The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-25
Reading for the People.

land adjourned at London. Many interest
ing and valuable facts touching libraries
! were brought out 10y representatives from
different parts Of the kingdom, from several
countries Of the Continent, and from the
United States. Though az yet We of course
stand far behind Europe in our collections
of books, we still make very respectable
show
From information gathered to present our
condition as to progress at the end " our
first century we find that our public libra
ries reach the large number OF 3,6s2. con-
tanning l227G.95t volumes and 800, 900 pam
phlcts. This IL certainly very encourage
ing and remarkable showing and when we
consider the further fact that each year
morn than 100000 volumes are added 10
these libraries by purchase. we see how
rapid Is the Increase In our accumulation Of
books. So far as reported. the permanent
fund Of these institutions is about six mil
lions Of dollars. and their annual income
about sI.il0noO; but these figures are only
partial. for a large percentage Of the libra
ries made no return OF such particulars
There II enough however to show how vast
is the supply. and to indicate how great is
the demand. In 542 libraries. for instance.
/ the use Of books amounts 70 about nine mil
! lions Of volumes annually. when we also
bear in mind that under tn" head Of public
libraries Sunday school collections Of books
| amounting 10 six or eight millions Of vol
umcs are not included. we begin to UNDER
stand how eager is the desire for reading
OF the 3,Gs2 libraries classod A. public.
nearly one-half are educational. containing
about three and half millions Of volumes.
Next in nunper come the proprietary. that
is those 10 which access is limited in any
way. 10y fees required or by membership in
society. These contain about three and
quarter millions Of volumes. Then follow
in order the free public, with about two mil
lions, Government with about million
and half; professional, with a little less
aud historical with about half million.
The census Of 1870 reported lO7, 673 private
Libraries, containing IN all ~. 81 sos Volumes
But the Superintendent Of tho Census ac-
knowledgcd that these figures had no value
for they are far from complete as the most
casual reader will at once see that they
must be. Yet they are Of interest a giving
some indication Of how enormous il the
quantity ot books In the possession of the
people. II Is only hy these aggrogations Of
statistics that We get an idea Of the re-
sources Of country. and ia this case we
are furnished with a hint for an estimate Of
the vast number of volumes which I'M the
shelves of our forty millions Of people; for
there Is scarcely household in which some
books are not owned. II they bee no more
than Il Bible, a missal, or hymn book.
OF our pubhc Libraries, the largest are the
Library of Congress. 9OO. 900 volnmcr, the
IltGfAu Dui.li,. 7 , l..
2ln,o0o; New York Mercantile 100 90: the
Aston 10000; Boston Athcupum. los. 600:
and Yale, 10000. These figures seem small
compared with thps" II the great collections
Of Europe. the National at Paris, 1900 900:
the British Museum l1joooO; the Imperial.
at 81. lct"r-hurg. i,i0J0O0 tine Royal Public,
at Dresden, "ooo1, the Royal n Berlin.
10000, the Royal AT Copenhagen, 100000,
and many oth"rs containing upward If
2Jo,WO volumes Bat when we take the
aggregate II our moro than three thousand
libraries "" find that w. make in that n
good showing though no individual culloc-
tion may bc compared with thosc Just
named. either in the numUer OF volumes OF
in their relative value.
II is am interesting subject 20 roncot upon.
what Nlll bc the SIZE 81 these great collcc-
tious n contury h,n,o puri,,,, 49,, n.
twenty-five" years the principal libraries 81
Europe nnu the nt"d States have doubled
and the production OF printed matter is
.nirg ON AT an in,ro,lin,,l, NIL ,u.,,
Meantime no, ono of thcar ib,r,r,.. avon,
the British NI,,eo.,p mr. IN. p,,ie Not,,noI
II near complete in the books Of the past
and prcs,nt and nh ara co,,c,. hu,or. of
Volumes To- ,l,,uly deficiencies mn IN no
extent Of their means what th.n willie
their .iyc Al the ruidBle ,r th,, noyt cnu,n,v .
Already the lnr.,est Of thr. c,lln,t,,n. h,yo
given nm in dnennir tina ,riutiu... of ...to-
lo-uo,.Lui whnt y,hu,o co,li rontnin IN,
titles of all lie hnoks which viii ho goth.r.I
in these venerable r,c.,tnolo- in lo5oy
OF American cities New Ynrk mas tbo
most books IN its puhl, lihrorlos s7nooo.
Bo.tol, coming next with 79oooo. then pnu'
adclphia. with 7o6u0o: uutil We como to