New volumes of the Encyclopædia Britannica > Volume 30, K-MOR

214 LIBRARIES
from Cairo, and of the Buxton collection of Norfolk court
rolls, etc. The following catalogues of MSS. have been
published : Persian (E. G. Browne), Syriac (W. Wright
and S. A. Cook), Hebrew, vol. i. (S. M. Schiller-Szinessy),
Hand-list of Mahommedan MSS. (E. G. Browne). Among
recent additions are the Chinese library of the late Sir
T. F. Wade, catalogued by Professor H. A. Giles; the
library of H. Bradshaw, 1870 and 1886 (Irish, chiefly
before 1800, probably 7000 numbers) ; R. Bensly’s Oriental
books and manuscripts, J. Venn’s logic collection, J. C.
Adams’s collection of early printed mathematical works,
Samuel Sandars’s incunabula, early English, liturgical,
books on vellum, &c. Volumes i. and ii. of the catalogue
of English books before 1640, by C. Sayle (reaching
No. 5909), had been published up to 1902.
The Advocates’ Library in Edinburgh now includes
455,000 j)rinted volumes and 3200 MSS. In 1884 an
addition was made to the building capable of
n urg ‘ holding 85,000 volumes, and in 1899 a further
extension to accommodate 380,000 volumes. The Signet
Library now includes about 100,000 volumes. The third
volume of the printed catalogue, with a subject index, was
published in 1891.
The library of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1902 con¬
tained 255,000 volumes and 2027 MSS.; about 3000
Dublin volumes are added every year. The printed
catalogue of books acquired before 1872 was
completed in 1887, and a summary catalogue of the
manuscripts has been published (1890).
The most remarkable instance of a great library estab¬
lished by private munificence is that of the John Rylands
Library at Manchester, which was founded,
Chester erecte4 anfl endowed by Mrs E. A. Rylands in
memory of her husband, and is contained in
a magnificent building opened in 1899. The collection
was formed largely on the famous Althorp Library, made
by Earl Spencer (40,000 volumes), one of the most re¬
markable collections of early printed books and rare
Bibles ever brought together. The present number of
volumes is about 80,000, of which 2500 are incunabula.
Over 5000 volumes, including many of great rarity, were
added in 1901. A short-title catalogue, 3 vols. 4to, and
one of English books, have been published. A supple¬
ment, describing about 25,000 books, was begun.
Since 1880 the usefulness of public libraries has been
increased by the work of the Library Association,
founded in 1877, during the first International Library
Conference held in London in October 1877. A charter
of incorporation was granted to the association in 1898.
It holds monthly and annual meetings, publishes a journal,
conducts examinations, issues certificates, holds classes for
instruction, and has greatly helped to improve the public
library law. The Library Assistants’ Association publishes
a journal. A second International Library Conference was
held at London in 1897. Library associations have been
started in Germany and Switzerland. The Library Associa¬
tion of Australia held its third annual meeting in 1901.
British Colonies.
I. Australasia.—In the Australasian states and colonies
there were 1361 libraries in 1902 receiving a Government
grant, and containing 2,552,995 volumes.
1. Victoria has 424 libraries, with 1,029,743 volumes. The
Melbourne Public Library is the largest in Australasia (178,900
vols.). Among other libraries in Melbourne are — The Library of
Parliament, for the use of members; the Supreme Court Library,
with 24,000 vols., free to members of the legal profession; the
Patent Office Library, with 7000 vols. ; the Libraries of the Uni¬
versity, the Royal Society, the Linnsean Society, the Royal
Geographical Society, and other institutions.
2. New South Wales contains 350 libraries receiving Govern¬
ment aid, with 510,000 vols. ; Sydney Public Library (151,141
vols.), with lending department for the benefit of country libraries -
Sydney University Library (50,000 vols.); School of Art Library
(60,000 vols.); a circulating library for subscribers.
3. South Australia.—Adelaide Public Library (46,266 vols.)
with circulating system of book boxes ; Parliamentary Library'
Adelaide, for the use of members. Besides these, 160 country
libraries with 220,538 vols.
4. Queensland contains 141 institutions, with 166,589 vols.
mostly open to the public. Pending the opening of the Brisbane
Public Library, the most important is the Parliamentary Library
Brisbane (31,835 vols.).
5. Tasmania has 45 libraries, with 90,000 vols.; Tasmanian
Public Library, Hobart, 19,000 ; Launceston Public Library,
22,000 vols. ; Parliamentary Library, for use of members.
