Of the libraries of America, in general, Mr. Rheims" Manuel of Pnblio Libraries; amid a large quantity of uninteresting particulars of insignificant institutions, contains some striking statistics. There are now, it appear', twenty-five libraries in the United States which contain each more than 20,000 volumes, the whole number in the twenty-five being 140,1102, or little abort of a million. The State of New York contains aix of these ; the State of Massachusetts five; and there are also five in the district of Columbia, or Wash ington and the country immediately adjoining. In the libraries' of the United States the proportion of foreign books is in general small. Of all the libraries from which reports have been received by Mr. Rheas, the one that has the largest collection in French has 4400 volumes; the Largest collection in German 6000; and the largest in which is in California, 696. It is probable, how ever, from this statement, that Mr. Mama has received no report from same of the principal libraries of the great cities. The history of some of these presents many points of interest. The library at Harvard College, at Cambridge, near Boston, which was for more than two hundred years the largest and most valuable iu the United States, was founded in 1638, and received the benefactions of some of the early contributors to the Bodleian, Sir Kendal Digby included. It had increased to 6000 volumes, of which a catalogue had been published, when it was totally destroyed by a fire in 1764, The legislature of Ilasuachusetta was then in session at Harvard Hall, and voted imme diately 20004. to erect a new building. Subscription' soon flowed in to reinstate the library, and Thomas 1 'Alia, of London, signalised him self by his liberality, which was continued by members of his family till the donations amounted to 60004., currency of Massachusetts. Among the English donors to the collection occurs the name of Mr. Thomas Grenville, who gave 1001. iu 1846. The only fixed income of the library to this day, is what is called the Ileitis and Shapleigh Fund, amounting to *bout 450 dollars a year, but the deficiency is made up by munificent though Irregular donations. The library counted in 1858, when Mr. ' Librarian's Manual' was published, 75,000 volumes in the main library, placed in a building called Gore liall. If other collections were included, such as the University Medical Library of 2000 volumes, kept some miles off at the Medical College in Boston, the total would amount to. 116,000, and if the society libraries of the students were added, the whole would he 125,000. The libraries of Yale College, at Newhaven in Connecticut, and of Brown University, at Providence in lilmode Island, number respectively 35,000 and 28,000 volumes. The collection of the Library Company at Philadelphia, is especially interesting as being that into which the few books have grown which were originally brought together in 1731, by a few youths, chiefly artificers, at the suggestion of Benjamin Franklin. It occupies in 1860 a separate building, erected so long ago as 1769, and of which Mr. Guild remarks, " the style of architecture is of course somewhat antique." The edifice is adorned, over the principal door, with a statue of Franklin, executed in Italy by Lazzerini, and the first specimen of sculpture, of life size, ever imported lute the United States. It contains 60,000 volumes, and with it is kept limier the same roof the collection of 11r. Logan, Franklin's early patron, amounting to 10,000 volumes more. Washington, as the official capital of the United States, is the place ut which some of its most important libraries are assembled. The library of Congress has been twice destroyed by fire, once by the British army in 1b14, as an act of ven geance for the destruction by the American,' of the i louse of Assembly of Upper Canada ; and the second time by accident ou the 24th of December, 1851. Fortunately on the former occasion only 3000 volumes perished, in the latter but 20,000 volumes were saved out of 55,000. The library has in consequence been rebuilt entirely of iron, —doer, roof, pillars, staircases, and shelves. The collation was esti mated in 1b58 to amount to 63,000 volumes. Of the State libraries of America, that of Now York, kept at Albany, and amounting in 1353 to 52,000 volumes, is the most extensive. The Astor Library, elready mentioned, was opened at New York in 1854, with 70,000 volume', chiefly collected by 1)r. Cogswell, the librarian, in three visits to Europe in preceding years ; and in 1855, Idr. William Actor, the eon of tin founder, declared his intention of building, at his own exPoelse. another gallery by the side of the former, to contain an aiblitiond 100,000 volumes. Tho Boston Athenaeum, a proprietary library, which had been founded In on the plan, it was said, of the Lemke% Institution, had, in 1858, attained to a pusition surpassing that of its prototype, if the number of books be correctly stated at 70,000. This was, the leading library of Itositon till the legislature of Massachusetts authorised the levying of sates for the formation of an entirely free literary. )1r. Bates, a native of Boston, but carrying on business as a merchant in London, wrote in 1852 to offer a donation of 50,000 dollaw toward' the purchase of books ; and in 1855, as sem as he received information that the building was actually commenced, ho sent a donation of another 50,000 dollars for the same purpose. Other citisens contributed collections of books, some of 10,000 drillers, fie. ; and on the 1st of January, 1858, the now building was opened with appropriate ceremonies, and Boston found itself in possession of a public library of 65,000 volumes. Au American banker in London, Mr. George Pea body, is the founder of two institutions in the United Status ootnkieing public libraries. ' The Peabody Institute' of Danvers, and' the Peabody Institute ' of Baltimore. The principal defect of the present great movement in America, is the want of concentration. It is evident from the spirit that has shown itself among its merchant princes, that it will soon be in possession of several libraries of the third, and pro bably of some of the second, order; but there is as yet no indication of its being speedily endowed with one of the first, a great central collection. Amid the dillieultiee presented by the rivalry of different
states, the most feasible plan of effecting this great object, an object more important to the scholarship and intellectual progress of the country, than the foundation of an additional twenty thousand common school libraries, appealed to be that advocated by l'rofessor Jewett, of applying to the formation of such a library part of the funds of the Smithsonian Institute, founded by Congrese at Washington from the bequest of 31r. Smithson, an Englishman. The scheme was sanctioned by Congress, but its actual execution seems to have depended on the personal influence of the Professor, and it was at once abandoned when by the proceedings of another Professor he was compelled to resign. The Smithsonian library, now a collection of about, 25,000 volumes, has forfeited, at the request of its own officers, the right of receiving a copy of all books published in America ; and is fur the future to be confined almost entirely to works of science. In America, as in Europe, the failure or success of projects of great public import ance seems to be often viewed with indifference by the great body of the public, and to depend almost entirely on the presence or absence of particular individuals of some fordo of character.
