When the City took charge of the Library, a room was rented in Odd Fellows' Hall and Mr. Ed. Bauder, who had a law office in the same building, undertook to look after it, those wishing a book going to him for the key. But as this plan was calculated to interfere with his business, beside being inconvenient for the patrons of the Library, it was soon given up, and Miss Ella Barks was elected librarian. Her first report (for two months) showed 974 volumes on the shelves, beside 51 volumes of unbound magazines; 935 books were issued for this period.

An interesting and perhaps unique feature of the library during the time it was kept up by subscription, as well as for a year or more after it became a public institution, was the series of public readings and entertainments given under the auspices of the Board of Managers. These

readings, which were free, were held, every Tuesday evening, at the Library room, and were participated in by nearly all the literary and musical people of the town. A lecture would occasionally be given-and once, even, a comedy was enacted-at Peck's Hall, for which a small admission fee was charged. Almost one of the last of these entertainments advertised was a lecture on his travels in Mexico, to be delivered by W. Marshall Anderson, "the proceeds to be applied to the purchase of an organ for the use of the library room." Unfortunately, for those who might have heard him, Col. Anderson was ill, and the lecture was never given.

But I dread to think what might have been the consequence if that organ had been acquired and would now form a part of the library equipment. What would we do with it? Would it be draped in mourning for the glories departed, or in roses for the glories achieved? Or would it serve as a passing amusement to some of our chronic visitors; or be

used in times of a “rush," as an instrument to instantaneously reduce the crowd, by being deftly manipulated upon by one or other of our librarians?

Since moving into commodious quarters in the new Memorial Hall (for which the Library Board hold a lease for ninety-nine years, beginning with 1892) the romance of the old regime seems forever departed. We have no public readings; no music; and no meetings to talk over, in a friendly way, our social affairs; instead we have settled into the prosaic routine of trying to do, as rapidly as may be, a large amount of work on a very limited income, and in a manner approved by advanced library workers. Perhaps, who knows? when we come into the ten thousand dollars left to us by the scholarly and traveled Dr. Brown we may find more leisure to combine poetry with prose. But Dr. Brown gazes serenely at us, from his frame over the reading room mantle; he has solved the greatest of all problems, before which the everyday problems which beset our Library shrink into nothingness.

MAY LOWE,
Associate Librarian.

CLEVELAND.

ADELBERT COLLEGE LIBRARY.

This library is made up of the library of Adelbert College, the libraries of the Philozetian and Phi Delta Societies - the college literary societies which flourished in the old Hudson days - and the books deposited in the building by the authorities of the College for Women. The library numbers 40,000 bound volumes and many thousand pamphlets.

Since June, 1896, these books have been commodiously housed in the Hatch Library building, the gift of Mr. Henry R. Hatch. Recently, through the continued generosity of Mr. Hatch, the building has been enlarged by the addition of two wings. These wings increase the capacity of the library by 25,000 volumes, give more space for administrative purposes, and add two seminary rooms, devoted to the use of graduate students.

The library is particularly rich in German Literature and Philology, French Literature, Classical Literature and Philology, and the history of the French Revolution.

The German literature collection, of which the books belonging to the Scherer Library form by far the larger part, is perhaps the richest of its kind in America. The Scherer Library, consisting of several thousand volumes, relating chiefly to German philology, literature and history, was purchased from the estate of Dr. Wilhelm Scherer, at the time

of his death professor of German literature in the University of Berlin, and the greatest authority regarding his subject in the world. His library was well-balanced and very full, and there are but few German texts which one might name that are not to be found here. In works on philology and criticism it is quite as rich as in texts, and original editions, old and rare books, and curic sa abound. It is the endeavor of the college authorities to keep this collection up to date by continual additions.

French literature is well represented in the college library by a collection of more than 2,500 volumes, well selected. Most of the important authors in modern French literature appear in the form of collected or representative works. A good beginning has been made in Old French, and the most important texts are now available. A valuable addition to this department was made two years ago by the purchase of a set of the publications of the Societe des Anciens Textes Francais.

The department of history is fairly large, numbering about five thousand volumes. A collection of books on the French Revolution, presented by Mr. Henry Adams, of Washington, D. C., is especially good, containing many valuable sets, as Le Moniteur Universel, the reprint and part of the original file, and Buchez et Roux - Historie parlementaire de la Revolution Francaise. Among the valuable works in English and American history may be mentioned Dodsley's Annual Register, 17581865, Niles' Weekly Register, and Stevens' Facsimiles of Documents in European Archives relating to America, 25 vols., this last a gift of Col. John Hay.

As one would expect, Latin and Greek literature, philology and archæology are well represented, and we have on file complete sets of most of the important periodicals relating to these subjects.

The general periodical list is a long one, representing many kinds, from the high-class literary magazine to the very technical periodical, dealing with abstruse problems in linguistic, philosophical or physical science. This list ought to supplement fairly well those of the Public Library, Case Library and that of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

While the library is designed mainly for the students and faculty of Adelbert College and the College for Women, yet all book lovers and seekers after knowledge are welcome. Our stock-room doors are always open and access to the shelves is gladly granted.

E. C. WILLIAMS, Librarian.

CLEVELAND.

LIBRARY OF ST. IGNATIUS COLLEGE.

St. Ignatius' College Library was founded September, 1886, with small beginnings, so that a carefully worked out catalogue was not needed for the first three years; and this all the more as the college had not yet sufficient accommodations for a larger library. When, however, in 1889, the wing containing the library hall was finished, the work of a thorough sorting and cataloguing could be taken in hand, and was completed in 1892.

At present the library contains about 7,600 volumes and about 1,100 pamphlets. It is principally intended to furnish the professors all necessary and useful help and therefore the greater part of the volumes are of a scientific character, whereas works not bearing on subjects within the sphere of classical education will not be found in equally great numbers.

In arranging the library a system of modified Decimal Classification has been adopted. To avoid the inconvenience of placing books very different in size but similar as to their contents, on the same shelf, each subdivision is again divided into four classes, the first of which contains the volumes below eight inches, the second those between eight and ten inches, the third those of ten to fourteen inches, the fourth those of folio size.

The complete classification may be seen from the following instance:

3.41

50

Here the first figure 3 shows that the volume is between 10-14 inches in height; the next 4 that it belong to the general heading - History; the next I, to the subdivision - Universal History; the number below the line is the current number.

CLEVELAND.

CASE LIBRARY.

Case Library is the oldest public library in the city. It has had a continuous existence for more than fifty years, but its real origin was of a much earlier date. In 1846 the Young Men's Literary Association was organized, and it was succeeded by the Cleveland Library Association

which secured a charter in 1848. Under this charter it was organized as a stock company. Two hundred shares were taken at $10.00 per share,. which enabled the association to augment the library to 1,600 volumes. It was announced that a librarian would be "constantly in attendance" at the new rooms in Seneca Block. In 1853 an appropriation of $174 was made to purchase the library of the Mercantile Library Association which had maintained a separate organization for about three years. The number of books in the library was then 2,201 and this was increased to

about 3,000 volumes in 1854, when it was removed to a block on the Public Square. In 1858 it was re-organized under the general incorporation act, and a new constitution adopted. In 1859 an earnest effort was made to raise means and a committee was appointed which secured one hundred subscribers who pledged themselves to pay $10.00 per year for two years. The years following to 1866 were somewhat eventful. Good and earnest men worked hard to keep up the interest, with varying success. In some years the revenues which were derived chiefly from membership (at $3.00 per year) and lecture courses, fell short of the expenditures. But means were always found with which to meet the deficit.