The State of New York, although under early laws some provision was made for district school libraries, was one of the most backward of all the States of the Union, having until very lately no free library law; but public libraries are now a part of the educational system of the State, and good results should be expected from the present law in the smaller towns and cities. Nevertheless no Public Library System has been adopted for the City of New York, and the modest contributions made by it to the general object of libraries, bear a sad comparison with the amounts contributed for other laudable objects. It is plain that the City of New York should have a broad and comprehensive Library System, adequate to furnish recreation and instruction to all. It is equally plain that while the means at the command of this Corporation are entirely inadequate to undertake the whole work, nevertheless its existing organization and the resources at its command offer to the public an opportunity to secure at a minimum cost such a Public Library System as shall be in keeping with the importance, dignity and magnitude of the City. If the present opportunity be lost, long delay will ensue in establishing any such system; the expense must be enormously increased; and as this Corporation will have entered on its work, within the limits possible to it with its present resources, a new library will, to a considerable extent, again create the very evils from which the several organizations, by their consolidation, have sought to escape. In this condition of affairs, the Trustees of The New York Public Library have deemed it their duty to make a frank presentation of these facts, and to tender to the public their aid and all the resources at their command toward the foundation of a Great Public Library, able to supply the needs of all classes, and which shall do honor to the City. If the City of New York will furnish a proper site, and provide the means to erect thereon a suitable building for the purposes of the New York Public Library, excluding for the present the requirements of branch libraries or delivery stations other than those now controlled by the Free Circulating Library, then the New York Public Library can, through the sale of its present sites, obtain such an addition to its funds as will justify it in providing for the circulation of books from its main building. If further funds can be supplied from private benefaction or otherwise, sufficient to establish and maintain an adequate number of branches for circulation, it is certain that the City of New York can and will have a free Public Library on the broadest and most comprehensive plan. It must be borne in mind that in suggesting that the City should thus do something towards securing the amplest results from the endowments which we owe to the munificence and wise forethought of three successive generations of the Astor family, of James and Henrietta Lenox, and of Samuel J. Tilden, the Trustees are asking no favors for themselves or the Corporation they represent. They are seeking only to supply the best service possible for all the people of the City. Every dollar diverted into buildings will simply diminish the means that would otherwise be available for the supply and distribution of books. Nor will any aid that the City may give prove an unproductive outlay. On the contrary, it is believed to be susceptible of demonstration that the erection by the City of such a building as this Corporation requires, in a fitting locality, will add to the City's revenue; for it will largely increase the taxable value of all neighboring property. Should the suggestions of the Trustees be favorably received, no site within the control of the City could accomplish the ends in view as well as that of the Reservoir upon Fifth Avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-second Streets. The site is an ideal one for such a building. It is to-day the most central and easily accessible spot on the Island, and will be rendered even more so by new means of communication. Within a single block are two lines of surface cars and two elevated railroads, running north and south. The Forty-second Street surface road intersects all the chief thoroughfares that connect the upper with the lower part of the City. Less than three hundred yards away is the common terminus of the three principal railroads running into the City. And not only does this site command these incomparable advantages at the present time, but it is impossible to foresee a time when it cannot retain a like superiority. At no point further north can any similar convergence of public modes of travel ever be anticipated. On this site it will be possible to erect a library building, dignified, ample in size, visible from all sides, with uninterrupted light, free from all danger of fire, in no respect encroaching upon the existing Bryant Park, and which will be an ornament to the City. The Park area would indeed be increased by substituting a library building for the Reservoir. The Reservoir measures 455 feet by 420. A library building 350 feet by 300 would offer all the accommodations which the most sanguine would probably think it wise at present to provide; and even this would leave a margin of more than 100 feet on the avenue and more than 50 feet on each side street, to be laid out with grass and shrubbery. The City would then have no quarter more inviting. The library would in effect bring the Park to Fifth Avenue; while reciprocally the Park would add enormously to the attractiveness, security and usefulness of the library. In order to afford the City and the public the opportunity of determining whether they will now have such a great, wellequipped, and really popular library, for the benefit of all the people the Board of Trustees of The New York Public Library hereby respectfully apply to the City authorities for their approval of such legislation as will enable the City to grant to this Corporation, by some permanent tenure, a proper site for its Library Building and such funds as may be necessary to enable this Corporation to construct and equip its building thereon; and that the site of the present reservoir on Fifth Avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-second Streets, be granted for that purpose, if compatible with the public interest. When we consider the extent to which an institution of the character proposed may fairly be expected to strengthen the police, diminish crime, raise public standards of morality, attract to our city men from every department of industry and every walk of life, add to the operative power of our people, and extend the influence of our Commonwealth, it can hardly rded otherwise than a privilege for the City to share in k. THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY, JOHN BIGELOW, President. GEORGE L. RIVES, Secretary. XXXI. ACT AUTHORIZING THE USE OF THE LAND OCCUPIED BY THE RESERVOIR ON FIFTH AVENUE AND FORTIETH AND FORTY-SECOND STREETS, WITH ADJACENT LAND, AS A PUBLIC PARK.* An Act to amend chapter four hundred and ten of the laws of eighteen hundred and eighty-two, entitled "An Act to consolidate into one act and to declare the special and local laws affecting public interests in the city of New York", relative to the addition to Bryant park of the lands on Fifth Avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-second streets in said city, now occupied by the reservoir, and authorizing the removal of said reservoir PASSED 2 MAY, 1893. LAWS 1893, CHAPTER 539. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows : Section 1. Chapter four hundred and ten of the laws of eighteen hundred and eighty-two entitled "An act to consolidate into one act and to declare the special and local acts affect * The Consolidation Act (Laws of 1882, Chapter 410) contained the following section, which was repealed by Chapter 415 of the Laws of 1883: "S 685. The land at present occupied by the reservoir on Fifth avenue, between Fortieth and Forty-second streets, together with the adjacent land lying west thereof, known as Reservoir square, shall be converted into a public park, which shall be laid out by, and be under the control and management of the park commissioners, and kept and maintained by them as one of the public parks and places in the city of New York. It shall not be used for military parades, drills, inspections, or reviews of any kind, but only for a public park or square.' |