In Upper Canada a system with regard to public' libraries has been introduced analogous to that prevailing in England with regard to national schools. If a fund be raised by a corporation for the founda tion of a library, it may apply to the council of public instruction, and select books from a list sanctioned by the council, to the value of the money raised. The council in return sends back not only these books, but a number of other volumes of equal money value selected by the council itself. This system, which is that of the Bev. Egertou Ryerson, is considered by many Americans superior to that which prevails in the United States. Three hundred and twenty-six libraries in Upper Canada have been founded on this plan, in connection with schools and otherwise. The largest libraries in the country aro one of about 6000 volumes at Hamilton, and one of 7000 at the University of Toronto. The library of the Legislature, at present at Toronto, is an excellent collec tion, of which a good catalogue has been published. The collections in Lower Canada are of a different cast, the most important being those of the old Jesuit colleges. The largest library in the British Colonies is probably the Public Library of the Cape of (bed Hope, at Cape Town, of more than 30,000 volumes.
In Australia, the new library at 3Ielbourue, which already contains 25,000 volumes, it conspicuous also for the number. of its readers, which in last year amounted to 77,000, more than half the number of those hr tho same period at the British Mteleum. These facts in the recent history of libraries in the colonies and offspring of England, are remarkable in a high degree, and there is quite enough to justify the inference we have drawn that a new era in the history of libraries is appr oacig.
A notice of the best sources of information on tho subject will conclude this article. On the history of individual libraries, a whole library has been written. The mere titles of books on the subject, with references to noticed in other books, fill up five humired and forty octavo pages iu Vogel's ' Literatur offentlidier Bibliothekeu,' a valuable compilation, which is intended as a guide to all the printed information iu existence on the public and corporation libraries in Europe, and also on the private libraries, no small number, which have subsequently become a portion of public ones. The volume was published in Leipzig in 1840, and in the same year Dr. Petzholdt commenced the Mlle of his bibliographical periodical ' Anzeiger far Literatur der Ilibliothekwissenschaft; which in addition to the titles, contains abort critical notices of catalogues, reports, and other book, relating to libraries. It is compiled with German diligence, but whether from the dearness of English book*, or from some other cause, is not quite so full on the English literature of the subject as might be desirable. Another periodical, the ' Serapown ' of Dr. N autism, published at Leipzig also mime 1e40, gives articles on libraries, and copies of their regulations, and also contains what is called a chronicle of libraries, in which are recorded the deaths and promotions in the little " bibliothecal " world, a branch of information which is also kept in view by Dr. retzlioldt. Some years ago there was published in England is book called the Encyclopaedia of Literary and Typographical Anecdote,' by a printer of the name of Tituperley, and though the compiler did little more in many cases than bring together in order of date, cuttings from the newspapers and megazinee, relating to booksellers and printers, the volume is one that could much less easily be spared than many of higher pretensions ; and keeps a place on the shelves of those who are fond of anecdote and the bye-ways of information, side by side with Hone 's' ' Every Day Book.' A volume on libraries on the same easy plan as Timperleys on printing, would be a very acceptable addition to our literature. The only separate book on the subject at present, is Mr. Edwards's `Memoirs on Libraries' 2 vols., 1850,a work more ambitious but less useful, and less attractive, and in which it is remarkable bow little the writer gives from personal observation, and how much from printed statements of mere detail, even in cases such as those of the history of the libraries of London and Manchester, in which both sources of information must have been open to him. With all their deficiencies, however, these volumes are, till some similar work shall supersede them, an indis pensable companion to the inquirer into the history and statistics cf libraries.