The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-06-21
LIBRARIES OF THE WORLD.
New York's Position should the Propo et
Consolidation lie Effected.

New lotk's Position should the PrOpO oil
Consolidation lie Effected.
II has been assumed by some per-
sons that the proposed consolidation
of The Astor and Lenox libraries with
the Tilden Library would assure to
New York a library larger than that
possessed by any other city. This is
mistake. The Astor Library, incor-
porated in 1Si9, has 250000 volumes;
the Lenox Library, incorporated in
1870, has 10000 volumes, and the be-
quest OF Mr.. Tilden, 1t is computed,
would permit the purchase of 100000
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 throne
institutions to 1000. But the Paris
Library, which. in respect of the num-
Der of volumes, stands at the head OF
all others, has now 100000 books
The Imperial Library in st. Peters,
burg has 100000 and the Munich Lii
brary has $4,000 The Royal Library
in Berlin has 100000 and the Dresden
Library $4,000, so that New York, un-
der the proposed consolidation, would
rank seventh as compared with Eu-
ropean 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 $4,000 books. Mr.. Bates
contribution was $4,000, and the cost
Of the land and building of the Boston
Library Library was s365,000. The
Chicago University has library Of
3SO,OO0 volumes. The Newberry Lii
brary, on the north side near Lincoln
Park. has 175,000 volumes. Both are
exceeded by the Congressional Library
In Washington, established in 1902 1t
contains $4,000 volumes and 10000
pamphlets, and the present rate Of In
crease is $4,000 volumes and 5000
pamphlets a year. One of the boasts
Of the conductors of this library, rich
er than any other in American books
and books on American subjects, Is
that it is one of the very few fire.
proof libraries in the world.
Following New York, should the
proposed consolidation be effected,
among the Libraries of Europe would
come the Royal Vienna Library, 450,-
200 volumes; Copenhagen Library, 400,-
GOO, library of the Vatican in Rome,
10000, and the library Of oxford Uni
yersity 100000, 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 made collection of
100000 may be Of much greater value
than collection of 2,100,444 indis-
criminately chosen. In Europe much
importance Is attached to various edi-
tions OF standard work, whereas in
the United States editions count for
little; 1t is the book itself which is re-
garded.
New York may not stand as high
as some foreign cities in respect to the
total number of books in any one Ii
brary but, on the other hand. the op-
portunities for general reading are
very widely diffused. The Mercantile
Library has 2400 900 books, the New
York Historical Library 100000, the
New ork Society Library 10000, the
Columbia College Library 100000. the
Maimonides Library 10000, the Cooper
Union Library $4,000, the Young Mems
Christian Association $4,000, and the
oung Mems Christian Association A.
0Q0, and the Mechanics and Trades
mems Library $4,000.
There are in all the libraries of the
world-eXclusive of private libraries
and book store collections 900 900
volumes. In 1915, exactly half a CEN
tury ago, the number of volumes in all
the public libraries Of the world was
20, 900, 900, so that in the last half CEN
tury the number of books may be said
to have doubled. This increase is in
great measure due to the remarkable
cheapening in the cost Of boOkmaking.
Incidentally this cheapening has serv-
ed to re;ard the growth Of circulating
libraries, for when a novel which costs
S1.25 can now be purchased for twenty
five cents, the incentive to subscribe
TO circulating library is much re-
duced.-New York Sun.