THE POLYTECHNIC PICKS UP THE PIECES , }
gas, water, fuel, periodical literature /
; and the inevitable current repairs of the
library building.(l) · ’
There was good reason for this belated ges-
ture to economy. As to the 1ibrary’s exact cash
resources on that date, there is no record; but A
a month later its bank balance was $2,641.86. L
Slightly more than $2,000 was checked out May ~
22 to pay "for supporting the east wall of the
library building"——this after $60,000 had been
expended already on remodeling the structure--
and $625 more went in two checks in June.
, 0n June 19 the balance was $2.67. The Pub-
lic Library of Kentucky, inland America’s coun-
terpart of the British Museum, was broke, its i
hoped—for endowment non-existent.(2)
Towne gives an approximate accounting of ex-
penditures in the three years embracing the ,
drawings and the establishment of the library.
The larger items were: building and lot, a
$210,000; remodeling, $60,000; estimated cost ‘
of all books, $50,000; Gerard Troost mineral
collection, $20,500; Canova statue of Hebe, Q
$10,000; preparation of first-floor room after l
fifth concert for housing library, $8,000; li- 1
brary catalogue, $6,000; insurance, $14,000;
publication of LIBRARY PAPER, $5,000. Total, ,/
$383,500. The rest, plus receipts from rentals /
in the building, was disbursed in salaries, up- U
keep and repairs, miscellaneous small expendi-
tures, and showcases for the Troost collection. `_
As soon as he read the April 3 resolution,
Towne could see that the Public Library of Ken-
tucky was dying if not dead. The building had
to produce a revenue of $8,000 a year in ex- T
51 .
21 5 1%  
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