The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-11-08
France and England Have the
Largest, While the United
States Ranks Third, Although
the People of This Country Are
the Greatest Readers.

N nearly every city. town and VII
lage there is some sort Of a IL
brary. 1t may be only q trav-
cling library or some other kind,
but the fact remains that nearly every
one in the United States has an op-
portunity to procure almost any popu-
lar book free or for q very small pay
ment.
Not In every country are the people
10 fortunate as in the United States.
Although they all have books-and in
two Instances foreigners have greater
collections than the library Of con-
gress. which contains Americas larg-
est number Of books under one roof
in no one country Is knowledge spread
In this way so extensively as 1t is In
the United States.
Libraries are not modern institu-
tons as many people seem to believe.
There is ample proof that the Anglo
Saxon kings OF England were dispos-
ed to erect them, and works We're
brought from Ireland where science
had beer cultivated much earlier than
in Great Britain.
But the invasions Of the Normans
stopped the spread Of Libraries. and
the first after the invasion was estab-
lished In Oxford, at Durham (now
Trinity college. in the thirteenth CEN
tury. Before that time books were
kept In chests and not in rooms styled
libraries. At the end Of the seven
teenth century there were only six
libraries in Great Britain.
ALLAN RAMsAYs IDEA
The frst circulating library was
founded by Allan Ramsay In 1925. So
successful were his efforts that within
seven years every town and large vii
lage possessed a library.
The largest library In the world is
the Bibliotheque Rationale. in Paris.
It Was founded in the year 1861 by
King John. who collected 90 books
and put them In the tower Of the old
Louvre. During the hundred years
war these books were scattered. Many
of them fell into the hands of he Eng
lish and were carried to London. Louis
ri. tried to revive the library, and
Henry w. gave it a place in the Col
lege de Clarmont and appointed De
Thou as the librarian. Two of the
librarians were guillotined during the
French revolution.
The building is situated In the heart
Of Paris. occupying a whole square OF
land. 1t contains about 100000 vol
umes and more than thirty miles of
shelving.
THE BRITISH MUSEUM
The British museum, the largest IL
brary In the United Kingdom. is the
second In size to the Bibliotheque Ma
tiOnale.
The British museum makes a special
t. Of foreign literature and archaeology.
Among the collections are 1900 He
brew books. 27.OOO Chinese books. 49,
COO books In other oriental languages
and a large collection Of periodicals |
and newspapers filed and bound. Its
treasures include manuscripts from the
second century before Christ to mod
orn times. a complete set Of the seals
81 England's sovereigns from Edward
the Confessor to King Edward VII.
The library Of the British museum
was f1rst opened in Montague House
n 1864. and Its present building. plan
ned by Sir Anthony Panizzi. was occu-
pied In 1917.
The large circular reading. ROOM, now
H most important architectural fea-
tnre. was added in 1867. This building
= centrally located and well adapted
e. library purposes. 1t accommodates
no readers. who have access to 10000
eefarances books. In comparison with
a. library OF congress. however. the
Brittsh museum is %antiquated and
nlnrnsy III It's working methods.
r. library Of congress Is the third