet, and the latter of 560, with shelf
room for about 10,000 volumes. The second floor
contains staff room, librarian's office, and committee room. A basement extends under the
whole building, and can be shelved for books
when needed; it will hold about 50,000 volumes.
The total shelving now provided is for 29,000
volumes.
The Croydon Central Library forms part of the
new Municipal Buildings, and was designed by Mr.
C. Henman. It was opened, on 19th May 1896, by
their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of
Wales.
The library forms a continuation of the corporation offices, but is recessed 45 feet from the face
of the former, the entrance being in the angle so
formed, immediately under a clock tower.
On
entering, a short double flight of steps, with marble
balustrade, leads to a hall 20 feet square, and
lighted from the top. Here is the office of the
chief librarian, with glazed sides, placed so as to
command the " Braithwaite " Hall, lending library,
and entrance-hall.

CROYDON PUBLIC LIBRARY

207

At the right hand side is the " Braithwaite " Hall,
which is used as a reference library and magazineroom ; it is 64 feet long by 36 feet wide, and 43
feet high. The walls are faced with Ancaster stone,
and it has a panelled dado of oak 8 feet high ; the
fittings and the fine open timber hammer-beamed
roof are also of oak. Below the windows runs a
continuous band of stone, divided into five panels
sculptured to illustrate the philanthropic aims of
the late Rev. J. M. Braithwaite, vicar of Croydon.
Dying suddenly in the midst of his beneficial
labours, a committee was formed to provide a
suitable memorial, and they handed over to the
council the sum of -£2000, on condition that it
should be expended on permanent decorations to
the principal room of the library, and that it should
be called the " Braithwaite " Hall.
Along the south side is a gallery with open
arcaded balustrade, in which is a range of bookcases containing the reference library. At the west
end are three windows, containing figures in stained
glass representing the "Aims of Knowledge"; Religion is in the centre, with Science and Art on
either side. At the east end the three corresponding windows have heads in medallion, representing
the "Means of Knowledge"; Thought in the centre,
with Reading and Writing at each side.
The
five windows along the north front also contain
heads in medallion, with symbolical representation of the " Branches of Knowledge"; Geography, Natural Science, History, Law, Philosophy,
Theology, Mathematics, Physics, Medicine, and

208

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

Chemistry.
The cartoons for these and other
stained glass in the buildings were drawn by Mr.
H. Walter Lonsdale.
The room is furnished with eight 8-feet tables
of fumigated oak, having a ridge down the centre
of each to hold the nameplates of the various
magazines, which are fastened to the tables; a
similar table, but without the ridge, is placed opposite a " Cotgreave " Periodical Rack, fixed to the
wall. At the west end of the room are three tables,
each 7 feet in length, reserved for readers of reference books. These are divided from the other
portion of the room by an ornamental balustrade,
similar to the one in the gallery. There is seating
accommodation for ioo persons. The room is lit
by electricity ; from the hammer beams of the roof
hang pendent electroliers of wrought iron and
copper, each holding ten lamps. The flooring is
of teak blocks laid solid on concrete.
Below the " Braithwaite " Hall is the news-room,
64 feet by 22 feet, fitted up with stands to accommodate fifty newspapers.
Parallel with this
room, and communicating with the hall above by
a circular staircase, which also goes up to the
gallery, is the book-store, of the same length, but
only 13 feet wide, for the storing of books and
newspapers. At the end of the news-room is a
second room, 38 feet by 24 feet, used at present
as a storeroom for files of newspapers, & c , but
which can be used as an additional reading-room
should occasion require.
On the left side of the entrance-hall is the lending

CROYDON PUBLIC LIBRARY

209

library, 52 feet by 35 feet, containing eight
isolated double bookcases, four being 16 feet long
and four 13 feet long and 8 feet high, having a step

FIG. 94. - Plan of the lending department, Central Library, Croydon.

9 inches from the bottom. Around the walls are
cases for fiction.
Shelving accommodation has
been provided for 25,000 volumes. The library is
o

2T0

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

arranged to suit the " Open Access " system, which
is in operation here.
At the north end is the staff counter, of oval
shape, 28 feet long (Fig. 94), with a wicket gate
on either side, fitted with springs and Lambert's

FIG. 95.—Ground plan of the Edmonton Library.

patent latches. The method of working is as
follows :—Borrowers returning books go to the
east end of the counter, hand their books to an
assistant, who, if all is correct, gives them their
reader's ticket, releases the gate, and allows them
to enter. After having selected a book the
readers go to the other end of the counter, and

EDMONTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

211

the assistant there stamps the books with the date
of issue, and allows them to leave by the second
gate.
A good example of a well-arranged building for
a small library on two floors is seen in the " Passmore E d w a r d s " Library at Edmonton, designed

FIG. 96.—Plan of the first floor, Edmonton Library.

by Mr. Maurice B. Adams. Reference to Fig. 95
will show that the entrance-hall is placed .in the
centre and runs from the front to the back of the
building, where the staircase to the first floor is
planned.
The news-room is on the left of the hall, and is
entered by a door placed opposite to the issue desk

212

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of the lending library, which is on the right, and
has a counter for borrowers running across it. On
the first floor a magazine-room is planned over
part of the news-room (Fig. 96), and a reference
room and book-store cover the entrance-hall and
lending library. A circular staircase runs from behind the counter of the lending department to the
book-store above. The librarian lives upon the
premises, and a separate entrance is provided for
him at the end of the news-room, with one room
upon the first floor adjoining the magazine-room,
and others upon the second floor.
A small library, planned in two storeys like this,
is more costly to administrate than if all departments were on one floor and capable of being
supervised from one centre, as in the Hammersmith Library, designed by the same architect.
Where it is impossible to obtain room for a one
storey building, a plan similar to this will be found
to work well, for it has a cheerful feeling of roominess about it, and there is ample light for each
department.
Another of the libraries founded by Mr. Passmore Edwards is the Hammersmith Public Library
at Shepherd's Bush. The special feature aimed at
by the architect, Mr. Maurice B. Adams, in this
building is supervision of all departments from
the counter of the lending library. To insure
this the several public rooms are divided by glazed
screens, which permit a view of them all without inconvenience to the readers or officials in charge.
The exterior (Fig. 97) is designed in the

HAMMERSMITH PUBLIC LIBRARY

'iii

III
ll ll

, VI
.ii!',l||!'iL'li!lf

mmm

i

i

213

214

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

English Renaissance style, with bold cornices and
handsome mullioned windows, an interest being
obtained with widely proportioned bay windows
the whole height of the facade, which is finished
by gables and dormers picturesquely breaking the
skyline, and grouping with the tall brick and stone
chimneys.
The public rooms are ample and commodious.
They comprise a central hall for the lending department, 30 feet by 2 4 ; news-room, 50 feet by
25 ; magazine-room, 20 feet by 18 ; ladies' room,
20 feet by 12 ; boys' room, 25 feet by 12 ; reference
room, 30 feet by 17 ; and a lending library, 40 feet
by 22, capable of storing about 30,000 volumes.
The counter is 30 feet long, with ample room
for service in the r e a r ; there is also a show-case
at one end, 6 feet wide, for the display of new
books. The arrangement of the rooms is shown
in Fig. 98.
Reading slopes, 5 feet 6 inches high, for daily
newspapers have been placed against the walls of
the news-room, and four double slopes, 15 feet
long, stand on the floor; most of the weekly
papers are fixed on these, and a title board is
placed over each.
The ladies' room is provided with two slopes
placed against the wall at a height of 3 feet 6
inches, thus enabling the readers to be seated
while using them. The tables in the magazineroom have a division down the centre, on which
the title boards are fixed, the reading cases being
fastened by cords to the tables. The top floor of

HAMPSTEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY

215

the building is used as a book-store, and is connected by a lift.
The library was the gift of Mr. Passmore

I G. )8.—Plan of the Passmore Edwards Library, Hammersmith.

Ec w rds, and cost ^6400 for building, furniture,
ar J wiring for electric light.
he Hampstead Library is one of the latest
a' ditions to the ring of libraries which is rapidly

2l6

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

encircling London. It is now in course of
tion, and will soon be ready for occupation.
site is a corner one, writh a frontage to one
of 120 feet, and to another of 156 feet.
The present building, of which we give a

erecThe
road
plan

FIG. 99.—Plan of the Hampstead Central Public Library.

(Fig. 99), covers only a portion of the site, the
remainder being kept for future extension. The
main entrance is planned on the longest side, and
gives immediate access from the hall to the newsroom, 26 feet by 28 feet, which opens into a
magazine-room, 46 feet by 25 feet. The reference

HAMPSTEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY

217

library, which is 50 by 30 feet, is reached from
the central hall, and stairs lead down to a well-lit
room in the basement of the same size, at present
to be used for the lending library, but in the future
as a storeroom for reference books.
The architect, Mr. Arnold S. Tayler, estimates
the cost of the building without furniture at ^5000,
and the contract for building has been let on
those terms.

CHAPTER X
LONDON LIBRARIES {continued)
: LAMBETH, POPLAR,
ST. GEORGE'S (HANOVER SQUARE), ST. MARTININ-THE-FIELDS, STREATHAM, W E S T HAM, W E S T MINSTER

T H E central library for Lambeth is situated at
Brixton, and is called, after its donor, the " T a t e "
Central Library. It is built on a corner site on the
main road, but well set back from the din and
noise of the ceaseless traffic. The area of the site
is 10,000 square feet; the main frontage is 95 feet,
and the depth 105 feet.
The entrance is planned in the centre of the
shorter side, and gives access to a magazine-room,
35 feet by 28, on the left hand, and a newspaperroom, 45 feet by 35, on the right. The lending
library is at the back of the building, and its doors
face the entrance (Fig. 100). It is 46 feet by 37,
and has a counter 65 feet long, with returns running
across it, on which are placed four blocks of Cotgreave's indicators for 21,000 volumes. A staircase
leads from the entrance-hall to the reference library
upon the first floor. The books are shelved in a
book-store covering the lending department beneath, and the whole of the front of the building
218

LAMBETH PUBLIC LIBRARIES

219

is occupied by the reference reading-room. This
is 85 feet by 28, and is at present furnished with
ten tables, at each of which ten readers can be
seated. Three tables are screened off at one end
to form a ladies' reading-room, and one is reserved for writing purposes. The room is well
lit Jby ten large side windows, and is 20 feet in
height.
Between the reference reading-room
and the book-store is the librarian's room, 22 feet
by 16, which is also used as a committee room
(Fig 101). The total public accommodation provided in the building is fifty seats at five tables
in the magazine - room, thirty seats at three
tables in the reading-room, and stands for the
display of forty papers in the newspaper-room,
and one hundred seats at ten tables in the reference library. None of the rooms are seated to
their fullest extent, and seats for fifty more
readers could easily be found. The lending library
is shelved at present for 25,000 volumes, and
the book-store of the reference library, which is
18 feet in height, is intended to take two storeys
of shelving, but the walls are thick enough to
allow the roof to be lifted for a third.
The
book-store is lit by a large skylight, and is fitted
with double bookcases in the centre of the room,
and single cases against the walls. Those in the
centre are 18 inches from back to front, and 8 feet
in height, with a length of 36 feet, divided into nine
divisions of 34 inches each. In these the ordinary
octavos are shelved, larger books being placed in
the specially wide cases placed against the wall.

220

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

In the basement are large rooms, which can also
be used for book-stores when necessary. The total
shelf accommodation of the whole building is about
150,000 volumes. An outside stair leads to the

F I G . TOO. —Plan of the ground floor of the '' Tate " Central Library, Brixton.

basement for the unpacking of boxes, & c , and a
circular staircase and lift are provided, running up
through the lending library to the book-store on
the first floor.

LAMBETH PUBLIC LIBRARIES

221

A residence for the librarian is placed at one
corner of the building. Reference to plans ioo
and 101 will show the disposition of the rooms
upon the ground and first floors.

FIG. IOT.—Plan of the first floor of the "Tate " Central Library, Brixton.

The library was opened in 1893, and four years'
experience has proved that it is well adapted for
the work to be done in it. The space for the
public in the lending department is small, and inconvenience is felt during the evening rush on the

222

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

busiest days, when the issue reaches about 1700
volumes. The building was erected from the
designs of Mr. Sidney R. J. Smith, and cost, with
the site, .£16,400. The whole expense was defrayed
by Mr. Henry Tate of Streatham.
In Fig. 102 is shown the plan of the South
Lambeth Branch Library, also designed by Mr.
Smith, and built at Mr. Tate's expense. It is introduced here as a good example of the judicious

F I G . 102.—Plan of the " T a t e " Branch Library, South Lambeth.

treatment of a somewhat difficult site. It is a
branch library, comprising only reading-rooms
and lending library, and is situated at the corner
of two intersecting streets. The whole of the
public rooms are on the ground floor, with a
residence for the librarian over the front portion.
The entrance is fixed at the corner of the site, and
the lending library and news-room are placed
parallel to each other, the latter being kept square,

LAMBETH PUBLIC LIBRARIES

223

while the irregularity of the site is masked by the
bookcases in the former.
The news-room is 75 feet by 28, and its chief
light is obtained from the roof. Ten newspaper
reading stands are placed against the walls, and
hold thirty papers. A double row of eleven tables
are in the centre of the room, and seat ninety
persons. On either side of the entrance-hall are
two small rooms, one for ladies and the other for
the librarian. The lending library is shelved for
about 20,000 volumes, and can be extended by raising the roof and introducing another storey.
The cost of the building and the site was about
£6000.

In Fig. 103 is given the plan of the North Lambeth
Branch Library, built in 1894. It is erected upon
an irregular corner site, with a frontage of only 34
feet, and a depth of 150. The building is one storey
in height, except the front portion, which is three,
and in which is placed a residence for the librarian.
The large newspaper-room is at the back of the
building. It is 65 feet deep, and has an average
width of 60 feet. In it are nineteen reading stands,
on which are placed sixty-five papers and periodicals. In the centre of the room are seven tables,
which seat seventy-four persons. The room is
divided by two rows of iron pillars into nave and
aisles, and is lit by large windows of plate glass in
the clerestory and on one side. The magazineroom is in the front of the building; it is 31 feet
by 21 feet 6 inches, and seats fifty persons at
four tables. The lending library occupies a space

224

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

between the magazine- and newspaper-rooms; it is
48 feet long, and has an average depth of nearly

F I G . 103.—Plan of the North Lambeth Library.

40 feet. It is shelved for 15,000 volumes, and the
room is high enough to allow a second tier of

LAMBETH

PUBLIC LIBRARIES

225

bookcases to be placed upon those now in situ.
Complete supervision is obtained of both the public
rooms from this point, as the divisions between are
pitch-pine screens fitted with clear glass.

F I G . 104.—Plan of the West Norwood Branch Library.

The branch library at West Norwood occupies a
site 80 feet by 50. It will be seen from Fig. 104 that
the building is divided into two halves, the front
portion containing the lending library and readingroom for women, while the back portion is divided

LIBRARY

226

ARCHITECTURE

into two rooms, for newspapers and magazines.
The plan is simple, and allows good supervision of
each room and the entrance from the issue desk.

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•fn
t

F I G . 105.—Ground plan of the Poplar Public Library.

