The Anaconda standard., 1895-05-21
LIBRARIES OF THE WORLD.
New York's Position In the Event of 9
Proposed Consolidation.


1t has been assumed by some persons
that the proposed consolidation of the
Astor and Nenox libraries with the
Tilden library would assure to New
York a library larger than that pos.
sessed by any other city. This is mis-
take, according to the New York Sun.
The Astor library, incorporated in 1S49,
has 250,000 volumes; the Lenox library,
Incorporated in 1S70 has 10000 volumes.
and the bequest of Mr.. Tilden. IL Is
computed, would permit the purchase
of 200 volumes without duplicating
the books in the possession Of either
the Astor or the Lenox library. This
would bring the total of BOOKS In the
three institutions to $4,000. But the
Paris library, which, in respect of the
number of volumes. stands at The mead
of all others. has now 100000 hooks.
The library of the British museum in
London has 100000. The Imperial IL
brary in st. Petersburg. has 100o.00o.
and the Munich library has $4,000. The
Royal library in Berlin has 800, ,000 and
the Dresden library $4,000, so that
New York, under the proposed consoli-
dation, would rank seventh as COM
pared with European cities.
At the present time New York does
not rank high for libraries, even
among the cities of the United States.
The Boston public library. started by
the benefactions of Joshua Bates, a
Boston banker who lived in London,
and aided afterward by George Pea
body, has 597, 900 books Mr.. Bates con-
tribution was $4,000. and the cost of
the land and building of the Boston Ii
brary was 1856. 900. The Chicago uni
versity has a library of $4,000 vol
umes. The Newberry library. on the
north side near Lincoln park, has 49,
900 volumes. Both are exceeded by the
Congressional library in Washington,
established In 1902. 1t contains 395, 900
volumes and $780, pamphlets, and the
present rate of increase is 1900 vol
umes and 5000 pamphlets year. One
| of the boasts of the conductors of this
library. richer than any other In Amer
ican books and books on American
| subjects. is that IL is one of the very
| few fireproof libraries in the world.
| Following New York. should the pro-
posed consolidation be effected, among
the libraries Of Europe would come the
Royal Vienna library. 100000 volumes
Copenhagen library. 100000: library OF
the Vatican in Rome. $4,000. and the
library OF Oxford university, 300, 900
besides many valuable manuscripts
The Importance and utility of library
is not. OF course. to be gauged wholly
by the number of books on its shelves
| A well assorted and judiciously mad,
collection of 1000 may be of muci
Tgreater value than a collection Of 2,100.
900 indiscriminately chosen. In Europ,
much Importance is attached to various
| editions OF standard work. whereas
in the United States editions count 70
little; IT is the book itself which is re
| garded.
New York may not stand as high a.
| some foreign cities in respect to the to
tai number OF books in any one library
but. on the other hand. the opportuni
ties for general reading are very wide
ly diffused. The Mercantile librar,
has 245. 900 books: the New York His
torical library. 100000: the New Yorl
Society library. $4,000: the Columbii
college library. 160. 900: the Maimonide
library. 10000: the Cooper Union libra
ry. $4,000: the Young Mems Christial
association. $4,000. and the Mechanics
and Tradesmen's library. $1,000
There are in all the libraries of tn
world. exclusive of private librarie
and book store collections. 40, 000. OF
volumes In 1s45. exactly half a cen
tury ago, the number of volumes In a.
the pubic libraries of the world wa
e. 900. 900. 20 that in the last half Ger
tury the number OF books may be sal
to have doubied. This increase is in
great measure due to the remarkabl
cheapness in the cost of bookmakinl
Incidentally. this cheapening ha
served TO retary the growth OF circulai
ing libraries. for when a novel whic
cost H-25 can now be purchased for
cents the incentive TO subscribe to
circulating library Is much reduced.