The Portland daily press., 1870-05-07

In Yesterdays article referred to the MIR.
| poses which Free Public Libraries are calcu.
lated to subserve. Wherever they have been
| formed and made readily accessible to all. the
anticipations of their friends have been largely
realized. One Of the most pregnant results OF
the system is to narrow down all class distinc-
tohs' py charging that Public Domain which
some OF the noblest results of genius, of intel
iec'ual labor, and of wisely expended wealth
put within reach of the poorest, not bu charitu
o4s o. right; not by the accidents of bounty lint
oy the far-sighted provisions of Public Onin.
ION wisely resolving to do, at the common
charge, and for Intellectual culture. what has
SO long been done for the more material inter.
es's OF the community. Propose now to speak
mere particularly of the origin and growth of
tue system IN our own country. Our college
libraries, monuments of the liberal-minded
pohcy OF our fathers who only saw plain duty
IN lending all the aid they could to the cause of
learning are not to be taken into the account
Inc 1lrst proprietary library of America was
organized by Franklin, 1871, and chartered
1742, thirteen years before that of Liverpool
the earliest in England-was formed One of
the first regulations made for the management
of the Philadelphia Library, directed that it
should be publicly and gratuitously accessible
as library of reference" To this day, citi-
zens and strangers are permitted to consult
the books without charge. This collection has
grown until it now contains more than 10000
vols.
Inc "Athen@um Library of Salem was
commenced in 176O, as the "Social Library
During the revolutionary war, DR.. Kirwan,
celebrated naturalist, sent part of his library
across the Irish Channel in vessel which be-
came the prize of an American privateer-
When brought into Beverly for sale, some lib
eral men of science combined in purchasing
these books, and made them the foundation of
the philosophical Library" which was subse-
quently merged with the Social Library in the
present "Athenaum." This "Ph.losobhical
Library contributed largely to the develop
ment of the genius of Bowditch who, half
century later, gave to the Salem Athenaeum
thousand dollars as ga token of his remem-
brance OF the benefit" In 1765, a collection
Of books was commenced in this city, on plan
similar to that of the Social Library of Salem
and like that merged into the "Portland Athe-
n@um. Alter one century of healthy growth,
when the collection had reached, L think near
ly ten thousand volumes, it was lost in t,e
great fire.
Foremost among the proprietary libraries of
this country, for its extent, and for its richness
In departments not usually well filled, and
prominent among the libraries of the world. for
It's lIberality of access stands the library of the
Boston Athenaeum. Founded in 1907, it had
grown within sixty-years to the number of
loo,ooo volumes, comprising a pre- cous frag
ment OF the Library of Washington. This
fragment consists of about $50 bound volumes
and OF nearly 1000 pamphlets. Many of these
contain the autograph, and some, the notes of
their former owner. One of the books has his
autograph in school-boy hand, written about
his ninth year; and several of them contain the
autographs of his father and mother.
The Boston Athennum is managed with the
design that it shall answer the hiqhest purnoses
OF a Paofsc Library. Each proprietor besides
the right for himself and family to use the H.
brary, may grant to two other persons constant
access to it, free of charge, and tickets for a
month to any number of strangers. Indeed.
any person, stranger or resident, may be in
troduced for special purpose by note from
proprietor, so that the doors of the institution
are opened to large number of persons.
have here mentioned few of our libraries
formed and successfully managed upon the
subscription plan. They are an indication of
pubic spirit of which our people may well be
proud. They were founded by an enlightened
public opinion which was willing to sow the
seeds OF permanent good, and be patient. They
nave proved efficient conductors of our free
scnooi system in developing the literary and
scientific genius of our people, and like eur
schools they, too, in our cities, should be made
free. ~