render these libraries little else than objects of contempt whereas, if all the books apportioned to the township had formed a single Library, it would have been an object of esteem and proper management. For example, here is a Township which receives an apportionment of books to the value of $100; sufficient for the beginning of an extensive and useful library. But the Township is divided into twelve sub-districts; and when the books are distributed, each receives a library of the average value of about eight dollars. It has been a disputed point, whether the law designed to establish Township, or sub-district Libraries. In regard to the matter, it is not so clear and explicit as it should be. I therefore recommend that the language of the law be so amended as to require the establishment of Township Libraries. If this shall be done, I doubt not that the Library Law will soon become acceptable and popular throughout the State."

Indiana.-As nobly as Ohio has done for School Libraries for her children, Indiana has done still better. Seven years ago, when the School Laws of Indiana were undergoing a revision, Prof. DANIEL READ, now of our State University, and then a Professor in the Indiana State University, and who had shortly previous held a seat in the Convention for the revision of the Constitution of that State, was invited by the joint committee on education of the two houses of the Legislature, to deliver an address on the means of promoting common school education. Among other appropriate topics, Prof. READ strongly urged the establishment of an efficient School Library plan, as indispensable to give vitality to any school system which might be adopted; and, with some hesitancy, ventured to propose an appropriation of some $30,000 for this object."The next day," says Prof. READ, "ROBERT DALE OWEN, now our Minister resident at the Court of the Two Sicilies, who was then chairman of the joint committee on education, sent for me to call at his room. He said to me, 'You proposed $30,000 for School Libraries. That will never do. The committee will not assent to such an appropriation. What! said he in his earnest manner,-will the people of Indiana freely raise taxes to pay the interest on millions of money for which they never received the value of a pin-hook, and when the children of the State cry for the bread of intellectual life shall they refuse them, or put them off with the half of a loaf? No, sir! No, sir! The committee will report nearer $130,000, for this the greatest object which has ever been proposed to our consideration.""

Where such enlarged and patriotic views prevailed, it is scarcely necessary to add, that others caught the same noble

spirit, and the present Township Library system-the praise and admiration of all the land-was promptly adopted. A State property tax of one-fourth of a mill, and a twenty-five cent poll tax, provided the means for the purchase of the libraries, and the State Board of Education were charged with the duty of selecting the books, and contracting on the best terms for them. The law was limited in its operations to two years, but has since been renewed. But two purchases have yet been made, and the reports of 1855 and 1856 seem to exhibit over three hundred and seventy thousand volumes in the several Township Libraries of the State, at an apparent cost of $296,000-or an average of 80 cents a volume. The partial suspension of legislation which has since unfortunately existed, has checked the progress of the library system of Indiana, but this can be only a temporary evil, from which the State will speedily recover, and continue in the noble career upon which it has so auspiciously entered.

Hon. CALEB MILLS, formerly Superintendent of Public Instruction of that State, denominates the Township Library feature as the "crowning excellence" of the Indiana educational system. "The operation of the library feature of the system, as far as heard from," he remarks in his annual report of Feb., 1856, "has been exceedingly happy, disappointing the predictions of its enemies, and the fears of its timid friends, and even transcending the most sanguine expectations of its more ardent advocates. The interest awakened by its use, and the estimation in which it is held by adults, as well as youth, confirm the wisdom that gave it a township character rather than a district mission. Its selection and purchase by the Board of Education is not without advantages of an important character. The former may be controlled and governed by the principles of a wise, judicious and well matured plan, and thus secure all that could be desired in forming the taste and giving direction to the reading material furnished by the State, while the latter cannot be else than superior in economy to any other method." Illinois, Iowa and Missouri.-These States have as yet done but little in the way of School Libraries. In Illinois private enterprise is doing something for the supply of libra ries, with the sanction of the local Boards, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. In the revised School Law of Iowa, provision is made for Township Libraries. Missouri has reported the commencement of a district system.

Upper Canada has an efficient school system, not the least important or successful feature of which is its School Libraries. These are furnished for County, Township, or District organizations, the Government apportioning one hundred per cent. upon all

sums contributed for this purpose of not less than five dollars, either for the establishment or increase of Public Librariesthe Government furnishing the books at the lowest wholesale rates. During the three years since this system went into operation, about 170,000 volumes have been distributed; and about one third of all the sections or districts in the Province, have secured libraries.

THE TOWNSHIP LIBRARY SYSTEM THE WANT OF WISCONSIN.

I hesitate not to say, that after a careful survey of the School Library experiences of this country, every unprejudiced, impartial man will come to the conclusion, that the greatest success has attended that system where the State has provided the books, and sent them forth to every township within her borders. The Township Library system is what we want in Wisconsin. Its superiority over the old district plan, is thus briefly pointed out by Hon. CALEB MILLS, late Superintendent of Public Instruction of Indiana, in speaking of the system of that State: "Its peculiar and crowning excellence is, that it is a Township in distinction from a district library. Libraries on this basis assume, at once, a character for permanence, importance and usefulness, that the lapse of years and the expenditure of ten-fold the funds will hardly impart to the district collection. It also posseses another element, distinguishing it om the product of a mere township association, charged with e responsibility of selection and purchase, which may be denominated its State feature, and securing to each township its due proportion of books, under circumstances that promise a more judicious selection, and a more economical purchase.These features are sufficient to recommend it to the favorable regard of the public, and justify the expectation that the principles controlling the selection, will be sound and judicious, as well as the purchase will be wise and economical.'

