[ Reprinted from Tue Lisrary Journat, December, 1909) 
 
 LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 Tue library of the University of North 
 Carolina enjoys the distinction of being the 
 oldest state university library in the United 
 States. Its history, embracing a period of 
 114 years, is contemporaneous with that of 
 the university, in whose varying fortunes it 
 has shared. 
 
 From its foundation in 1795 to 1885 its book 
 collection consisted of three parts, the univer- 
 sity library proper and the libraries of the 
 Dialectic and Philanthropic Literary Socie- 
 ties. These three parts were merged in 1885, 
 and in 1905 were made to constitute the pres- 
 ent library. In the latter year the university 
 assumed complete charge of its administration 
 and maintenance, and since then, though con- 
 tinuing to profit by the hearty co-operation of 
 the societies, has conducted it as an active, 
 effective university department. 
 
 The present library building, the gift of 
 Mr, Andrew Carnegie, was completed in Sep- 
 tember. 1907. It was planned solely for library 
 purposes, and after two years of thorough 
 testing has proven splendidly adapted to the 
 requirements made of it. It is situated on a 
 beautifully terraced plot in the northwestern 
 corner of the campus near the fraternity halls 
 and faces east towards the Caldwell monument 
 and Alumni Hall. It is of pepper and salt 
 white pressed brick, with concrete trimmings, 
 and fits well in the campus plan for other 
 university buildings. Architecturally it is of 
 the simple, pleasing classic style. Its long 
 line of 124 feet on the front is relieved by a 
 central projecting facade in which is the main 
 entrance with ornamented arch and single 
 window above and two-story panelled win- 
 dows between pilasters to the right and left. 
 The approach from the center of the campus 
 is by means of a broad gravelled walk, which 
 is crossed at right angles at the base of the 
 terrace steps by a smaller one running length- 
 wise the building. Broad concrete steps lead 
 froin the terrace to the doorway and vestibule 
 landing, from which another short flight leads 
 to the central lobby or main hall of the build- 
 ing. On either side of the vestibule are curv- 
 ing stairways, which meet in a landing imme- 
 diately above it and lead from it, in a broad 
 short flight, to the second floor. In front, to 
 the right and left of the stairs, are two small 
 cloak rooms. To the right and left of the 
 lobby, and occupying the entire main wings of 
 the building, are the reference and reading 
 rooms. Both are light and spacious and are 
 equipped with heavy oak shelving, racks, 
 tables and chairs especially adapted to their 
 appropriate «uses. They are separated from 
 the lobby by a series of arched glass parti- 
 tions and doors, which render them free from 
 noise incident to passing in the lobby, but at 
 the same time easy of supervision from the 
 delivery desk. In the rear. to the left of the 
 stack room, is the room for bound period- 
 
 icals; in the center, the stack room itself, and 
 to the right, a narrow hallway leading to a 
 side entrance and the librarian and cataloger’s 
 rooms. Between the vestibule and the en- 
 trance to the stack, slightly back of the center 
 of the lobby, and at a point commanding a 
 view of all entrances and stairs, is the deliv- 
 ery desk, with the card catalog at the right 
 and a special reference case at the left. An 
 abundance of light is admitted from the front 
 and sides through the partitions and doors 
 and from the roof through a large circular 
 well in the second floor. 
 
 ‘whe stack is planned for three tiers of : 
 shelving, with two mezzanine glass floors and 
 a book lift. It has a capacity of 110,000 vol- 
 umes, which, supplemented by that of the 
 other rooms of the building, will give the 
 library a total capacity of 150,000 volumes. It 
 is of fireproof construction throughout and 
 is admirably lighted with 12 tall prism glass 
 windows. In the northeast corner is a small 
 vault equipped with metal vertical filing cases 
 and shelving. It is designed to accommodate 
 50,000 sheets of manuscript and 1000 rare 
 volumes. 
 
 On the second floor is a finely lighted gal- 
 lery with eight special study rooms leading 
 off at the front and the two ends. The large 
 corner rooms at the right and left in the rear 
 are devoted to the collection of works on 
 North Carolina history and literature and the 
 scientific exchanges of the Journal of the 
 Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. 
 
 Lavatories, unpacking and storage rooms, 
 and the heating plant are in the basement. 
 Books are conveyed from the unpacking room 
 to the cataloging room above by means of a 
 metal lift. Stairways run from the side 
 hallway to the second floor and basement. 
 
 The building has a distinctive air of pleas- 
 antness and serviceableness. It is light and 
 spacious; the walls and ceilings are tinted 
 with delicate shades of green and yellow; the 
 wood work is finished in dark mahogany; the 
 furnishings are of fine, heavy quartered oak. 
 It is heated by hot water and lighted by elec- 
 tricity. At present it represents the careful 
 expenditure of $60,000, and when the stack 
 and seminar rooms are fully equipped will 
 cost $70,000. 
 
 From the beginning of the university, care- 
 ful attention has been given to the selection 
 of books, and, as a result the 55,000 volumes 
 now in the library are unusually well adapted 
 to the needs of the professor and student 
 alike. Between 3000 and 4ooo volumes are 
 added annually to this collection, for the pur- 
 chase of which an endowment fund, library 
 fees, and a special university appropriation, 
 amounting to $10,000, are provided. 
 
 Three hundred and ninety periodicals are 
 received regularly and placed at the service 
 of the students in the large reading room or 
 
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in the various seminar rooms and scientific 
 laboratories in the university. Upon the com- 
 pletion of volumes, these are bound. As a 
 result, the bound collection of periodicals thus 
 accumulated through the years and added to 
 through the purchase of entire back files is 
 especially valuable and is by far the most 
 complete to be found between Washington 
 and New Orleans. 
 
 The general reference room is supplied 
 with the newest and best encyclopedias, dic- 
 tionaries, atlases, maps, etc., all of which have 
 been chosen with the object of enabling the 
 . students to find desired information with the 
 greatest dispatch. The North Carolina room 
 contains 3000 vclumes and pamphlets which 
 are always at the disposal, not only of uni- 
 versity, students, but also of investigators 
 throughout the state who are making a spe- 
 cial study of North Carolina history and liter- 
 ature. To any one connected with the univer- 
 sity and to visiting scholars, the library aims 
 to make a definite contribution along both 
 general and special lines. 
 
 To those who are preparing to teach in the 
 public schools of the state, the library is es- 
 pecially helpful in offering a course in the 
 
 administration of school libraries. Book se- 
 lection, debate helps, reading lists, indexing 
 and similar topics with which the teacher 
 should be familiar are carefully discussed in 
 lectures and illustrated in practice in the 
 general library. 
 
 The library has interests outside the cam- 
 pus as well as within. For the past five years 
 it has taken an active part in the work of 
 general library extension in the state and the 
 South at large. It recognizes the great edu- 
 cational value of library privileges for every 
 one, and through state asscciation, state com- 
 mission, educational! conferences, and the A. 
 L. A., has endeavored to secure them jor the 
 public generally. 
 
 In view of these facts it is evident that the 
 library is of interest to the tniversity and 
 state not merely because of its history, or 
 building, or book collection, however interest- 
 ing these may be, but rather on account of the 
 daily task it sets itself to do. It endeavors to 
 touch the life of every student and teacher 
 on the campus in a beneficial way, and to 
 render the state and its citizenship generally 
 a helpful, ever-broadening service. 
 
 Louis R. WItson.