This fascinating address by Elihu Root offers valuable insights into the history of American libraries, as well as the social and intellectual context in which they developed. Root provides a detailed overview of the construction of the John Hay Library at Brown University, as well as a more general discussion of the value of books and learning in American civilization. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of American libraries or the intellectual history of the United States. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.