The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-11-09

TN nearly every city, town n VII
lace there Is some sort Of a II
brary. 1t may be only a trav-
cling library or some other kind,
but the fact remains that nearly every
one In the United States has an OPP
p~ortunity to procure almost any popu-
lar book free or for o very small pay
ment.
Not In every country are b people
80 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 n roof
in no one country In knowledge spread
in this way SO extensively as 1t Is In
the United States.
Libraries are not modern instftu-
tons as many people seem to believe.
There Is ample proof that the Anglo
Saxon kings Of England were dlspos-
ed to erect them. and works were
brought from ireland where science
had been cultivated much earlier b a
in Great Britain.
But the invasions OF the Normans
stopped the spread Of libraries. and
the irst after the invasion was estab-
lished In Oxford. At Durham (now
Trinity college. in the thirteenth rem
tury. Before that time books were
kept IN chests and not In rooms styled
libraries. At the end Of the seven
tenth century there were only six
libraries In Great Britain
ALLAN RAMsAVs IDEA
The first circulating library was
founded by Allan Ramsay in IT'S. So
successful were his efforts that within
seven years every town and large VII
Ags possessed q library.
The largest library In the world IL
shs Bibliothequs Rationale. In Paris.
II was founded In the year 1867 by
King John. who collected 80 books
and put them in the tower Of the old
Louvra During the hundred years
war these books were scattered Many
Of them fell into the hands Of the Eng
nsh and were carried to London Louis
XI. tried to revive the library. and
Henry Nv. gave 1t q place In the Col
lsgs Dc Clarmont and appointed De
Thou a. the librarian. Two Of the
librarians were guillotined during the
French revolution.
The building In situated In the heart
If Paris. occupying Q whole square OF
land II 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
tonale.
The British museum makes a special
u of foreign literature and archaeology.
Among the collections are 1900 He
brew books, 1900 Chinese books. 49,
600 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
ern times. a complete set of the seals
Of England's sovereigns from Edward
the Confessor to King Edward VII.
The library Of the British museum
was first opened in Montague House
In 1854. and Its present building, plan
ned by Sir Anthony Panizzi. was occu-
pied In 1S47.
The large circular reading room. now
rs most important architectural fea-
ture, was added in 1857. This building
Is centrally located and well adapted
library purposes. Ii accommodates
,5O readers, who have access TO 10000
reference books. In comparison with
he library of congress. however, the
British musedm Is anticuated and
.Iumsy In its working methods.
The library Of congress Is the third