The John Crerar Library ... 1894-1905 ..

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The John Crerar Library

• A Free Public Reference Library
of Scientific Literature

1 894-1 905

BY

Clement W. Andrews, A.M.

LIBRARIAN

Chicago
1905

1 nt JUHIN CRERAR LIBRARY

Clement W. Andrews,
Librarian

Charles J. Barr,

Assistant Librarian

r.hira^n , May I'g, 1Q06

G. W.. Harris., Esq.,

Librarian, Cornell University Library,
Itjiaea, H.y.
Dear Mr«. Harris: -

Yours^ of May 16 has been racaived. A copy
of the Sketch was supposed to have been^to your
Library, as it, was to all on our. SKohan^e' list,
tjiough not tp those on our general mailing list.
I send, however, wit.h this mail another copy? If
you find the' first, copy was iuly received, I will
ask you tp accept, this personally..

Wit^ thanks for. your congratulations, and
the< hope' that your Library is also progressing to
your satisfaction, 1 semain,

Yours trulj

Eno

./

The John Crerar Library

A Free Public Reference Library
of Scientific Literature

1 894-1905

BY

Clement W. Andrews, A.M.

LIBRARIAN

Chicago

1905

^9^i

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[Reprint from Libraries of Chicago]

JOHN CRERAR

THE JOHN CRERAR LIBRARY

Foundation. — The John Crerar Library, the latest estab-
lished of the free public libraries of Chicago, owes its exist-
ence to the bequest of the late John Crerar.

Mr. Crerar, for many years a prominent citizen of
Chicago, was of Scotch ancestry, the son of John and Agnes
(Smeallie) Crerar. Born in New York in 1827, he was
educated in the schools of that city, and entered into busi-
ness there, becoming a member of the firm of Jessup, Ken-
nedy & Co. Coming to Chicago in 1862, he established the
firm of Crerar, Adams & Co., dealers in railroad supplies,
and accumulated a large fortune. At the time of his death
he was a director of the Pullman Palace Car Co., of the
Chicago and Alton Railroad Co., of the Illinois Trust and
Savings Bank, and president of the Chicago and Joliet Rail-
road Co. He was a member and trustee of the Second
Presbyterian Church, and gave liberally of his time and
money to the work of his church. He was greatly interested
in the charitable institutions of the city, being a director of
the Chicago Relief and Aid Society and of the Presbyterian
Hospital, and vice-president of the Chicago Orphan Asylum.
All of these and many others were remembered liberally in
his will. He was equally prominent socially, and was a
member of the Chicago, Calumet, Union, Commercial, and
Literary clubs.

Mr. Crerar died October 19, 1889. His will, dated
August 5, 1886, was admitted to probate November 14,
1889, and its validity was finally established by a decision of
the Supreme Court of Illinois, rendered June 19, 1893.

3

Chicago Libraries

Specific bequests of more than $600,000 were made to rela-
tives and friends, and of nearly $1,000,000 to charitable in-
stitutions and public purposes. The fiftieth section of the will
disposed of the remainder of the estate in the following words:

Recognizing the fact that I have been a resident of Chicago
since 1862, and that the greater part of my fortune has been accumu-
lated here, and acknowledging with hearty gratitude the kindness
that has always been extended to me by my many friends, and by my
business and social acquaintances and associates, I give, devise, and
bequeath all the rest, remainder, and residue of my estate, both real
and personal, for the erection, creation, maintenance, and endowment
of a free public library, to be called "The John Crerar Library," and
to be located in the city of Chicago, Illinois, a preference being
given to the South Division of the city, in as much as the Newberry
Library wUl be located in the North Division. I direct that my
executors and trustees cause an act of incorporation under the laws
of Illinois, to be procured to carry out the purpose of this bequest;
and I request that Norman WUliaras be made the first President
thereof; and that, in addition to my executors and trustees, the
following named friends of mine will act as the first Board of Direc-
tors in such corporation, and aid and assist my executors and trustees
therein, namely: Marshall Field, E. W. Blatchford, T. B. Blackstone,
Robert T. Lincoln, Henry W. Bishop, Edward G. Mason, Albert
Keep, Edson Keith, Simon J. McPherson, John M. Clark, and
George A. Armour, or their survivors. I desire the building to be
tasteful, substantial, and fire-proof, and that a sufficient fund be
reserved over and above the cost of its construction to provide, main-
tain, and support a library for all time. I desire the books and
periodicals selected with a view to create and sustain a healthy moral
and Christian sentiment in the community, and that all nastiness
and immorality be excluded. I do not mean by this that there shall
not be an3rthing but hymn books and sermons, but I mean that dirty
French novels and all skeptical trash and works of questionable
moral tone shall never be found in this. Library.

