mendations, at its discretion; but expensive works are referred to the whole board for determination.

In the New York Mercantile Library, which must keep continually up to date in its supply of new books, the announcements in all the morning papers are daily scanned, and books just out secured by immediate order. Many publishers send in books on approval, which are frequently bought. An agent in London is required to send on the day of publication all new books on certain subjects.

The library boards of management meet weekly in New York and Philadelphia, but monthly in most country libraries. The selection of books made by committees introduces often an element of chance, not quite favorable to the unity of plan in developing the resources of the library. But with a librarian of large information, discretion, and skill, there need seldom be any difficulty in securing ap proval of his selections, or of n.ost of them. In some librares the librarian is authorized to buy at discretion addıtions of books in certain lines, to be reported at the next meeting of the board; and to fill up all deficiencies in periodicals that are taken. This is an important concession to his judgment, made in the interest of completeness in the library, saving a delay of days and sometimes weeks in waiting for the board of directors.

All orders sent out for accessions should previou-ly be compared with the alphabeted order-card list, as well as with the general catalogue of the library, to avoid duplacation After this the titles are to be incorporated in the alphabet of all outstanding orders, to be withdrawn only on receipt of the books,

The library should invite suggestions from all frequenting it, of books recon mended and not found in the colleetion. A bank record-book for this purpose, or an equivalent in order-cards, should be always kept on the counter of the library.

CHAPTER 2.

BOOK BUYING.

The buying of books is to some men a pastime; to others it is a passion; but to the librarian and the intelligent book collector it is both a business and a pleasure. The man who is endowed with a zeal for knowledge is eager to be continually adding to the stores which will enable . to acquire and to dispense that knowledge. Hence the perusal of catalogues is to him an ever fresh and fascinating pursuit. However hampered he may be by the lack of fun is, the zest of being continually in quest of some coveted volumes gives him an interest in every sale catalogue, whether of bookseller or of auctioneer. He is led on by the perennial hope that he may find one or more of the long-wished for and waited-for desiderata in the thin pamphlet whose solid columns bristle with book-titles in every variety of abbreviation and arrangement. It is a g plan, if one can possibly command the time, to read every catalogue of the book auctions, and of the secondFard book dealers, which comes to hand. You will thus f.1. I a world of books chronicled and offered which you do not want, because you have got them already: you will fed many, also, which you want, but which you know you car. t have; and you may find some of the very volumes wch you have sought through many years in vain. In ary case, you will have acquired valuable information-whether you acquire any books or not; since there is hardly a priced catalogue, of any considerable extent, from which you cannot reap knowledge of some kind knowledge of eltions, knowledge of prices, and knowledge of the com

small funds, combined with a good knowledge of the commercial value of books, and perpetual vigilance in using opportunities, will go very far toward enlarging any collec tion in the most desirable directions.

Compare for a moment with the results stated of the As tor Library's early purchases, the average prices paid by British Libraries for books purchased from 1826 to 1854, as published in a parliamentary return. The average cost per volume varied from 168 or about $4 a volume, for the University Library of Edinburg, to 48 6d, or $1.10 a volume for the Manchester Free Library. The latter, however, were chiefly popular new books, published at low prices, while the former included many costly old works, law books, etc. The British Museum Library's average was 8e 54 or about $2.00 per volume. Those figures represent cloth binding, while the Astor's purchases were mostly in permanent leather bindings.

Averages are very uncertain standards of comparison, as a single book rarity often costs more than a hundred volumes of the new books of the day; but in a library filled with the best editions of classical and scientific works, and reference books, I presume that two dollars a volume is not too high an estimate of average cost, in these days represented by the last twenty years. For a circulating library, on the other hand, composed chiefly of what the pube most seek to read, half that average would perhaps express the full commercial value of the collection. Of its intrinsie value I will not here pause to speak.

There are many methods of book buying, of which we may indicate the principal as follows:

1. By direct orders from book dealers,

2. By competition on select lists of wants. 3. By order from priced catalogues.

4. By purchase at auction sales.

5. By personal research among book stocks.

6. By lists and samples of books sent on approval. Each of these methods has its advantages - and, I may add, its disadvantages likewise. The collector who comFines them, as opportunity presents, is most likely to make his fun l- go the farthest, and to enrich his collection the Direct orders for purchase are necessary for most new books wanted, except in the case of the one government library, which in most countries, receives them under copyright provision. An advantageous arrangement can usually be made with one or more book-dealers, to apply all new books at a fairly liberal discount from retail prices. And it is wise management to distribute purchases where good terms are made, as thereby the trade will feel an interest in the library, and a mutuality of interest will secure more opportunities and better bargains.

The submission of lists of books wanted, to houses having large stocks or good facilities, helps to make funds go as far as possible through competition. By the typewriter such lists can now be manifolded much more cheaply than they can be written or printed.

Selection from priced catalogues presents a constantly recurring opportunity of buying volumes of the greatest es Taxes ince, to fill gaps in any collection, and often at surrgis low prices. Much as book values have been enband of late years, there are yet catalogues issued by Amervan, English and continental dealers which quote ka-k- both of the standard and secondary class at very Cap rites. Even now English books are sold by the M.ie and the W. H. Smith lending libraries in London,

r a very few months, at one half to one-fourth their erarenal publishing price. These must usually be rebound, by instructing your agent to select copies which

T

are clean within, all the soil of the edges will disappear with the light trimming of the binder.

Purchase at auction supplies a means of recruiting libraries both public and private with many rare works, and with the best editions of the standard authors, often finely bound. The choice private libraries of the country, as wel as the poor ones, tend to pour themselves sooner or later into public auctions. The collectors of books, whose early avidity to amass libraries of fine editions was phenomenal, rarely persist in cultivating the passion through life. Sometimes they are overtaken by misfortune-sometimes by indifference-the bibliomania not being a perennial inspiration, but often an acute and fiery attack, which in a few years burns out. Even if the library gathered with so much money and pains descends to the heirs of the collector, the passion for books is very seldom an inherited one. Thus the public libraries are constantly recruited by the opportunities of selection furnished by the forced sale of the private ones. Here, public competition frequently runs up the price of certain books to an exorbitant degree, while those not wanted often sell for the merest tr.fle. One should have a pretty clear idea of the approximate commercial value of books, before competing for them at public sale. He may, however, if well persuaded in has own mind as to the importance or the relative unimportance to his own collection of any work, regulate his bids by that standard, regardless of commercial value, except as a limat beyond which he will not go. Few librarians can personally attend auction sales--nor is it needful, when !m..ts can so easily be set to orders. It is never safe to wet. an unlimited bid, as there may be others without limit, in which case the book is commonly awarded to the most remote bidder.

There are many curiosities of the auction room, one of