Handbook of The New York Public Library — John Shaqi
Handbook of The New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
History
Handbook of The New York Public Library
New York Public Library
Libraries -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
=Business Offices.= The rooms opening from the corridor running south from
the main staircase are mostly business offices, devoted to the
administration of the Library. They are of little interest to
sightseers, but are open to any persons who have occasion to visit them.
They include, on the front of the building, a lecture room (No. 213),
the office of the Director of the Library (No. 210), and the meeting
room of the Board of Trustees (No. 205). On the inner or western side of
the corridor are: a study (No. 214), the office of the Editor of
Publications (No. 212), and of the Reference Librarian (No. 211). The
Trustees' Room may be seen on special application at the Director's
office. Over the mantelpiece in this room is the inscription:
THE CITY OF NEW YORK HAS ERECTED THIS
BUILDING FOR THE FREE USE OF ALL THE PEOPLE
MCMX
I LOOK TO THE DIFFUSION OF LIGHT AND EDUCATION
AS THE RESOURCE MOST TO BE RELIED ON FOR
AMELIORATING THE CONDITION PROMOTING THE VIRTUE
AND ADVANCING THE HAPPINESS OF MAN
THOMAS JEFFERSON
[Illustration: MALL BEHIND LIBRARY]
On the corridor leading west, and running along the 40th Street end of
the building, are workrooms, open only to visitors having business
engagements. These rooms are the office of the Order Division (No. 204)
and of the Cataloguing and Accessions Divisions (No. 200 and No. 201).
[Illustration: SOUTH COURT]
THIRD FLOOR
The most important room on the third floor and, indeed, the centre of
activity of the entire Reference Department of the Library, is the Main
Reading Room, approached through the Public Catalogue Room. The latter
opens from the western side of the corridor at the head of the
staircases.
=Public Catalogue Room.= This room (No. 315) contains the catalogue of the
books in the Reference Department of the Library,--that is, the books
available to readers in the Main Reading Room and in the special reading
rooms of the Central Building. It is a dictionary catalogue, on cards,
in which the books are entered by author, by subject, and by title, when
the title is distinctive. The catalogue is in trays arranged in
alphabetical order, beginning on the northwest wall of the room and
running to the right. At the end of this catalogue, and on the southern
side of the room, is an author catalogue of the books in the Central
Circulation Branch and Central Children's Room, Rooms 78 and 80, in the
basement. At the end of this second catalogue and separated from it by a
public telephone, is a catalogue of the books in the Library of Congress
for which printed catalogue cards have been issued.
[Illustration: NORTHWEST CORNER]
Near the entrance to the Public Catalogue Room, and at the right, is a
bronze tablet:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account