of the Central Building. It is a dictionary catalogue, on cards,
in which the books are entered by author, by subject, and by title, when
the title is distinctive. The catalogue is in trays arranged in
alphabetical order, beginning on the northwest wall of the room and
running to the right. At the end of this catalogue, and on the southern
side of the room, is an author catalogue of the books in the Central
Circulation Branch and Central Children's Room, Rooms 78 and 80, in the
basement. At the end of this second catalogue and separated from it by a
public telephone, is a catalogue of the books in the Library of Congress
for which printed catalogue cards have been issued.

[Illustration: NORTHWEST CORNER]

Near the entrance to the Public Catalogue Room, and at the right, is a
bronze tablet:

BORN A.D. MDCCCXIII
(Bas-relief of Sir Isaac Pitman)
TABLET ERECTED A.D. MCMXIII
TO COMMEMORATE
THE
ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE BIRTH OF
SIR ISAAC PITMAN
AND IN RECOGNITION OF THE
IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF
SHORTHAND LITERATURE
IN THE
NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Over the door leading from the Public Catalogue Room to the Main Reading
Room is inscribed the famous quotation from Milton's "Areopagitica":

A good Booke
is the precious life-blood of a
master spirit, embalm'd and treasur'd
up on purpose to a life beyond life

[Illustration: ENTRANCE LOBBY]

=Information Desk.= The Information Desk of the Library is in the Public
Catalogue Room, and here inquiries should be made about the resources
and regulations of the Library, the use of the catalogue, and any other
matter upon which the visitor may have a question to ask.

=Application for books= to be used in the Main Reading Room should be made
in the Public Catalogue Room. The applicant writes his request upon the
slip furnished for the purpose, and files it at the desk in this room. A
numbered ticket is handed him, which he takes into the Main Reading
Room, going to the right if the ticket number is odd; to the left if the
number is even. He then waits at the indicator at the western end of the
delivery desk until the number on his ticket appears. This means that
his books are ready for him at the desk. If, however, he prefers first
to select a seat in the Main Reading Room, he should write the number of
that seat on his application, and his books will be left at that seat,
if he is there to receive them.

[Illus