New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-10
THE Aston LIBRARY.


Library. fer the year 1881.
- the Legislature Of the state Of Ns~ York;
The Trustees Of the Astor Library. /,
obedience to their act OF incorporation, make ~.
then third
Since the dste ofthe last report, the Trustees Aavs
steadily prosecuted to completion. their library 80
Zee, and II 10 now all but AIished.
BY the terms of the contract with the bu,de,.
the building was to have ossn completed by De a.
day OF April, is52 but the unusual severity Of -
present winter has induces the Trustees 10 permit
short delay, which may resayd the anal complstos
Of the ectace for Ihrtv or sxy Gays beyond the tina
sgresd. The Trustees may also deem 10 prudenYfes
the more thorough safety OF the books to DELAY pSt
ting them the shelves until the close Of the con
ing summer. The Trurees confidently expect tons
able TO open the Library In the new building BY As
frss Of September LsxI
The amount expended upon the building, ,p n
the nrst cay OF Jan, 1854 including the cost Of ~
site, 10 4eS,9 $50 81.
During the last ysH, the Trustees have proceeds
actively in purchasing ADDITIONAL books For thai p.
pose, the Superintendent. Dr. Cosswe, has aGain N
tied Europe, where be has made very extsnsive "a
valuable additions TO the Library. more partcuiss
Statement OF what be has acco nplished viii apoNsr
BY his report. Of which copy Is hereto sppsitsd.
constant changes wni.h the Library IL ancersore
render it inexpedieBt, at present. to publish cats
logue Of books, which must necessarily be incou-
plete ard unsatisfactory copy, however OF h.
valuable index or manual. prepared By the suser,,
tenGent and mentioned IN his report is dc posted m
the State Library az Albany.
The total numoer Of volumes purchased up 10 the
FIRST Of Jan, 1854 is between any hve AMI sxsy
thousand. The amount expended up TO tha. date Il
the purchase OF books, IL s62,562 90
OF the LEGACY o. 100000, let by MI Aston tAs
Trustees have yet received only the .wo Ara, ias,a.
ments, being $266 eco t6 The two remaining h.
staments Ct sec 6c6 CO each, are not PAYABLE uncl
the :9ih DAYS OF hsrca, 1852 and lsss-Newicrf,
Jan. go, 1852
Respectfully submitted,
WV Il AsroR, President pro ten.
SAMUEL B Ruegiss. Secretary.
REroar Of Joseph C. cesswsl. Superintendent, RETIRED
to in the precetig report
The Superintendent OF the Aston Library respect
fully submits to the Trustees OF the the follow.
ins report OF the progress made during the year 1881,
In adding to its collection OF books and us present
condition in that respect.
In accordance with a vote of the Trustees, passed
at meeting held On the l9lh day of Feb 1851, au-
thorizing me 10 yisa Europe to buy books for the
library to the amount OF SIS 0CO took ship for Eng
land as soon after ss practicable, and mmedisslyo on
landing repaired 10 London 10 begin the work a..
signed TO me. Finding the prices OF books had ad-
yanced since my last VISIT there, in lsi9 did MOI
think it expedient to bu, largely until sdtred the
book marts Of the Continent, and on tina. account
remained only ashort time IN London before ipasssd
over to Brussels ard Paris, and shence onward 70
Florence and Rome. Ia the course OF the summer
my search was extended through most of the great
cities OF Europe from Rome on the south, TO siock
holm, on the north, with view 10 collect in each
the books there published, which could not DO sure
OF meeting with elsewner The result Of the toar
was an addition 10 the Library OF many thousand
volumes, selected from the best productions b
science and literature Ia ali languages, which could
not have been obtained IN any otaer way IN the
time and for the money. IL satisfied me. how
ever, that London and Paris are the best delds Of
operation for buyer OF books, to large amount IN
sinse copies, when he can take time for H. By
waiting and watching oae may have an opportunity
OF obtaining almost any book that can be named, n
one or the other Of these two grea! cities in the
course of year or two, aud the same remark will
soon be true OF NewioIk. Buff listle or nothing,
in point Of cost, was gained by the vide survey, N
many other respects II was serticeable to the library
Ii enabled me 10 form personal acquaintance with
the leading booksellers IN the places visited, made
me more familiar with the book trade, and with the
libraries abroad, and afforded me an opportunity q
making our own institution moro widely kHo IN TIA
II had been before. Ii was very gratifying 10 hee
men like HUMBOLDT and Bansen and LepsIas speak
OF 1t Us an institution In which the world was inter.
