CIRCULATING LIBRARY, a collection of books lent out on hire—circulated from hand to hand. The plan of lending books on hire is not new. Chevillier, in his Origines de C Imprimerie de Paris (4to, 1694)7 mentions that, in 1342, a century before the inven tion of printing, a law was framed in Paris, to compel stationers to keep books to be lent on hire, for the special benefit of poor students and others. This fact is alluded to as follows, by E. S. Merryweather, in his entertaining work, Bibliomania in the Middle Ages (London, 1849): "The reader will be surprised at the idea of a circulating library in the middle ages, but there can be no doubt of the fact, they were established at Paris, Toulouse. Vienna, and other places. These public librarians. too, were obliged to write out regular catalogues of their books, and hang them up in their shops, with the prices affixed, so that the student might know beforehand what he had to pay for reading them." This writer, quoting from Chevillier, gives a list of books so lent out, with the prices for reading them. The books are all of a theological or classical kind. Among them is the Bible, the perusal of which is set down at 10 sous. "This rate of charge," it is added, "was also fixed by the university, and the students borrowing these books were privileged to transcribe them, if they chose; if any of them proved imperfect or faulty, they were denounced by the university, and a fine was imposed upon the book seller who had lent out the volume." In these arrangements, we see the efforts that were made to procure the use of books before the art of printing had cheapened the cost of literature.
By whom the modern C. L. was projected, there is no record. All that can be given are a few facts on the subject. It is known that Allan Ramsay, author of The Gentle Shepherd, who was a bookseller in Edinburgh, established a C. L. in that city about 1725. Fond of dramatic literature, Ramsay appears to have incurred some local obloquy by lending out plays; and his wish to introduce a taste for the drama into Edinburgh may accordingly have suggested the notion of a circulating library. Be this as it may, the library which he began was continued through various hands for above a hundred years. At Ramsay's death in 1758, his library was sold to a Mr. Yair, whose widow carried it on till 1780, when it was bought by Mr. James Sibbald, an ingenious inquirer into Scot tish literary antiquities. Sibbald lived some years as a literary man in London, during which period, beginning with 1793, the C. L. was carried on, subject to an agreement by a Mr. Laurie. Sibbald afterwards resumed the direction of the library, which he
considerabry extended. At his death in 1803, his brother attempted to carry it on; but not being successful in his management, he disposed of it in 1806 to Alexander Mackay, a person of extraordinary energy and perseverance. By the acquisition of various other libraries, Mr. Mackay greatly enlarged the collection, which, under the name of the Edin burgh C. L., he conducted at 154 High street. Here, by long continued and minute attention to business, Mr. Mackay realized a competency, and he retired from active pursuits in 1831, when this extensive collection of books was broken up and sold by auction.
There are several circulating- libraries in London, claiming to be of old date, but probably not so early as 1725. In a late reprint of an old advertisement, we see " Proposals for erecting a public circulating library in London," under date June 12, 1742. This library was to be established "in some convenient place at or near the royal exchange:" and the subscription was to be a guinea per annum. Two of the present circulating libraries are believed to be descended from this primitive stock. So numer ous had circulating libraries become in the early years of the present century, that they absorbed whole editions of novels and 'romances prepared for the purpose by a London publishing establishment, designated the Minerva press. The issue of cheap books and periodicals about 1832 (see BOOK-TRADE) seriously damaged the C. L. system; for people now bought instead of borrowing materials for light reading. The vast increase to the reading public in recent times, and the continually augmenting number of new and popular works of a respectable class, have been the means of restoring prosperity to circulating libraries, more especially in London, where some of them are on a surpris ingly gigantic scale. To one library alone, as many as 100,000 new books are said to be added annually, and of kinds very different from those of the old Minerva press school. The method of reading from these libraries consists in paying a sum per annum—usually a subscription of a guinea—for which a number of new books may at all times be procured, and kept for a specified period. When the books are no longer in demand, they are sold at reduced prices.
The method of circulating books among the members of private associations, is noticed under the head BOOK-CLUB; and that of circulating books in rural districts by means of libraries which are shifted from place to place, will be found in the article ITLNERATING LIBRARIES. W. C.