The building was erected in 1888, from the designs
of Mr. Sidney R. J. Smith, and cost .£4000.
The Poplar Public Library was erected in 1896,
from the designs of Messrs. Clarkson. The general

ST. GEORGE'S PUBLIC LIBRARY

227

arrangement will be seen from the accompanying
plan (Fig 105). The central block is 45 feet in
height, and contains entrances, committee room,
office, room for staff, &c. A residence for the
librarian is provided on the first and second
floors, cut off from the rest of the building by
walls and fireproof divisions, but with an iron door
for communication. The buildings on the east of
the central block are 20 feet in height.
The public entrance is through a vaulted hall,
11 feet 6 inches wide, from which the office is
reached. The lending library, which wTill shelve
40,000 volumes, is placed as near as possible to
the street, so that those coming for books need not
disturb the readers. The staff are able from the
lending library to overlook the whole of the public
portions of the building.
The news-room and reference room are each
22 feet 6 inches in height in their central portions.
The lighting in each room is obtained from side
windows, aided by others placed in a clerestory
well within the side walls. The form of the site
permitted perfect lighting of every portion of the
building, and the architects have made the most of
their opportunity.
The St. George's, Hanover Square, Library has
been erected from the plans of Mr. Albert J. Bolton.
The main features are the placing of all the principal rooms on the ground floor, the avoidance of
unnecessary steps and corridors, easy means of
intercommunication between the news-rooms, reference library, and lending library.

228

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The facade is of free English Renaissance character, simple in outline and detail. The principal
entrance leads through a vestibule, with inner screendoors to the hall, 18 feet wide, in which is placed
the main staircase. This hall and staircase, forming
one of the chief features of the building, lead to the
natural history museum and the board room, on the
first floor.
On the ground floor, immediately on the right
hand when entering, is the lending library, a room
64 feet long by 31 feet wide (Fig. 106). As in most
of the other rooms, a portion of the light is obtained
from the top by means of a large lantern light
formed in a covered ceiling. The room is filled
with double-sided bookcases, 9 feet in height, in
addition to the shelving placed round the walls, and
will accommodate about 20,000 volumes.
The reference library is situated in the rear of
the building. It is a room 36 feet by 39 feet, and
20 feet high. In addition to two side windows, it
has a central dome lantern light of ornamental
tinted lead glazing, 17 feet in diameter, the lower
portion having a deep panelled frieze. From the
upper portion of this lantern, ventilation is obtained.
Bookcases have been erected on three sides, w7ith
a gallery running round, reached by a spiral staircase, which is also carried down to the book-store
in the basement; in addition, a book-lift is provided
near the attendants' counter. At the end of the
room, under the windows, two alcoves are formed
by a projecting, double-sided bookcase, readers'
tables being placed in each bay.

ST.

GEORGE'S PUBLIC LIBRARY

F I G . 106. —Ground plan of the St. George's, Hanover Square,
Public Library.

229

230

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The reading-room, placed at the back of the
building on the left of the main hall, is 32 feet wide,
63 feet in length, and 26 feet high, and lighted
principally from the roof. Stands for newspapers
are placed in the front part of the room, and tables
at the far end for readers of periodicals. A separate
reading-room for ladies has been provided; it is in
front of the building, and is reached from the main
hall on the left hand, immediately on entering.
The librarian's office is in the centre of the building, with the various departments grouped around.
The wrhole of the basement is excavated, and ample
storage for books provided therein ; as well as caretaker's rooms, heating apparatus, fuel, &c.
On the first floor have been located a natural
history collection and board room ; the former is
arranged in a large and handsome room, well lighted
both from the front and back. The second floor
forms a residence for the librarian, with a separate
entrance and staircase. The whole building is of
fireproof construction, the floors formed with rolled
iron joists encased in coke breeze concrete. Fire
hydrants have been provided on the main staircase,
corridors, and entrance-halls. The heating is by a
low-pressure system of hot water ; and ventilation
is obtained by means of fresh air inlet gratings
through the outer walls, and carried by troughs
placed along the side walls next the ceilings of the
basement, to supply the vertical shafts formed in
the recesses. The removal of vitiated air is effected
by means of a trough along the apex of the roof,
and extracted from the same by Boyle's air-pump

ST. MARTIN'S PUBLIC LIBRARY

231

ventilators. The interior fittings and furniture are
in dark polished oak, in thorough keeping with the
general character of the building. The cost of
building, furniture, and site was about ^15,500.
The St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and St. Paul, Covent
Garden, Public Library is situated in St. Martin's
Lane, and has a frontage of 67 feet. It consists of
three main rooms, all the same size, and situated
one over the other, the entrance-hall and staircase
being at the side.
The reference library, which is 50 feet in length
and 40 feet broad, with a height of 14 feet 3 inches,
has shelf accommodation for 15,000 volumes. The
principal feature of its arrangement is that readers
have free access to the entire library, the books
being arranged in alcoves and wall-cases.
The lending library and magazine-room is directly
underneath the reference library, and has a height
of 15 feet 9 inches, with shelf accommodation for
15,000 volumes. The periodicals are arranged
alphabetically on tables in the centre of the room,
and have signboards with their names attached to
each table. One noticeable piece of furniture is a
cylindrical catalogue, the invention of the librarian,
for showing the titles of the books added. New
titles can be inserted as added, and the whole of
the titles can be revolved in front of the reader.
The news-room is partly in the basement, and is
14 feet in height. Everything in this room is fixed
to reading stands or tables, including the directories.
In addition to the usual daily papers, it contains sixtyfour weeklies of about the size of the Saturday Review',

232

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

arranged on stands in alphabetical order. The total
cost of the building and fittings was about ^7500.
The " T a t e " Public Library, Streatham, was built
in 1891, from the designs of Mr. Sidney R. J. Smith.
It is a good example of a compact building for a
small library on one floor. All the rooms are well
arranged for supervision, and there is no waste of
space in long corridors and entrance-halls.
The entrance is in the centre of the main frontage,
and on the left is a newspaper-room, 40 feet by 25
feet, and 22 feet in height. This accommodates thirty
readers at three tables, and twenty-five newspapers
upon reading stands. On the right is a magazineroom, 30 feet by 25 feet, and 16 feet high, which
seats fifty readers. The lending library, 47 feet by
29 feet, is at the back of the building, with the issue
desk placed in a counter opposite the entrancedoor. The books are arranged in double bookcases, placed at right angles to the wall, and will
shelve about 25,000 volumes. Adjoining the lending
library and magazine-room, with a door into each,
is the librarian's office and committee room, 20 feet
by 18 feet. A residence for the librarian is provided
over part of the building, and is approached by a
staircase at the back of the committee room. The
general arrangement is shown in Fig. 107.
The style of the building is essentially Greek in
feeling. It is faced with Portland stone, and the
entrance-doors are of oak, with bronze paterae and
other enrichments. The floors of the entrance-hall
and public portions of the lending library are of
black and white tiles, with interlacing Greek key

WEST HAM PUBLIC LIBRARY

233

patterns. The arched ceiling of the newspaper
room is of fibrous plaster, and has panelled soffits,
with Greek honeysuckle ornament in the spandrils
and the upper portions of the windows, and transomes over the doors are filled with green tinted
glass, bearing the same ornament in brown tints.

F I G . 107.—Plan of the " Tate " Public Library, Streatham.

The cost of the building and site was about
.£8000, and was wholly defrayed by the donor, Mr.
Henry Tate of Streatham, after whom the library
is named.
The West Ham Central Library forms the northwest corner of the West H a m Technical Institute
(Fig. 108), and occupies an area of about 115 feet

2

34

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

WEST HAM PUBLIC LIBRARY

235

by 110 feet, entirely cut off and separate from the
remainder of the building.
The entrance-hall is placed centrally, and gives
access on the right to the newspaper and magazine
reading-room (Fig. 109), and on the left to the
public part of the lending library, which also serves
as a passage to the reference library behind. The
news-room is n o feet by 33 feet, and is lit by
windows at both ends and by a large skylight in
the centre. It is divided into three portions by
double columns, and is under the supervision of
an attendant stationed in a small room at the end
of the entrance-hall. It is planned to seat one
hundred persons at ten tables, and to provide
reading stands for about eighty newspapers. A
file-room is handily placed at the back of the attendant's room, in which are kept recent numbers
of the daily and weekly newspapers.
The lending library, on the left of the entrancehall, has a book-store, 67 feet by 37 feet, in which
the books are arranged in double cases at right
angles to the windows. The public space is 60 feet
by 20 feet, and is separated from the book-store by
a counter 60 feet long. Opening out of the lending library is the reference library, a room 35 feet
square, lit from an area on one side, and also by a
skylight in the domed roof. The counter is at the
corner nearest the lending library, and the books
are stored at the end of the lending department
book-store. It is planned to seat eighty persons
at ten tables. Parallel with the reference library,
which is, as will be seen from Fig. 109, in the centre

236

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

of the building, is the librarian's office, with a strong
room opening from it for rare books, and a small
storeroom for a collection of local literature and
antiquities.
The whole of the rooms are 18 feet in height,
600K

STORE.

CHIEF LIBRARIANS OFFICE.

I LlBRARIANJBOOKsl

_0

FIG.

109.—Ground plan of the West H a m Central Library.

and the lending library book-store can have two tiers
of bookcases, each 7 feet 6 inches in height, thus
giving shelf-room for about 60,000 volumes. In the
basement underneath, further accommodation can
be obtained when the whole of the shelving is full.

WESTMINSTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

237

The building is being erected from the designs of
Messrs. Gibson & Russell, and it is expected that
it will be ready for occupation in 1897.
The new building for the public libraries of
the united parishes of St. Margaret and St. John,

F I G . I I O . — P l a n of the Westminster Public Library.
A.
H.
C.
D.
E.

Entrance.
Women's reading-room.
Ratepayers' reading-room.
General reading-room.
Reference library.

F.
G.
H.
J.

Issue counter.
Book-store.
Attendant.
Librarian's office.

Westminster, was opened in 1893. It was designed
by Mr. F. J. Smith, and cost nearly ^7,400.
The principal entrance is in the centre of the
building, with a private entrance at the southern
end, giving access to the board room and the

238

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

librarian's apartments (Fig n o ) . Within the central
entrance is a vestibule leading to the issue department, that being so placed that there is easy control
over the whole of the public rooms.
The reference reading-room, which is 36 feet by
25! feet, is at the rear of the counter, and adjoins
the newspaper-room, 60 feet by 2 5 ! feet, both
being top lighted. The ratepayers' reading-room,
31 feet by 19 feet, and ladies' reading-room, 2 o |
feet by 13 feet, occupy the front portion of the
building at the northern side ; on the southern side
of the principal entrance are the librarian's office
and book-store. The basement is occupied by
another large book-store and housekeeper's rooms,
&c. On the first floor is the board room and the
librarian's apartments, and on the second floor,
a storeroom for papers, &c. The heating is by
means of steam radiators. Electric lighting has
been adopted throughout the building.

CHAPTER

II

AMERICAN LIBRARIES : BOSTON, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (WASHINGTON), N E W YORK MERCANTILE
LIBRARY

T H E Boston Public Library is now housed in a new
building, which was opened to the public in 1895.
From the architectural and artistic point of view it
is probably the most beautiful building in America ;
but unfortunately, in many respects, the useful has
been sacrificed to the ornamental, and so it does not
entirely fulfil the ideal of a great public library.
It occupies one side of the chief square in the
city, and has a street frontage on three of its sides,
the fourth overlooking the yard of the Harvard
Medical School. The building was designed by Mr.
Charles F. M'Kim, of the firm of M'Kim, Mead,
and White. Its facade may be said to be founded
upon the model of that of the Bibliotheque Ste.
Genevieve, in Paris; but although it is of the same
type, the proportions and details are different, and
the interior arrangements and plan have notfting
in common.
The building is nearly square ; it is 225 feet long
and 227 feet deep, its height from the ground to
the top of the cornice being 70 feet. The material
239

240

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

used in the facade and two sides is a greyish-white
granite, sprinkled with a delicate pink. The rear
wall, overlooking the Medical School, is of brick.
The front, looking over Copley Square, is two storeys
in height, the lower being of rusticated masonry,
with conspicuous joints, the upper arcaded with
thirteen window arches (Fig. i n ) . Above is a rich
cornice and a purple-tiled roof. The building rests
upon a broad granite platform, forming a side walk,
with low posts at intervals along the edge. It extends entirely round the three street sides, and is
six steps high in front of the main entrance.
The entrance is in the centre, by three arched
doorways, to be flanked on either side by bronze
statuary now being designed by Mr. A. St. Gaudens.
Each arch is fitted with wrought iron gates, and
appropriately above the centre one is the inscription " Free to All."
A similar row of arcaded arches to that in the
front is extended along the Boylston Street frontage, and half-way along the Blagden Street fagade.
There are thirty of these great window arches, all
alike in general effect and ornamentation.
The
central three on the front side contain below the
windows sculptured panels, with the seals of the
Library, City, and State. Similar panels in the
remaining twenty-seven are filled with memorial
tablets containing the names of great authors, statesmen, artists, scientists, and soldiers. In the spandrils
of each window-arch is a series of medallions, thirtythree in all, on which the printers'-marks or tradedevices of celebrated printers and booksellers have

Q

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

243

been sculptured by Mr. D. Mora. These form a
most interesting memorial of the early printers, the
only modern one being that of the Riverside Press
of Cambridge.
Above the arcade is a narrow frieze, bearing on
each facade an inscription. That on the front of
the building is " T h e Public Library of the City of
Boston. Built by the People, and Dedicated to the
Advancement of Learning, A.D. MDCCCLXXXVIII."
A noble cornice enriches and crowns the building.
It is ornamented with a row of lions' heads, and
topped by a copper cresting, coloured an antique
green. A similar copper cresting crowns the skyline of the roof, and terminates at the corners of
the building in metal masts.
In the centre of the Boylston Street side is the
entrance to the administration offices of the library.
While not so elaborate as the main entrance, it is
still very fine. It has three arches, the centre one
giving admittance for vehicles.
The main entrance on Copley Square,- leads into
a vestibule, and thence by three doorways into the
entrance-hall, the whole being executed in pink
marble. The doorways are copied from those of the
Temple of Erechtheus on the Acropolis of Athens,
and are to be closed with bronze doors, now being
designed by Mr. D. C. French.
The entrance-hall leads to the grand staircase and
two elevators which give access to the main rooms
of the library on the first floor. On either side
are short corridors, 10 feet wide, leading to the
catalogue-room, newspaper-rooms, and the interior

244

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

court. The entrance-hall is divided into three
divisions by heavy sandstone columns, and the floor
is of white marble, with the symbols and signs of
the zodiac inlaid in it in brass.
The periodical reading-room occupies the northeast corner of the library (marked U on Fig. 112). It
contains the current numbers of about 1500 periodicals ; the back numbers are stored in the adjoining
room, from whence they are taken to be bound as
they accumulate. A gallery runs round the two inner
walls of the room. Here are shelved the bound
volumes of all the periodicals indexed in Poole s Index,
The corresponding rooms (marked K and L on
Fig. 112) at the south-east corner of the building
are used for the preparation of the card-catalogue
and printed bulletins and finding lists. The adjoining room, M, is the ordering room, where lists
of proposed additions are checked and new books
are ordered. Under the staircase on either side
are lavatories and cloak-rooms. The grand staircase is one of the principal features in the building.
The walls are of yellow Sienna marble, richly variegated ; the stairs of an ivory-grey French stone,
mottled with fossil shells. The staircase ascends
straight up for half its height, and then turns right
and left round two pedestals bearing couchant
lions ; these were carved by Mr. L. St. Gaudens
from grey marble, and are memorials of the Massachusetts men who fell in the Civil War. The ceiling
is divided into rosetted caissons, with ornamented
borders. From the landing of the staircase a
carved oak door leads out to a balcony, overlooking

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

245

the interior court. The wall of the staircase
projects into the square court, and around the

F I G . 112.—Boston Public Library—plan of ground floor.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
G.
H.

Vestibule.
Hall.
Staircase.
Landing.
F . Cloak-rooms.
Lobby.
Corridor.

