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PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
The witnesses examined before Mr. Ewart's Committee expressed little difference of opinion as to the desirableness of establishing a number of additional libraries in the Metropolis ; but its practicability was not so readily affirmed, the difficulty of inducing Parliament to come down with the money being the prominent obstacle. Viewing the Museum Library itsprinutrily intended-to assist literary and scientific research, it was sug- gpsted that the establishment of libraries of a more popular character would relieve the national repository of the presence of persons who go merely to amuse themselves by the perusal of entertaining books. The engrafting of the lending-outprinciple, as a means of increasing the usefulness of the institution, formed also a point of inquiry. Mr. Ed- wards approved of the plan, and thought that the duplicate copies might he made available. It was stated, however, that much difficulty is felt in ascertaining what really constitutes a "duplicate" ; every edition of the 83.11113 work usually possessing some distinctive feature. Under any cir- cumstances, large purchases of books would have to be made, so as to avoid the chance o persona who frequent the Museum asking for books already lept out.. Mr. Weld mentioned, that during the six years he had been librarian to the Royal Society, only three of the volumes lent had been lost; but the extent of the lending does not exceed a hundred vo-
lumes a week. Mr. Panizzi adduced the extensive losses sustained by foreign libraries. On being reminded of the evidence given in 1849 by M.
Guizot, as to the inconsiderable losses sustained by the Paris librarieic Mr. Panizzi answered that the amount of loss could not bo ascertained, because the librarians did not themselveskuow the actual number of books under their charge at a given time. -
With regard to the advantage of opening the Library in the evening, various opinions were. expressed. Me. Rdwards suggests, that with the
view of guarding against fire, a separate reading-room fur .evening use should be built; and that persons desiring books should furnish a het of what' they want at a Stated' hour before dark, so that they might be sought out in daylight lie thinks that many literary and professional men who find it inconvenient in winter to visit the Library before four o'clock, would gladly avail themselves of the evening accommodation: Mr. Panizzi, on the other hand, would have the whole building lighted up, if the scheme is to he gone into, because, as the consultation of one book naturally leads to the consultation of others, it would be impossible for any person to make out a list of what he might require. Reasoning, however, from the circumstance that during the summer hours of from four to seven the attendance is but scanty, and also from the fact that the Liverpool Athemeum library is thinly attended in the evening; Mr. Pa- nizzi's opinion is, that to open the Museum Library in the evening would not be worth the trouble and expense.
Ventilation and the " library headache" were not overlooked in the questioning ; but the evidence was conflicting.. Mr. Edwards stated that the ventilation was exceedingly bad; and that men must 'have strong nerves to be able to study with comfort after the middle of the day. Mr. Weld's experience was of an opposite tendency; he had not found the ventilation deficient, and bad not suffered either from headache or from crushing. The Committee did not go into the question of Mr. Hudson Turner's " library-flea." A somewhat close comparison was instituted between the resources of the British Museum Library and the extent to which they are made avail- able to the public, and the resources and accommodation afforded by the highest class of foreign libraries. The result appears to be this. Abroad, access to public libraries is easier than to the Museum Library, and lend ing-out prevails ; but beyond these advantages, there is nothing which does not suffer in comparison with our national institution. On the point of lending-out, the advantage may be nominal rather than real, from the embargo which is laid upon the use of works deemed by the Librarian or the Government officials to contain doctrines subversive of the interests of Church or State. In Austria and Italy such restriction is in full force. As regards the larger libraries of Paris, the lending-out plan could scarcely be avoided, such is the influx of persons into the rooms who have no higher object than that of novel-readins. These crowds elbow out the literati, and hence the necessity for accommodating them with works of reference and of standard value at home. It is also, alleged that the lending-out of books affords a temptation to the librarian to save himself trouble by stating that a book which he may have diffi- culty in finding is "lent out." It appears, moreover, that such catalogues as exist are not at the command of the readers, but kept for the use of the librarians. Once .admitted to the British Museum Library, the reader finds the catalogue, and, with scarcely an exception, the ample stores of the institution, at his command : he may have as many volumes as he chooses to ask for brought to his seat ; and if he wishes it, the volumes• will be Iaid aside from day to day for his use, till he has obtained what he wants. Readers have been known to have as many as 261 volumes at a time. Books which could not be perused without danger by young persons are placed under restriction. The Library is open more hours in the day and more days in the year than any of the Continental libraries. Mr. Thackeray, in a letter from Paris, stated in reference to the. Biblio-- theque Nationale—" The catalogue you consult is the librarian ; of whom; however learned, one cannot ask too many questions, and on whom there is a constant pressure of applicants. If I had to write on a French: subject, the French Revolution for example, I would go to London thr
the books rather than apply here, where, instead of a catalogne at mr orders, I must trust to the good memory and complaisance (both of which. are very great) of the librarian." One other advantage was developed in this way—
Lord Seymour—" Have foreign libraries a number of books of reference close at hand, as they have in the reading-room of the British Museum ?"
Mr. runiezi—" They have them at Paris to a certain. extent ; but they must ask for them, they cannot help themselves to them as here. Here a man goes and takes a volume of an encyclopedia, or a volume of a ie. tionary, or a volume of the Greek or Latin classics, &e. • • • These may amount to as many as 8000 or 10,000 volumes."
In conclusion, it may be remarked, that the inquiry of 1849 has not been destitute of fruit, in so far as a permissive act of Parliament can be regarded in that light. On the 14th of August last, Mr. Ewart's bill for enabling Town-Councils to establish libraries and museums, freely acces- sible to the public, received the Royal assent. It authorizes the muni- cipal authorities of boroughs having a population of more than ten thou-- sand persons, to take the opinion of the burgesses as to whether they will adopt the provisions of the act or not Should two-thirds of the voters decide in the affirmative, measures may bestaken for establishing libraries and museums ; and money may be borrowed on the security of the bo- rough-rate, to defray the necessary expense. Under no circumstances, however, can the yearly burden exceed a halfpenny in the pound on the rateable property.
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