6. West Australia has 55 literary institutions, with 24,000 vols.;
Victoria Public Library, Perth (43,940 vols.).
7. New Zealand has 304 libraries, with 409,604 vols. There are
no state libraries, but they are partly supported by rates and
partly by subscription. The largest are Auckland Public Library
(34,000 vols.), containing Sir George Grey’s collection of 13,000
rare books and MSS. ; Wellington Public Library; the Dunedin
and Christchurch Libraries ; the Parliamentary Library of Welling¬
ton (40,000), and several university libraries.
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia intends to
establish a Federal Public Library in the new capital, containing
as a special feature works on Australasian history.
II. Canada.—Between 1887 and 1902 the number
of volumes accessible to the public in the Dominion
increased by about 1,300,000. All the chief cities of
the Dominion now possess fine public libraries. Two pro¬
vinces—Ontario and British Columbia—have adopted a
Public Libraries Act. Montreal has about thirty libraries,
large and small, and Toronto about as many. Ottawa can
draw upon the Parliamentary Library, which with those of
the departments aggregate a quarter of a million volumes,
and constitute the largest collection of books in the country.
The chief free public library in Canada is that of Toronto
(110,000 vols.). The largest university library is that of Laval
University, Quebec (110,000 vols.). Then follows M‘Gill Uni¬
versity, Montreal (81,000), with about 30,000 vols. of theological
and patristic literature in its affiliated colleges. Travelling
libraries have been organized in British Columbia. The Aberdeen
Association, founded in 1890 through the instrumentality of the
countess of Aberdeen, collects books for distribution in monthly
parcels among settlers in outlying parts of the country. Nova
Scotia — Halifax: Legislative Library (32,500 vols.), Dalhousie
University (19,760), Citizens’ Free Library (22,300), Garrison
Library (15,000); Windsor: King’s College (7500); Wolfville:
Acadia College (8500). New Brunswick — St John: Free
Library (12,000); Fredericton: Legislative Library (15,000),
University of New Brunswick (8500) ; Sackville : Mount Allison
College (8500). Quebec {Province)—Montreal: Fraser Institute
(35,000), Chateau de Ramezay (6000), Montreal Free Library
(20,000), Westmount Free Public Library (2500), Bibliotheque
Paroissiale de Notre Dame (16,000), Mechanics’ Institute (14,000),
Grand Trunk Literary and Scientific Institute (7000), Ecole Normale
Jacques Cartier (12,500), M‘Gill University (including medical
works, 81,000), four college libraries affiliated with M‘Gill Uni¬
versity, viz., Presbyterian (16,000), Congregational (3500),
Diocesan (4700), Wesleyan (3000), Montreal College (Roman
Catholic) (45,000), St Mary’s (Jesuit) College (32,000), Seminary
of St Sulpice (70,000), Natural History Society (6000), Advocates’
Library (17,000),. New York Life Law Library 76500); Quebec
(city): Laval University (110,000), Legislative Library (50,000),
Department of Public Instruction (11,000), Bar Library (13,000),
Literary and Historical Society (19,000); Sherbrooke : Art Insti¬
tute and Public Library (4000) ; Knowlton: Pettes Memorial
Library (1400); Lennoxville: Bishop’s College (7500) ; Stan-
stead: Public Library (3000); St Hyacinth: College de St
Hyacinthe (25,000) ; Ste Anne de la Pocatiere : College de Ste Anne
(13,000); Three Rivers: Seminaire des Trois Rivieres (7000).
Ontario—Toronto: Public Library (110,000), University Library
(60,000), Legislative Library (70,000), Law Society of Ontario
(30,000), Meteorological Office (Governmental) (5000) ; Kingston:
Queen’s University (36,000) ; Ottawa : University (35,000), four
Governmental libraries, viz., Library of Parliament (200,000),
Geological and Natural History Survey (16,000), Supreme Court
(19,500), Archives (10,000). Manitoba—Winnipeg: Legislative
Library (17,500), Literary and Historical Society (15,000), Uni¬
versity of Manitoba (8000), Law Society (6000). North- West
Territories — Regina: Legislative Library (3500). British
Columbia—Victoria: Legislative Library (6000), Law Library
(2000), Public Library (5000) ; New Westminster : Public Library
(1500) ; Vancouver : Public Library (1000).