I.
J.
K,
M.
O.
P.
U,

Waiting-room.
K levators.
L. Cataloguer's rooms.
Receiving-room.
Book-stack.
Arcade.
V. Periodical reading-room.

three other sides runs an arcaded promenade, the
arches, columns, and cornice being all of white

246

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

marble, the whole forming a facsimile of the arcade
of the first storey of the Cancellaria Palace in
Rome. The inner wall of this arcaded promenade
is of granite, and is pierced with two rows of
windows.
The floor is of red brick edged
with marble, and along the wall at intervals are
oak benches, so that in the hot weather readers
may use the court as an open-air reading-room.
In the middle of the court is a fountain, with
MacMonnie's bronze statue of a bacchante in its
centre. Above the arcade the walls of the court
are built of brick and granite, and are pierced with
windows. At the top is a closed arcade around
three sides of the building, the windows of which
light a corridor nine feet in width.
To return to the staircase : the first floor plan
(Fig. 113) will show that it leads to a corridor or
hall, with a small lobby at either end. The walls
of this corridor are decorated by M. Puvis de
Chavannes, the subject being " T h e Muses welcoming the Genius of Enlightenment.'' The painter
has been paid 250,000 francs for this work, and
the effect is very fine. The large reading-room,
" Bates Hall/' is entered from the corridor by a
small vestibule in its centre. It is a magnificent
room, 218 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 50 feet high ;
a view of its interior is given in Fig. 114. The
ceiling is in barrel arches, resting upon piers of
brown sandstone. It is deeply panelled, every
other panel containing a rosette. The ends of
the hall are semicircular, and are screened off.
That to the right of the plan is used as a public

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

247

writing-room, and the similar portion at the other
end is where a card-catalogue is kept for public
use. The room is lit from the thirteen arched
windows which face Copley Square and two

FIG. 113.—Boston Public Library—plan of first floor.

similar ones at the south end. These are filled
with temporary wooden grilles of a conventional
Roman pattern, as substitutes for bronze. At the
north end there are no windows, but a broad
panel, which Mr. J. A. M'Neill Whistler has been

248

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

commissioned to fill. Along the west wall, and facing
the windows, are ten other panels, which are also
to be decorated as time and funds permit. A
narrow frieze runs round the room between the
piers, containing in gilt letters the names of famous
men. There are thirty-two in all, and it is curious
to note that no American finds a place amongst
them. The Englishmen number four, and are
Shakespeare, Bacon, Milton, and Newton.
The main entrance to Bates Hall is, as has been
already stated, from the staircase corridor. Ove'r
the doorway is a beautiful little balcony of Indiana
limestone, richly sculptured, and the most elaborate
piece of carving in the building. It is reached from
the staircase which leads up to the second floor of
the back portion of the building, and is a fitting
shrine for the bust of Joshua Bates, who gave the
library in its early days $100,000, and after whom
this noble room is called. The room is shelved
under the windows of the east and west walls with
open bookcases of oak. They contain about 7000
volumes of reference works, and may be used
without the filling up of a form. There are thirtythree tables, 12 feet long by 3 ! feet broad, each
provided with eight chairs, and give seating accommodation for 264 persons. Each table, however,
could easily seat ten if required, and so increase
the number to 330. All the tables are provided
with electric lamps fitted in bronze standards,
and the room generally is lit from tall lamps in
front of each pier. The books are obtained from
the counter of the delivery room, and are brought

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

249

to the readers at their seats. At the north end of
the room is an elevator connected with the

FIG. 114.—Boston Public Library—interior of the '* Bates" Hall.

periodical-room below, which is used for bringing
up the bound volumes of magazines.

250

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

On the left of the staircase is a room 65 feet by
35, used as a children's reading-room. It is entered
from a lobby, called the Venetian Lobby from its
scheme of decoration, and is shelved for about 3000
volumes. At present about 1300 volumes are in
use, and these can be read in the room by children
of any age. Tickets for home reading are not given
to children under twelve.
The corresponding room on the right of the staircase is called the delivery room, and in it books are
obtained both for home reading and for use in the
Bates Hall. It is approached through a lobby,
decorated in the Pompeian style by Mr. E. E.
Garnsey. A circular counter, 50 feet in length,
separates the attendants from the public. On the
left are doors communicating with the public cardcatalogue in Bates Hall. A card-catalogue of fiction
and bulletin boards for the latest additions are
placed in the delivery room itself. No books are
shelved in this room, but all have to be obtained
from the stack-rooms in the rear. To facilitate the
issue, a row of numbered pneumatic tubes, wThich
communicate with different floors and parts of
the stack-rooms, is placed at the counter. The
borrower's application slip is enclosed in a carrier
in one of the tubes, and so despatched to the nearest
point to the book required. Each storey of the
stack is fitted with a miniature cable railway track
of eight-inch gauge, and book waggons (Fig. 115)
to run upon it. Each stack has three stations,
placed at convenient intervals, and two girls are
employed to act as " r u n n e r s " on each floor, to

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

251

remove the application form from the pneumatic
tube, obtain the book, place it in its waggon, and
grip it on the cable, when it is carried to the
delivery room at the rate of 500 feet a minute.
Close to the delivery room counter is a well,
running the whole height and depth of the stackrooms.
In this five little elevators, one for each
floor of the stack, are continually working. When
the book waggon approaches the well it automati-

F I G . 115.—Boston Public Library book waggon.

cally slips the cable and slides upon the elevator ;
if the latter is at work, the waggon is held until it
is free. If it is not busy, the shock of the waggon
running upon it releases a pin, and the motor below
elevates or lowers as the case may be to a window
at the delivery desk, where it stops. The books are
returned in a similar manner, and as the car comes
back to its station it is released from the cable and
slides readily into its place.
The chief glory of the delivery room is its
decoration. The ceiling is heavily raftered, and

252

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

painted in the deepest tones of blue and purple.
A wainscot n feet in height, of light-coloured
oak, handsomely panelled, and with Corinthian
pilasters, is in strong contrast, and above this, along
two sides of the room, are the series of cartoons
painted by Mr. Edwin A. Abbey, illustrating " The
Quest of the Holy Grail." Mr. Abbey's pictures
are five in number, and occupy the entire space
between the wainscot and the ceiling on the north
and west walls of the room. All are 8 feet in
height, but they vary in length from 6 to 33 feet.
They contain about a hundred life-size figures, and
are the result of four years' study and labour. The
artist received $15,000 for his work upon them.
On the same floor is the trustees' room and
passage to the stack-rooms. A room for the
librarian is in the mezzanine storey, and a smaller
room, in which is stored the valuable collection of
autographs and manuscripts presented by Judge
Chamberlain. Other rooms not calling for special
mention are used for the storage of patents, both
American and foreign, and for newspaper reading.
The upper floor of the library (Fig. 116) over the
stack-rooms is devoted to the special collections
for which Boston is somewhat famous. Here are
shelved in alcoved rooms, lit from the roof and from
windows opening into the corridor, which runs
around three sides of the internal court, the Barton,
Barlow, Prince, Ticknor, and other collections.
Over one of the rooms is a photographic * studio,
for use in making reproductions of any of the
books or manuscripts.

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

253

Access to these rooms is obtained by a staircase
which leads to the centre of a hall parallel with and
adjoining the upper part of the wall of the " Bates

F I G . 116.—Boston Public Library—plan of second floor.
A. Top of Bates Hall.
B. Sargent Hall.
C. Music library. 481!

G, H, K, L, M, N, Q, R, T, U.
Special book collections.
J, O, S. Open galleries.
P. Open area.

Hall." It is 84 feet long and 23 feet wide, and is
lit entirely from the roof. It is called the Sargent
Hall,-as it is decorated by Mr. John S. Sargent.
Part only of his work is as yet fixed : the complete

254

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

scheme is to represent " T h e Triumph of Religion
over Paganism and Polytheism." It will be remembered that a portion of this work was exhibited at
the Royal Academy in 1894, and so great was the
admiration it excited when fixed at Boston, that a
public subscription was started to defray the expense of completing the scheme of decoration, so
that it should comprise the whole gallery. The
artist is to receive a fee of $30,000 for the complete work. Opening from the centre of the Sargent Hall, and situated over the grand staircase, is
one of the most attractive rooms in the building.
It is 50 feet by 30, and is shelved for the collection
of musical books presented to the library by Mr.
Allen A. Brown.
The stack-rooms which hold the library proper
extend around three sides of the building. They
are 40 feet across, and have a series of double
bookcases, each twelve feet in length, placed at
right angles to the outside walls and inner courts.
A central gangway runs down each stack-room,
and a narrow passage is left between the ends of
the cases and the walls. The stacks are six storeys
in height, and will accommodate over a million
volumes; this added to the shelving in the special
libraries, Bates Hall, periodical room, & c , would
make the library's total capacity over a million and
a half. The stock at the present time is about half
a million volumes, and the average annual increase
about 25,000.
The library has for some time printed its cardcatalogues on the premises. It now possesses the

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

255

Mer.genthaler type-setting machines, which set up
and cast the titles in separate lines. By this means
the title once set can be preserved and used again
when necessary, and the cost of the composition
for future catalogues is saved.
The building is lit by the electric light, which is
generated in the basement. The system of ventilation is similar to that in use in the Aberdeen
Public Library, described at pages 37, 38. The fresh
air is drawn through a grating from the interior
court by means of an eighteen-foot fan, capable of
moving 40,000 cubic feet a minute. It is strained
through bags of cotton to free it from dust, and in
cold weather passes through a hot chamber, and is
heated before entering the library. An exhaustfan is placed in the roof, which helps to draw out
the foul air. The engine used for the production
of the electric light is also used for working the
ventilating fans.
Some of the arrangements of the building are
open to criticism from a librarian's point of view.
One is the situation of the delivery room. It will
be noted that it is upstairs, and at the extreme end
of one side of the stack-room, one counter serving
both for the readers who wish to use books on
the premises, and for those who require them
for home reading. In most of the larger British
libraries the two departments are kept distinct, and
it is almost an axiom that the books for home
reading should be issued on the ground floor. The
use of elevators minimises to some extent this
objection, but it would be better if a room on the

256

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

ground floor could be used for the purpose. The
situation of the children's room, on the first floor,
adjoining Bates Hall, seems also faulty. If the room
is largely used, as it is sure to be, the noise inseparable from a large concourse of young children
must be a nuisance to readers using Bates Hall for
study. The proper place for such a room is on the
ground floor, close to one of the street entrances.
There must be considerable delay in obtaining a
book from some parts of the stack-room, which
would not occur if the delivery desk were placed
centrally, instead of in its present position. The
proper place for the reading-room seems to be in
the centre of the building, with the books arranged
in stacks around it. If the plans of such a library
as, say, Strassburg (Figs. 137, 138), or of Leipzig (Fig.
136), be carefully examined, it will be seen that the
average distance of a book from the point of issue
is much the farthest at Boston, and, of course, the
period of waiting for the borrower is increased.
The natural lighting of the stack-rooms is insufficient ; in many places it is necessary to burn electric
light the whole day, at great expense, and with
much discomfort to the attendants. An examination of the plans of many of the larger libraries
figured in this volume will show7 that it is possible
to have sufficient windows to give light between
each bookcase in the largest stack-rooms, without
destroying the distinctive architectural features of
the outside of the building.
Reference has already been made in Chap. I.
to the advisability of keeping the ornamentation of

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

257

the public rooms of a library in a subsidiary position. The noble examples of decorative art which
have been obtained for Boston, while most creditable to the aesthetic taste of the inhabitants, make
the public rooms art galleries instead of places for
study. The two objects are quite incompatible;
each is excellent, but they brook no rivalry, and
the crowds who gather to inspect the decorations
are a nuisance to the student, who wishes for qultit.
In the report of the examining committee of the
Boston City Council for 1895, the following pregnant sentence occurs : " The disturbance caused
to readers by the influx of visitors, attracted solely
by the mural paintings, should warn the trustees of
the extreme caution that should be employed in
extending the decoration of the walls to rooms
occupied by readers."
The new building for the Library of Congress
at Washington is now finished, and is expected to
be opened in 1897. It has been built under the
charge of General T. L. Casey, from the modified
plans of Messrs. Smithmeyer & Pelz.
The site of ten acres, which was purchased for
$585,000, is situated opposite the Capitol, and at a
distance of about 1270 feet from it. The building itself covers about three and a half acres, and
is 470 feet by 340 feet.
It has frontage on all
four sides, and is also lit from four large interior
courts. There are three floors, comprising a basement 14 feet high, first floor 19 feet high, and a
second storey 29 feet high. The walls are 69 feet
high to the roof, and the apex of the dome 195 feet
R

258

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

from the ground. The order of architecture is the
Italian Renaissance, the central front and corner
pavilions being projected to relieve the monotony
of the long fagade.
The base or lower storey of the building is in
white rusticated granite, the upper walls being of
smooth bush-hammered granite. The roofing is
throughout of sheet copper. The centre dome
over the reading-room is covered thickly by gold
leaf, which it is expected will prove to be a more
economical finish than paint requiring frequent
renewal.
The chief entrance is in the centre of the frontage, facing the Capitol, and gives admittance by
bold flights of outside stairs to a large hall, 100
feet square (Fig. 117), containing staircases, elevators, cloak-rooms, and other offices. At the back,
and in the exact centre of the site, as shown in
Fig. 117, is the reading-room. This is an octagonal
hall, 100 feet in diameter and 125 feet in height,
lit by eight semicircular windows, each 32 feet
wide. It is seated for 250 readers, allowing to each
a desk 4 feet in width. The superintendent's desk
is on an elevated platform in the centre, commanding a view of the whole room. The interior walls
are covered with light-coloured marble, the eight
massive pillars supporting the ceiling having bases
of dark chocolate marble.
Opening out of the reading-room on either side
are the stack-rooms for the storage of the books.
They are 45 feet in width and 112 feet in length.
The height of each room is 65 feet, and they contain

LIBRARY O F

CONGRESS

2

59

nine tiers or floors of bookcases, each 7 feet in
height, the first two corresponding to the basement, the next three to the first floor on the level
of the reading-room, and the remaining four to the
top storey of the main building. The floors are of
white marble, and light is obtained by a series of

F I G . 117.—Ground plan of the Library of Congress, Washington.

windows on either side of the stack-rooms. The
bookcases are placed at right angles to the walls,
with a window of plate glass, in one piece without sash, between each, a gangway 3J feet wide
separating them, with a central aisle double the
width.
The bookcases are of steel, and have been treated

260

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

by the Bower-Barrf process for prevention of rust.
The shelves are 38 inches in length and 12 inches
deep. They are not solid, but are formed of
parallel bars of steel, fixed in a framework about
a quarter of an inch apart, the top surface of each
bar being slightly rounded. The shelf framework
at either end hooks into the vertical supports, and
by slightly tilting can be removed or raised. They
can be adjusted at intervals of an inch. A book
support has been designed for these special shelves,
which is useful, and easily applied. It is a thin
plate of steel about 8 inches by 6, with a short
piece of wire projecting from the centre of its
shortest side. This goes through the shelf between
any two of the bars, and is kept in position by a
thumbscrew on the other side. If required for tall
folios a second support can be screwed on to the
shelf above and hang downwards to support the
top of the book.
Each stack-room will shelve 800,000 volumes.
The shelving already fixed in the whole building
is estimated to be sufficient for about two million
volumes, and the ultimate capacity of the library,
when shelved to its full extent, will be upwards of
four and a half million volumes.
The remaining floor space of the first storey is
used for various administrative purposes, including
the copyright records and the housing of the
scientific library belonging to the Smithsonian Institution. The second floor contains an art gallery,
217 feet by 35 feet, and a similar sized room for the
great map collection of the library.