I want its atmosphere that of Christian refinement, and its aim
and object the building up of character, and I rest content that the
friends I have named will carry out my wishes in these particulars.

The John Crerar Library

The amount thus bequeathed was estimated at the time
to be about $2,500,000, but it was hoped that improvement
in the business conditions of the country would materially
increase this sum. These hopes have been realized, and the
total endowment, on a most conservative estimate, is now
$3,400,000.

Development. — The administration of the estate in the
Probate Court was closed July 13, 1894. Meanwhile the
trustees of the estate had co-operated with the trustees of
the Newberry estate in securing legislation which seemed
needed for the better organization and administration of
endowed libraries, embodied in "An act to encourage and
promote the establishment of free public libraries," approved
June 17, 1 89 1. Under this act the John Crerar Library was
incorporated on October 12, 1894, and duly organized Janu-
ary 12, 1895. All of the directors named by Mr. Crerar
nine years before were living and present, and Norman
Williams was elected the first president, as Mr. Crerar
desired.

Mr. Williams gave much time and thought to the devel-
opment of the Library, and retained the presidency until his
death, in 1899. He was succeeded by Huntington W. Jack-
son, who, both as trustee of the estate and as chairman of the
committee on administration, had already proved his interest
in the Library, which was further manifested by a bequest of
$1,000, notable as the first bequest received by the institution
other than the one by which it was founded. His death
followed .too soon, in January, 1901, and he was succeeded
by Honorable Peter Stenger Grosscup. Other deaths and
removals from the city have changed materially the consti-
tution of the Board of Directors, which in April, 1905,
consisted of the following gentlemen: Marshall Field, E.

Chicago Libraries

W. Blatchford, Robert T. Lincoln, Henry W. Bishop,
Albert Keep, John M. Clark, Frank S. Johnson, Peter
Stenger Grosscup, Marvin Hughitt, Thomas D. Jones,
John J. Mitchell, Leonard A. Busby, Robert Forsyth, and
the mayor and comptroller of Chicago, ex officiis. The
Treasurer, William J. Louderback, and the Librarian, Clem-
ent W. Andrews, were appointed in 1895, and have served
to the present time.

The first act of the Directors, after organization, was to
declare that the whole amount of the bequest was not too
large for the sufficient fund which they were required to
reserve in order to provide, maintain, and support the library
for all time, and that therefore the endowment should not
be encroached upon either for land, building, or books, but
that a building fund should be accumulated from the income.
This fund in January, 1905, amounted to nearly $600,000.

Scope. — The second act of the Directors was to deter-
mine the character and scope of the Library. The trustees
of the estate had prepared a list of the public libraries of the
city, giving their character and size. The actual and pros-
pective development of the Chicago Public Library as a great
lending library, and of the Newberry Library as a great
reference library in certain fields, largely influenced the trus-
tees to suggest that the John Crerar Library be made a refer-
ence library, embracing such departments as were not fully
occupied by any other existing library in Chicago, and that
the number of departments be limited to such as the funds
of the Library could render complete and unique.

After a careful consideration of the whole subject the
directors unanimously decided to establish a free public
reference library of scientific and technical literature. This
decision seemed to them to accord with the particular busi-

The John Crerar Library

ness activities by which the greater part of Mr. Crerar's
fortune had been accumulated, to exclude naturally certain
questionable classes of books which his will distinctly pro-
hibits, and to favor the aim and object which it expressly
points out. As personal friends, who had been acquainted
with his wise and generous purposes, and with his civic
patriotism and gratitude, they beheved that he would surely
have wished his gift to supplement, in the most effective
way, the existing and prospective library collections of
Chicago, and to be of the greatest possible value to the
whole city.

Accordingly, a series of conferences with the trustees of
the Chicago Public Library and the Newberry Library was
held, and an elastic scheme for the division of the field
was adopted. The special field of the John Crerar Library-
may be defined as that of the natural, physical, and social
sciences, and their applications.

