The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-11-12
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 $640, 900, and this is in
elusive of the cost of two confagrahons.
The British Museum Library, which
numbers loo, 900 volumes, is supposed
to have cost about ga, 900, 600 (f6OO, ,O0O);
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
a comparison between them and q 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
q 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, wlen only 2O,-
600 volumes were saved from the flames.
It would be unreasonable to expect that
IN American national library should
rival those of the old world in those col
lections ofincunaJalla 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 ff-
teen years. In 1863 the library of Wash.
ington contained 72,000 volumes; in
1867, 1876, 900; and in 1873 the collection
had risen to $4,000 volumes, besides
pamphlets. The Boston public library
alone among American collections, ap-
proximate it in size, and even 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. It may be
said for the library Of 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 multiplied
tion of duplicates. It 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 q
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. +.