The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, September 28, 1901, Page 10, Image 10
10 THB GOURIBR. I ill! rior flight of steps is of an easy grade, and the extreme breadth makes the ap proach imposing. The stone coping on each side of the steps will be surmount ed by ornamental wrought iron lampB designed by a Chicago artist. Over the entrance is a pediment sup ported by two massive pilasters and two pure Ionic columns, in the pediment proper is an ornamental design in scroll work, carried out in terra cotta in high relief. Immediately underneath on the arch' t rave is the inscription, "Lincoln City Library," in large letters. The doorway is arched, and in the spandrels are two female figures repre senting Science and Literature. Theso have been deemed of sufficient excel lence to warrant publication in one of the architectural journals. The doors will bo of massive oak, with plate glass panels. Over these panels, as well as over the plate glass transoms, will be wrought iron grill work of special de sign. On the main floor, the only apart ments in which any effort at ornamenta tion will be made are the vestibule and the delivery room. The vestibule will contain a second flight of nine steps, with treads of Tennessee marble. The remainder of the flooring in the vesti bule will be of mosaic tile. The vesti bule will be wainscoted in dark Tennes see marble of three different colors. Over the wainscoting the walls will be molded in pilasters and panels of Kent's cement, with cornices at the ceiling. The vestibule will contain a bronze tab let commemorative of Mr. Carnegie's donation of the funds for the building. From the vestibule the visitor will pass through swinging doors directly into the delivery room. This is octag onal in form and extends to the extreme height of the dome. The walls of this are simply the eight pillars shown on the diagram. These are wainscoted with dark Tennessee marble and sur rounded at the top by moulded arches. Above them the interior of the dome is finished in ornamental mouldings and cornices. The floor of the delivery room is a special design in mosaic tile. The tile flooring also extends through the hall leading to the stairway on the left, and to that portion of the open stack room and the children's room next to the counters. The main delivery counter will be on the east side of the delivery room, front ing the entrance, semi-circular in form, and faced with dark Tennessee marble to correspond to the wsinscoting of the columns. To the rear of this counter, and occupying the extension of the building to the east, will be the main stack room in which the general collec tion of books will be kept. In this the book shelves or stacks will be arranged, radiating from the counter bo as to en able the attendant at the counter to Bee every portion of this stack. At the out set this will be equipped with shelves having a capacity of 16,300 volumes. The construction of the shelves, how ever, will be such as to permit additions, and the construction of a second tier above with a total capacity of 36,000 volumes. The open stack room, so-called, occu pies the northeast corner of the main building. This will be equipped at the outset with shelves having a capacity of 9,200 standard volumes. The open stack room is a feature which has not been generally adopted in libraries. While the public will have free access to every portion of the stack, it is recog nized that the time will come when the main stack will be so crowded that simply for lack of room the general public can not be admitted to it. The open stack room, however, is always to be kept open to the public, and in it will be kept the books of general and immediate interest. In this room, also, will bs kept the card catalogues, tha bulletins and tables at which readers can examine and select their books. From the open stack room doors lead to the librarian's private office and to the cataloguing room. The librarian's office has a window looking into the stack rooms, enabling the librarian to command a view of the delivery desk and surroundings. In the southeast corner of the build ing is the children's room. This will at present have wall shelves for 3,600 volumes, and in it will be kept all books of more immediate interest to the young. It will be supplied with tables, aud dur ing the busy hours of the day a special attendant will be in charge to guide the children in their search for books and instruct them in the use of the library. The children's apartment is one to which every modern library devotes particular attention. In the eouthwest corner of the build ing will be the reading room for news papers and periodicals. This is the largest apartment in the building, as it has been found from experience in Lin coln that it is one of the most popular departments of the library. It will be furnished with six large reading tables, two reading desks for the daily newspa pers, racks for magazines and other ap pliances. In the southwest portion of the build ing will be the reference room with shelves having a capacity of 3,300 stan dard volumes, to which readers will at all times have direct access. This is de signed more' particularly as the study room of the library, in which readers and students can consult not only the books kept in this room, but to which they may bring any books kept in other portions of the library. The plane for future enlargement give the room a possible shelf capacity of 7,700 volumee. It will be furnished with five tables; three of them have table lights from the floor. The book stacks or shelves will be of steel of the bracket construction, manu factured by the Art Metal Construction company of Jamestown, New York, represented by the State Journal com pany of this city. They are adjustable at any height, and all shelves are rapidly interchangeable throughout the entire library without the use of tools. The arrangement and construction of this floor will permit a single attendant at the delivery counter to have super vision of the entire floor, thus making it possible to keep the library open