France, in the Bibliotheque Nationale, at Paris. has the largest library in the world. Charles V. in 136S had a tower in the old Louvre fitted up as a library, where he gathered 910 volumes. These were scattered during the Eng lish wars, and many fell into the hands of the Duke of Bedford and were carried to London. Louis XI. made an effort to revive the library. Henry IV. gave it a home in the Colli-'•ge de Clermont and appointed De Thou librarian. It narrowly escaped destruction at the time of the Revolution, when two of its librarians were /guillotined. In 1666 it was removed to its pres ent building, which has been frequently enlarged to accommodate the rapidly growing collection. The minor libraries of Paris include the Arsenal, founded in 1755: the Mazarin (1643) : and the Library of Sainte Genevieve (1624). The library of the Abbey of Saint Victor, the first opened to the public in France. went largely, at the dissolution of the monasteries, to the Biblio theque Nationale. Large libraries owing their origin to monastic collections and to the liberal ity of private persons are to he found in all the provincial cities of France. Most noteworthy are those of Lyons (1630), Aix (1705), Rouen (1609), and Bordeaux (1768).
Many notable libraries in England and on the Continent collected by private individuals during the past five centuries ,till bear their names, or have been merged in university or public libraries or dispersed at auction sales. Subscription and circulating libraries began to be established about the middle of the eighteenth century, and have been widely successful. Some town libraries were established at dates much earlier.
The earliest library in Amerh-a was that presented to the Henrico College. established by the colonists at Jamestown. Va., in 1621, de stroyed with the colony the next year.
Harvard 'University Library was founded in 163S. In 1700 can't. the Public Library in New
York, changed in 1754 into the present Society Library. In 1700, also, South Carolina passed the Provincial Library Law to encourage parochial libraries. Yale College Library was founded in 1701. In 1731 Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, which he called the 'mother of all North American sub scription libraries.' In 1800 the national library, called in its first general catalogue the Library of the 'United States, and later misname(' the Library of Congress. was established.
The first recognition of the principle of taxa tion for support of public libraries was the Now York District Library Law of 1835. This was not for school but for public libraries, unwisely placed in charge of school officers as a mere convenience of administration. The general plan was copied in twenty-three other States; and without exception has proved that while schools and libraries should work in the greatest har mony, the best results demand that their ad ministration be separated. Exceptions have been only enough to prove the rule. These district libraries did a beneficent work, but under their own trustees, with proper supervision and well organized administration, the same money might have done vastly more. But the law made the needed beginning in recognizing the popular educational character and possibilities of libraries. In 1S49 New Hampshire passed a law allowing towns to tax themselves for libraries. In 1SSO Great Britain passed the famous Ewart Free Libraries Act. In 1852 the Boston Pub lic Library was founded, and for a generation led the world in showing what might be done by a municipal library. In 1853 fifty-three librarians held the first library convention of the world in New York City, and received their first idea of the card catalogue.