16 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
dollar annually per capita for the support of this great institution, and I 
doubt whether a community can be found anywhere in the world which 
taxes itself as heavily to provide library facilities, or which makes a larger 
use of them.” 
In addition to the 10 branches and 18 delivery stations mentioned 
by Mr. Quincy, there are also 33 other places—public schools, engine 
houses, etc._—where books are regularly received on deposit. This 
makes a total of 61 outlying agencies of the library.* 
The New York Publie Library is a new institution, in which are 
merged the Astor, Lenox and Tilden Libraries. It is possible that 
before long the New York Circulating Library may also be included 
in the general scheme, thus constituting one of the largest libraries 
in America. Dr. John 8. Billings, a man of broad views and ripe 
experience, has charge of the amalgamated libraries. A splendid 
library building is now in course of erection in Bryant Park, and 
Mr. Carnegie has offered an enormous sum for the establishment of 
branch libraries in every quarter of Greater New York. The popularity 
of the New York libraries may be gauged from the fact that the 
daily combined average number of readers at the Astor and Lenox 
Libraries was found in 1899 to be 488 ; while the average attendance 
ai the British Museum, with over three times the number of books, 
was only 516. The New York Public Library, as at present con- 
stituted, contains in the neighbourhood of 700,000 volumes. 
The New York Free Circulating Library was first incorporated 
in 1880. There are at present 10 branches, with over 100,000 books. 
No central library exists, but books are sent from one branch to 
another as required, and there is a general catalogue of all the 
branches. This library system is almost entirely supported by private 
subscriptions, but it is free to the public, nothing but a guarantee 
being required for an intending card-holder. | | 
One of the most remarkable examples of a modern public library 
system is that of Philadelphia. Here the modern idea of supplementing 
the central library by outlying branches has been carried a long step 
further by practically abolishing the central repository altogether, 
and relying upon the branches alone—going to the people in their 
own neighbourhoods, instead of making them travel to a distant 
central library. Travelling libraries are another popular feature of 
the Philadelphia system. 
At Philadelphia is also to be found the oldest proprietory or 
subscription library in the United States—the Library Company of 
Philadelphia. This project was originally set on foot by Benjamin 


* It appears by a recent report that these 61 agencies have now (1902) been 
increased to 87. 