MERCANTILE LIBRARY

26l

The area of the library floor and connecting
rooms is about 111,000 square feet; while the total
floor space of the whole building is 327,000 square
feet, or nearly eight acres. For the cost of the
building a sum of 16,175,000 has been voted by
Congress, and it is expected that the entire cost
will be a little less than this amount.
The library is not only the great national collection of books, but has to answer the purpose of a
general reference library for the use of members
of Congress meeting in the Capitol, a quarter of a
mile away. To enable this to be done without
undue delay, a subway 1300 feet in length has
been constructed between the two buildings. This
is deep enough to permit workmen to pass through
for the necessary repairs, &c. It carries pneumatic
tubes and telephones, and a wire cable carrying
book holders (shown in Fig. 45), driven by an
electric motor. These carriers travel at a high
rate of speed, and do not occupy more than two
minutes in transit between the terminals.
The Mercantile Library Association of New York
was founded in 1870, and, after several removes,
is now located on the two top floors of a fine corner
building, which is its own property. It was opened
in 1891, on the seventy-first anniversary of the founding of the Institution. It is a fireproof structure
of sandstone and brick, seven storeys in height,
with a frontage to three streets. The site is an
oblong wedge in shape, its average width being
about 150 feet, and its depth varying from 52
feet to 98. The library occupies the sixth and

OH

I

MERCANTILE LIBRARY

263

264

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

seventh floors, wThich are reached by two steam
elevators.
On the top floor is placed the lending department
(Fig. 118), in a noble room covering the whole
area. The elevators give access to a space for the
public in front of the delivery counter, 49 feet by
17. On either side two rooms are partitioned off
for catalogue work, cashier, & c , and at the other
end are placed the librarian's office, 20 feet by 20,
and a directors' room, 30 feet by 27. The whole of
the central space, 96 feet by 69, is used as a stackroom for the storage of books. It is lit from both
sides, and also from a skylight occupying two-thirds
of the roof area, and forms one of the best rooms
for the purpose in the country. The height of the
room is 25 feet, and the bookcases are arranged
at right angles to the two walls, leaving a central
passage 15 feet in width. It is intended to place
here three stacks of bookcases, each 7 feet in
height, but at present only two are in position.
The bookcases are double, and are 18 inches in
width, the alleys between them being 3 feet
wide. Access to the second tier of cases is gained by
straight flights of staircases in the central passageway, and as the cases are only 7 feet in height,
ladders are entirely dispensed with (Fig. 119).
The stairs and flooring of the stack are of perforated iron, the bookcases themselves being of
wood. The full storage capacity of this floor is
nearly half a million volumes.
The reference department and reading-room is
on the sixth floor, and is the same size as the room

F I G . 120.—Plan of the reading-room floor of the Mercantile Library, New York.

266

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

above. It is divided by screens into two apartments, one of which (63 feet by 58) is used as the
reading-room, and the other (60 by 64) is shelved
as a stack-room (Fig. 120). A notable feature of
the reading-room is the oak periodical and newspaper case in the centre. No files of any kind are
used, but the current numbers of over 600 publications are placed here, each compartment having
the name in gold letters of the periodical or paper
it contains. The back numbers are filed behind
the attendants' desk. The room has numerous
tables of convenient size. Students and readers
wishing to order books for reference can do so
without leaving their chairs, as each table is
furnished with a compartment containing blanks.
They also have drawers on either side, wherein are
found supplies of paper for use of members.
Immediately in the rear of the reading-room is
the storage-room for the books belonging to
the reference department. The storage capacity
is about 140,000 volumes. At present it contains
about 50,000 volumes, principally the documents
of the national and state governments, and bound
volumes of newspapers and magazines.
The
library is lighted throughout by electricity.

CHAPTER

XII

AMERICAN LIBRARIES (continued)'.
THE NEWBERRY
LIBRARY (CHICAGO), BUFFALO, MINNEAPOLIS,
CORNELL UNIVERSITY, MILWAUKEE, T H E PRATT
INSTITUTE (BROOKLYN), THE PEABODY INSTITUTE (BALTIMORE)
R E F E R E N C E has already been made in Chapter III.
to the plans for library building which the late Dr.
W. F. Poole of Chicago advocated, and in the Newberry Library, opened in 1896, he had an opportunity
of carrying out his views.
The portion now built occupies one frontage
only of a block 318 feet by 213, which has a street
frontage on all four sides. The entrance is placed
in the centre of one of fhe longest sides, and the
building when completed is intended to reach
round the whole square, in a series of rooms 45
feet deep, each lit from a central court on one side,
and from the public streets on the other. Each
floor is fireproof, and each room in which books
are stored is to be separate and have no communication with other rooms, the only means of access
being from staircases and elevators in the inner
court, which give admittance to a corridor on each
storey running around the interior of the building.
267

268

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The contents of the library are divided into large
classes of literature, and all books in any particular
class are to be shelved in one room, which is also
to be used by the readers of that particular class of
literature. A person wishing to study American
history, for example, would find in the entrancehall a porter, who would direct him to the particular
room in which the books he required were shelved.
On reaching it he would find that about threefourths of the room was occupied by double bookcases, 8 feet high, placed at right angles to the walls,
and in charge of an attendant, who would have a
special knowledge of this particular part of the
library. The remainder of the room would have
tables and desks for reading. If books in another
class are wanted the reader must go to the particular room in which they are stored, or the books
must be brought to him by an attendant.
Several special advantages are claimed by Dr.
Poole for this plan, as compared with the alcove
and stack systems of shelving books. He contends that he avoids the enormous waste of
space in the centre of the building which occurs
in libraries like the Baltimore Peabody Institute
or the London Guildhall, and that he escapes the
difficulty of uniformly heating large rooms 50 feet
or 60 feet in height. By his plan, he says also, the
danger of fire is greatly diminished, for if it broke
out in any room it would be confined to that
particular room, and could not spread. Another
advantage claimed is that the attendants are more
likely to know all about the comparatively few

BUFFALO LIBRARY

269

books in their section than they would if they
formed only a part of the large collection.
Dr. Poole's objections to the stack system of
shelving are based upon the difficulty of ventilating
stacks of four to six storeys, and the bad lighting
which is experienced in the middle of the stacks.
He also has much to say about the injurious
physical effect of the staircases upon the assistants,
who have to frequently use them. The problem
which Dr. Poole has tried to solve is of the greatest
interest to all who have to do with extremely large
libraries. His plan would not be workable in
libraries of less than, say, 100,000 volumes, for he
contemplates that some of his rooms must contain
shelving for 50,000 books in order to hold comfortably all the books in some of the classes.
The front of the Newberry Library building is
five storeys in height. It is estimated to hold a
million volumes, the total shelf capacity of the
whole building when completed being four millions.
The new building of the Buffalo Library, U.S.A.,
was opened in 1887. It was built from the plans
of Mr. C. L. W. Eidlitz, and has four principal floors,
of which the library occupies the ground floor and
part of the basement and first floor. The building
is Romanesque in style, and is peculiarly effective
in colour, the materials used being a warm brown
sandstone, pressed red brick, and terra-cotta, with
red tiles on the roof.
The building is erected on a corner site, somewhat angular in form, and the entrance is planned
on the longest side, nearly at the angle (Fig. 121).

270

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

On entering the building a large lobby gives access
to the delivery room on the left, and the main staircase on the right. A reading-room, 50 feet by 38
feet, for periodicals occupies the angle. The delivery
room is 56 feet by 40 feet, and has a counter running
across one side of it, with a door at the one end
into a catalogue-room, 40 feet by 31 feet, and at the

F I G . 121.—Ground plan of the Public Library at Buffalo.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Entrance.
Hall and staircase.
Delivery room.
Stack-rooms.
Special reading-room.

F.
G.
H.
J.

Study.
Cataloguer's room.
Librarian's office.
News-room.

other into the stack-room. The latter runs half the
length of the longest side of the site, and is 138 feet
long by 50 feet wide, and 21 feet in height. A public
passage-way runs down the centre, giving admittance to a special reading-room at the east end,
50 feet by 35 feet. The frontage on the south side

BUFFALO LIBRARY

271

is much shorter than that on the north. The newspaper-room, as has already been said, occupies the
corner. Next to it is the librarian's office, with a
door into the catalogue-room at its side, and the
end room is the study room, 50 feet by 32 feet,
which is shelved for ordinary books of reference.
The first floor contains a ladies' reading-room, of
the same size as the newspaper-room beneath it,
and room for chess, committee meetings, and
lectures. The arrangement of the stack-room is
as follows :—The bookcases are in a double row,
right and left of the central gangway. They are
7 feet in height and 15 feet in length, and are
divided into five divisions of 3 feet each. They
are 18 inches in depth from back to front, and
have no centre divisions. They are constructed of
iron, and consist of upright standards made of
i-inch iron pipe, on which cast iron cross-pieces,
flanged to receive the shelves, slide up and down,
the cross-pieces being kept in position and adjusted
by steel screws. The room is 22 feet high, and could
take three tiers of 7 feet cases if necessary. At
present only two tiers have been erected; the
floor between them is made of thick rough glass,
and iron gratings. The cases are 32 inches apart, and
a passage 10 feet wide is railed off down the centre
of the room for the public, light iron bridges running
across to allow passage from the upper storeys of
one book-stack to the other.
The general plan of the library is excellent, and
the difficulties of the site have been well met by
the architect.

272

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

The Minneapolis Public Library was erected in
1890, from the designs of Messrs. Long & Kees. It
is situated on a corner site, 190 feet deep, with a
frontage of 132 feet. The plans for the building
contemplate covering the whole site, with an open
quadrangle, some 60 feet square, in the centre, but at
present only the front and one side have been erected.
The main entrance is in the centre of the

FIG. 122.—Plan of ground floor of the Minneapolis Library.

principal front, which is built of brown sandstone,
and gives admittance by a short flight of stairs to
the first floor, with a reading-room for newspapers
on the right, and a ladies' room on the left.
The delivery room faces the main entrance-hall,
and has a counter running across it, as shown in
Fig. 122. It is lit from the open area, and communicates with a stack-room by an entrance at the

MINNEAPOLIS LIBRARY

273

side. The bookcases are of iron, and are placed
at right angles to the walls between the windows.
They are each 10 feet in length, and have a central
gangway 6 feet in width. The stack-room is two
storeys in height. The storey on the ground floor
has one tier only of bookcases, 10 feet high, while
that on the first floor, which is level with the
delivery room, has two tiers, each 7J feet high.
The height of the room is 18 feet, and so a space
of 3 feet is left between the top of the upper
bookcase and the ceiling.
The bookcases are simple in construction. The
uprights are of iron tubes, i j inches in diameter,
and the shelves, of polished cherry wood, are supported on steel brackets, which slide up and down
the uprights, and are kept in place by set screws.
The cases are double, and shelve books on either
side ; they are placed 3 feet apart, and the three
bottom shelves are 32 inches from back to front,
while those above are 16 inches. This gives a ledge
on each side of the case 8 inches deep. The cases
used for bound newspaper volumes and large folios
are of somewhat different construction. In place
of shelves they have a series of wooden rollers,
and the books are kept flat on their sides.
The ground floor contains a room for juvenile
readers, 56 feet by 24 feet, and several special rooms
for patents, medical books, and study. The area
available for readers in the large public rooms is
nearly 6000 square feet, and gives accommodation
for 400 persons, with room for about 100 more in
the smaller rooms. The second floor is used at
s

274

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

present for an art gallery, museum, and art school,
but it is expected that it will be necessary soon to
complete the building, and devote the whole of it to
library purposes. The shelf capacity at present is
for about 100,000 volumes, but the whole building
is expected to accommodate upwards of a million.
For several years the library of the Cornell
University, Ithaca, had been cramped in its work
for lack of shelf-room, until in 1888 Mr. Henry W.
Sage offered to erect a new building, which should
be a worthy home for the fine collection of books
owned by the University. The designs of Mr.
W. H. Miller were chosen, and as the architect has
throughout worked in harmony with Mr. George W.
Harris, the librarian, an exceedingly convenient
building has been erected. /-Study of the accompanying plans will show how all the great requirements
of an university library, such as compact storage
of books within easy access of the delivery desk,
economy of administration, abundance of light and
ventilation, and the comfort of readers, have been
recognised and provided for.
The library was opened in 1891, and stands at a
corner of a quadrangle formed by the other University buildings. The ground slopes rapidly to
the south and west, and allows the reading-room,
which is entered at the ground level on the east
side of the building, to be placed at the vertical centre
of the seven-storey stack-room. The delivery desk
is thus level with the middle of the stack, and has
four storeys above it and three below. The stackrooms are in two wings placed at right angles to

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

275

each other, and have a present capacity of about
400,000 volumes. The most distant book is only
120 feet from the centre of the delivery desk, and
as each storey is only seven feet in height, there are
no books beyond easy reach from the floor.
The dimensions of the building are 170 feet by
153. The general outline being somewhat in the
form of a cross, the book-stacks, 11 (Fig. 123), occupying the southern and western arms, the readingrooms, A B, the eastern, while the northern provides accommodation for the offices of administration, the " W h i t e " Library, and seven seminary
rooms.
The main entrance is in the north-east angle of
the building, and over the door is a beautiful bronze
medallion of Mrs. Jennie M'Graw-Fiske, in memory
of whom the library was built and endowed by the
donor. The entrance-hall, C, is lit by a skylight,
shown in Fig. 124. On the right are cloak-rooms, D
and E, for men and women, and checking room, K,
for an attendant. The hall is fitted with seats and
open fireplace, so that it can be used for conversation without disturbing the readers. From the
inner hall, C, is entered the general reading-room,
A, the reading-room for periodicals, B, the librarian's room, H, and the cataloguing room, G. The
periodical room, B, is 50 feet by 21, and is lit by
windows 8 feet from the ground. Under these
run a range of wall bookcases,-holding about 7000
volumes.
The general reading-room, A, is 126 feet by 66, and
will provide seats for 220 readers, allowing for each

276

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

a desk 2 feet by 2 feet 10 inches. This room is lit
partly by a range of windows, 8 feet from the floor,
extending round the south and east sides of the
room, as shown on the plan, and partly by a range

—*• MAIN FLOOR • -

F I G . 123.—Plan of main floor of the library, Cornell University.

of clerestory windows, shown in Fig. 124. A comparison of the two plans will show that the south
side of the general reading-room and the readingroom for periodicals form, as it were, two aisles

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

277

adjoining the main portion of the large readingroom, which runs up to a much greater height to
allow space for the clerestory windows. A plentiful
supply of light is thus obtained; in fact, there is a
window area of over 1000 square feet to a floor
area of 6600. In the south aisle the reading tables
are single, but in the nave the tables are of double
width, with a longitudinal division, as in the British
Museum, and run lengthwise of the room. Around
the walls of the room, beneath the windows, are
bookcases for a general reference library of about
8000 volumes, within reach of all the readers. The
delivery desk is at the west end of the room, chiefly
lighted by a large skylight, and close behind it are
the entrances to the stack-rooms.
The dimensions of the west stack, immediately
behind the delivery desk, are 47 feet by 44, and its
book capacity is 254,000 volumes. The south stack
is smaller, as the reading-room takes up part of the
area, its capacity being 150,000 volumes. In the
stacks the windows are all placed between the
ranges of bookcases, while the large bays, of which
there are three in the west and two in the south
stacks, are provided with tables for special students.
In the angles formed by the junction of the stacks
with the reading-room are staircases and book-lifts,
marked L on the plans. The stacks are of iron,
with wooden shelves.
Adjoining the reading-room is the librarian's
room, H, which is so placed as to be easily
accessible to students needing assistance. The
cataloguing room, G, is 45 by 22 feet, with a large

278

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

bay 20 by 15 feet, and is divided into alcoves by
short bookcases at right angles to the- east wall,
containing the bibliographical collection. In the
large bay stands the work table, hexagonal in shape,

- * THIRD FLOOR » -

F I G . 124.—Plan of the third floor of the library, Cornell University.

with a revolving bookcase in
the books most frequently
loguers. Six persons, each
space, can work at this table

its centre, containing
needed by the catawith 4 feet of desk
without interference,

