well-chosen, and preeminently scientific library at Washington would have been, at every step of its progress, increasingly useful even in the direct furtherance of the "active operations" of the Smithsonian Institution. No such library ever was, or ever will be, formed by a mere system of "exchanges," although such a system is an admirable aid and auxiliary. Honest and persevering effort for the obtainment of such a library, if made side by side with an energetic furtherance of the scheme of publication, would have gathered support from all quarters; whilst a contrary course has divided the friends of the Smithsonian Institution into two jealous and even hostile camps. In the lives of institutions, as in those of individuals, there are occasions when bold enterprise and unquestioning faith show themselves to be qualities as prudent as they are powerful.

For the present, however, the Library portion of the Smithsonian scheme has sustained a check. But a foundation has been laid, which, at some day or other, will assuredly be worthily built upon. About 19,000 volumes have been collected. Of this number about 9350 have been purchased; upwards of 8000 have been obtained by donation and exchange; about 4300 have been delivered under the Copyright Act; 873 volumes are stated in the Reports to have come "by deposit." Of the extent of the collection in the several classes of literature no adequate statement has appeared. In appropriating the funds available for book-buying, Mr. Jewett very judiciously recommended the collection, in the first instance, of works of bibliography, and a considerable proportion of the purchases have accordingly been in this department. Of the books presented the majority are Periodicals and Transactions of learned Societies. The Reading-Room, it is stated (in the " Eighth Annual Report"), "has continued to be a place of great resort for citizens and strangers. The list of periodicals is extensive, and comprises many of the best scientific and literary journals of this country and of Europe."†

Of the other operations of the Smithsonian Institution we can speak with unmixed satisfaction. It has already published nine volumes of "Contributions to Knowledge," besides several minor but useful works, as, for instance, a good "Report on recent Improvements in Chemical Arts." Of the contents of the former, a complete list is subjoined in its appropriate place. They are, it will be seen, very comprehensive. In addition to the entire range of the Natural Sciences, they include contributions of real value in History and in Philology.

It has also erected a Magnetic Observatory at Washington; has in various ways promoted astronomical pursuits; and has established a valuable system of meteorological investigation throughout the whole extent of the Union. And, finally, it has organized and has successfully carried into practical working a comprehensive scheme of scientific and literary correspondence and exchanges throughout the world, the probable ultimate advantages of which. are not easily calculable. That an institution, which in eleven years has accomplished so much, may surmount all temporary difficulties, and prosecute

The first part of a list of works of this kind has been published by way of Appendix to the Seventh Volume of the Smithsonian Contributions.

+ Eighth Report, p. 30 (1854. 8vo).

I. e. in the body of Bibliography under Sciences generally.
k

its career with ever increasing activity and success, must be the ardent desire of all lovers of knowledge, whether they be Americans or Europeans.

CHAPTER VI.

OF PUBLIC SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LIBRARIES.

In addition to the various classes of Libraries which have been already enumerated, many of the States have School and District Libraries, more or less completely organized, but in most cases having a direct connection with the Common School legislation of the State to which they belong.

Public School
Libraries of
Massachu-
setts,

In the Twelfth Report of the Secretary of the Board of Education of Massachusetts (November, 1848), it is stated that the then number of volumes in the Public School Libraries of that State was 91,539; and their estimated value 42,707 dolIt would be difficult," it is added, "to mention any way in which a million of dollars could be more beneficially expended than in supplying the requisite apparatus and libraries for our Common Schools."

lars (£8540),

and of New York.

The School districts throughout the State of New York are furnished with libraries out of funds annually appropriated (since 1838) by law to that purpose. The number of volumes in these libraries was, in 1844, 1,145,250; in 1845, 1,203,139; in 1846, 1,310,986; and in 1847, 1,338,848 volumes. "Selections for the District Libraries are made from the whole range of literature and science, with the exception of controversial books, political or religious. History, Biography, Poetry, Philosophy, Fiction, indeed every department of human knowledge contributes its share to the District School Library'...... These libraries are not so much for the benefit of children attending school as for those who have completed their Common School education. Its main design was to throw into school districts, and to place within the reach of all the inhabitants, a collection of good works on subjects calculated to enlarge their understandings, and store their minds with useful knowledge."* The Report of the Board of Education of New York City, presented in 1855, recommends the extension of this plan to the Grammar Schools of the City.†

There are also, in the State of New York, 172 libraries attached to Academies and Seminaries, under the general supervision of the Regents of the University, who annually report to the Legislature inter alia the number of volumes, and the estimated value of the books in each Academy. These 172 libraries contained, in 1855, 91,296 volumes, and their estimated value was 88,432 dollars (or £18,259 sterling). The following is a comparative view of these Academy Libraries in the years 1848, 1850, and 1855, respectively :

* Reports of 1836 and of 1849, quoted by Jewett in Notices, &c., p. 105.

