LIBRARY ECONOMY, PROGRESS OF. LITERATURE, AMERICAN, IN 1893. 431 



ron t'rrrea, and the authors aimed to present on 



eu.'h suhji'ct a judicial digest of previous arti- 

 cles papers, discussions, and experience. As 

 finally printed by the Bureau of Education, the 

 volume will represent I lie position of the profes- 

 sion on I In- most important topics of library 

 e. . noiuy, etc., at the close of the 1893 meeting, 

 supplement ing tlie special report which was pub- 



lislird in 1S7I5. 



Libraries at the World's Fair. The Amer- 

 ican Library Association Model Library was 

 proposed as a means of helping small libraries 

 throughout the country in the selection, pur- 

 chase, and cataloguing of books, it is composed 

 of 5.000 volumes, which the association recom- 

 mend for an average public library. The selec- 

 tion was made by a committee, who passed upon 

 the suggestions" of about 75 librarians and 

 specialists. When the lists were completed 

 publishers were asked to give the books. The 

 invitation was most generously responded to, 

 and the books were placed in the United States 

 Government building, with the most perfect ap- 

 paratus, and in connection with an architectural 

 exhibit of plans, photographs, etc., of the largest 

 and finest library buildings in this and in for- 

 eign countries, and with a large collection of 

 model appliances showing the best methods of 

 work ana the latest inventions and devices. 

 The whole exhibit has been permanently depos- 

 ited with the Bureau of Education at Washing- 

 ton. A catalogue has been prepared, is published 

 by the Bureau of Education, and will be sent 

 free to libraries and schools. 



The Comparative Library exhibit contained 

 samples, models, and photographs of blanks, 

 forms, appliances, furniture, and fittings used 

 in libraries. A special feature was the collection 

 of answers to questions on all important depart- 

 ments of library administration. Questions were 

 printed on uniform blanks, and the returns are 

 bound together by subject. These volumes show 

 in compact form the library methods in use in 

 1893, and what changes are advocated. The 

 collection now forms part of the great Biblio- 

 thecal Museum of the New York State Library 

 at Albany. 



The Woman's Library. In the Woman's Build- 

 ing, in a superb room furnished by the women 

 of New York State, were collected about 7,000 

 volumes written by women of this and other 

 countries. This library will be preserved in a 

 memorial building as the nucleus of an interna- 

 tional and historical exhibition of woman's work 

 in literature. Foreign women sent contributions 

 of special value France, 800 volumes ; Bohemia, 

 300; Sweden, 130; Italy, 150; Germany, 300; 

 Great Britain, 500 ; Japan, 50. 



Of the many foreign libraries, the largest and 

 finest were the German, French, and Swedish, 

 though all were most worthy of praise. Nearly 

 all were carefully catalogued ; and since these 

 catalogues were distributed with generosity, their 

 value to the libraries of this country can hardly 

 be estimated, giving such an opportunity of be- 

 coming acquainted with the best libraries of all 

 countries and their methods as could otherwise 

 be gained only at the expense of much travel 

 and study abroad. Nearly every State of the 

 Union had libraries in its State building, or in 

 connection with its educational exhibit. 



LITERATURE, AMERICAN, IN 189S. 



The financial stringency of the year docs not ap- 

 pear to have materially affected the book trade, 

 for more books were published in 1HW5 than have 

 ever been recorded by the l'ui,ii-h. ,-' Weekly" 

 .").i:{ I in all an excess of 272 over the record of 

 1892 (4,862), previously the largest known. It in 

 perhaps worthy of remark that of the multitudi- 

 nous announcements made by publishers itt the 

 spring and fall, hardly one book went over into 

 1894. And a* there was no falling off in num- 

 bers, neither was there in the quality of the vol- 

 umes sent out. More of our novels came to us 

 from English and other foreign sources, the 

 standing being 834 of such to 263 American ; but 

 with this exception, and that of one other depart- 

 ment, viz., biography, the books supplied to the 

 American reading public: were from native au- 

 thors. Of the total 5,134 books, 4,281 were new ; 

 2,803 were by American authors, including new 

 editions, 1,180 were of foreign origin, manufac- 

 tured in the United States, and but 1,151 were 

 imported in sheets from England. The greatest 

 increase was shown in works of theology, law, 

 education, physical and mathematical science, 

 general literature, sports and amusements, and 

 the useful arts. The largest decrease was in fine- 

 art and illustrated books (though this is taken as 

 an indication of improvement in public taste), 

 and there was also a marked falling off in history, 

 political and social science, and biography. 



Biography, Works falling under this department al- 

 ways possess a charm, and many of those published 

 in 1893 hud especial value. The collection of u The 

 Writings of George Washington," collated and edited 

 by Worthington 0. Ford, was rendered complete by 

 the issue of the thirteenth and fourteenth volume*, 

 and " The Story of Washington," by Mrs. ElizaU-th 

 Eggleston Seelye, which followed her " Story of Co- 

 lumbus " in the Deliirhte of History " series, had an 

 introduction by her father, Edward Eggleston. Vole. 

 Ill and IV completed "The Writings and Correspond- 

 ence of John Jav, First Chief Justice of the I nitcd 

 States," edited by Henry P. Johnston, and Paul 

 Leicester Ford gave us Vol. II of " Writings" of 

 Thomas Jefferson. James Schouler presented u Thom- 

 as Jetferson " in a somewhat new aspect as regards hut 

 later political career in the " Makers of America " ae- 

 ries. Another volume of the same series was " Peter 

 Stuyvesant," by Bayard Tuckcnnan, who wrote also 

 on " William Jay and the Constitutional Movement 

 for the Abolition of Slavery." u The Life and Writ- 

 ings of Jared Sparks," in two volumes, by Herbert B. 

 Adams, was a valuable contribution, and to the same 

 per od belong the " Writings" of Thomas Paine, edit- 

 ed by Moncure D. Conway, with introductions and 

 notes to the four volumes, one of which appeared dur- 

 ing the year. " Paul Jones," by Molly Elliot Seawell, 

 belonged t<> the " Young Heroes of Our Navy '' I 

 while Major-general Wayne and the Pennsylvania 

 Line in the Continental Army" was the theme ( ('. 

 J. Stille. One of the most rotiiantir fiirures in the his- 

 tory of our country was dealt with bv Alfred M. 

 Wi'lliams in "Sam Houston and the \Var of Inde- 

 pendence in Texas." " Christopher Uist's Journals'' 

 were.punli.shcd together for the tlrst time, and cover 

 explorations of the Ohio river im<l its branches in 

 17.-.0 .-,.;. Select Speeches of Daniel Wi-hstcr. 1 17 - 

 lsi:> " had an introduction and notes by A. J. (icorsrr. 

 while " The Lite and Times of C. <;. NIcminircr." by 

 Henry 1>. i 'apcrs. and " The Life ami Times of Wil- 

 liam 'l.owndes Yanccy," hv John NYithcrspooti l>u 

 Hose. throw much liirht on the financial poHojMlMH 

 as the origin of the Confedt rate States. Two more 

 volumes \\ere written n|x>n "Abraham Lincoln" by 

 John T. Morse, Jr., in the scries of "American States- 