MILWAUKEE LIBRARY

279

and the most useful reference books are within
easy reach, of all. Books are unpacked in the
basement, and are brought to this room by the
book-lift, M.
From the inner entrance-hall, C, a staircase leads
to the " White " historical library. This is shelved
in the large room, W (Fig. 124), which is 66 by 23
feet, exclusive of the large bay, and extends through
two storeys into the roof. This room is arranged
upon the alcove system, and is intended as a study
for historical students. In the open central space
are large reading tables, and in each of the twelve
alcoves is placed a small study table. Its ultimate
book capacity is 50,000 volumes. The rooms on
this floor, marked N, O, P, R, are used as seminary
rooms, and are each shelved with books appropriate
to the studies for which they are intended.
In the basement, which is approached by a staircase from the entrance-hall, are four other seminary
rooms, the receiving and packing rooms, and a
lecture-hall, seating 900 persons. These are all
well lit, as from the sharp slope of the site it has
been possible to have windows on each side of the
building.
The Milwaukee Library and Museum, now in
course of erection, is expected to be finished this
year.
It is built from the designs of Messrs.
Ferry & Clas of that city, the internal plan being
founded upon the suggestions of Miss Theresa
West, the late librarian.
The site is central, and has a frontage of about
300 feet to one of the principal squares, occupying

280

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

the whole of its southern half. There are streets
both east and west, so the building has light on
three sides and a portion of the fourth.
The dominant feature of the building is the
entrance in the centre of the Grand Avenue front.
The large entrance-hall forms a rotunda, lit from
the roof, and from it, running right and left, is a
corridor giving access to the museum portion of
the building to the west and the library portion to
the east and north. The building is set back some
25 feet from the street, and across the facade is a
terrace enclosed by a balustrade at the street line.
The rotunda or entrance-hall is the common ground
of both library and museum, the centre which all
visitors must enter. An attempt has been made,
therefore, to make it as beautiful as possible, with
rich and fine ornament in mosaic and marble. On
either side, to left and right, are staircases leading
to the upper floors, and two passenger lifts for the
same purpose. Directly north of the rotunda, and
entered by three large doorways, is the delivery
room of the library (Fig. 125). This is one storey
only in height, and is lit from the roof. It is about
80 feet by 26, and has a counter with returns
running the full length. On the left of the delivery
room is a children's room, about 40 feet by 25, and
on the right a room of similar size for the public use
of the catalogue ; both of these rooms are directly
accessible to the assistants from behind the counter.
North of the delivery room, and opening into it
by four doorways, is the book-stack, built in the
form of three sides of a hollow square, the end

F I G . 125.—Ground floor plan of the library and museum, Milwaukee.

282

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

walls being solid as they reach the edge of the site.
The ground here slopes sharply down, and consequently makes an advantageous arrangement of
the floors of the book-stack possible. Two floors
are below the level of the delivery room, and are
still above ground, with abundance of light. For
the present only four floors of the book-stack have
been constructed—two below the delivery room,
one on its level, and one above. The piers and
foundations, & c , are planned for a further possibility of ten floors, and will then only reach the
height of the main building. As no part of the
stack wing is visible from the street, its exterior
appearance has been of no importance, and it has
been possible to build it for internal convenience
without consideration of the outside effect. Each
floor of the stack will shelve about 40,000 volumes,
and is a separate storey, with individual heating
and ventilating arrangements. The aisles are three
feet in width, and the gangways four. A staircase
and book-lift to each have been provided directly
behind the counter of the delivery room. Following the corridor eastward we reach the reference
reading-room on its north, and librarian's office
and other rooms for administration on its south.
The reference room is a noble room of fine proportions ; it is 80 feet in length by 54 in breadth,
and 32 feet in height in the centre. Opening out
of the western site is an annexe, in which are
shelved bound sets of periodicals, &c. From here
a bridge spans the open court, and gives easy communication to the main stack-room. The sharp

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284

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

slope of the ground, spoken of in connection with
the stack-room, gives certain advantages to the
reference room also. The street adjoining is so
steep as to be undesirable for heavy traffic, and the
high basement necessary to keep the floor of the
room level with the entrance-hall gives the effect
of an upper storey situation, and consequently the
room is very quiet and free from outside noises.
The newspaper reading-room is under the reference room, and is of similar size. It has a separate
entrance from the side street, and although nominally in the basement, is as well lit as the room
above. In other parts of the basement are situated unpacking rooms, with book-lifts and service
staircase connected with the cataloguers' room ;
bindery, delivery station rooms, and janitor's
rooms and offices.
The administrative rooms of the library are in
the south-east corner of the building, and are
reached from the main corridor^. The cataloguers'
room is directly opposite the public catalogue
room, and near it are placed the librarian's office
and other rooms.
The second storey has a suite of rooms in tended
for special uses and collections, and a lecture-room
seating about four hundred.
Amongst the newer American libraries, the Pratt
Institute, Brooklyn, is worthy of attention. It
was founded in 1888, and removed to its new
building in the summer of 1896. .
The main building measures 70 by 100 feet, and is
three storeys in height, with a stack-room attached,

THE PRATT INSTITUTE

285

49 by 53 ^ e e t m a r e a ; and five stacks in height.
The entrance is on the longest side, and the large
hall gives access to the delivery room of the lending
department, a children's reading-room and library,
librarian's office, and newspaper and periodical
room. In Fig. 126 will be seen the disposition of
the rooms upon the ground floor. The librarian's
office is 26 by 14 feet, and is fitted with speakingtubes and telephones to all parts of the building.
Facing the entrance is the children's reading-room
and library, 25 by 45 feet in area, furnished with
miniature chairs and tables suitable for the varying heights of the occupants. The general readingroom is 66 by 24 feet, well lit by windows on three
sides, and containing stands and racks for over two
hundred newspapers and periodicals. A corresponding room, of the same area, on the left is
the delivery room for home reading, and occupies
the whole western end of the main building, with
the stack-room adjoining it. Reference to Fig.
126 will show the arrangement. The borrower
enters at the north door from the hall and finds
the card catalogue on his left, and at the nearer
end of the counter the desk for returns, to which
17 feet is devoted.
The • curving counter extends across the room, and is 51 feet in length,
being the full width of the stack-room. At the
south end of the room is a space 16 feet by 24,
railed off for the registration of borrowers, filing
of applications, &c. At either end of the counter
a gate leads to the stack-room, and behind the
counter, and at its centre, there is an electric book

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F I G . 127.—First floor plan of the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn.

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F I G . 128.—Second floor plan of the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn.

288

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

elevator. In Fig. 129 is shown the delivery desk
and the ends of the bookcases in the stack-room,
and a series of easy staircases connecting the stacks
from the basement to the top storey.
The floors of the stack-room are of glass slabs, 10
by 18 inches, set in an iron framework. The shelves
are of oak, with iron uprights, and supports electroplated in copper. Ventilation is provided by means
of a space covered with wire-netting, 3 inches in
width, between the glass flooring and the stacks.
The central aisles are 39 inches wide, and the cross
aisles 27 inches. Each floor will accommodate
about 40,000 volumes, and the whole room will
shelve about 200,000.
The staircase in the entrance-hall gives access on
the second floor to the general reference room,
reading-room for periodicals, and rooms for the
staff and cataloguing. A plan of the arrangement
will be seen in Fig. 127. The general reference
room is directly over, and the same size as, the newspaper-room on the ground floor. It is shelved
around the walls for ordinary works of reference,
and contains fifteen tables for readers. The other
reference room on the west contains the bound
files of periodicals, which are shelved around the
walls and in four double cases at the north end.
Nine tables are provided for readers, and in this
room are used the books shelved in the adjoining
stack-room. The cataloguers' room connects the
two reference rooms, and in it is done most of the
private work of the library.
On the topmost storey (Fig. 128) there are rooms

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290

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

for students studying library economy, a museum,
and an art reference room equipped with proper
cases and tables for consulting the large and
costly art works. The basement has rooms for
repairs, rebinding, &c.
The cost of the building and furniture has
amounted to $190,000.
The Peabody Institute Library, Baltimore, is one
of the best examples of the old conventional buildings,
which for many years seemed to be the fixed type
and model of what a good library should be.
The great hall (Fig. 130) is 84 feet by 70 feet, and
61 feet in height. Adjoining it, at one end, is a
reading-room, 72 feet by 36 feet, and at the other,
work-room, librarian's office, elevator, and staircase. The large central hall is divided into seven
alcoves on either side by double cases 18 feet in
length. They are six storeys in height, the bottom
one being 9 feet high, and the others 8. The upper
alcoves are reached from staircases placed one at
each corner of the room. Light is obtained from
two small windows in each alcove, and a skylight
covering the whole of the centre of the room. The
bookcases will hold about 150,000 volumes, and a
second row of double cases may be placed in each
alcove, which will materially increase the shelf
capacity of the room.
In Chapter I. consideration has already been given
to the wastefulness of this style of library building,
and nothing more need be said here upon that
point. It should, however, be mentioned that this
is a favourable example of the type of building.

T H E PEABODY INSTITUTE

291

The alcoves are all floored over, and have no
separate heating apparatus, so they do not get over-

FiG. 130.—Ground plan of the " Peabody " Institute, Baltimore.

heated, as in other libraries of similar construction.
The St. Louis Mercantile Library reported, for

292

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

example, that when the temperature 1 foot from
the floor was 64 degrees, it was 74 degrees 10 feet
above, and 82 degrees 19 feet above. Of the Cincinnati Library it is similarly reported that when
the temperature 6 feet from the floor was 65 degrees, it rose to 124 degrees in the upper gallery.
The skylight portion of the centre of the hall is
domed, and about 15 feet higher than the highest
alcove ; no doubt this helps to keep the alcoves
cool, as the hot air would naturally ascend to the
centre first, and there escape through the exits.
The provision of a separate reading-room, instead
of placing the readers at tables in the open centre
of the library hall, is much more conducive to their
comfort, although it increases greatly one defect of
this kind of building, viz., the distance the attendants have to travel for some of the books required.
The cost of the entire building, which includes
a conservatoire of music, a gallery of art, and
lecture-rooms, was $517,000; the cost of the
library portion is reckoned at $342,000.

CHAPTER

XIII

EUROPEAN LIBRARIES: BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE ET
SAINTE GENEVIEVE (PARIS), T H E STATE LIBRARY
(FRANKFURT), UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES AT HALLE
AND LEIPZIG, IMPERIAL LIBRARY (STRASSBURG),
WOLFENBUTTEL, VALLIANO LIBRARY (ATHENS)

T H E French National Library is contained in a
congerie of buildings at the corner of the Rue de
Richelieu and the Rue Neuve des Petits Champs.
Part of the edifice was built by Cardinal Mazarin ;
but so many alterations have been made since, that
but little is left of the ancient erections.
The main entrance is in the Rue de Richelieu,
and leads to an inner open court, called the " C o u r
d'Honneur." On the right of the court is a vestibule, which gives access to the large reading-room,
named the " Salle de Travail" (Figs. 131 and 132),
which was built by M. Labrouste, the architect of
the Bibliotheque St. Genevieve. It is a fine room,
43 metres x in length, 34 in breadth, and 200 metres
high, accommodating 344 readers, who are seated
at flat-topped tables, a space 1 metre in breadth,
about two-thirds of that allotted at the British
Museum, being allowed to each person. The north
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293

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NATIONAL LIBRARY, PARIS

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295

296

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

end is semicircular in shape, and is railed off for
the attendants and catalogues, a door in the centre
giving access to the " Magasin central des imprimes," or stack-room, which is shelved with cases
five storeys in height. The interior of the readingroom is very fine. It is about 60 feet high, and is
covered with an iron roof supported by sixteen cast
iron columns. The construction of the ceiling is
bold. Iron girder arches spring from column to
column, and the dome surfaces are covered with
glazed terra-cotta, fastened with bands of iron, the
mode of construction showing inside. The room is
divided into nine bays by the columns, a spherical
cupola being over each. Light is admitted through
semicircular windows in the north wall, and through
lantern lights in the domes and the glass roof of
the hemicycle. The side arches are filled with
bookcases, which are three tiers in height, and are
reached by galleries approached by staircases in
the corners of the room.
In the first storey of the building, facing the
Rue de Richelieu, are rooms for the " Cabinet des
Medailles" and the more valuable manuscripts;
and on the Rue Colbert side is a public readingroom, the " Magasin pour les Journaux."
The administrative parts of the library are at the
side of the " Cour d'Honneur." Access is gained
to them through a vestibule, in which is placed
portions of the wainscot of the old " Cabinet des
Medailles," the panels painted by Boucher, and
some royal portraits from the old buildings.
In the Mazarin gallery rare MSS. and books

LIBRARY OF ST. GENEVIEVE

297

are exhibited, and beyond it is' the residence of
the administrator, a hall for lectures, bookbinding
rooms, rooms for photography, and the " Department des cartes et la Geographic"
In the stack-rooms the books are shelved in
wooden cases five storeys in height, each case
being 2-J metres. The floors are of open iron work,
and in order to admit as much light as possible,
are not taken close up to the cases, a distance of
about 6 inches being left on either side, covered
with wire-netting to catch any books that may be
accidentally dropped upon them. The shelves are
wooden, and rest upon brass pins screwed into
holes in the uprights of the cases.
A plan of the ground floor of the whole building is shown in Fig. 131, from which the general
arrangement of the rooms may be seen.
The
buildings on the vacant left hand corner have
recently been taken down, and it is anticipated that
a reading-room for lighter reading and magazines
will be erected upon it.
The library of St. Genevieve was rebuilt in 1850,
from the designs of M. Henry Labrouste. It is
rectangular in form, with the principal facade occupying one of the longer sides. The building is
285 feet long by 90 feet wide. The whole of the
first floor is taken up with a large reading-room, the
edifice being only one storey in height. The south
and principal frontage is pierced with thirty-seven
arched windows in two rows ; the intervals between
are filled with panels, on which are inscribed the
names of 810 writers of all nations, arranged in

298

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

chronological order. The principal entrance is in
the centre of the south side, and projects from the
main building. The vestibule gives admittance to
a large central hall, and from this, on the right, the
department of manuscripts and drawings is approached, and on the left that of the printed books.
Each of these two large rooms is further divided
by a central division into two parallel rooms, with
a third running transversely across the building
at either end.
A grand staircase leads from the entrance-hall
to the reading-room on the first floor. It is of
striking appearance. It is divided into two main
aisles by sixteen iron columns in the centre, standing on piers, and carrying the arched iron roof.
The books are contained in cases around the
wall, four metres in height, with galleries approached by staircases in each corner of the
room. The librarian's desk is in the centre of
the room, and faces the entrance doors.
The
tables for readers are arranged in two rows on
either side. There are fourteen in all, each seating 34 persons, and so accommodate 476 readers.
The tables in the manuscript and book rooms
underneath seat a similar number. The rooms
on the ground floor are 7 metres in height,
and the large reading-room is 15 metres at its
highest point.
The building was erected at a cost of ^75,ooo,
and houses the oldest public library in France.
The following inscription on the staircase gives its
history in a few words :—

T H E STADTBIBLIOTHEK, FRANKFURT

299

"Bibliotheque Sainte Genevieve, fondee par les
Genovefains en 1626, devenue propriete Nationale
en 1790 : transferee de l'ancienne Abbaye dans cet
edifice en 1850/'
The* Stadtbibliothek at Frankfurt was erected in
1892, from the plans of Messrs. Miiller & Wolff.
It covers an area of 2200 square metres, and has
accommodation for about 500,000 volumes. Like
most of the modern German libraries, the administrative portion of the building is in the centre, with
book-stores in projecting wings on each side.
A large entrance-hall in the centre of the main
building gives access to a waiting room and rooms
for officials on either side, with a grand staircase
the whole width of the hall facing the entrance.
The librarian's office forms the corner room at one
end of the building, and the catalogue room is in
the corresponding room at the other end. On the
first floor over the entrance-hall is the reading-room,
with seats for thirty readers, and small rooms for
the reception of the numismatic collection, and for
bookbinding. Two small book-stores occupy the
end rooms of this central part.
The large book-stores in the wings are entirely
separated from the central block of the building by
thick fireproof walls. The only connection is one
doorway on each floor. The book-stores are 50
feet by 38, and have windows on either side. The
bookcases are five storeys in height, and are placed
at right angles to the outer walls. They are reached
by flights of straight stairs in the centre of the
rooms, and lit by large side windows, so placed

