The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-10-04

THE SCHOOL LIBRARY.-0f one thing Gin
cinnah certainly can, with propriety, boast
superiority over any OF her sister cities of the
West, and that's her free library. Large ad-
dltlons to the old collections rendered a
thorough renovation necessary and for this
purpose the library-rooms have been closed
for some months past. Several thousand moro
volumes are expected in a short time, which,
added to the present number, will increase It
to over two thousand five hundred. The al.
coVes In the lower room only are yet cata-
logued, and embrace 9,0,5 volumes, classified
as follows: miscellaneous, SOL; biography,
l,l2s; voyages and travels, LIZ; divinity,
law, moral and civil, $50; history, 1,461; lexi-
cons, grammars, &c., 29l; agriculture arts
and mechanics, S71; scientific, 1888; poetry and
drama, 755; general literature, All; novels,
&c., 1885 tales, 259. These volumes constitute
less than one-half of the library at present,
and, with the expected additions, will be but
little over one-third.
Among the valuable works thus classified,
are the complete works Of Adams, Washing
ton, Jefferson and Franklin; Elliots's debates;
Prescotts and Bancroft's histories; Hume,
Gibbon, McCanley; and, indeed, all the best
standard historical and biographical works of
the day.
Among the lighter literature, are the works
of Sir Walter SCOTT, Washington Irving,
Charles Dickens end Charles Lever.
In some Of the smaller rooms are valuable
collections Of documents illustrative of the his
tory OF our country, including the American
State papers, the annals Of Congress, the Con-
gressional Globe and Niles Register.
1t contains the best collection of encyclope-
dias In the West, including Rees's (two copies)
Encyclopedia Americana, Chambers's Eain5urg,
Encyclopedia Metropolitana, the Penny Encyclo.
pedia and the Encyclopedia Briaaniea.
The books in the gallery are only Temporal
rily arranged as yet. They include the diff
ferent magazines Of the day, among which are
found the American Journal of Science, the
Journal of the Franklin Institute, North
American Review, KnickerboCker, Blackwood,
and numerous Others of an equally standard
character.
There Is also full edition Of Harper's fam
lily and classical library, and an alcove OK
pressly set apart for books In the modern Ian
guages other than the English. 1t contains q
great number of German works, including
Humboldts Kosmos, Schlosser's Well Gess.
hichte and Goethe's Samtliche Werke, and still
larger collection of finely bound editions of
standard French authors, Rosseau, Madame
De Stael, Bossuet, Corneille, and complete
collection of that invaluable work, the Histoire
dee Voyages. together with single Spanish
book, the Historia de Aejico, being the nara
tive Of Cortez, written by himself.
Some beautiful specimens of statuary and
painting may be seen in the Fine Art Gallery.
The picture of the ancient philosophers search
ing for knowledge and imparting 1T to their
pupils, is particularly interesting.
A large and handsome reading. room, In
which will be found all the best newspapers of
the country, is fitted up for the convenience Of
visitors.
Let every citi zen remember that this is his
llbrary-that its treasures are accessible to him
without money and without price--that Its vol
umes are his, and the care that he bestows upon
the books in his charge, is bestowed upon his
own property. How few persons can boast of
such advantages, even by the payment of large
sums OF money, as are within the reach Of
every citizen of Cincinnati, free of cost.