+ Thirteenth Annual Report of Board of Education of the City and County of New York, 1855, p. 68.

Sixty-eighth Annual Report of the Regents of the University of the State of New York, March, 1855, pp. 173--225.

District Libraries of

Rhode Island.

In Rhode Island, within the four years 1846-1849, public libraries were establisbed in every town of the State with only four exceptions, and mainly by the exertions of the enlightened and energetic Commissioner of Public Schools, Mr. Henry Barnard. These libraries are small, but are composed of well-selected books, and are accessible to the whole population. Another public-spirited man, Mr. Amasa Manton, of Rhode Island, has been the chief founder of ten libraries in as many villages of that State, which now contain in the aggregate upwards of 5000 good books.*

Even in the newer States-such as Indiana and Michigan-progress is being made in a similar direction, and by express legislative enactment. Indiana provided, in the law which laid out the State into counties, for the appropriation of a piece of land in each county to the establishment of a public library. In Michigan "the law has for several years made it the duty of the supervisor to assess a half mill tax upon each dollar of the taxable property of his township for the purchase of a Township Library ..... The constitution of the State provides that the clear proceeds of all fines assessed in the several counties for any breach of the penal laws shall be exclusively applied to the support of said libraries.' 'Although,' it is added, according to the returns there are [1847] but 300 Township Libraries in the 425 townships of the State, from which reports have been received, still there is a very gratifying increase in the number of these libraries, and the extent of their circulation. There are 30 more such libraries reported this year than last, containing in all 42,926 volumes, which is 6938 more than they contained, according to the reports received, in the year 1846. These libraries circulate through 1349 districts, which shows an increase of 268 over any former year. Communications received from several counties afford very gratifying evidence of their increased usefulness.'"+

CHAPTER VII.

GENERAL SUMMARY OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES OF THE

UNITED STATES.

In the Smithsonian " Report on Public Libraries" of 1849, Mr. Jewett stated their total number, in all the States collectively, at 10,199, and their aggregate contents at 3,753,964. According to the Census Returns, commenced in 1850, but not completed until 1853, the total number of libraries, Jewett, Notices, &c., P. 63. + Ibid. p. 185.

more or less accessible to the public, was 15,615, and the aggregate number of volumes therein contained, 4,636,411.

Mr. Jewett's classification was seven-fold, namely: I. State Libraries; II. Social Libraries; III. College Libraries; IV. Students' Libraries; V. Libraries of Academies and Professional Schools; VI. Libraries of Scientific and Historical Societies; VII. Public School Libraries. The Census classification was five-fold, namely: I. Public Libraries (in the usual sense of that term as applied in the United States); II. School Libraries; III. Sunday School Libraries; IV. College Libraries; V. Church Libraries. The classification employed in these pages differs from both. In presenting the reader with a brief and general Summary of the results, it will therefore be expedient first to state them separately, and then to place side by side such of the several items as admit of comparison. Mr. Jewett's Summary will stand thus :

No. of
Libraries.

:

Aggregate No. of vols.

If the same results be classified according to the several States, ranking these in the order of the relative number of volumes publicly accessible in each State, they will read thus:

According to the Census Returns of 1850 the then number of Libraries, other than "private" (of which, also, the Census

took an account), ran thus :

Summary of Libraries in 1850, according to the Census Re

turns.

Summary of Libraries in 1856, as enumerated in

"Statistical Table."

In the following "Statistical Table of the Public Libraries of the United States," with which we conclude this branch of our subject, the returns of 1849, as stated by Mr. Jewett, are, for the purpose of comparison, given side by side with those of the following 1856, so far as we have been able to ascertain them from the latest Reports, or from other and personal information. Where these are lacking, the estimated contents, in 1856, of the Library in question is based on the average accessions of preceding years, as officially reported. A summary of the general results of this table will be found on its last page :-