lilBRABIES. 195 LIBKABIES. burg, dating back to loGO, rising phcenix-like from the ashes of the siege of 1870. All the universities of Ciermauy have notable libraries. Spain with its University of Palencia (1212) and of Salamanca, a few years later, takes a very early place in library history. The Xational Library at Madrid owns the Columbus Letter in Spanish among its rarities. The famed C'orvina, established by Matthias Corvinus (c. 1460), had a rapid growth, but its treasures were dispersed by the Turks in 1527, and scattered specimens are to be found in more than thirtj- of the libraries of Europe. The lloyal Library at Copenhagen, dating from 1479, is the largest of Scandinavian libraries, is specially strong in Icelandic literature, and has a fine collection of Persian MSS. The first public library in Italy was founded at Florence, in 14.37, on a bequest by Xiccoli. the Florentine Socrates, of his own collection of 800 MSS. Cosmo de' Medici erected a building for it in 1441. and later, under his grandson. Lorenzo de' Medici, it acquired the name of Laurentian Library. With the expulsion of the Medici at the close of the fifteenth century the collection passed into the possesion of a monastery. Later Leo X. bought it. and in 1.521 Cardinal Giulio de' Medici restored it to the city and housed it in a building erected by ^Michelangelo. X'icholas V. founded the Vatican Libraiy in 1447 and left it at his death enriched with 0000 MSS. In 1588 its present building was erected by Sixtus V. In 1658 the famous Urbino Library was acquired for it. Queen Christina of Sweden enriched it with a splendid collection of MSS. and books. In 1746 the Ottobuoni collection of 3862 Gennan and Latin MSS. was added. Italy is exceedingly rich in libraries of historical intei'est : her university libraries contain many MSS. and in- cunabula. Among the famous collections may be named the Ambrosian Library (q.v.) at Milan, founded in 1602; the Casanata. at Rome; the Xational Central, at Florence, formed by the union of the well-known Magliabechiana and Palatina; and the X'ational of Saint Mark, at Venice. The archives of Venice, complete for more than ten centuries, and numbering fifteen million documents, are housed under a single roof. France, in the Biblioth&que Xatinnale, at Paris, has the largest library in the world. Charles V. in 1368 had a tower in the old Louvre fitted up as a library, where he gathered 910 volumes. These were scattered during the Eng- lish wars, and many fell into the hands of the Duke of Bedford and were carried to London. Louis XL made an effort to revive the library. Henry IV. gave it a home in the CoII&ge de Clermont and appointed De Thou librarian. It narrowly escaped destruction at the time of the Kevolution, when two of its librarians were ' guillotined. In 1666 it was removed to its pres- ent building, which has been frequently enlarged to accommodate the rapidly growing collection. The minor Ijbraries of Paris include the Arsenal, founded in 1755: the Mazarin (1643): and the Library of Sainte Genevi&ve (16241 . The librarv of the Abbey of Saint Victor, the first opened to the public in France, went largely, at the dissolution of the monasteries, to the Biblio- th^que Xationale. Large libraries owing their origin to monastic collections and to the liberal- itj- of private persons are to be found in all the provincial cities of France. Most noteworthy are those of Lyons (1030), Aix (1705), Rouen (1809), and Bordeaux (1708). Many notable libraries in England and on the Continent collected by private individuals during the past five centuries still bear their names, or have been merged in university or public libraries or dispersed at auction sales^ Subscription and circulating libraries began to be established about the middle of the eighteenth century, and have been widely successful. Some town libraries were established at dates much earlier. The earliest libraiy in America was that presented to the Henrico College, established by the colonists at Jamestown, V'a., in 1021, de- stroyed with the colony the next year. Harvard University Library was founded in 1638. In 1700 came the Public Library in Xew York, changed in 1754 into the present Society Library. In 1700, also. South Carolina passed the Provincial Library Law to encourage parocliial libraries. Yale College Library was founded in 1701. In 1731 Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia, which he called the 'mother of all X'orth American sub- scription libraries.' In 1800 the national library, called in its first general catalogue the Library of the United States, and later misnamed the Library of Congress, was established. The first recognition of the principle of taxa- tion for support of public libraries was the Xew Y'ork District Library Law of 1835. This was not for school but for public libraries, unwisely placed in charge of school officers as a mere convenience of administration. The general plan was copied in twenty-three other States : and without exception has proved that while sdiools and libraries should work in the greatest har- mony, the best results demand that their ad- ministration be separated. Exceptions have been only enough to prove the rule. These district libraries did a beneficent work, but under their own trustees, with proper supervision and well- organized administration, the same money might have done vastly more. But the law made the needed beginning in recognizing the popular educational character and possibilities of libraries. In 1849 Xew Hampshire passed a law allowing towns to tax themselves for libraries. In 1850 Great Britain passed the famoiis Ewart Free Libraries Act. In 1852 the Boston Pub- lie Libraiy was founded, and for a generation led the world in showing what might be done by a municipal library. In 1853 fifty-three librarians held the first library convention of the world in Xew York City, and received their first idea of the card catalogue. Types of Libe.^ries. Because of their number and importance, public libraries are always meant unless some other type is specified. In private and family libraries the shelf-list is the most important single record, as it combines in cheapest form both invoice book and inventory, and may easily have added to it the essential accession book" facts. With better understand- ing of their value, many private libraries now have card indexes and accession books as well as shelf-lists. Proprietary and club libraries are only larger family libraries, as they are open only to those elected to membership. Subscription or circulating libraries are car- ried on as a business and are usually open to all
