Loganian Library, and may be freely lent. The printed classed catalogue of the library has been praised by Brunet and Allibone. In 1869 Dr James Rush left a bequest of over one million dollars for the purpose of erecting a building to be called the Ridgeway branch of the library. The building is very handsome, and has been very highly spoken of as a library structure. Philadelphia has another large proprietary library—that of the Mercantile Library Company, which was established in 1821. It possesses 143,135 volumes, and its members have always enjoyed direct access to the shelves. The library of the Boston Athenæum was established in 1807, and numbers 122,000 volumes. It has recently published an admirable dictionary-catalogue. The collection is especially rich in art and in history, and possesses a part of the library of Washington. The Mercantile Library Association of New York, which was founded in 1810, has the largest of all the subscription libraries, counting over 193,000 volumes. New York possesses two other large proprietary libraries, one of which claims to have been formed as early as 1700 as the "public" library of New York. It was organized as the New York Society Library in 1754, and has been especially the library of the old Knickerbocker families and their descendants, its contents bearing witness to its history. It contains about 80,000 volumes. The Apprentices Library has about 63,000 volumes, and makes a special feature of works on trades and useful arts. It is maintained by the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen. Finally, the Brooklyn Library deserves mention, if only for its very useful and admirable catalogue, the printing of which was completed in December 1880, and which embraces 60,000 volumes.
State librariesAlthough the State libraries of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire are known to have been established as early as 1777, it was not until some time after the revolution that any general tendency was shown to form official libraries in connexion with the State system. It is especially within the last thirty years that the number of these libraries has so increased that now every State and Territory possesses a collection of books and documents for official and public purposes. These collections depend for their increase upon annual appropriations by the several States, and upon a systematic exchange of the official publications of the general Government and of the several States and Territories. The largest is that of the State of New York at Albany, which contains 116,000 volumes, and is composed of a general and a law library, of which a printed catalogue has been published with full subject-indexes. The State libraries are libraries of reference, and only members of the official classes are allowed to borrow books, although any well-behaved person is admitted to read in the libraries.
In addition to the libraries maintained by the several States, there are the collections belonging to the general Government, most of which are at Washington. The most important of them is of course the Library of Congress, but there are also considerable libraries attached to the house of representatives, the senate, the department of state, the patent office, and the office of the surgeon-general.
Library of Congress.The Library of Congress was first established in 1800 at Washington, and was burned together with the Capitol by the British army in 1814. President Jefferson's books were purchased to form the foundation of a new library, which continued to increase slowly until 1851, when all but 20,000 volumes were destroyed by fire. From this time the collection has grown rapidly, and now consists of 396,000 volumes with 130,000 pamphlets. In 1866 the library of the Smithsonian Institution, consisting of 40,000 volumes, chiefly in natural science, was transferred to the library of congress. The library is specially well provided in history, jurisprudence, the political sciences, and Americana. Since 1832 the law collections have been constituted into a special department. This is the national library. In 1870 the registry of copyrights was transferred to it under the charge of the librarian of congress. As two copies of every publication which claims copyright are required to be deposited in the library, the receipts under this head are nearly 25,000 articles per annum. The sum annually appropriated by congress for the management and increase of the library is $52,840. The present accommodation is inadequate, and a separate building is to be erected of size to contain two million volumes. There is an alphabetical card-catalogue kept constantly up to date, and a printed catalogue of subject-matters. The library is open every day in the year, except on four legal holidays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is granted to all persons over sixteen years of age without formality or introduction, but books are only lent to members of the official classes.
Since the organization of the Government in 1789, no less than one hundred and sixty historical societies have been formed in the United States, most of which still continue to exist. Many of them have formed considerable libraries, and possess extensive and valuable manuscript collections. The oldest of them is the Massachusetts Historical Society, which dates from 1791. The earliest of the scientific societies owes its origin to Franklin, and dates from 1743. The most extensive collection is that of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, which consists of 35,000 volumes and 40,000 pamphlets. For information as to the numerous professional libraries of the United States theological, legal, and medical the reader may be referred to the report already mentioned. Town libraries. Of all the libraries of the United States none have achieved a greater fame, and none are more zealously and admirably conducted, than those which are supported from the public funds of some of the great cities. Legislation on the subject of free public libraries was almost synchronous in England and America. Of the free town libraries of America, much the largest and most successful is the Boston Public Library, which was established in 1852. Besides the liberal appropriations made by the city for its support, it has been the object of a long series of splendid gifts in money and books. Among the more conspicuous of its benefactors have been Joshua Bates, Theodore Parker, and George Ticknor. Since the library has been opened to the public there has thus been gathered "the largest collection of books, under one administration, upon this continent." The number of volumes in the library on July 1. 1881, was 395,478, and the annual accessions are over 17,000 volumes. In addition to the income available from trust funds, the annual appropriation by the city is $115,000. Besides the central library, with the Bates Hall and Lower Hall, there are eight branches, and the total circulation is considerably over 1,000,000 volumes per annum. Any inhabitant of Boston over fourteen years of age is admitted to read in the library and to borrow books. The principal catalogue of the library is upon cards, in addition to which there are printed catalogues of special collections, and a perfect multitude of useful class catalogues and bibliographical helps of various kinds. The number of persons engaged in the service of the library is one hundred and forty-three. The library is open to readers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October to March, and until 7 p.m. during the rest of the year. Books are delivered for home use until 9 in the evening. The periodical room is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on week days, and on Sundays from 2 to 9. A new building is in contemplation.
Of the remaining free town libraries, the most important are those of Cincinnati and Chicago. The public library of Cincinnati, which was established on its present footing in 1867, has 122,930 volumes besides pamphlets. Its expenditure last year was 51,465, and its total issues, including those from the two branches, were 768,565. The reading-rooms are open every day in the year from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The library buildings were completed in 1873 at a cost of about 400,000, and are "among the handsomest in the world." The Chicago Public Library was established in 1872, and owed its origin to the sympathy felt for Chicago in England after the great fire of 1871. The number of volumes now in the library is 76,120. There is a very full and minute card-catalogue, in one alphabet, of authors and subjects; the contents of collections, volumes of essays, &c., are analysed under their subjects. The reading-room is open three hundred and sixty-five days in the year from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and is not even closed for the purpose of taking stock or cleaning. The library has not yet an appropriate building. Of smaller free town libraries there is a considerable number, especially in Massachusetts. Of the entire number ten only possess over 30,000 volumes each. It is the opinion of the energetic and
