The great national library of France, la bibliotln:vie du roi as it used to be called, bibliotUque nationale as it is called at present, is one of the largest and most valu able collections of books and manuscripts in the world. Attempts to form a library had been made by Louis XI. and his successors with considerable success; but the appoint ment of De Thou to the otlite of chief librarian by Ileury IV. may be regarded as the foundation of the establishment as it now exists. The number of printed volumes con tained in it is estimated at nearly 1,500,000, and of manuscripts at about 150,000. Amongst libraries of the second class in Paris, the arsenal library with 300,000 vols., the library of Ste. Genevieve with 200,000, and the Mazarine library with 160,000, the chief. Many excellent libraries arc to be found in the provincial towns of France, par ticularly at Rouen, Bordeaux, and Lyons.
Italy is rich in important libraries, amongst which that of the Vatican at Rome stands pre-eminent. The number of printed volumes is only about 100,000; but in the manu script department the number amounts to no less than 25,000, the finest collection in the world. The Casanata library, also at Rome, is said to contain upwards of 120,000 vols. The Ambrosian library, at Milan, has a collection of nearly 140,000 vols.; and the Brera library, of the same city, one of about 180,000. At Florence We find the Laurentian library, consisting almost entirely of manuscripts; and the 31agliabeehi library, with about 200,000 vols. Amongst the other libraries of Italy worthy of notice are the royal library at Naples, with 200,000 vols., and that of St. Mark at Venice, with 120,000, and 10,000 manuseriptq.
The principal libraries of Spain are the biblioteca national at Madrid, numbering nearly 230,000 vols., and the library of the Escorial, which has been already noticed. See ESCURIAL.-0 f the libraries of Portugal, no trustworthy statistics can be obtained.
The imperial library at Vienna, founded by the emperor Frederick III., in the year 1440, is a noble collection of not fewer than 400,000 vols.; of which 15,000 are of the class called incunabula, or books printed before the year 1500. The royal library at Munich owesits origin to Albert V., duke of Bavaria, about the middle of the 16th century. The number of volumes is estimated at 900,000, including 13,000 incunabula, and 2200 manuscripts. It is worthily lodged in the splendid building erected by the late king, I., in the Ludwig strasse. The royal library at Dresden is a collection of about 500,000 vols., amongst which are included some of the scarcest specimens of early print ing, amongst others the Mainz Psalter of 1457, the first book printed with a date. The foundation of time royal library at Berlin dates from about the year 1650. It now extends to about 700,000 vols. of printed books and 15,000 vols. of manuscripts, including amongst the latter many precious relics of Luther and the other leaders of the reforma tion. Of the other libraries of Germany, it will perhaps he enough to notice that of the
universitv of with upwards of 500,000 vols., and the ducal library of Wol fenbilttec, with about 270,000.
In Holland, the principal library is the royal library at the Hague, containing rather more than 110,000 vols., of which about 1500 are good specimens of easy printing.
The royal library at Copenhagen was founded about the middle of the 16th century. Its contents are now estimated at nearly 550.000 vols. The possesses nearly 200,000 vols., and Classen's library, also in Copenhagen, In Sweden, the largest library is that of the university of Upsala, consisting of nearly 200,000 vols. One of its chief treasures is the famous manuscript of the Gothic gospels of Ulfilas, commonly known as the Codex Argenteus. The royal library at Stockholm is next in size, numbering upwards of 96,000 vols.
The library of the university of Christiana in Norway, founded in 1811, contains upwards of 200.000 vols. • The imperial library of St. Petersburg was founded about the beginning of the 18th century. In the year 1795 it was largely increased by the addition of the Zaluski library of which was seized and carried off to St. Petersburg byStiwaroff. At present, the total number of volumes is estimated at 900,000, and about 35,000 manuscripts.
In the United States of America, though there are no libraries equaling those of the first rank in Europe, there are still not a few of considerable magnitude and value. The oldest and one of the largest among them is that of Harvard college, Cambridge, Mass., which has been in existence for more than 200 years, and contains about 200,000 vol umes. Libraries are also attached to the other collegiate institutions of the country. The Astor library, New York, named after its liberal founder, was opened in 185-1 with a collection of about 80,000 volumes, since increased to upwards of 150,000. It is iu the fullest sense a free public library. The library of congress, the only library sup ported by government, to which a copy of every copyright book must be sent, is natur ally the largest in the states, 'numbering about 270,000 volumes and 45,000 pamphlets. The Smithsonian institution at Washingt.on embraces in its plan the formation of an exten sive library. But little progress has been made in carrying out this part of the scheme. The proprietary libraries are numerous, and several of them are of considerable extent; that of Philadelphia, in the foundation of which Franklin was largely concerned, munbers upwards of 100,000 volumes; and that of the Boston atheneum, founded in 1806, has 103,000. The Boston public library has. in 20 years, become the second largest, and per haps the most widely useful library in the stales; it now numbers 260,000 volumes. The New York mercantile library possesses 150,000 al times.
An important conference of librarians was held in London in 1377: see its Tranenc flans and Proccadingi (Londe len).