ASTOR LIBRARY, in the city of New York, founded by John Jacob Astor, and largely increased by his son, William B. Astor. The edifice on Lafayette place is excel lently adapted to the purpose, and occupies nearly the whole of a lot 235 by 120 ft. It is of brick, of the Byzantine order, finely ornamented with brown-stone moldings. The original library room is 100 by 64 ft., and 50 ft. high, and is reached by 30 marble steps. This building was opened Jan. 9, 1854, but it soon became too small for its purpose, and William B. Astor erected a building adjoining, exactly corresponding in style and size, which was opened Sept. 1, 1859. The A. L. is entirely free, though no book can be taken .away. In languages it has no superior in the country. The books are nearly all of practical value, fiction being entirely subordinate to works on history, arts, sciences, etc. Frorn,the report for the year 1879, the following facts are taken: The fund for the maintenance =of the library is $421,000, and the endowment amounts to $1,112,957. During the year, 5869 vols. were added, and the whole number of vols at the end of the year was 1.89;114. The number of readers in the halls and alcoves in 1879 was 239,042, a daily average of about 214. Although the number of general readers has doubled in ten years, a slight falling off in their number as compared with the previous year, and an increase in the alcove, readers. This increase, which has been generally
uniform years past, has shown the increasing attractions of the library for study and research, in drawing to it students not only from the city and state, but from colleges and universities in other parts of the country and even from Europe. The trustees report that in Nov., Mr. John Jacob Astor conveyed to the library, by deed of gift. three lots.of .ground adjoining, 75 ft. front by 100 ft. in depth, and announced his intention of erecting thereon an addition to the present library building, 65 ft. in front by 100 ft. the same general style as the present edifice. With this addition the library will have-a front of 195 ft., and a depth of 100 ft., with an increased capacity for books amounting to 120,000 volumes. The number of readers in the halls had risen from 25,709 in 1872, calling for 78,935 hoo'cs, to 51,725 in 1879, and 147,112 books. The alcove readers were 5204 in 1870, and 7307 in 1879; the whole number of volumes in the library in 1870 was 140,358; in 1879 it was 189,114.