, 1886-04-08
TIE MAKlbG OF BOOKS.
A Gloss FACE LIST YEAR BETWEEN
Ei!cL..ip AID AMERICA.

A List Of the Works I~s-ued-some Curious
Featnrcs-EnrlanI's Great Circulating
Libraries-Tbr Three Volume book
Traditions In thi- Country.
A close race was run between England
and America in the number Of books pub
Hshed last yer. England brought out
4,30T, a falling of OF about 500 from the
record Of the previous year, while America
issued 1000, or y decline Of IS from the pre-
ceding year. When one comes TO analyze
these publications some curious features
are exposed. In England the greatest num-
Der Of books In one class, singularly
enough, were found among juvenile works
and tales, OF which 671 volumes were
printed. Theology and sermons came sec
ond with 636 volumes; educational, classical
and pathological third, with 593 volumes,
and novels and other fiction fourth, with
455 volumes. While England published
only ~ new law books last year, this coun-
try issued 431 volumes, 1876 of theology n
religion. and p34 Of fiction, the novels out
numbering any " other classes OF books.
The third class among American books
wa the juvenile, numbering 3ss, while the
fourth was education and language, Dos
volumes. The American list shows a de
cline OF only nine volumes in the flood OF
fiction, and an Increase Of IS volumes in
theology over last year.
ENGLAND's CIRCULATING LIBRARIES.
The English publishers are mainly at the
mercy OF the great circulating libraries. II
has been clearly shown that the people in
England would welcome the single-volume
novel. but so great is The power OF Nude,
the head Of the circulating library, that nc
publisher dares to bring out a copyright
book in this inexpensive style. Only the
pirates, who steal American books, have
been able to demonstrate the truth that
readers are weary Of the old and lumber
some style of publication. The system OF
distributing books By the circulating H.
brary In England has been a great blow to
the sale OF books to individual buyers
Few, even among the wealthy, buy any
new hooks. They are all subscribers &c
Nudes and count on getting the opportu.
nifty TO read all the books of the day soon
after they are published.
Nude orders an entire edition Of a popu.
lar novel or a readable book Of travels OF
Renaissance Indeed, 1t has gone so fan
In England that many publishers submit
manuscripts of novels for his approval. II
he declares that the story will not do fol
him. tina is the end of the hopes of the am.
bllloNH hAAnols Iht DubllnIfl nOult
never dream of issuing a book in the face
of this autocrat's approval. The result is
that every book is padded out with thick
paper and printed in large type. Any or
binary novel which the American pub
Usher finds no difficulty in COMPRISING
into a single volume the English publisher
spreads over three volumes, thus placing II
entirely beyond the reach Of any one OF
modest means who desires TO own the book
II LoT Or U L MOROCCO.
In this country the publishers are moi
under the CALLING yoke of the circulating
library, but they are welded to certai1
traditions which are very demoralizing
One of these is that a book in cloth does
not deserve the same care in binding us {
book in half-calf or full morocco. This
idea is derived from the English, who re
gard cloth binding ms merely temporary
the covers to be stripped off whenever the
book is put in library style. Carlyle
however, laid down the tr-e law when he
said that the purchaser of a book wanted
a volume for use, and that he demanded
only that the back be sound and well
made and the cover of durable material.
In this country there are thousands {
well-selected private libraries which dc
not contain a score Of books in the regula
ton library style. Why should a man Of
moderate means pay $50 for a set Of book,
simply to ave them in half-calf or half
morocco when he can get the same books
with the same paper, type, illustrations
bound in cloth, for S25l 1t is silly affecta
ton for a man OF small means to limit
himself to n few books in fine bindings
under the imported idea that q gentle
mans library should show nothing cheaI
or -common.-San Francisco Chronicle.