The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-04-11

The Public Libraries OF AmerEea.
We fndin the Litsnry World an abstract Of the
evidence offered by Henry stsvens, Esq, Of Vcr-
mont, before the COMMITTEES of the House Of Com
mons ON Public. Libraries, from which we make
the following extract. Il givss in a condemned
form large amount of interesting information m
relation to the Libraries Of the United stzs.s
The public Libraries Of the United States an,
small, but very numerous We have but two con.
tanning above 50, 900 volumes; while there arc
nine above 20 700, forty-three above 10000; mots
than 100 above 5000 volumes, and thousands Of
smaller ones, The different species Of libraries
are the Congress library, the State libraries, the
College and University libraries, Libraries Of me-
chanics' associations, mercantile and apprentices
libraries, Libraries Of learned societies. joint-atock
and subscription libraries town, city. village and
municipal libraries, church congregational libra
ries, academy libraries, common school libraries
and Sunday school libraries. The aggregate nam
Der of volumes in 1S2 Of the largest Libraries, Is
/, ,294, 900. The want Of large public consulting
Libraries, like those Of Europe is mach felt by stu
dents in the United States. Many persons en-
gagged in works requiring great fesezrch are
obliged TO visit London, OF Paris, or Berlin
These deficiencies, however, are being fast re1ns-
died by the extensive private Libraries upon par
ticular subjects, such as those OF Mr.. Brown, Of
Providence; Mr.. LenUx, Of New York Mr.
Force, OF Washington Mr.. Barton, Of Phiadel-
phia; Professor Ticknor and Mr.. Livemore, Of
Boston, etc. etc; the possessors Of which are very
liberal in permitting the use Of their books. These
Libraries contain many books Of the greatest rarity
and such considered too expensive to be pur-
chased by the public institutions.
A large public library is about to be established
at Washington, called the Smithsonian Institution
and another in New York, called the Astot Library.
In 1S4S John Jacob Astor died, leaving to thecifv
Of New York fs0,000 to establish public library;
only fl5,000 can be expended the building,
which is now being erected G25,000 are 10 Be
expended at once IN the purchase Of books; and
hereafter it Is believed, there viii be nearly G2O00
year for the increase of the library. Dr.. Cogs-
WELL the librarian, has recently purchased in Eu-
rope 10000 volumes for this library. Most Of
dIese are more or less free to the public The
Smithsonian and Astor Libraries will be quite free
to anybody to read, but they will not lend books.
The Congress Library is free to all the world.
Other public libraries freely accessible are many
Of the college libraries, the State libraries the His
tcrical Society libraries, academy and common
school libraries, and the town or city libraries.
| The New York State Library is supported By the
| State entirely. Almost every State has State
library freely accessible to the public supported By
/ annual grants, generally, and increased by the
interchange with all the other States and the gen
eral government of all their respective publications.
/ ThelStaie Of NewYork, besides its State pspers
and isjudicia reports has published Is large quarfo
i volumes OF the Natural History OF the State, a
State Atlas and is about to publish some very ina
portant historical collections the general govern
1 ment has published many valuable books besides
| their laws journals, and State papers some Of
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/ survey, an important series of charts and maps.
| Many Of the States have published geographical
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ledge its hrst Annual Report on Libraries, and 9
few others. | am myself abroad now preparing a
,vork 10 he nubI;shad hv the Iax.i.,,tc, ent;si.d
g Bibli0graphia Americana, or a Biographical Ac-
count q me atsTlals h o. larry AmeIeah nssG.y
oniar Ins,;t,,;a i .hon, g f61o b.lf IS ,h;.L !;
soh'ah A.Susaio'i 70 eo""e -s-u"S' hen " "A'Sn -
Tor the library, and part to assist authors; they
intend at first TO purchase costly works-that Is,
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