THE LONDON LIBRARY.

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 28, 2 August 1926, Page 2

THE LONDON LIBRARY.

GREAT LENDING INSTITUTION

BOON TO THE INTELLECTUAL.

One of the remarkable literary institutions of England is the London Library, which has been carried on Bince 1841 "without Government or municipal grant, or any large donation or bequest, but entirely, by the efforts of members of the intellectual and cultured class, in Great Britain." The secretary and librarian, Dr. C. T. Hagberg AVright, has written "The London Library," an interesting sketch Of its history and administration, which .has been published by the institution as an illustrated pamphlet. Dr. Wright, from whose pages the following facts are summarised, recalls that the establishment of tho library was due to Thomas Carlyle. In making his literary • researches Carlyle found that he could not obtain all the books he wished to study, except in the British Museum, where the conditions were irksome. He formed an ideal of a lending library to contain "books in all departments of literature and philosophy, and in all languages, and whose subscribers should be able to have the books in their homes, both in London and in the country."

One day in 1839 the irritable Carlyle was "driven to despair" by an experience .at the Museum. He told his story in the drawing-room of. his friend Lady Stanley of Alderley. Gladstone, Hallam, Grote, .- d Houghton were present, and after a long discussion Carlyle brought, them all round to his point of view. Other men of intellect and power became associated with the plan, and in 1841 the library was opened with the modest beginning of 3000 books, in two rooms. There was no intention of competing with the circulating libraries by a largo provision of.; fiction, .and new books, we're not bought merely because they were new. Dr. AVright gives a wonderful array of names'to show that the best intellects of tho day were on- the first committee, and that since then nearly every great name in English literature has been on the ■ committee or membership lists. The presidents have been Lord Clarendon, Carlyle, Lord Houghton, Tennyson, Sir Leslie Stephen, and the Earl of Balfour. Macaulay wrote much of his history in the library. For two years Thackeray was a voluntary auditor. Among givers of valuable 'collections of books ou special subjects on which they had written have John Stuart Mill, Sir Edmund Gosse; and the executors of Sir Leslie Stephen. Napoleon HI., who was often in the library in its early days, before he was Emperor, was also a donor. Lists of books to be bought were compiled by Gladstone, Grote, Hallam, and other famous men. ; . .

Often bop!a have been bought at the request; of a scholar studying a special period, and thi3 has caused the library to contain many valuable volumes that are now difficult to procure. Ffom time to time efforts have been made by a section of the subscribers to turn the institution into an ordinary circulating library, with much ephemeral fiction, but these efforts have been wisely and successfully resisted by the committers.and librarians of different periods. Rare editions from six centuries are available to borrowers in town and country, yet there is no r word of any serious loss. A London menber may borrow ten books at a timej and a country member (from fifteen ymiles beyond the metropolis), fifteen books. Much reading is done in the building. Since 1900, 186,438 books have been purchased or given, and £24,868 has been expended oh books. Revenue from all sources has increased from £7873 in 1900 to £15,052 in 1924. From time to time changes of premises have been necessary; £91,000 has been spent on freeholds and rebuilding, chiefly with the aid of debentures. Though this great lending library is too far distant for Australian scholars and students to make use of it, except when they are in England, particulars of the moderate fees are interesting. From 1904 the annual subscription has been £3 3s, with an entrance fee of £3 3s. Life membership may be obtained for fees ranging from 40 guineas at 21 years of age to 15 guineas at 70. Election is by the committee on the introduction of a member. .There are now more than 929 life members, and 3593 annual members.