and the following libraries (containing many important texts) of the Punjab have been examined:—that of Pandit Kikhikesha, of 500 books; Pandit Jwala Datta Prasada, 2500 MSS., the largest collection in the province; and Pandit Dilaram, 430 MSS. The efforts of Dr Forchhammer will probably bring to light many valuable Sanskrit MSS., both in Upper and Lower Burmah.
Singapore.The Raffles Library at Singapore was established as a proprietary institution in 1844, taken over by the Government in 1874, and given legal status by an ordinance passed in 1878. It now contains 11,000 volumes in general literature, but books relating to the Malayan peninsula and archipelago have been made a special feature, and since the acquisition of the collection of J. R. Logan in 1879 the library has become remarkably rich in this department.
Batavia.The library of the Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen at Batavia contains books printed in Netherlandish India, works relating to the Indian Archipelago and adjacent countries, and the history of the Dutch in the East. There are now 20,000 printed volumes and 1630 MSS., of which 243 are Arabic, 445 Malay, 303 Javanese, 60 Batak, and 517 on lontar leaves in the ancient Kawi, Javanese, and Bali languages, &c. The last edition of the catalogue appeared in 1877; printed catalogues of the Arabic, Malay, Javanese, and Kawi MSS. have also been issued.
China.China.—The Great Imperial Library was founded by K'in Lung, 18th century, and from a catalogue which has been issued appears to have contained about 12,000 works, extending to 168,000 volumes. There are many provincial libraries in China, and the chief Buddhist monasteries also possess collections of books.
Japan.Japan.—The library of the Tokio Fu (municipality of Tokio) at Leido, in the old Chinese university, contains 63,000 Chinese and Japanese volumes, and 5000 European, principally English and Dutch. The reading-room is supplied with native daily papers, and the chief foreign periodicals. The library is open for purposes of reference, and books may be borrowed by special permission. The Asakusa Library, now occupying the former fireproof rice store houses of the shogun, is one of the oldest in the country, and is reported to contain 143,000 volumes, including many ancient books and MSS.; an entrance fee of about 12d. is charged here. The Imperial University has a good collection of European and Japanese science and general literature. The libraries of the large temples often contain rare books of value to the philologist, and many of the leading towns throughout the country are provided with free libraries. Lending libraries of native and Chinese literature have existed in Japan from very early times.
British Colonies.
Of such libraries as may be found in the British colonies there are very few that call for particular mention here.
Canada.The largest collection of books in Canada is the library of parliament at Ottawa. Though founded in 1815, it contained very few books until 1841, when the two libraries of Upper and Lower Canada were joined. After being destroyed by fire, the library was re-established in 1855, chiefly for parliamentary use. It now contains 100,000 volumes, and is open to the public except when parliament is sitting. Books are lent out. The main library is a handsome octagonal apartment with beautiful carved work in Canadian white wood.
Cape-town.In the South African Public Library at Cape-town, which was established in 1818, there are 39,000 volumes, including the collection bequeathed by Sir George Grey, comprising, besides MSS. and early printed books, an unrivalled collection of works in the native languages of Africa, Australia, &c. The library is open to any respectable person.
Australia.The largest library in the Australian colonies is the Public Library of Victoria at Melbourne, which was established in 1853. In 1881 it numbered 89,387 volumes with 22,257 pamphlets; it possesses a collection of works on Australasia. The library has a printed catalogue (1880). It is supported by an annual parliamentary vote, which amounted last year to £5495. Readers are admitted without any formality, and have free access to the shelves. Although books are not lent out of the library individually, there is a system by which parcels of from 100 to 400 books are lent to libraries, mechanics institutes, &c., in the inland towns of Victoria. There are several other not inconsiderable libraries in Melbourne. Next in importance to the Melbourne Library is the Sydney Free Public Library, which is said to contain the largest collection of works on Australasia anywhere to be found. It has a lending as well as a reference department, and is much used.
Particulars of other colonial libraries will be found in the tables.
United States.
United States.The libraries of the United States, as we should expect to find in a country where intelligence and education are so widely diffused, are exceedingly numerous. A great mass of information with regard to them has been published by the Bureau of Education, particularly in the comprehensive Special Report on Public Libraries issued in 1876. From this report, and the annual reports of the commissioners of education which have since appeared, we learn that the number of public libraries already registered is 3842, with upwards of 12,569,450 volumes. It is of course true that the great majority of these libraries are not numerically important. On the other hand, many of them are very rapidly growing, and their very youth implies that their shelves are not burdened with much obsolete literature. The recent development of American libraries is indeed very striking. Of the libraries reported in 1875, about 64 appear to have been established before 1800, and 30 of these between 1775 and 1800. Between 1800 and 1825 there were established 179 libraries, between 1825 and 1850 as many as 551, and finally between 1850 and 1875 no less than 2240, which in the latter year contained as many as 5,481,068 volumes. It will be convenient to deal with these libraries in groups according to the historical order of their development. The earliest libraries formed were in connexion with educational institutions, and the oldest is that of Harvard (1638). Harvard.It was destroyed by fire in 1764, but active steps were at once taken for its restoration. From that time to the present, private donations have been the great resource of the library. In 1840 the collection was removed to Gore Hall, which was erected for the purpose with a noble bequest from Christopher Gore, formerly governor of Massachusetts. There are also nine special libraries connected with the different departments of the university. The total number of volumes in all these collections is 259,000, exclusive of over 200,000 pamphlets. The annual increase is about 7000 volumes, and the library has an endowment fund of over $200,000. There is a MS. card-catalogue in two parts, by authors and subjects, which is accessible to the readers. The only condition of admission to use the books in Gore Hall is respectability; but only members of the university and privileged persons may borrow books. Yale.The library of Yale College, New Haven, was founded in 1700, but grew so slowly that, even with the 1000 volumes received from Bishop Berkeley in 1733, it had only increased to 4000 volumes in 1766, and some of these were lost in the revolutionary war. During the present century the collection has grown more speedily, and now the main library numbers 102,000 volumes, while the special libraries in the control of the college bring up the total to 143,000 volumes. The yearly increase is about 4500 volumes, and the library has a book fund of $100,000. Amongst the other important university libraries are those of the college of New Jersey (Princeton), Dartmouth College (Hanover), Amherst College, Cornell University, and Brown University (Providence, R. I.). In 1875 the number of college libraries (not reckoning academy and school libraries) was 312, besides 299 libraries belonging to college students' societies.
Proprietary libraries.The establishment of proprietary or subscription libraries runs back into the first half of the 18th century, and is connected with the name of Benjamin Franklin. It was at Philadelphia, in the year 1731, that he set on foot what he calls "his first project of a public nature, that for a subscription library. . . . . The institution soon manifested its ability, was imitated by other towns and in other provinces." The Library Company of Philadelphia was soon regularly incorporated, and gradually drew to itself other collections of books, including the Loganian Library, which was vested in the company by the State legislature in 1792 in trust for public use. Hence the collection combines the character of a public and of a proprietary library, being freely open for reference purposes, while the books circulate only among the subscribing members. It numbers at present 123,000 volumes, of which 11,000 belong to the