The administration of the Library is not organized- into
departments, nor is there any difference of treatment of the
various subjects, but for convenience in dealing with appro-
priations, statistics, etc., the books are divided in five
classes. General Works, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences,
Natural Sciences, and Applied Sciences. The last named
class includes the applied fine arts, but not music, sculpture,
or painting. With four exceptions, theology, philology,
law, and medicine, all the subjects comprehended by a broad
interpretation of its field as already defined, are to be found
in the Library. All these exceptions are well provided for
in other libraries in the city, but the omission of medicine
has always been regarded as anomalous, and has caused
much otherwise unnecessary duplication. It is hoped that
the erection of the permanent building will offer an oppor-

Chicago Libraries

tunity of correcting this, and of making the valuable collec-
tion of the Newberry Library, by a more central location,
even more useful to the medical profession.

While it is the purpose of the Directors to develop the
Library as symmetrically as possible within these limits,
they have not hesitated to take advantage of exceptional
opportunities, and have made several purchases which make
it notably strong in certain subjects. Unusual attention,
also, has been given to the collection of files of scientific and
technical periodicals, both American and foreign.

The years 1895 and 1896 were spent in the preliminary
work of organization. A Librarian was appointed, a staff
selected, and temporary quarters secured. The purchase of
books was begun, and when, on April i, 1897, the Library
was opened to the public, without formalities, there were
15,000 volumes ready for use and 7,000 more in the hands
of the cataloguers.

Administratioil. — The management of the Library is
controlled by a board of fifteen directors. Two, the mayor
and comptroller of Chicago, are ex officio members, the
others were appointed by Mr. Crerar or have been elected
by the Board to fill vacancies, such elections being subject,
by the act under which the Library is incorporated, to the
approval of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois.
The Directors hold quarterly meetings and usually act only
upon the recommendation of the standing committees, of
which there are four — on Finance, Administration, Buildings
and Grounds, and Books. The President and the Chairmen
of these committees form an Executive Committee. A care-
fully considered succession to the powers of President and
Chairman makes further provision for action in emergencies.

Besides the President, Vice-Presidents, and Secretary,

The John Crerar Library

who must be members of the Board, the Directors elect a
Treasurer and a Librarian, who may or may not be mem-
bers. They are the executive officers of the corporation,
and are entirely independent of each other. The Treas-
urer, under the supervision of the Committee on Finance,
has charge of the receipts and payments of the Library and
the investment of its funds. The Librarian, under the
supervision of the Committee on Administration, has charge
of the general management of the Library, and, under the
supervision of the Committee on Books, of the selection and
purchase of books. In the latter work he has the assistance
of several of the staff, who systematically read and summar-
ize book reviews. Suggestions from readers are welcomed
and given careful consideration.

Staff. — The work of the Library is carried on by a staff
of forty-three persons, consisting of a librarian, assistant
librarian, cataloguer, reference librarian, classifier, assistant
cataloguer, assistant reference librarian, six senior assistants,
fifteen junior assistants, six attendants, four pages, janitor,
assistant janitor, and three charwomen. Of the forty-three,
twenty-one are women. Appointments are made by the
Committee on Administration, subject to the approval of the
Directors. All applications are referred to the Librarian,
and the Committee act only upon report from him. On
account of the peculiar demands of a scientific library, they
will not consider applications for positions above the grade
of attendant from persons not having a reading knowledge of
French and German. The Committee also place great
weight on library training and experience, so that nearly all
the employees above the grade mentioned are graduates of
library schools or have entered the service from other
libraries. Of the attendants almost all in the evening ser-

Chicago Libraries

vice have been students at one or another of the educational
institutions of the city or vicinity.

Rooms. — Temporary quarters, pending the accumulation
of a building fund and the erection of a permanent building,
were obtained by leasing, in July, 1895, the sixth floor of
the Marshall Field & Co. Building, No. 87 Wabash Avenue.
In May, 1900, one half of the fifth floor was added, and in
January, 1906, the rest of that floor will be occupied.

The Reading Room, furnished in dark oak, is on the sixth
floor, and accommodates about one hundred readers. The
Society Room is on the flfth floor, with separate entrance.
It seats about fifty, and its use is granted by the Committee
on Administration without charge to meetings for scientific
and educational purposes, and caa be secured for the stated
meetings of societies. The Stack Rooms are on both floors,
and have at present seats for about twenty readers engaged
in special research, an.d shelf room for one hundred thou-
sand volumes. The remainder of the collection has been
placed temporarily in a room kindly offered by the New-
berry Library. The Directors' Room, on the sixth floor,
contains life-size portraits of Mr. Crerar and of the Due
d'Aumale by the late G. P. A. Healy. Besides these the
suite contains several other rooms needed for the administra-
tion of the Library.