300

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

as to allow the light to fall between each case. A
small skylight runs from end to end of each store
over the centre of the room, and gives a good light
to the stairs. The bookcases are 2 feet 6 inches
from back to front, and have gangways between
them 6 feet 6 inches in width. The cases are

FIG. 133.—Ground floor plan of the State Library, Frankfurt.

divided into four equal divisions for shelves 3 feet
4 inches in length. Fig. 133 gives the plan of the
ground floor, and Fig 134 that of the upper.
The University Library at Halle occupies a
corner site, with light on all four sides, and is a
good example of a compact library built upon a
small site. It was erected from the design of Herr

UNIVERSITY

LIBRARY, HALLE

301

Tiedemann in 1880, and is four storeys in height.
There is no basement, except a small portion used
for the heating apparatus ; but there is a small
chamber under the whole building to give ventilation, and so prevent damp rising to the books.
The entrance is in the centre of the shortest side,
as shown in Fig. 135, and the hall gives access to a

F I G . 134.—First floor plan of the State Library, Frankfurt.

staircase of granite placed right in the centre of the
building. This goes to the top, and is lit by a skylight in the roof. On the right of the entrance-hall
are porters' rooms, and rooms for the exhibition of
engravings, manuscripts, and incunabula. On the
left are rooms for the Oriental manuscripts, with a
part of the book-store at the back, the latter being

302

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

entirely cut off from the front portion of the
building by a wall from side to side, the only
communication being an iron door at the back of
the staircase.
The first floor contains a reading-room, rooms

FIG. 135.—Ground floor plan of the University Library, Halle.

for the librarian, and a further portion of the
book-store.
The two top floors are entirely
devoted to book storage, and have four tiers
of bookcases, each floor containing two. In the

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, LEIPZIG

303

centre of the book-store is placed an iron staircase
which runs from the top of the building, and
gives easy access to the various floors. A description of the construction of the iron bookcases
will be found on pages 57-60, and details of the
construction are shown in Figs. 14, 15, and 18.
In the corner of the building a narrow flight of
stairs has been built, entirely enclosed by brickwork, except for one iron door on each storey.
This is only for use as an emergency exit from the
building in case of fire. It is a wise provision, and
something of the kind should be provided in all
buildings over three storeys in height.
The cost of the building and fittings was -£18,750,
and the shelf room is estimated to be sufficient for
over half a million volumes.
The new building of the University Library at
Leipzig is admirably planned for the special work
it has to do. Reference to Fig. 136 will show that
it occupies a parallelogram, and the entrance is
placed in the centre of one of the longest sides.
On the right hand side of the large inner hall is a
reading-room for periodicals and journals, with a
corresponding room on the left, used as a general
office for inquiries. The large reading-room is at
the back of the hall, and is semicircular in shape ;
it seats two hundred readers, each having four feet
frontage of desk. The books are shelved in stores,
which are placed at right angles to the readingroom, and also form the extreme wings of the
building. They are well lit by windows placed
between each case, and opening on the inner sides

3°4

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

into a square area in each wing, one on the outer
sides, to the open air.
Shelving is provided for about 800,000 volumes,
and the accommodation can be increased by continuing the wings out to the same distance as the
reading-room. In the front of the building are a
students' room, and rooms for manuscripts and incunabula, with the librarian's office and catalogue

F I G . 136.—Ground floor plan of the University Library, Leipzig.

room. A notable feature of the building is an
arcade, which runs round the semicircular half of
the reading-room. The books most in demand are
shelved there in bookcases placed at right angles
to the outside walls, so forming radii of a circle.
The building was erected in 1888-91 from the designs of Herr Rossbach, at a cost of about ^75,000.
The new library at Strassburg, which replaces

IMPERIAL LIBRARY, STRASSBURG

305

the building damaged during the siege of 1871,
stands upon the north-eastern corner of the Kaiserplatz. It was designed by Messrs. Hartel and
Neckelmann, and was opened in the October of
1895.
It is a fine, handsome building of white sandstone,
in the Italian Renaissance style, and covers an area
of 3320 square metres. The plan of the ground
floor is given in Fig 137, and a section through
the building in Fig 139. It will be seen that the
entrance is in the middle of the frontage, and that
the large interior hall gives access by a short corridor on either side to two staircases which lead to
the first floor. Directly facing the hall is the
" Bucher Ausleihe " or book-lending room, 17 metres
by 8, and lit from the roof. It is a lofty room, with
two book galleries around it. The reading-room is
directly behind the lending room, and is 17 metres
square. It has seats for eighty readers, of which
ten are reserved for special study, each reader
being allowed a desk space of one metre. This
room is directly under the large dome which
dominates the building, and is lit from it, and also
by three large semicircular windows high up on
each side. There are three galleries to this room,
with bookcases 7 feet 4 inches in height in each. The
total shelf capacity is about 53,000 volumes. On
either side of the book-lending room, and at the back
of the stairs, are two rooms of similar size ; that on
the right contains the catalogue, and that on the
left, which seats twelve persons, is used for the
study of manuscripts.
u

306

LIBRARY

ARCHITECTURE

The three large stack-rooms occupy the back of
the building and the greater portion of the two

F I G . 137.—Ground floor plan of the Imperial Library, Strassburg.

wings. They are connected with the reading-room
by three shorter stack-rooms, which open directly
into the centre of its north, south, and east walls.

IMPERIAL LIBRARY, STRASSBURG

307

The stack-rooms are 28 feet wide, and have a gangway running through the centre 4 feet 6 inches wide.

F I G . 138.—First floor plan of the Imperial Library, Strassburg.

The bookcases are of iron, and are five storeys in height
in the connecting rooms, and eight storeys in the
outer and larger book-stores, one storey in each case

308

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

being below the level of the reading-room floor.
The cases are 7 feet 6 inches in height, and are well
lit, as each is placed at right angles to a window.
Access to the different storeys is obtained by straight
flights of staircases in the centre of each book-store,
and at the back of each staircase is an electrical
lift. Hanging electric lamps are placed between
each bookcase, which can be switched on as wanted
and moved for some six feet in either direction.
There is also an electric railway running from the
book-stores to the issue desk for the conveyance of
the books.
The administrative portion of the building is entirely in the front. On the right of the vestibule,
on the ground floor, are offices for the secretary
and chief librarian, and on the left four rooms for
the assistant-librarians. On the first floor (Fig.
138), over the vestibule and offices, are a noble suite
of rooms, in which are displayed prints and manuscripts, incunabula, and a special collection of
works appertaining to the antiquities and bibliography of Alsace. In the basement of the front
portion of the building is located the heating apparatus, rooms for caretaker, &c. The readingrooms and administrative portion of the building
are kept at a temperature of 68 degrees, and the
book-stores at that of 50 degrees.
The cost of the building was .£70,000, and of the
furniture and bookcases .£14,250. The stock at the
present time is estimated at 700,000 volumes, and
the shelving capacity of the whole building is for
over a million.

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F I G . 139.—Section through the Imperial Library, Strassburg.

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

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The new library at Wolfenbiittel is somewhat
similar in construction to that of Leipzig. It was
built in 1882-85, from the designs of Messrs. Miiller
and Bohnsack. Fig. 140 gives the disposition of
the rooms upon the ground floor. The centre of
the building is given up to a large gallery, used

F I G . 140.—The new library at Wolfenbiittel.
A.
B.
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Entrance.
Registration office.
Librarian.
Reading-room.
Periodical room.

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Rook-stacks.
Exhibition gallery.
Manuscripts.
Bible room.
M a p room.

for the display of early printed books, prints, bindings, and other objects of art. The grand collection of Bibles is kept separate from the other books,
and is stored in a room by itself.
It has been already mentioned that the old library
at Wolfenbiittel was built in 1710. A plan of it is

VALLIANO LIBRARY, ATHENS

311

given in Fig. 2, for it is interesting as showing the
construction of one of the most celebrated of the
early libraries. The structure was circular, and
surrounded by a parallelogram. The centre was
lit by a lantern supported on twelve massive pillars,
the bases of which were surrounded by bookcases,
the circular walls being also encased on both sides.
The outer walls of the building were 150 feet by
n o , and in each of the four corners an odd-shaped
room was formed for catalogues, manuscripts, and
other rarities. The outer part of the building was
three storeys high, access being gained by a staircase in the entrance-hall.
The public library at Athens was erected in 1892,
from the plans of Mr. George Hansen, the building,
which cost -£100,000, being the gift of a wealthy
merchant named Valliano. The ground plan of
the library is simple. The reading-room extends
from the entrance-hall to the back, and has on each
side a large book-store, approached by a short
corridor, running from the centre of the room.
In the fagade the central part of the building
is accentuated by being brought forward, and
approached by winding steps, the book-stores on
either side being kept well back and subordinated
to it. The architecture is classical, and in keeping
with the ancient buildings near it. The building is
two storeys in height, the reading-room being on
the first floor, and is approached through a colonnade of marble pillars and an entrance-hall. It
is a noble room, 85 feet by 50, with a row of
marble columns running around it, and supporting

312

LIBRARY ARCHITECTURE

a stained glass roof. Behind the pillars are wall
cases, with two galleries containing the books most

FIG. 141.—The " Valliano" Library at Athens.

in demand. It seats seventy-two readers at twelve
tables. The book-stores are 120 feet by 32, and each

VALLIANO LIBRARY, ATHENS

313

contain fourteen bookcases, running across the
stores with a gangway on either side. Each bookcase is 6 feet 7 inches in height, and there are five
storeys of them, two being below the reading-room
floor and three above. They are lighted by windows
placed between each case, those on the interior walls
opening into four small courts between the bookstores and the news-rooms. The shelving capacity of
the library is about 400,000 volumes. The whole of
the book-cases are of iron ; in fact, there is no wood
used in the building, with the exception of the doors.
Fig. 141 shows the disposition of the rooms on the
first floor. The basement is only used for a porter's
residence and storage purposes.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX
L I S T O F I L L U S T R A T I O N S O F L I B R A R I E S appearing
in the American

Architect,

from vol. i, 1876,

to

vol. 5 1 , 1896, with t h e n a m e s of t h e architects.
VOL.

1.
3.
3.
3.
5.
6.
7.
10.
11.
11.
11.
13.
13.
15.
15.
16.
17.

Ottawa(Canada) Library of Parliament—Fuller and Jones.
Utica (N.Y.) Public Library—Gouge.
Bristol (Mass.) Public Library—Earle.
Orleans (Mass.), The Snow Library—Cabot and Chandler.
Hingham (Mass.) Public Library—Thayer.
Hingham (Mass.) Public Library—Luce.
New York, The Astor Library—Stent.
Billerica (Mass.), T h e Bennett Library—Notch and Tilden
Newport (England) Public Library — Watson.
London, T h e Inner Temple Library —Edis.
Bridgewater(Mass.) Memorial Library—Rotch and Tilden.
North Easton, T h e Ames Memorial Library—Richardson.
Quincy (Mass.), The Crane Library—Richardson.
Watertown (Mass.) Public Library—Shaw
andHunnewelL
Lincoln (Mass.) Public Library—Preston.
Sketches of Paris Libraries—Blackall.
Hanover (N.H.), T h e Dartmouth College Library —
Thayer.
17. Boston (Mass.) Public Library—Competition plans.
18. Maiden (Mass.), T h e Converse Memorial Library —
Richardson.
19. Washington ( D . C ) , T h e Medical Library—Cluss and
Schultze.
317

3i8

APPENDIX

VOL.

20.
20.
20.
20.
20.
20.
20.
20.
2[.
22.
22.
23.
24.
24.
24.
25.
25.
27.
29.
29.
29.
30.
30.
33.
34.
34.
34.

35.
36.
36.
38.
39.
41.

Burlington (Vt.), T h e Billings Library—Richardson.
Maiden (Mass.), T h e Converse Library—Richardson.
Quincy (Mass.), T h e Crane Library—Richardson.
North Easton (Mass.) Public Library—Richardson.
Woburn (Mass.) Public Library—Richardson.
Somerville (Mass.) Public Library—Loring.
New York, T h e Lennox Library—Hunt.
Minneapolis (Min.) Library and Museum—Warren.
Allegheny (Pa.), T h e Carnegie Library — Competition
plans.
Ottawa (Canada), Library of Parliament—Fuller and
Jones.
Mexico, T h e National Library.
Boston (Mass.) Public Library—APKim, Mead, and White.
Washington, Library of Congress—Smithmeyer.
Richmond (U.S.) Memorial Library—Cutler.
Stockholm Royal Library.
Acton (Mass.) Public Library—Hartwell and Richardson.
Lexington, Memorial Library—Polk.
Paris, Library of St. Genevieve—Labrouste.
Middleton (England) Public Library—Davies.
Notting Hill (London) Public Library—Figgis.
Worcester (Mass.) Public Library—Earle.
Arlington (Mass.), The Robins Library—Cabot.
Bermondsey (London) Public Library—Newman.
New London (Conn.) Public Library—Shepley.
Brechin (Scotland) Public Library—Farley.
A public library— Woollard.
Translation of article on Libraries from the Encyclopedic
de VArchitecture
et de la construction, with many
elevations, plans, and interiors of libraries.
Pittsburg(Pa.), T h e Carnegie Library—Competition plans.
Pittsburg (Pa.), T h e Carnegie Library—Competition plans.
Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library— Van Brunt and Howe.
Pittsburg (Pa.), T h e Carnegie Library—Competition plans,
Charlestown (N.H.), Public Library—AV''Alpine.
New Orleans, The Howard Library—Shepley.

APPENDIX

319

VOL.

42.
43.
44.
44.
45.
46.
46.
48.
48.
48.
48.
48.
49.
50.
50.
50.
50.
50.
50.
51.
51.

Augusta (Me.), T h e Lithgow Library—Aldrich.
New Orleans, T h e Howard Library—Shepley.
Westminster (London) Public Library and Baths—Smith.
Edinburgh (Scotland), T h e Carnegie Library—Browne.
Augusta ( M e ) , T h e Lithgow Library — Paulsen
and
Lavalle.
Milford (Conn.), T h e Taylor Library—Northrop.
Worcester (England), T h e Victoria Institute—Simpson
and Allen.
Chelmsford (Mass.), T h e Adams Library—Fox.
Providence (R.I.) Public Library—Competition plans.
Shelton (Conn.), T h e Plumb
Library—Beardsley.
Washington, T h e Library of Congress.
Boston (Mass.) Public L i b r a r y — M ' K i m , Mead, and White.
Strassburg, T h e University Library—Neckelmann.
Fall River (Mass.)—Competition plans.
Hoboken (N.J.) Public Library—Ross,
Wrentham (Mass.), The Fiske Library—Woodbury.
Chicago (111.), The Virginia Library—Shepley,
Rutan,
and Coolidge.
West H a m (England) Library and Technical Institute—
Competition plans.
Leipzig, T h e University Library—Rossbach.
Newton (Mass.), T h e Hills Library—Kendall and Stevens.
Wrentham (Mass.), T h e Fiske Library—Woodbury.

L I S T O F I L L U S T R A T I O N S O F L I B R A R I E S appearing
in t h e Architect,

from vol. 1, 1869, to vol. 56, 1896,

with the n a m e s of t h e architects.
VOL.

