⸻“My Library
Was Dukedom large enough.”--_Prospero, in the Tempest_.
The cheapest of all enjoyments by far is that which is derived from
books. We hold a library, therefore, to be among the fittest
furniture of even the poorest man’s cottage. A most important and
cheering consideration in reference to this sort of furniture is, that
the more the demand for books shall grow and extend itself the cheaper
are they sure to be sold. The price even of many new books, owing to the
large sale upon which the publisher can now count by the increase of
readers, is now so low, that for a few pounds, expended in the course of
as many years, at the easy rate of a shilling or two at a time, almost
as many volumes may be purchased, full of the most instructive and
interesting information, as a labouring man and his family have, in
general, leisure to read and study.
Let but the small sum of one pound annually be expended in this way by a
working man; and what a respectable stock of books might be collected in
twenty years, gradually increasing as his family grew up. If the
purchases were judiciously made, probably between one and two hundred of
the most useful volumes in the language might be secured for this money.
Many of them, indeed, would be second-hand copies; but, if they were in
good condition, they would be no worse for that. Then, once purchased,
this library would remain a valuable property for ever. Books, however
much used, if they be only used properly, should never wear out. There
are many volumes in the great public libraries of this and other
countries, which have been in use for centuries, and yet are in as good
condition as when they came from the press. It is only careless readers
that destroy or injure books in using them.
In many situations a much more ample command of books may be obtained by
the poorer classes for even much less than this cost, by a number of
them joining together to maintain a common library. This is an advantage
which books have over other articles of furniture. The same library
might serve many families at the same time nearly as well as it could
serve any one of them exclusively. The quantity of chairs and tables and
other household goods which is required for the use of one family cannot
accommodate more than one, these articles are in constant requisition;
their possessor cannot admit his neighbours to share them with him. But
the collection of books which we have supposed to be formed in the
course of twenty years, at a cost of as many pounds, might be made to
dispense its benefits among twenty families, without an individual
belonging to any one of them being deprived of any part of the advantage
which he would have enjoyed if he had been the only person by whom the
books could be read. When so many families, then, can be found in the
same place, disposed to join their contributions for this purpose, the
complete command of such a collection by all of them is obtained at a
very small cost to each. Instead of a pound a year, it is only a
shilling; or, if they choose to pay annually a pound each, they have
each of them access to twenty times more books in consequence of their
union than they could have obtained the use of separately by the same
expenditure. They will probably find it best to mix these two
advantages--to subscribe, say a fourth part of a pound, or five
shillings, which will still procure them five times as much reading as
the expenditure of the whole pound by each of them separately would have
procured.
Such are the advantages of union, here as in every thing else. But a
farther improvement on popular libraries has been lately recommended and
put in practice in some parts of the country, and chiefly in Scotland,
by the exertions of Mr. Brown, of Haddington. If a poor man were every
year, or every quarter, to exchange his tables and chairs and bedsteads
for others of about the same value, he would make nothing of the
operation except a great deal of trouble and waste of time. The articles
which he received would not answer his purpose better than those which
he parted with: he would not derive any more accommodation from the
strange furniture than he might have done from that to which he had been
used. But here again books have an advantage peculiar to themselves.
When you have read through one collection, another collection,
consisting of different works, although intrinsically of no greater
value, has yet a much greater value to you; the information which the
new books communicate forms a positive addition to whatever knowledge
your mind has already stored up. Hence the idea of itinerating, or
travelling, libraries. Let us suppose that half-a-dozen contiguous
villages in a particular district have each its small library, provided,
in the manner already pointed out, by the united subscriptions of the
inhabitants; if an arrangement be made that these six libraries shall
consist of different works, and that the several collections, instead of
remaining stationary, shall move about from one village to another the
body of readers in each village will obtain the use of six libraries at
the cost of one. This principle may be applied, of course, either to
enlarge the command of reading or to diminish the cost, or to produce
partly the one effect and partly the other. It would probably be found
the best plan to have a portion of each collection stationary; there
being certain books, of general usefulness, or in great request, which
it would be desirable to have everywhere always at hand.
But there is one great difficulty which both individuals and
associations frequently feel in purchasing books. They are at a loss to
know what books it is best for them to procure: or, if they are anxious
to procure a particular work, they do not know which is the edition that
is likely, from its price or other recommendations, best to suit them.
We propose in a series of short notices under our present title to lay
before our readers, from time to time, such information as may assist
them in the task of selection, in reference both to old and to new
books. Without professing to go over the different departments of
literature in any regular order, but rather seeking to give variety to
our pages, and at the same time to meet the views of different readers,
by passing from one subject to another, we shall from time to time give
accounts of works, which may in our opinion deserve the attention either
of managers of popular libraries or of individual buyers of books; or
which, although it might not be advisable to purchase them, deserve in
whole or in particular parts to be consulted by those who may have the
opportunity. We shall in this way gradually provide those who may
preserve our paper with a body of directions, embracing all the most
important matters which are necessary to be known for the right
furnishing of a library for the use of common readers. Of course we do
not mean to direct our attention to any works except such as every man
decently educated for the business of ordinary life may aspire to become
acquainted with. With what is more peculiarly called learning we have
here nothing to do. But all works belonging to what may be called
popular science and literature will come within our plan, whether they
treat of natural history, so much of natural philosophy as may be
understood without technical mathematics, moral philosophy, criticism,
history, antiquities, geography, voyages and travels, or any other
subject of a similar nature. Nor shall we omit to mention such of the
productions of our great poets and writers of fiction as may most fitly
make part of a popular library. Our aim shall be in every case to
describe the work, not by any vague general criticism, but by a distinct
account of what it actually contains, and especially of what it contains
which is not to be found in other works on the same subject. Keeping
buyers, also, as well as our readers in view, we shall always be careful
to notice both the price at which the book may be purchased, and the
edition which it is best to procure. One edition of a book sometimes
differs as much in value from another, or is, in truth, although bearing
the same title, as much another book, as if it had really been so
designated. Of two editions, accordingly, one is often very valuable,
while another is nearly worthless. We believe uninformed purchasers of
books are very often cheated by having bad editions sold to them for the
same money for which the best editions might have been procured.
Notices of this kind, as we have said, will form a useful guide both to
book-societies, and also to individuals who may have the desire and the
means of furnishing themselves with a small library. The means, indeed,
to effect this object will seldom be wanting where the desire is felt.
We hope to see the day when even the poorest man’s cottage will not be
thought to be becomingly furnished without having a few shelves in one
of its apartments filled with provision for the mind. This indeed is
sure to take place as soon as the working classes shall have become
generally educated. Books will then be deemed a necessary of life, or at
least as indispensable as anything else whatever, after food, shelter,
and clothing.
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