Collections. — On June i, 1905, the Library had entered
upon its books of record 134,194 volumes, and there were
still unrecorded, from recent purchases, some 10,000 vol-
umes and 20,000 pamphlets. It is a a'ood working col-
lection in most of the subjects within its scope, and, through
certain special purchases, much more than this in some. The
special purchases include about 8,000 volumes on science
and technology, bought of the Newberry Library in 1896;

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The John Crerar Library

some 300 volumes on ornithology, bought of the same
library in 1898; the private library of Professor R. T. Ely,
consisting of 6,000 volumes and 4,000 pamphlets, mostly
on American labor and social movements; the private library
of Mr. C. V. Gerritsen of Amsterdam; and considerable
purchases at auction of mathematical books from the libraries
of Boncompagni and Bierens de Haan, and of zoological
books from that of Milne-Edwards.

The Gerritsen collection is the largest and most important
of these special purchases. It consists of some 18, 000
volumes and 15,000 pamphlets on social and economic sub-
jects, being especially full on finance, banking, labor, and
socialism. It includes a distinct collection of nearly 6,000
volumes and pamphlets on the social, political, and legal
status of woman.

Besides 2,000 current periodicals which are kept in the
Periodical Alcove of the Reading Room, the Library re-
ceives 4,000 other continuations, such as annual reports and
parts of books issued serially, which are placed on the reg-
ular shelves as soon as received.

In public documents the Library is rather stronger than
might be expected, considering the short time it has been
established. It is a "designated depository" of the Con-
gressional Documents, a special depository of the publi-
cations of the United States Geological Survey, and a deposi-
tory of all bills, resolves, and acts of Congress since 1901.
Many state and some city documents have been acquired.
Of foreign documents it has all the Parliamentary Papers of
Great Britain since 1896, and many earlier ones on economic
subjects; a nearly complete set of the Parliamentary Papers-
of Canada; a very full set of those of the Netherlands; an
unusual collection of French documents of the fifteenth to

Chicago Libraries

the eighteenth centuries on economic subjects; and many
serial official publications of Austria, France, and Germany.
Catalogues. — IVluch time and care are given to the devel-
opment of the card catalogues, both public and official.
Nearly 6o per cent of the titles are printed especially for
the Library, and almost all the remainder are obtained from
the Library of Congress. The public card catalogue is in
three divisions: author, classed subject, and alphabetical
subject index. The author catalogue is the usual one, con-
taining besides the names of authors those of editors, trans-
lators, and the subjects of biographies, and also striking
titles. The classed subject catalogue is the one most con-
sulted and has been made as full as possible. It is arranged
according to the Decimal Classification with few alterations
but many expansions. Under each final subdivision the
arrangement of the titles is chronological, the latest being
put first. An unusual and important development has been
made in that part of the classification treating of history and
geography. Under each political unit (country, province or
state, and town) are given the titles of all works dealing
directly or chiefly with the place. These are subdivided
systematically in accordance with the first three figures of
the main classification. The result is not only that works
on adjacent places are brought together, for example, Illinois
next to Michigan; and works on part of a country immedi-
ately follow those on the whole country, for example, works
on Chicago following those on Illinois; but also under each
place related subjects are brought together, for example,
977-3 (570) Natural History of IHinois, 977.3 (581) Flora
of Illinois, 977.3 (591) Fauna of Illinois. The alphabetical
subject index is primarily an index to the classed catalogue,
and no entries are made in it which would duplicate exactly

The John Crerar Library 13.

any collection in the latter, when a single reference gives
all the titles, and no others, on a specific subject. On the
other hand, entries are made under headings which collect
material separated in the classed catalogue because of its
relations to broader subjects and also under those which
separate material collected in the classed catalogue. It is
therefore an alphabetical subject catalogue of all material
more conveniently consulted through such a catalogue.

This triple catalogue is supplemented by a card catalogue
of serials, a printed list of current periodicals, printed lists of
dictionaries and biliographies, several card indexes on special
subjects, a considerable collection of bibliographies, and an
author catalogue of all books, so far as recatalogued, in the
Library of Congress.

The public catalogue contains the titles of all books in
the Library, and in addition the titles of articles in some
300 periodicals. Part of these latter are obtained by co-
operation with four other American libraries, part from the
Library of Congress, and part by the independent work
of The John Crerar Library. So far as the selection has
been made by the latter preference has been given to those
containing long articles likely to be reprinted and referred
to as independent works and to those with which a specialist
is not so apt to be familiar because of their general character.