ested, and TO find many persons desKous Of Offering
some valuable volume or volumes to enrich It's COX
lection. Within few years grea. number Of I'M
portant and costly scientific, statistical and historical
works have been Published by direction and a. The
expense Of the different Governments OF Europe,
which We might have gratultousy, have no doabA
II application were made for them through the CROP
er channel. This expectation 10 based on thSha
that the Astor Library Is universally free 10 forelgn
as well A. citizens, and this ground 1t 10 especially
entitled to favcr. In the few instances in which ~
request has been made, II was promptly granted
Through the kindness OF Right Honorable Edssd
Ence, +, application was made IN behalf OF "
library to the Record Commission, for the volumes
OF documentary history, published under their dirso
ton at the cost OF the British Govenmeat and An
order Immediately obtained for every work OF which
any copies remained on hand. With like readiness,
the important statistical works published by the
Danish Government were given TO the Library, -
application through Justissaad Boiling Through
our Ministers abroad, we might apply {, the other
Governments for similar documents not yet Obtained.
considerable part Of the books bought In Europe
the past year. being either rot yet arrived or notyss
unpacked, and consequently not verified by invoice,
lcannot now lay before the Trustees paItsalR
specIacation of lhe purchases. The whole sum-
$4,000, appropriated TO this purpose by vote o.
the Trustees referred to, has been expended adj
have ventured to exceed the Iimi' by aboa! $500,
having had very favorable opportunity for buying
an additional number 81 books to that amount. The
whole expenditure for the year, therefore is $4,000.
For this sum the Library obtains an addiiioa Of
twenty.eisht thousand volumes, II counted as thsy
were published, bu. as In binding two more are
often reduced TO one, the actual number, as now
bound, does BOT much exceed twenty. FIVE tnousand
collected. make the whole number new b.
longing to the Library nearly, IL not quite, sixv
thousand volumes. II counted as first mentioned, o.
not far from hftyf five thousand as they viii stand On
the shelves. The forming of so large COLLECTION
would have been attended with grea, daiculty,M
well az labor, without the aid OF the alphabetical M
or index, which was prepared and submitted TO We
Trustees early the last year. Withthis manual IN
hand, it could eadiy be seen, both VIA. cooks the
Library already possessed. and what additions had
been proposed TO be mrs. made The copies laid b.
fore the Trustees were marked so az 10 show whas
had been obtained and similar marks 20 DO pre-
fixed will show the acquisitions since mide. TINS
INDEX interleavec, may serve IS an inventory OF Tne
Library, until the collection shall! be more .LesIv
completed, and perfect catalogue prepared Inc
additions In manuscript now amount TO about Two
thousand volumes. The principle on which this ~
was formed made 1t a safe and, IN general, sum
ciept guide. The wants OF the community, as fare
sscertailed, were the groundwork Of the selection
and next the supplying OF deficiencies IN the pre-.
viousiy existing libi of the City. The SELECTION
has been made with due regard to the clains oieve-
ny department. of learning and without giving preie
renee to any one to the prejudice OF another lmske
this statement with great confidence, kno Slhg noS
uniformly it has been my aim. But books %
some departments are much costly than IN ON
ers and as II is In the costly that the wants He
create st. large sums have necessarily been ap2le1
10 works ofihst dc scription including those on c1
..,,Ll.c archlie.Ln.e an6