Let us see what Wisconsin has done for School Libraries under its district system, during the ten years since its organization as a State. In the first place, ten per cent. of the State apportionment was to be appropriated by the Town Superintendents for District Library purposes; this requirement was subsequently changed, so as to leave it optional with the Superintendents whether or not to so appropriate it. In either case, the districts were authorized to levy a tax not exceeding thirty dollars annually for the establishment or increase of their libraries. This simple permission for the Town Superintendents, and the districts, to do something for libraries, was long ago regarded as a signal failure in New York and New England.

It has scarcely worked any better in Wisconsin-the inherent principle is the same everywhere. Town Superintendents, in very many instances, it may charitably be supposed, give the matter little thought; and when they do, it may not be popular, for there is always a class in almost every community who pos sess little knowledge of books, and for that very reason oppose a tax for libraries, and object to the Superintendents' setting apart ten per cent. of the State apportionment for library purposes, as the district would thereby have so much less with which to pay their teachers, and consequently have just that amount added to their ordinary local tax for that object.So that between ignorance, demagoguism, and prejudice, School Libraries have been but too generally neglected.

The recent returns show 1,125 District Libraries, and 250 joint libraries in the State, with an aggregate of 38,755 volumes an average of 28 volumes to each library. As the result of ten years' efforts, it is insignificant; showing upon an average an annual increase of only 3,875 volumes for a great State like ours, with a population of nearly a million of people,* and two hundred and sixty-four thousand children of school age. This would, if equally distributed, furnish one volume to about every seven scholars; or a library of about nine volumes, on an average, to each of the 4,000 school districts in the State, each averaging sixty-six children; or exhibit the very stinted increase of less than a volume a year to each such library, upon an

* POPULATION OF WISCONSIN.-By taking the census of 1850, which, in round numbers, was 305,000, and that of 1855, which was 552,000, and by the number of votes polled in those respective years, and the number of school children reported in those years respectively; and contrasting them with the vote and school children of this year, we can very nearly ascertain the present population of the State.

The vote, in round numbers, in 1850, was 42,000; in 1855, 72,000; in 1858, 116,000. The number of school children of 1850, in round numbers, was 92,000; in 1855, 188,000; in 1858, 264,000.

If, therefore, 42,000 votes in 1850. gave a population of 305,000, then 116,000 votes in 1858, should give a population of 842,000. If 72,000 votes in 1855 exhibited a population of 552,000, then 116,000 in 1858, should show a population of 889,000. The average result of both calculations would show a present population of 865,000.

If 92,000 school children in 1850, exhibited a population of 305,000, then 264,000 school children, in 1858, would show a population of 875,000. If 188,000 school children in 1855, exhibited a population of 552,000, then 264,000 children, in 1858, would show a population of 775,000. The average result of these calculations would show a present population of 825,000; or averaging the calculations both by the vote of 1850, 1855 and 1858, and the school children of those years, with the census of 1850 and 1855, and we shall show a present population of 845,000. Since, therefore, the census of 1855, we have increased, upon an average, 100,000 annually. By the middle of 1860, when the census will be taken, we shall exhibit a population of over one million; and if the ratio of congressional representation should be increased from 93,420 to as high as 125,000, or even 130,000, Wisconsin, under the next apportionment, cannot have less than eight representatives.

average, during the ten years since our school system went into operation. Take another view of our Wisconsin library statistics; of the 56 counties in the State, 20 of them report not a single library; 6 others report 9 libraries, with a total of 131 volumes; 8 others report 61 libraries, with 2,017 volumesthus exhibiting in 34 counties 70 libraries, with 2,148 volumes, and this for nearly three-fifths of the counties of the State. So that, in round numbers, 36,000 of the 38,000 volumes in the District Libraries, are confined to twenty-six of the more populous and wealthy counties, which comprise less than one-eighth of the territorial limits of the State. And here as elsewhere, in the sparsely settled counties, where there is most poverty, and least intellectual advantages-where, indeed, School Libraries are most particularly needed, such a thing is seldom or never known.

Such is our destitution in the matter of School Libraries. It should be humiliating to our State pride to ponder these facts-and doubly humiliating when we see, as we must, that we are doing almost next to nothing whatever in furnishing useful reading for our over a quarter of a million of children. When we bring to mind the 200,000 volumes in Township Libraries of Michigan,the 332,000 in the School Libraries of Ohio,and the 370,000 in the Township Libraries of Indiana—making altogether over nine hundred thousand volumes, all engaged in a work of love, intelligence, virtue and happiness, the magnitude of which is beyond all human calculation, fraught with the noblest and richest blessings to over a million and a half of children, we should feel a sentiment of pride that we have such sister States in the noble North-West, who are doing so much for the intellectual growth of our country. While we wonder and admire, shall not these amazing intellectual achievements quicken and encourage us to imitate their wise and munificent example.

On the present district system we have but one third of the districts in the State supplied with libraries, and they so small as scarcely to deserve the name; and these few are located in portions of the State where they could better be spared than in the more remote destitute frontier regions. The few books purchased are but too generally obtained of itinerant hawkers and peddlers, at extravagant prices, which could well be borne if they did not prove, as they frequently do, moral pests of society. The district plan must necessarily exhibit puny, inefficient, and unsatisfactory results; emphatically failing to accomplish the noble objects sought to be gained by such collections. Other States have wisely abandoned the district plan,