Use. — The Library is open to readers from 9 a.m. to 10
P.M. every day in the year, excepting Sundays, but including
all holidays. A Cloak Room is provided where outer gar-
ments may be checked without charge, but its use is not
insisted upon, except in wet weather and when the Reading
Room is crowded. The Library, however, will not hold
itself responsible for articles taken into the Reading Room
or left in the Cloak Room over night.

14 Chicago Libraries

In the Reading Room is shelved a collection of four thou-
sand volumes, intended to include, besides general works of
reference, the best books, both advanced and popular, on
each important subject within the scope of the Library, and
a selection of other works either especially interesting or
much in demand. It is constantly revised and kept up to
date. This collection may be consulted without formality,
as also may the periodicals within the Periodical Alcove.
Books may be drawn from the Stack, and periodicals from
the Periodical Alcove, for use in the Reading Room, upon
presentation of call slips properly filled out. A few books,
on account of their character, may be consulted only upon
registration and statement of satisfactory reasons, and some
of great value or rarity only in the presence of an attendant.

As the Library is for reference use only, no book is
allowed to leave the Library except for special reasons other
than the convenience of the reader, and then only if it is one
not likely to be called for. Such loans are for a short time
and must be covered by a money deposit or satisfactory guar-
antee from another library. Persons making special
researches may be admitted to the Stacks at the discretion
of the Librarian upon registration with the Reference
Librarian, and passes admitting without registration may be
granted to those likely to make a prolonged use of the privi-
lege if they are personally known to the Directors or the
Librarian. The unauthorized removal, mutilation, or mark-
ing in any way of the property of the Library is absolutely
prohibited. The officials are authorized to exclude any per-
son of unseemly behavior or appearance, and any one who
wilfully violates the regulations.

The use of the Library by the public has fully justified
the decisions of the Directors as to its scope and character,

The John Ceeear Library 15

Beginning with eighty, the average daily attendance has
increased to 279 in 1904, in spite of the fact that the
Library is so situated as to escape the notice of one seeking
it, rather than to attract the attention of the passer-by.
The recorded use, which does not include books from the
shelves in the Reading Room, those read in the Stack
Rooms, or periodicals read in the Periodical Alcove, has in-
creased even more rapidly, and for 1904 was 75,000 vol-
umes and periodicals. The total use is about three times
that number.

Publications, — The Library issues, usually in May, an
Annual Report covering the previous calendar year. Copies
are sent free. The bibliographical publications are in-
tended primarily for the readers, but it is hoped that as the
size of the Library increases they may become of use to
scholars and libraries elsewhere. They are not distributed
gratuitously, but in exchange or upon receipt of a nominal
price of about one-quarter the cost of paper and press work,
and the postage if sent by mail. A price-list will be sent
upon application.

Permanent Building In 1901 the Directors took up

the question of a permanent site, and decided that the
greatest usefulness of the Library could be secured only by
a central location. They therefore appealed to the state
legislature and to the city council for permission to erect a
building on what is commonly known as the Lake Front.
This permission was granted by the legislature in "An act
to authorize The John Crerar Library to erect and maintain
a free public library on Grant Park," approved March 29,
1901, and by the city council in an ordinance passed March
18, 1901. The act provided that the Library should procure
the consent of such abutting property owners as might have

i6 Chicago Libraries

the right to object. Most of these gave their consent
readily, but a few refused through fear of losing their right
to object to the erection of other buildings in the park.

In January, 1904, the Directors, under the provisions of
"An Act concerning free public libraries in public parks,"
approved May 14, 1903, requested permission of the South
Park Commissioners to erect and maintain a monumental
building in the classical style upon that part of Grant Park
between the Illinois Central Railroad and Michigan Avenue
and between Madison and Monroe streets, extended. The
question of granting the request was submitted to the voters
of the South Park District at the election of April 5, 1904,
and was favored by a vote of 50,960 to 9,329. An ordi-
nance passed by the Commissioners February 15, 1905, was
accepted by the Directors on February 23, 1905. They
propose to proceed with the construction of the building as
soon as possible. The site is about 400 by 310 feet, and the
length of the building will be about 300 feet. The sketch
plans provide for the storage of 1,000,000 volumes and the
accommodation of 600 readers, and for future extensions
doubling this capacity.

Clement W. Andrews, Librarian.

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