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Show GROWTH OF GREAT LIBRARIES. "The greatest library event In library li-brary history, measured by material standards, ' is what the Chicago Dial calls the opening in New York of the splendid building that has cost moro than $10,000,000, that contains literary litera-ry and art treasures worth several millions more, and that occupies a site valued at about $20,000,000 The dedication ceremonies mark the completion com-pletion o fa fourfold plan conceived in the brain of Dr. John S Billings. "I wanted first of all," said he, "to see the erection of a big, handsome library li-brary building, centrally located, which should be the business and administrative ad-ministrative center of the system. I wanted also to see a wise distribution of branch libraries -all over the city. My third hope and aim was to have the system acquire a sufficient number num-ber ad variety of books. When I became director there were only about 4S0.000 books in the central libraries. li-braries. I wanted to see that number num-ber increased at least to a million. Tho fourth and last aim wns to organize or-ganize a complete and efficient library li-brary staff so that the public could bo served with books promptly and efficiently." An interesting parallel is drawn by Richard Garnett in the North American Ameri-can Review between the growth of the Brithls Museum out of the bequest og Sir Hans Sloano and the gradual enrichment of tho city of New York by similar benefactions from John Jacob Astor, who set tho example; James Lonox, who followed it up, and Mr. Tilden, whoso noble bequest, partly secured for tho community after aft-er much legislation, has led to tho fusion fu-sion of three libraries Into one. Current Cur-rent Literature. |