42 S. Mis. 53. 



I dwell upon this point, because I think it is not generally under- 

 stood that the chief expense of a library is in its organization, rather 

 than in its permanent custody. The two things should always be 

 kept distinct. A system for rightly ordering a library should be early 

 formed and steadily adhered to. Sufficient aid of the right kind 

 should be furnished to the librarian, to enable him to incorporate acces- 

 sions at once among the other portions of the collection; to catalogue 

 them, and render them in the highest degree useful. A collection of 

 books is not all that constitutes a library, any more than a collection 

 of men is of necessity an army. The men must be organized for war- 

 like operations to compose an army ; so books, to form a library, must 

 be arranged for purposes of study and reference. 



The necessity of the proper management of a library is, however, 

 better appreciated than the labor which it requires. 



In nearly all the large libraries of Europe (that of the University of 

 Gottingen is perhaps the only exception) the librarians have not been 

 furnished with the necessary aid to properly dispose of accessions as 

 they were received. The consequence is, that the work of organizing 

 has remained unaccomplished, and that the librarians have been turned 

 into mere custodians, from the impossibility of committing to servants 

 what would otherwise be their work. The books were not so placed 

 that they could be found and kept by mere servitors. The memory 

 and learning of the librarian is in incessant demand from the want of 

 printed guides, which ought to have been pi-ovided. Thus arrears have 

 gone on accumulating, and the expenses of the collections have con- 

 stantly increased. 



The view which we take of the necessity of large collections of 

 books leads us to express the gratification which we feel at the large 

 appropriations made this year by Congress for replenishing the deso- 

 lated shelves of its library. Should this liberality be continued, it will 

 be providing with great rapidity for many of the wants which it has 

 been our purpose to signalize. We doubt whether any appropriation 

 made by Congress has been hailed with more intelligent pleasure. It 

 revived the hopes of the studious throughout the country, and led to 

 the belief that the hands which had begun this good work would carry 

 it on to perfection. With an overflowing treasury, the possession of an 

 enlightened and appreciative nation, we may well hope that money will 

 not be wanting to establish the independence of American learning, 

 to render it no longer provincial, no longer relying for its support upon 

 the libraries of Europe. 



Another movement in the same direction, suddenly assuming a posi- 

 tion of commanding importance, is the establishment of the Astor 

 Library of New York. It was endowed by a business man, who had 

 the sagacity to place it under the m;inagement of one who had made 

 the selection, purchase, and care of libraries a professional study for 

 many years. In the history of similar collections there is nothing to 

 compare or compete with the gathering of the Astor Library in New 

 York. 



It was established in 1849. The appropriations for the purchase ol 

 books hive been placed entirely at the disposal of Dr. Joseph G. Cogs- 

 Well, the librarian. He has collected, during two visits to Europe, 



