Francis James Burgoyne

“ The development of libraries during the latter part of the nineteenth century may be compared with that of cathedrals and abbeys in Norman times, or that of colleges and grammar-schools under the Tudors. In all these cases the age, instinctively discerning its needs, partly by public effort, partly by private munificence, covered the land with edifices for their satisfaction. ”

“ Should this come to pass, the subject of library architecture will gain greatly in importance, and as the nineteenth century has been an age of construction, the twentieth may prove one of reconstruction. ”

“ That the libraries of the present day, however smaller in scale, may not be architecturally less honourable to their epoch than the corresponding constructions of the past, must be the earnest aspira- tion of all who regard them as among the charac- teristic monuments of the nineteenth century, and a most important manifestation of its intellectual activity. ”

“ By copious illustration, indicative of extensive research, he has shown how the problems incident to the accommodation of books, and the adaptation of all parts of a library to the public service, have been actually dealt with in the most civilised parts of the world. Librarians and architects are thus supplied with a number of models to choose from, and abundant hints for further deve10pment from the combination of the best points of existing edifices. With this will be found much valuable counsel respecting the organisation of a library in. ”