Untitled Document

~ The Library ~

"He has lived. The fruits of his labors live after him."
–Albert Pike, 33°

Click on the photo to continue the tour to the first floor.

These words dedicated to Albert Pike are mounted in bronze near the impressive, leather-covered doors leading into the Library of The Supreme Council, 33. They are an appropriate greeting to the user of the Library since today The Supreme Council's Library continues Pike's lifework and Freemasonry's mission.

Pike, who admitted to being "capricious in my reading," was an avid collector of books. In his Little Rock, Arkansas, home one of the most impressive rooms was the library, and Pike kept an extensive collection of books at his Arkansas mountain cabin retreat where he wrote the first drafts of what was to become Morals and Dogma.

Pike saved what he could of these books during the turmoil of the Civil War and its aftermath, and when he moved to the nation's capital area, he built on these collections, first in his home in Alexandria, Virginia, and then in the first House of the Temple at Third and D Streets, NW, in Washington, DC. Upon his death, he willed all his books to The Supreme Council, 33, under the provision that they be made available to the general public at no charge. Thus in 1891, the House of the Temple Library became, in effect, the first "public library" in the District of Columbia.

Today, many of these books from Pike's personal collection form the nucleus of the Library of The Supreme Council at the present House of the Temple at 1733 Sixteenth Street, NW, and they are still available for use, free of any charge, by the general public as well as, of course, the Brethren. One of the thrills of conducting research in the Library is, unexpectedly, to come across a few words in Pike's own small, meticulous handwriting in some of the older books.

But preserving Pike's books is only one of the purposes of the Library. In addition, the Library over the years has enriched its shelves by accumulating what is arguably the best and most extensive collection of Masonic and Masonically related books and periodicals in the world. Also, decades of fervent collection, supplemented by donations from the Brethren, have added a large accumulation of rare historical artifacts and Masonic memorabilia to the Library's holdings, so much that the Library has had to expand into a number of special collections display areas such as the Albert Pike, Robert Burns, and International Rooms.

For over 80 years (the House of the Temple having been completed in 1915), the Library and its collections have experienced the inevitable deteriorations of time and use. The metal frames of the Library's monumental windows, for instance, began to rust, and significant holes weakened support for their heavy glazing. Climate control systems failed, and lights, as well as electrical wiring, had to be repaired or replaced. Due to the generosity of the Brethren, new collections were obtained, straining shelf areas and the cataloging system. As these concerns mounted, it became evident a complete
restoration of the Library was necessary. Fortunately, the annual Scottish Rite Calendar Program was developed six years ago and, since then, has been well supported by the Brethren. Now, as one of its major benefits, the calendar program has allowed major repairs and improvements to the Library of The Supreme Council, 33, in the House of the Temple.

Thus, a major renovation of the Library began in 1994 and is now completed. While maintaining the Library's traditional appearance, its facilities have changed considerably along with the organization of its collections.

PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT
Libraries need an even temperature no higher than 70 Fahrenheit and a stable relative humidity between a minimum of 30% and a maximum of 50%. Temperature and relative humidity are of critical importance in the preservation of library and archival collections. To maintain conservation standards, as well as the comfort of the Library's users, a new heating and humidity control system was installed in 1995. Given the Library's differing ceiling heights between the formal reading room, display area and stacks, this was a difficult task, but the successful installation of an appropriate system will significantly retard deterioration of the Library's many rare books and periodicals.

Also, six entirely new ten-foot windows had to be installed. Light is a major factor in the deterioration of books, particularly leading to the fading, weakening, and embrittlement of the collection. Light damage is cumulative and irreversible. The new double-pane windows have special glass which will cut down considerably all the deteriorating forces of outside light.

Regarding interior light, nearly all fixtures were replaced and new wiring installed. The skylight above the main reading desk, for instance, was reglazed and a decorative etched pattern added. Above it an elaborate banking of florescent lights provides an even, bright ambience excellent for reading. Also,
over 70 new display and stack light fixtures were installed. The lights were carefully chosen both for their aesthetic and preservation qualities. Low-key and simple in design and color, they blend in unobtrusively with the Library's essentially Victorian decor, and the bulbs used are a special low-UV fluorescent variety for minimum deterioration to books.

Finally, there was a general refurbishing of the Library's furniture. The antique two-story moving ladders used to access books on the upper shelves of the main reading room were meticulously refinished. Existing desks were moved and new furniture, such as desk extensions to hold computer equipment, were added. In addition, a carrel with computer access has been provided for hands-on use by researchers, and a new reading area has comfortable, heavily cushioned chairs to encourage relaxed browsing.

After the hardwood floors were refinished, custom-made carpets were added to give the Library a
particularly warm, welcoming atmosphere. Finally, new drapes and a small restroom completed the
physical renovation of the Library.

COLLECTION ENHANCEMENT
The collection needed to be "weeded." That is, general collection books which do not conform to the Masonic mission of the Library were taken out of circulation and sold at a festive neighborhood book sale. No Masonic books were discarded. Because of the elimination of irrelevant books that had crept into the collection mainly via donations, there is now more shelf space to facilitate proper storage and preservation of the Masonic collection.

Also, several groups of books relevant to specialized museum collections, such as the Lincoln collection, were moved to new locations to allow adequate space for the 20,000-volume specifically Masonic collection within the Library's total estimated collection of 180,000 volumes.

A very special addition to the Library has been the acquisition of 651 items, mainly books and pamphlets in microfiche form, of early sources of European Freemasonry, 1710-1850. They were carefully selected by Margaret Jacob, a professor at City University of New York and one of the world's leading authorities on the 18th-century Enlightenment and European Freemasonry. The
collection has been named in honor of Illustrious Ray Baker Harris, 33, Librarian of The Supreme Council from 1939 to 1963. A new microfiche reader will be installed in the Library to accommodate this collection as well as the Library's other microfiche holdings.

Following the dust-generating physical renovation of the Library, there was the necessary cleaning of all holdings and shelf areas. Each volume was individually cleaned. While handling each book, its cataloging was checked and corrected, as necessary, and recataloged.

A new computer system, Information Navigator, was installed and existing files downloaded or new electronic files created on the Masonic holdings. The volumes in the program still need to be reviewed and reedited so that the fullest benefit can be provided to the researcher, allowing him or her to search by subject, thesaurus, and date as well as author and title.

Information Navigator is the same library computer system used by the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and some other significant repositories of Masonic books and materials. Our mutual longterm goal is for all the Masonic libraries to incorporate this system so that we can work together as a team.

Thanks to the Brethren though their support of the Calendar Program, the Library today not only looks wonderful but provides the best possible Masonic research services.

As Librarian of this premier Scottish Rite service, I hope everyone will come by to see the significant changes made in the Library—and stay to do some research! The Library is open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. every weekday. If you call ahead, we will be sure to have the materials of interest to you ready for your review.

Hope to see you soon!

Joan K. Sansbury
Librarian of The Supreme Council

Click on the photo to continue the tour.