7.
12.
13.
1 J.

Blackburn Public Library—Woodzell and Collcuit.
Manningham, Airdale College—Roger Smith.
Design for a public library—Marvin.
Design for a public library—Scott.

APPENDIX

320
VOL.

29.
30.
32.
36.
44.
46.
52.

Design for a public library—Lewis.
Aberdeen, Anderson Free Library—Pirie and Clyne.
Belfast Public Library—Richards.
Design for a public library—Stirling.
Westminster Abbey Library roof.
Design for public library—Woollard.
Edinburgh, Solicitors of the Supreme Court Library—
Du?in.

52. Edinburgh Public Library—Browne,
54. London, West H a m Public Library and Institute—
Four competition designs.
55. London,WestHam Public Library and Institute—A 7 ^;/^//.
55. London, South Audley Street Branch Library—Bolton.
56. Croydon Municipal Buildings and
Library—fie/i/nan.

L I S T O F I L L U S T R A T I O N S O F L I B R A R I E S appearing
in the British

Architect',

from vol. 1, 1874, to vol. 45

1896, with t h e n a m e s of t h e architects.
VOL.

3.
6.
6.
7.
8.
12.
15.
17.
22.
22.
25.
28.
30.

Blackburn Public Library—Newman.
Derby Public Library—Holtom and Connon.
Manchester, design for public library—Armstrong.
Soane medallion competition—Mee.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Public Library—Bryson.
Derby Public Library—Freeman.
Didsbury Literary Institution—Roper.
Newport (Monmouth) Public Library and School of
Science— Watkins a?id Son.
Rochdale Public Library—Piatt.
Swansea Public Library—Seddon and Carter.
Hindley Public Library—Worthington and Elgood.
Edinburgh Public Library—Browne.
Edinburgh, Solicitors of the Supreme Court Library—
Dunn.

APPENDIX

321

VOL.

32.
32.
33.
34.
36.
37.
39.
40.
42.
43.
45.

Middleton Public Library—Booth.
Edinburgh Public Library—Browne.
Chelsea Public Library—Brydon.
New London (U.S.A.) Public Library—Shepley, Rulan,
and Coolidge.
Dublin, National Library—Deane.
Chelsea Public Library—Brydon.
Village Library*—Lamb.
St. Giles Public Library—Hayward and Harrison.
Reading Public Library—Cooper and Howell.
Hampstead Public Library—Champneys.
Shoreditch Public Library and Baths—Hannaford and
Wills.

L I S T OF I L L U S T R A T I O N S OF L I B R A R I E S
in t h e Builder,

appearing

from vol. 1, 1843, *° vol. 72, 1897,

with t h e n a m e s of t h e architects.
VOL.

11. Paris, St. Genevieve—Labrouste.
15. Paris, Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers—Vandoyer.
17. Canada, Library of the Parliament Buildings (Ottawa)
—Fuller and Jones.
18. London, Middle Temple—Abraham.
28. London, Guildhall—-Jones.
30. New York Mercantile Library—Wight.
33. Hereford Public Library—Kempson.
37. Derby Public Library—Freeman.
37. Sunderland Public Library—Tihnan.
39. Sion House Library (Isleworth)—Adam.
40. Richmond Public Library—Brunton.
42. Melbourne Public Library—Smith and Doyle.
42. Oldham Public Library—Tillman and Shaw.
43. Preston, T h e " H a r r i s " Public Library—Hibbert
45. Huntly, T h e " B r a n d e r " Library—Rhind.
46. Belfast Public Library—Deane.

x

322

APPENDIX

VOL.

47.
49.
49.
53.
53.
53.
54.
55.
55.
55.
56.
56.
57.
59.
60.
60.
61.
61.
62.
62.
63.
64.
65.
65.
67.
67.
69.
70.
70.
jo.
71.

Leeds Public Library—Corson.
Wimbledon Public Library-—Potts, Sulman,
andHennings.
Hindley Public Library—Worthington and Elgood.
Edinburgh Public Library—Two competition plans.
West Norwood Public Library—Smith.
Lambeth, The " T a t e " Library (South Lambeth)—Smith.
Kensington Public Library—Stirling.
Battersea Central Library— Two competition plans.
Chester Public Library—Lockwood.
Kennington, T h e " D u r n i n g " Library—Smith.
Battersea Central Library—Lyon.
Chelsea Central Library—Three conpetition
plans.
Mile End, T h e People's Palace—Robson.
Wandsworth Public Library—Smith and Gale.
Chelsea Central Library—Brydon.
Oxford, Mansfield College—Champneys.
Ayr, T h e " C a r n e g i e " Library—Morris and Hunter.
Uppingham School
lAbrary—Jackson.
Bermondsey Public Library—Johnson.
Lincoln Cathedral Library—Wren.
Uppingham School Library—Jackson.
Stoke Newington Public Library—Runtz.
Colchester Public Library—Binyo/i.
Walbeck Public Library—Wilson.
St. Helen's Institute and Library—Horsley.
Widnes Public Library— Woodhouse and
Willoughby.
Hampstead Central Library—Field.
Columbia College ( U . S . A . ) — M ' K i m , Mead, and White.
West H a m Institute and Library—Gibson and Russell,
Cardiff Public Library—Seward.
Manchester, T h e Christie Library, Owens College—
Waterhouse.
71. Manchester, T h e Rylands Library — Champneys.
71. London, Library of the Institution of Civil Engineers—
Barry.
71. Shoreditch Public Library—Wigg y Oliver, and Hudson.
72. Bristol Branch Library—Go ugh.

APPENDIX

323

L I S T O F I L L U S T R A T I O N S O F L I B R A R I E S appearing
in t h e Building

News,

from vol. i, 1855, to vol. 72,

1897, with t h e n a m e s of t h e architects.
VOL.

3.
3.
4.
5.
7.
16.
19.
21.
24.
24.
31.
37.
yj.
38.
41.
"41.
44.
45.
45.
46.
46.
47.
48.
48.
48.
49.
51.
53.
54.

British Museum Public Library—Panizzi.
Liverpool Public Library—A Horn.
London Reform Club—Barry.
Venice, St. Mark's.
London, New Library, Inner Temple—Abraham.
Cardiff Library and Museum—
Salford Public Library—Boyle and Bennett.
Cincinnati Public Library—McLaughlin.
Blackburn Public Library— Hoodzell and Collcutt.
London, Grafton Street—Chatfield Clarke.
Derby Public Library—Freemait.
Leeds Public Library—Corson.
Ipswich Public Library—Cheston, Binyon, and Bisshopp.
Cardiff Public Library—James, Seward, and Thomas.
Oldham Public Library— Mitchell.
London, Inner Temple—Edis.
Newark-upon-Trent, Gilstrap Library — Henman
a?id
Beddoe.
Belfast Public Library—Lyjin.
Munich Royal Library — Gaeriner.
Design for a free library—Doughty.
London, Gray's Inn—Isaac and Flore?ice.
Dublin, National Library—Deane.
Cambridge, Trinity Hall—Adams.
Manchester, Chetham Library.
Dublin, National Library—Holme and Horneblower.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Public Library—Sugden, Blood,
and Sugden.
Folkestone Public Library—Bitty on.
Poole, Dorset, Public Library—Lawson and Donkin.
Kensal Town Public Library—Karslake and Mortimer.

3H

APPENDIX

VOL.

55. Edinburgh, Solicitors of the Supreme Court Library—
Dunn,
55. Vatican Library, Rome.
56. Chelsea Public Library—Brydon.
56. Clerkenwell Public Library—Karslake and Mortimer.
56. Lambeth, T h e " T a t e " Library (South Lambeth)—Smith.
58. Chelsea Public Library—Brydon.
58. West Norwood Public Library—Smith.
58. Edinburgh Public Library—Browne.
58. Newark-upon-Trent—
58. Rochdale Public Library—
59. Aberdeen Public Library—Browne.
59. Belfast Public Library—Lynn.
59. Clapham Public Library—PAnson.
59. Darlington, " Edward Pease " Public Library—Hoskins.
59. Clerkenwell Public Library—Karslake and Mortimer.
59. Edinburgh Public Library—Browne.
60. Battersea, Lurline Gardens —Branch.
60. Minneapolis Public Library—Long and Kees.
60. Camberwell, " Livesey " Library— Whellock.
60. St. Martin-in-the-Fields Public Library—Walker.
60. Streatham, T h e " T a t e " Public Library—Smith.
60. West Norwood Public Library—Smith.
60. Edinburgh Public Library—Browne.
61. Ashton-under-Lyne Public Library—Eaton.
61. Brixton, T h e " T a t e " Public Library—Smith.
61. St. George's Public Library (Buckingham Palace Road)
—Bolton.
61. Southampton Public Library—Guy and Smith.
61. Stoke Newington Public Library—Bridgman and Goss.
62. Bermondsey Public Library—Johnson.
62. Croydon Public Library—Henman.
62. Newington Public Library—L y Anson.
63. Ayr,The " C a r n e g i e " Public Library—Campbell^Douglass,
and Morrison.
63. Lewisham Public Library—Guy.
63. Poplar Public Library—Clarkson.

APPENDIX

325

VOL.

63. Whitechapel, T h e " Passmore Edwards " Public Library
—Potts and Hennings.
64. Birmingham, Bloomsbury Branch Library—Cossins and
Peacock.
64. Colchester Public Library—Binyon.
64. Shoreditch, T h e " Passmore Edwards " Public Library—
LovelL
64. Cambridge, St. John's College Library—
65. Camberwell Public Library—Whellock.
65. West H a m Public Library (Canning Town)—Angell.
65. Westminster Public Library—Smith.
65. Cardiff Public Library—Seward and Thomas.
66. Camborne, T h e " Passmore Edwards " Public Library—
Trevail.
66. Falmouth, T h e " Passmore E d w a r d s " Public Library—
Tresidder.
66. Kilburn Public Library— Edmeston and Gabriel.
67. Barking Public Library—Dawson.
67. Kingston-upon-Hull Branch Library—Cheers.
67. Redruth, T h e " Passmore E d w a r d s " Public Library—
Hicks.
67. Walthamstow Public Library— Williams and Dunford.
67. St. Mary-le-Strand Public Library, Drury Lane—Vicars.
68. Camborne, T h e " Passmore E d w a r d s " Public Library—
Trevail.
68. Truro Public Library—Trevail.
68. Hammersmith Public Library—A darns.
69. Hammersmith Public Library—A darns.
69. Lower Edmonton Public Library—Adams.
69. Shoreditch Public Library—Five competition plans.
69. West H a m Public Library and Institute—Four competition plans.
70. Abingdon Public Library—West.
70. Bodmin, T h e " Passmore E d w a r d s " Public Library—
Trevail.
70. Hammersmith Public Library—Adams.
70. Hyde Public Library— Woodhouse and
Willoughby.

326

APPENDIX

VOL.

70. Shoreditch, T h e " Passmore Edwards " Public Library—
Four competition plans.
70. Liskeard Public Library.
70. Nunhead Public Library—Whellock.
70. St. Ives Public Library—Symons.
70. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, T h e " Stephenson " Library (Elswick)—Dyson.
71. Boston (Mass.), T h e Old West Church Library—
Benjamin.
71. Dulwich, T h e " Passmore Edwards"' Public Library—
Barry and Son.
71. Widnes Technical Institute and Library—Woodhouse
and
Willoughby.
72. Edmonton, T h e " P a s s m o r e E d w a r d s " Public Library—
Adams.
72. Shadwell, T h e " Passmore E d w a r d s " Public Library—
Adams.

INDEX

INDEX
ABBEY (Edwin A.), cartoons of the
" Q u e s t of the Holy Grail" at
Boston Public Library, 239
Aberdeen Public Library:
Arrangement and plan, 141
Method of indicator work, 80
System of mechanical ventilation, 37
Aberdeen University Library :
Shelf fittings, 53
Adams (Maurice B.), architect of
the Edmonton and Hammersmith Public Libraries, 211
Alcove system of shelving, see Shelving
Allom (T.), architect of the Liverpool Free Library, 167
American Libraries, see Baltimore,
Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chicago, Cornell University, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York,
and Washington
Amherst College Library:
Arrangement of shelving, 48
Amsterdam University Library:
Construction of iron floor of
book-stores, 64
Archer (William), suggestions for
library buildings, 153
Athenaeum newspaper file, 113
Athens, the Valliano Library :
Arrangement and plan, 311
At water newspaper file, 113
BALTIMORE, Peabody Institute:
Arrangement and plan, 10, 290
Banbury newspaper file, 115
Barrett (F. Thornton), inventor of
the first indicator, 73
Barrett's book support, 102, 104
Barry (Sir Charles), plan for the

extension of the British Museum,
138
Bates Hall, see Boston Public
Library
Battersea Central Library:
Arrangement and plan, 194
Card-catalogue, 88
Beaumont (J. W . and R. F.), architects of the Gorton and Openshaw
Libraries, 174
Baber (Henry H.), librarian of the
British Museum, 136
Belfast Public Library:
Architectural account, 142
Bermondsey Public Library :
Architectural account, 197
Bethnal Green Library:
Sliding press, 65
Birmingham Public Libraries:
Architectural account of the
central library, 144
Branch lending libraries and
news-rooms, 145
Issues and stock at the central
library, 7
Bishopsgate Institute,
London,
198
Blackburn Library and Museum :
Architectural account, 147
Bodleian Library, Oxford, 3
Bolton (Albert J.), architect of the
Sr. George's Library, 227
Bolton Central Library, issues and
stock, 7
Bonner's indicator, 86
Bookcases, see Shelving
Book-lifts, 104
Book-railway in use at the Library
of Congress, 105, 261
Book-railways at the Boston Public
Library, 250
Book-supports, 100

33o

INDEX

Book-trucks in use at the British
Museum and Gottingen, 96
Books, sizes of, 40
Bootle Library and Museum :
Arrangement and plan, 148
Boston Public Library :
Architectural description and
plans, 239
Decoration of the public rooms,
15. 245
Height of bookcases, 40
Height of book-stacks, 43
Bowry newspaper file, 112, 115
Brackets, see Shelving
Bradford Public Library:
Sliding press invented by Virgo,
65, 71
Braithwaite Hall, Croydon, 206
BriggsandWolstenholme, architects
of the Gamble Institute, St.
Helens, 182.
Bristol Branch Library at St.
Philip's, 150
British Museum, London :
Architectural history of the
Museum, 128
Book-lift and carrier, 104
Book-truck, 96
Desksand tables for readers, 107
Electric lighting, 29, 30
First catalogue published in
1787, 131
Heating and ventilation, 32
Height of bookcases, 40
Height of book-stacks, 43
Shelving and sliding press, 64
Special shelving for folios, 68
Brixton Library, see Lambeth
Brooklyn, Pratt Institute :
Arrangement and plans, 284
Brown (Alexander), architect of the
Aberdeen Public Library, 141
Brown (Sir William), donor of the
Liverpool Free Library, 167
Browne (G. Washington), architect
of the Edinburgh Public Library,
158
Brussels Royal Library:
Description of ladder in use,
118
Brydon (J. M.), architect of the
Chelsea Central Library, 200
Buckingham House proposed as
site for British Museum, 130
Buffalo Library:
Arrangement and plan, 269

Bulletin boards and frames, 92
Burgoyne's newspaper fastener, 125
C A B L E book-carrier at the Library
of Congress, 105, 261
Camberwell Central Library :
Plan of the, 199
Cambridge, Trinity College Library, 10
Card-catalogues, 87
Cardiff Central Library, issues and
stock, 7
Carnegie (Andrew), donor of the
Edinburgh Library, 162
Carysfort (Lord), fire in the library
of, 24
Casey (T. L.), joint-architect of the
Library of Congress, 257
Chairs for news-rooms, 116
Chelsea Central Library:
Architectural account of the,
200