with a single attendant, necessitating addition al assistants only for the actual work on band. This is an important feature in this library; for most libraries find it necessary to keep an attendant in every department simply for the purpose of supervision, regardless of the actual work to be done. The basement of the building will be dry and airy. It will have a twelve foot ceiling with large windows in every apartment. Under the floor will be a bed of concrete, and between the base ment and every portion of soil, whether under the floor or on the Bides, there is a damp proof course of tar and pitch which effectually excludes all dampness. Over the concrete base will be laid a floor of hard maple. The basement is reached by a broad stairway from the delivery room. It can be reached through a door in front leading through the bicycle room, and through a doerway on the north side of the building from the alley. From the alley door a broad ball runs through the basement from north to south. In the southwest corner will ba two studies separated by a roller partition, which telescopes into the ceiling. These are designed for the ubs of special students who may need to work in privacy, and in it the books required by them can be placed to be UBed at their convenience. These two studies can be thrown into a aingls room to be used for lectures, club meetings and gatherings incidental to the use of the library. Together they will be large enough to seat about one hundred persons. In the northwest corner will be a staff room for the use of the employes of the library as a retiring room. The bicycle room will be in front, im mediately north of the main entrance, and entered through a doorway on the outside of the building. This will com municate with the main hall in the basement, and can be used as an en trance to the basement; though ordi narily access to the basement by the public can be gained only through the delivery room in view of the attendants. Under the cataloguing and librarian's rooms is the storage and unpacking room. All bookB and packages of every character will be brought into the build ing through the alley door into the base ment and into this unpacking room. All unpacking will be done there, and arti cles not needed for immediate use can be placed in the storage room immedi ately adjoining. BookB will then be Bent into the cataloguing room immedi ately overhead by means of a book lift. In this room will also be done all repair ing, binding and miscellaneous work. On the north side of the basement are also located the toilet rooms for men and women, and the janitor's room. Under the vestibule is a large vault in which are to be kept records or any thing else that may need to be kept secure. The southeast portion of the basement tinder the main stack room and chil dren's room has been marked on the plans as a museum. It is hoped that it may be possible to accumulate a museum of articles especially interest ing to the people of this city. For the present, however, this apartment is Bimply spare room which can be used for any purpose of the library to which it may be adapted. At some future time the children's room on the floor above may be needed as a general stack room, in which case the children's room can be placed here. The shelves with which the library is to be equipped this time will have an actual capacity of about 32,400 standard volumes. The present building has a possible shelf capacity of 85,000 standard volumes, without any reconstruction or change in the shelf arrangement as now designed. Whenever thio shelf capaci ty shall be outgrown, increased capacity to practically an unlimited extent can be provided by an addition eastward, in which event the radial arrangement of stacks in the main stack room will have to be modified. At the present time the library has upon ite shelves about 10,500 volumes. To these should be added some four or five hundred volumes which have l en purchased but not yet received, and about twenty-five hundred volumes of government publications obtau td through Congressman Burkett, wh h for lack of room and assistance, it 1ms not be able to catalogue or place u. m the shelves. These will be provided fur in the new building. It will be seen that the present sup ply will make but an insignificant show -ing in this magnificent new building. The citizens of Lincoln will doubtless feel it well worth their while to provnie for a substantial increase when the building is opened. THEATRIGAk. THE FUNKE. The Chase-Lister company, which will open a week's engagement at the Funke-next Monday night, stands second to none in the west. This company on its previous visits to our city has always given the best of satisfaction. This season it is larger, stronger and better in every respect than ever before, pro ducing nothing but the latest and beet city successes. Monday night it will produce for the first time here that beautiful society comedy, "The Sena tor's Daughter." Two ladies or one lady and gentleman will be admitted Monday night on one paid thirty or fifty cent ticket. Prices for this engage ment 10c, 20c, 30c and 50c. Seats on Bale Friday morning. "I don't see why they should stick suck an ugly thing as you right in front of me," complained the rose at the flower show. "Age before beauty, my dear," replied the century plant gallantly. Philadel phia Press. 2 THE FRH IKE J And Dairy Go. Manufacturers of the finest qual ity of plain and fancy Ice Cream, Ices, Frozen Puddings, Frappe and Sherbets. Prompt delivery and satisfaction guaranteed. 183 SO. 1 2th St. PHON E 205 . 9 F. H. PIERS0N, grain, Ipromsions and gtocks. 1035 N St, Lincoln, and Hastings, Nebr. THE FUNKE DIBECTIOM or B oflxBVflHHriB ALL NEXT WEEK. TJEHv nil e In a repertoire of the latest successes. Special vaudeville features by the best artists ever carried by a repertoire company. MONDAY NIGHT The Senator's Daughter. Ladies free Monday night under the usual conditions. 1 Prices, 10c, 20c, 30c and 50c. Seat sale Wednesday. F. G. ZEHRUR6 AND 0. T. CRAWFORD f Cor. O and 12th Sts. Phone 605 vl r II. I 3'