New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-05
WHERE TO FIND BOOKS.
,ropK OF THE NETWORK LIBRARY CLUB.
.avcaAn COLLECTIONS IN THIS oITY-HINTs
TO READERS

90. Sev.York Library Club has been collecting
.-sI for publication which will be Of great service
IN students and to reading people In the vicinity of
york The design Is to print in convenient
.n,a list Of all the libraries of every character in
L. ,v and Brooklyn, giving the site, hours Of open
t.rms of use. extent and character of the collec
.sr. specalties, income annual average additions,
.v and various other points OF general or technical
s,orsst The preparation Of the manual is in the
Ids Of a special committee Of which George II.
nter president of the club and librarian OF Columbia
couese. is chairman, tho other members being s. II.
psy treasurer Paul Leicester Ford the photographer
IA etor Of The Library Journal" Miss Ella NJ Coe,
nraran of the Free Circulating Libraries Miss NJ. 1.
randall Of the Brooklyn Institute, and F. p Hill,
,nrarlan Of the Newark Public Library. An effort
Ne been made TO the information desired from
40 libraries all but two Of which in this city and
p,ookyn The replies received in response TO the cir
mar sent out some weeks ago, printed In the New
York papers, about fifty OF these, and include
,,at deal Of interesting and valuable information.
ey comprise free circulating and reference libraries,
rolgiate subscription, theological law and medical
d The libraries of clubs, societies and associations,
,ucl as the Young Mems Christian Association, and
charitable and penal institutions
The Astor Library naturally claims precedence. 1t
rps o35lO1 volumes and about 100, 900 pamphlets;
,Be AZ age annual addition of books during the last
Eve years has been 2,T22 volumes, purchasers having
hapnG
name completed in 1883 Its income is entirely nom
tbe endowments of the Astor family which amount to
81 oe9O9o The founder John Jacob Astor, gives
oOOOO his son, William b. Aston, $55o,00O, and
his grandson, John Jacob about So5OOOO. The MAN.
,spanee fund is S4l1 $50; the book fund $407,
The Astor Library is reference library, and no BOOKS
under any circumstances are allowed to go from the
building. Any person over sixteen years old may use
,he library and the alcoves open TO persons over
chad for in hv we.lluOwn
citizen for purposes OF research that cannot be con-
aucted In the reading AS to the character OF
the collections, the aim is to have the best books OF
reference in every department., including the latesb
scientific serials, English and French literature; the
fpe arts including music archaeology, orientalia-
modern history and statistics, mathematics industrial
arts political economy foreign law, ETC., are well req
resented.
COLUMBIA COLLEGE LIBRARY.
BY reason Of its size and wealth and its liberal
attitude to the general public, the library OF
columbia College ranks next to the Astor In I'M
portance No other library reports such rapid growth
lie additions for the last year alone being over 10000
volumes The library numbers over 118oOo 1t
&c designed primarily for the officers and students OF
the various schools Of the college, but is open for free
use IN the building to all persons of scholarly needs
who make themselves known to the librarian Books
are circulated out among officers, students and alumni
~ the college, Unlimited access is allowed TO large
mart of the library. The law library is large and well
selected including foreign law international, constltt-
tonal and administrative law. The collection OF books
IN potcal and social science and economics Is prob
ably the best and largest in the country. Ancient
and medaeval literature, especially the classics, is
well represented, and there is valuable Goethe col
lection numbering several hundred volumes. while the
already considerable Dante and Shakespeare collections
are constantly being augmented. To the latter we're
recently added fifty works on Hamlet, formerly the
collection Of Carl Eze. Chief among the treasures
"a the library Of the late stephen Whitney Phenx,
consisting of 1000 volumes of choice WORKS, ranging
from standard editions of English literature to copy
NJ the first folio of Shakespeare and hundred otheS
rare and precious works. There arc complete sets OF
valuable scientific periodicals, and a recent gift OF
$4,000 BY Charles II. Senf is being expended at MS
desire fU works zoology. The Avery architectural
library given by S. P. Avery as a memorial OF his
son. graduate Of the college, who died in 1o0O, con-
tains several hundred costly illustrated works, and
additions to the value of 5000 will be made to 1t
this year.
Tho free libraries reporting for the mammal are the
Aguilae Apprentices' New-York Free Circulating
Librars and Cooper Union. The Aguilar Library, at
No Isl Lexington-ave., was founded in 1874 as the
Young Mems Hebrew Association Library and took its
present name in 1856. 1t is supported by private
benefactions and city appropriation. 1t is open from
a. H. TO p. m. ali days but Saturdays, when 1t
is open from p m. to p. m, and lends books and
allows free access TO the shelves 10 ell persons over
twelve years old. The library numbers 100000 vol
umes has special collection Of Hebraica, and main
tains branch libraries at No. 206 Fast Broadway and
No. 6o4 East Fifth-t
The Apprentices Library, at No is East Sixteenth
st. is open from a. m. TO 8 p. M. except on sun
DAYS and legal holidays and lends books without charge
TO all persons giving written security from rcspon-
sble resident of this city that books will be returned
1t has 81 900 volumes, and the annual net additions
losses deducted have been B472 volumes for the last
five years 1t freely supplies what its readers
call for willie aiming 10 provide the best works IN arch
lecture, engineering and mechanics for its reference
department 1t was founded in 1920, and has since re-
ceved several important gifts in books and money
So 600 coming from the Peter LOrillard estate
The New-York Free Circulating Libraries lend books
on the same terms and open from a. to p m.
4p. m to p. Sundays The branch libraries are at
No. 40 Bond-st, No. 1915 secondave.. No. 22o West
Forty-second-st. and No 251 West Thirteenth-st
There are from 1000 TO 10000 volumes at each branch
the ottendOrfer branch, in SecOndave, having 7,4e2
volumes in German, embracing considerable fiction and
works in useful arts and popular science. The
Libraries are supported by private gifts, $4,000 being
received from the city.
Cooper Union has a reference library Of 3o,596
volumes Of miscellaneous literature and domestic and
foreign periodicals 1t is open from a. M TO 10
p. m. to any respectable person over twelve years
old. and on Sundays from October to May the library
is open from noon until p. m.
A LARGE COLLECTION.
he Mercantile Library, whose new building Is
arising on the site Of the old Clinton Hail. gives its
privileges for year for SIS. It's collection rivals the
Astor's In size, numbering o32,794 volumes, tho
average growth OF the last FIVE years being 6,9OS
volumes annually. There are branches at No 426
FNthave and No. 80 Liberty-st.
The Young Mems Christian Association has finer
library than many people are aware being especially
strong in architecture and the fine arts There about
1900 volumes in these two divisions, the whole
library numbering 3s,40o volumes. large collec-
tUn of engraved and etched works. contains over
5000 plates, $500 Illustrations Of sculpture, and
1900 portraits Masters of the classical period Of
the art OF engraving are represented ono collection
Of 5000 portraits A. d. 1-1736, Is unique Periodi-
Gals Polar explorations and Bibles Of the fifteenth