Cost of electric lighting, 29
Cheltenham Public Library:
Architectural account, 150
Chicago, the Newberry Library :
Arrangement and plan, 267
Chivers' library appliances, see Library Bureau
Clapham Public Library:
Architectural account of the,
204
Clarkson (J. and S. F.), architects
of the Poplar Public Library,
226
Clerkenwell Public Library:
Arrangements and plan, 205
Cotgreave (A.), library appliances :
Automatic and other steps,
98
Indicators, 76
Magazine and periodical racks,
no
Congress, Library of, Washington :
Architectural
account
and
plans, 257
Cable book-carrier, 105, 261
Height of book-stacks, 43
Copyright Acts of A.D. 1774, 1814,
and 1842, 132
Cornell U-niversity Library, Ithaca :
Arrangements and plans of the,
274
Cossins and Peacock, architects of
the Saltley Library, 146

INDEX

33 l

Crocker book-brace and support,
ioo
Croydon Central Library:
Arrangements and plan, 206

European Libraries, see Athens,
Frankfurt, Greifswald, Gottingen,
Leipzig, Halle, Paris, Strassburg,
Wolfenbuttel

DARLINGTON,
Edward
Pease
Library :
Architectural account and plan,
151
Ventilation and lighting, 28
Deane (Sir Thomas), architect of
the National Library, Dublin,
156
De Chavannes (Puvis), painter,
work of, in Boston Public Library,
15, 246
Decoration of libraries, 15, 257
Delessert (Benjamin), plan for rebuilding the French National
Library, 138
Derby Library and Museum :
Arrangement of public rooms,
146
Desks, see Tables and Desks
Dewey (Melvil) on height of bookcases, 40
Dublin, National Library of Ireland :
Architectural
account
and
plans, 153
Arrangement of bookcases and
storerooms, 156
Dundee Free Library, lighting of,
26
Duplex indicator, 80
Dusting machine, 125
Dyson (John W.), architect of
the Stephenson Library, Elswick,
181

F E N T O N system of book-shelving, 57
Fergusson (James) on the extension of the British Museum, 137
Ferry and Clas, architects of the
Milwaukee Library and Museum,
279
Fires in libraries, 19, 24, 47
Floors of iron and glass for bookstores, 60, 64
Floors of wood and stone for the
public rooms, 24
Florence, Biblioteca Laurenziana, 1
Follini (Vincenzo), librarian of the
Magliabecchian Library, 5
Fontana (Domenico), architect of
the Vatican Library, 2
Forshall (Rev. Josiah), Secretary of
the British Museum, 137
Fowler (A.), architect of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central Library,
177
Frankfurt, the State Library :
Arrangement and plans, 299
Freeman (R. K.), architect of the
Derby Free Library, 146
French (D. C ) , designer of the
bronze doors of the Boston Public
Library, 243
Furniture for libraries and newsrooms, 95

E A S E L S for folios and copying, 120122

Edinburgh Public Library:
Architectural account and plans,
158
Electric lighting, 162
Edmonton Public Library :
Arrangement and plans, 211
Eidlitz (C. L. W.), plan of the
Buffalo Library, 269
Electric lighting, see Lighting
Elliot indicator, 74
Elswick Library, see Newcastleupon-Tyne

G A M B L E Institute, see St. Helens
Garnett (Dr. Richard) introduces
the sliding press into the British
Museum, 65
Garnsey (E. E.), work of, at the
Boston Public Library, 250
Gas, influence of, on bindings, 13
Gibbs (James), architect of the Ratcliffe Library, Oxford, 3
Gibson and Russell, architects of
the West Ham Technical Institute, 237
Giessen University card-catalogue,
88
Glasgow Mitchell Library :
Arrangements and plans, 163
Cost of electric lighting, 30, 166
Issues, and stock of books, 7

332

IN DEX

Magazine rack, 110-112
Precautions against fire, 23
Size of chairs and tables, 107
Gorton Library, see Manchester
Gottingen University Library :
Construction of bookcases, 62
Table-easel for folios, 121
Trucks for books, 96
Gough (W. V.), architect of the St.
Philip's Library, Bristol, 150
Greifswald University Library:
Construction of bookcases and
stack-room, 61
Guildhall Library, L o n d o n :
Architectural description, 191
Card-catalogue, 88
System of shelving compared
with book-stores, TO
H A L I F A X (Lord), owner of Montague House, 130
Halle University Library:
Arrangement and plan, 300
Construction of bookcases and
stack-room, 57, 63
Hammersmith Public Library at
Shepherd's Bush :
Architectural account, 212
Hampstead Public Library:
Arrangements and plan, 216
Shelf fittings adopted, 53
Harris Library, see Preston
Hawkins (Edward) on the extension of the British Museum, 137
Hansen (George), architect of the
Valliano Library, Athens, 311
Hartel and Neckelmann,-architects
of the Imperial Library, Strassburg, 305
Harvey's dusting machine, 125
Heathcote's newspaper-holder, 123
Heating libraries by hot water and
steam, 13, 31, 33, 291
Henman (Charles), architect of the
Croydon Municipal Buildings and
Library, 206
Hooke (Robert), plan for rebuilding
the British Museum, 129
Hoskins (G. Gordon), architect of
the Edward Pease Library, Darlington, 151
F A N S O N (E. B.), architect of the
Clapham Public Library, 204

Indicators for lending libraries :
Barrett's, 73
Bonner's, 86
drivers', 82
Cotgreave's, JJ
Elliot's, 74
Morgan's, 82
The Duplex, 80
Iron bookcases, see Shelving
J E N N E R (Henry) and the sliding
book press, 65
Johnson (John), architect of the
Bermondsey Library, 197
Jones (Sir Horace), architect of the
Guildhall Library, 191
Jones (J. Winter), librarian of the
British Museum, 136
K E R S L A K E and Mortimer,
tects of the Clerkenwell
Library, 205
Knight (W. H.), architect
Cheltenham Library, 150
Korb, architect of the old
at Wolfenbiittel, 3

archiPublic
of the
library

LABROUSTE (Henry), architect of
the Bibliotheque Nationale and
the Bibliotheque St. Genevieve,
293
Ladders for libraries, 118
Lambert's library appliances :
Iron bookcases, 57
Magazine
and
newspaper
frame, 91
Newspaper clips, 124
Lambeth Public Libraries :
Brixton, South Lambeth, North
Lambeth, and West Norwood, 218
Display of card-catalogue, 88
Method of indicator working,
80
Lavatories, provision of, for public
use, 19
Leeds Central Library :
Issues, and stock of books, 7
Lending department of public libraries, 16, 17
Leipzig University Library:
Arrangement and plan, 303
Librarian's office, situation of, 17

333

EX
Library buildings:
Accommodation to be provided, 8
Size and shape of suitable
sites, 5
Library Bureau fittings and appliances :
Adjustable shelf fittings, 53
Chivers' indicator, 82
Chivers' newspaper-holder, 125
Metal book supports, 103
Newspaper and magazine racks
and files, 111
Shelf-pin, 52
Steel book-stack, 56
Step and handle, 100
Lifts, see Book-lifts
Lighting:
Cost of electric light, 29
Gas lighting, 31
Size and shape of windows, 26
Liverpool Free Library:
Architectural account and description, 167
Bulletin board and frame, 92
Electric lighting of readingrooms, 29
Issues, and stock at central
library, 7
Shelf support for folios, 102
Shelving for folios, 69
London Public Libraries:
Architectural accounts of—
Battersea, 195; Bermondsey,
197; Bishopsgate, 198 ;
British Museum, 128; Camberwell, 199; Chelsea, 200;
Clapham, 204; Clerkenwell, 205 ; Croydon, 206 ;
Edmonton, 211 ; Guildhall, 191; Hammersmith,
212 ; Hampstead, 215 ;
Lambeth, 218 ; Poplar,
226; St. George's, 227;
St. Martin's, 231; Streatham, 232; West Ham,
233 ; Westminster, 237
Long and Kees, architects of the
Minneapolis Public Library, 272
Lynn (W. H.), architect of the
Belfast Public Library, 142

M ' K I M (Charles F.), architect of
the Boston, U.S.A., Public Library, 239

Magazine racks, see Racks
Magnusson (E.j, suggestions for a
library building, 138
Manchester Public Libraries :
Central library inadequately
housed in the old Town Hall,
171

Gorton branch library, 172
Issues and stock of central
library, 7
Lending library system, 17
Openshaw municipal buildings
and library, 174
Mannheim Castle Library, 3
Marlborough metal book supports,
101

Miller (W. H.), architect of the
Cornell University Library, 274
Milnes (Monckton) and the galleries of the British Museum, 137
Milwaukee Library and Museum :
Arrangements and plan, 279
Minet Library floor of oak blocks,
25
Minneapolis Library :
Arrangement and plan, 272
Mitchell Library, see Glasgow
Montagu (Basil) and the Copyright
Acts, 132
Montague House bought as home
for the British Museum, 130
Morgan's indicator, 82
Mountford (E. W.), architect of the
Battersea Central Library, 194
Architect of the Technical
Schools, Liverpool, 167
Miiller and Bohnsack, architects of
the new library at Wolfenbuttel,
310

Miiller and Wolff, architects of the
Frankfurt State Library, 299
N E W York Mercantile Library :
Arrangement and plan, 261
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Library :
Arrangement and plan, 177
Cost of electric lighting, 29
Ladders, 118
Table-easel for folios, 120
Tables in reference library, 107
The Stephenson Library at Elswick, 180
Newspaper racks and files, see
Racks and files
Newspaper stands and holders, 120

334

INDEX

Norwood Library, see Lambeth
Nottingham Central Library :
Issues, and stock of books, 7

Quarterly Review
right Acts, 132

O P E N access systems of issue :
Clerkenwell, 205
Croydon, 210
Worcester, 187
Openshaw Library, see Manchester
Ornament, see Decoration
Oxford, Bodleian and Radcliffe
Libraries, 3

RACKS for newspapers and magazines, n o
Radcliffe Library, Oxford, 3
Railways for transmission of books,
see Book-railways
Reading-stands for newspapers, 120
Record Office shelf fitting, 52
Rome, Vatican Library, 1
Rossbach (Herr), architect of the
University Library, Leipzig, 304

PANIZZI (Sir A.), plans for the
extension of the British Museum,
136, 138
Paris Libraries :
Bibliotheque St. Genevieve,
297
National Library of France :
Arrangements and plan, 293
Dangers from fire, 21
Height of bookcases, 40
Shelving for folios, 69
Table-shelf for stack-room, 70
Passmore Edwards (John), libraries
built by, see Edmonton, and Hammersmith
Peabody Institute, Baltimore, see
Baltimore
Pease Library, see Darlington
Periodical racks, see Racks
Photographic studio in the Boston
Public Library, 252
Photography in libraries, 93
Picton (Sir J. A.), Chairman of the
Liverpool Library Committee,
167
Picton Reading-room, Liverpool,
169
POOIQ (Dr. W . F.), plans for a large
library, 44, 267
Poplar Public Library:
Arrangement and plan, 226
Powell Reading-room for Boys,
Wigan, 187
Pratt
Institute,
Brooklyn, see
Brooklyn
Preston,
Harris
Library
and
Museum, 181
Printing machines in use at the
Boston Library, 255
Puget (Pierre), architect of the I
British Museum, 129
I

on the

Copy-

SAGE (Henry W.), donor of new
building for the library of Cornell
University, 274
St. Gaudens (L.), sculptor, work of,
in Boston Public Library, 244
St. George's, Hanover Square,
Public Library :
Arrangement and plan, 227
St. Gall Monastic Library, 3
St. Helens, Gamble Institute :
Arrangement and plan of the
library portion, 182
St. M a r t i n - i n - t h e - F i e l d s Public
Library, 231
Sansovino, architect of the Libreria
Vecchia, Venice, 1
Santa's plan for a library building,
4
Sargent (John S.), work of, at the
Boston Public Library, 253
Shelving and bookcases:
Alcove system described, 10
Book-stack of the University
Library, Greifswald, 60
Book-stores and shelving of the
National Library of Ireland,
156
Book supports, 100
Comparative advantages of
wood, iron, steel, and slate
fittings, 49
Construction of the shelving at
the Buffalo Library, 270
Construction of the shelving in
the Minneapolis Library, 272
Dr. Poole's plan for shelving a
large library, 44, 46
Galleries and shelving at the
U niversity Library of Gottingen, 62

INDEX
Height of bookcases, 39
Method of calculating the book
capacity of a room, 48
Method of shelving employed
in the Library of Congress,
259
Methods of fixing shelves, 51
Shelves for folio and quarto
volumes, 42
Sizes of books, 40
Shelving in use at the University
Library of Halle, 57
Shelving of the British Museum
Library, 64
Sliding bookcases used in the
British Museum, 65
Stack system of shelving described, 11
Steps for bookcases, 98
Storerooms and shelving of the
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, 285
Sherlock (C.), architect of the Picton
Reading-room, Liverpool, 169
Simplex indicator, 82
Simpson and Allen, architects of
the Victoria Institute, Worcester,
187
Sites for libraries, 5
Sloane (Sir Hans), bequest of, to
the nation, 128
Smith (F. J.), architect of the Westminster Public Library, 237
Smith (Sidney R. J.), architect of
the Lambeth and Streatham
Public Libraries, 222
Smithmeyer and Pelz, joint-architects of the Library of Congress,
Washington, 257
Smirke (Sir Robert), architect of
the British Museum, 133
Smirke (Sydney), and the new reading-room at the British Museum,
138
Statistics of the growth of libraries, 7
Stephenson Library at Elswick,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 180
Steps for bookcases, 98
Stockholm National Library:
Height of bookcases, 40
Strassburg Imperial Library:
Arrangement and plan, 305
Strassburg University Library:
Shelving for folios, 67
Streatham, the Tate Public Library :
Arrangement and plan, 232

335

Stuttgart Royal Library :
Arrangement and plan, 19
Height of bookcases, 40
Supervision of public rooms, 18
TABLES and desks for readers,
105
Pate (Henry), libraries built by, see
Lambeth, and Streatham
fayler (Arnold S.), architect of
the Hampstead Public Library,
217
Telephone and Telautograph for
use in large libraries, 93
Tonics' shelf-fitting for bookcases,
Si
Townsend (C. Harrison), architect
of the Bishopsgate Institute,
198
Trucks, see Book-trucks
U M B R E L L A stands for public use, 95
VALLIANO Library, see Athens
Venice, Libreria Vecchia, 1
Ventilation :
General considerations, 31
Mechanical system in use at
Aberdeen, 37
System in use at the Boston
Public Library, 255
Table for calculation of work
done by a ventilating shaft,
.36.
Ventilation and heating in alcove libraries, 292
Victor ladder, 119
Victoria Institute, see Worcester,
Vienna, Court Library, 3
Virgo (Charles), system of closed
bookcases, 71
W A L K E R (Sir A. B.), donor of the
Liverpool Art Gallery, 167
Walker's book-rack and slip-sorter,
117
Waterhouse (A.), architect of the
Wigan Free Library, 185
Watts (Thomas) on the extension
of the British Museum, 137
West Ham Technical Institute and
Library, 233

336

INDEX

Westminster Public Library:
Arrangements and plan, 18,
237
Whistler (J. A. M'Neill), work of,
at the Boston Public Library,
247
White wing of the British Museum,
139
Widnes Free Library:
Arrangement and plan, 184
Wigan Free Library:
Arrangement and plan, 185
The Powell Branch Readingroom for Boys, 187
Windows, see Lighting

Wolfenbuttel Library:
Arrangement and plan of the
new building, 310
Plan of the old building, 3
Woodhouse and Willoughby, architects of the Widnes Library, 184
Worcester, Victoria Institute and
Library, 187
XYLONITE, use of, for protection of
plates, 92
ZAEHNSDORF'S

covers, 24

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