ISBN: 9780217303125

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1898. Not illustrat… Plus…

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1898. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V ACCESS AND PRESERVATION THE REFERENCE LIBRARY, DAYS AND HOURS OF OPENING The books being gathered in and arranged, it becomes the duty of the librarian to make them accessible to the public, and to take care that they sustain no damage in the process. The means of access will depend, in the first place, on the number of days a library is open, and here the Sabbath question will present itself. No library existing mainly for research is open on Sundays in this country or abroad, but there is a growing tendency to throw open the popular free libraries on that day. This is a matter, however, that can only be settled as popular opinion dictates, and need not, perhaps, be considered in a manual of library administration. There will always be a necessity for closing for a certain number of days in the year that portion of a library which is constantly open to the public, for cleaning and repairs. A few typical instances are appended. 175 . The hours of opening of nearly all the larger libraries in Europe and America is nine o''clock; the closing hour is usually four where no artificial light is provided. Thus at the National Libraries of France and Italy the hours are from nine to four; in the Imperial Library at Vienna the same, except that rare books, music, and engravings cannot be seen after two. These hours are reasonable enough in the depth of winter, but they can only have been arranged for the summer months by a process of levelling down. The extension of working hours by means of artificial light can only be partial in its operation, at least in libraries of the first rank. The readingrooms can be illuminated, but the books outside them must remain in darkness, and inaccessible. The use of gas in a library of valuable books is impossible, both from t... John Macfarlane, Books, History, Library administration Books>History This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: G. Allen in 1898 in 260 pages; Subjects: History / General; Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science; Reference / Directories;<