The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-11-05
The Government Library.

Readers who are eager for statistics
may seek to know something of the pc
cuniary value of the collection of books
which the people own at Washington,
The expenditures upon the library of
the government, il compared with its
extent and value, has not been great.
The sum total of the appropriations of
Congress for books from 1900 to 1873 has
not exceeded S64O,OOO, and this is in
elusive of the cost Of two con6agrations.
The British Museum Library, which
numbers /, 100000 volumes, is supposed
to have cost about 81, ,O00, 900 (E600, ,O00);
but as not not only this collection, but
all the great government libraries of
Europe, are rich in rare and early
printed books, as well as in manu-
scripts, and many of them in costly en-
cravings, there can be no just basis for
comparison between them and col
lection so modern in its origin, az well
as its principal contents. as our own
The library of the British museum,
moreover, has enjoyed for more than
century the benefit of the copyright,
bringing in free of cost all the publica-
tions of the British and colonial press.
The library at Washington, though
founded in the beginning of the century,
really dates from 1852, when only 20,-
900 volumes were saved from the flames.
It would be unreasonable to expect that
an American national library should
rival those of the old world in those col
lections of tf1cat11dbttLd and precious manu-
scripts which centuries of opportunity
have enabled them to assemble. There
are now twelve libraries in Europe out
numbering the library of Congress in
the books upon their shelves; yet the
growth of our national library has been
SO rapid as to have twice doubled the
numeral extent of the collection in fif
teen years. In 1868 the library of Wash
ington contained $4,000 volumes; in
1867, I65, 600; and in 1878 the collection
had risen to 100000 volumes, besides
pamphlets. The Boston public library
alone among American collections, ap-
proximate It in size, and even a little
exceeds it If we count the books con-
tanned in its seven branches in the
suburbs of Boston, which, however, are
duplicates of the parent collection. But
the numerical STANDARD is far from fur
nishing an adequate test of the true
value of any collection of books, save
in the presumptive il furnishes that the
| largest collections will contain the best
works printed in every field. 1t may be
said for the library o. Congress that. in
the main, its stores have been selected
with view to the highest utility. and
with some general plan of unity; it has
not, like the British museum library,
the Boston public library, and some
other large institutions, been the recip-
lent Of extensive donations or bequests,
which, while greatly enriching the col
! lections. tends also to the multiplica-
tion of duplicates. 1t were to be wished
that all authors of books, and especially
of pamphlets, should bear in mind that
this great collection at Washington is
the representative library of the coun-
try, and by placing in it copies of their
! productions, whether protected by copy.
right or not, secure to their thought a
place where it will be sure OF transmits
sion to that posterity which may care
to examine it. All pamphlets coming
to this library are treated with the same
honor as books, acknowledged, sepa-
rately bound (instead of having their
identity merged with others in incon-
gruous volumes), and classified in their
proper relation upon the shelves.