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overlooked； but it is one more easy to open than
to close one upon which I am not bold
enough to hope for uniformity of opinion and
of practice。 I set aside on the one hand the
case of great public libraries； which I leave
to the experts of those establishments。 And；
at the other end of the scale； in small private
libraries the matter becomes easy or even
insignificant。 In libraries of the medium scale；
not too vast for some amount of personal
survey； some would multiply subdivision； and
some restrain it。 An acute friend asks me
under what and how many general headings
subjects should be classified in a library
intended for practical use and reading； and
boldly answers by suggesting five classes
only： （1） science； （2） speculation； （3） art；
（4） history； and （5） miscellaneous and
periodical literature。 But this seemingly simple
division at once raises questions both of
practical and of theoretic difficulty。 As to the
last； periodical literature is fast attaining to
such magnitude； that it may require a
classification of its own； and that the enumeration
which indexes supply； useful as it is； will not
suffice。 And I fear it is the destiny of
periodicals as such to carry down with them a
large proportion of what； in the phraseology
of railways； would be called dead weight； as
compared with live weight。 The limits of
speculation would be most difficult to draw。
The diversities included under science would
be so vast as at once to make sub…
classification a necessity。 The olog…ies are by no means
well suited to rub shoulders together； and
sciences must include arts； which are but
country cousins to them； or a new
compartment must be established for their
accomodation。 Once more； how to cope with the
everlasting difficulty of 'Works'？ In what
category to place Dante； Petrarch；
Swedenborg； Burke； Coleridge； Carlyle； or a hundred
more？ Where； again； is Poetry to stand？
I apprehend that it must take its place； the
first place without doubt； in Art； for while it
is separated from Painting and her other
'sphere…born harmonious sisters' by their
greater dependence on material forms they are all
more inwardly and profoundly united in their
first and all…enfolding principle； which is to
organize the beautiful for presentation to the
perceptions of man。
But underneath all particular criticism of
this or that method of classification will be
found to lie a subtler question whether the
arrangement of a library ought not in some
degree to correspond with and represent the
mind of the man who forms it。 For my own
part； I plead guilty； within certain limits； of
favoritism in classification。 I am sensible
that sympathy and its reverse have something
to do with determining in what company a
book shall stand。 And further； does there
not enter into the matter a principle of
humanity to the authors themselves？ Ought
we not to place them； so far as may be； in
the neighborhood which they would like？
Their living manhoods are printed in their
works。 Every reality； every tendency； endures。
Eadem sequitur tellure sepultos。
I fear that arrangement； to be good； must
be troublesome。 Subjects are traversed by
promiscuous assemblages of 'works；' both by
sizes； and all by languages。 On the whole
I conclude as follows。 The mechanical
perfection of a library requires an alphabetical
catalogue of the whole。 But under the shadow
of this catalogue let there be as many living
integers as possible； for every well…chosen
subdivision is a living integer and makes the
library more and more an organism。 Among
others I plead for individual men as centres
of subdivision： not only for Homer； Dante；
Shakespeare； but for Johnson； Scott； and
Burns； and whatever represents a large and
manifold humanity。
The question of economy； for those who
from necessity or choice consider it at all； is
a very serious one。 It has been a fashion to
make bookcases highly ornamental。 Now
books want for and in themselves no
ornament at all。 They are themselves the
ornament。 Just as shops need no ornament；
and no one will think of or care for any
structural ornament； if the goods are
tastefully disposed in the shop…window。 The man
who looks for society in his books will
readily perceive that； in proportion as the face of
his bookcase is occupied by ornament； he
loses that society； and conversely； the more
that face approximates to a sheet of
bookbacks； the more of that society he will enjoy。
And so it is that three great advantages come
hand in hand； and； as will be seen； reach
their maximum together： the sociability of
books； minimum of cost in providing for
them； and ease of access to them。
In order to attain these advantages； two
conditions are fundamental。 First； the shelves
must； as a rule； be fixed； secondly； the cases；
or a large part of them； should have their
side against the wall； and thus； projecting
into the room for a convenient distance； they
should be of twice the depth needed for a
single line of books； and should hold two
lines； one facing each way。 Twelve inches
is a fair and liberal depth for two rows of
octavos。 The books are thus thrown into
stalls； but stalls after the manner of a stable；
or of an old…fashioned coffee…room； not after
the manner of a bookstall； which； as times
go； is no stall at all； but simply a flat space
made by putting some scraps of boarding
together； and covering them with books。
This method of dividing the longitudinal
space by projections at right angles to it； if
not very frequently used； has long been
known。 A great example of it is to be found
in the noble library of Trinity College；
Cambridge； and is the work of Sir Christopher
Wren。 He has kept these cases down to
very moderate height； for he doubtless took
into account that great heights require long
ladders； and that the fetching and use of
these greatly add to the time consumed in
getting or in replacing a book。 On the other
hand； the upper spaces of the walls are
sacrificed； whereas in Dublin； All Souls； and
many other libraries the bookcases ascend
very high； and magnificent apartments walled
with books may in this way be constructed。
Access may be had to the upper portions by
galleries； but we cannot have stairs all round
the room； and even with one gallery of books
a room should not be more than from
sixteen to eighteen feet high if we are to act on
the principle of bringing the largest possible
number of volumes into the smallest possible
space。 I am afraid it must be admitted that
we cannot have a noble and imposing
spectacle； in a vast apartment； without sacrificing
economy and accessibility； and vice versa。
The projections should each have attached
to them what I rudely term an endpiece （for
want of a better name）； that is； a shallow
and extremely light adhering bookcase （light
by reason of the shortness of the shelves）；
which both increases the accommodation； and
makes one short side as well as the two long
ones of the parallelopiped to present simply
a face of books with the lines of shelf； like
threads； running between the rows。
The wall…spaces between the projections
ought also to be turned to account for
shallow bookcases； so far as they are not
occupied by windows。 If the width of the interval
be two feet six； about sixteen inches of this
may be given to shallow cases placed against
the wall。
Economy of space is in my view best
attained by fixed shelves。 This dictum I will
now endeavor to make good。 If the shelves
are movable； each shelf imposes a dead
weight on the structure of the bookcase；
without doing anything to support it。 Hence
it must be built with wood of considerable
mass； and the more considerable the mass
of wood the greater are both the space
occupied and the ornament needed。 When the
shelf is fixed； it contributes as a fastening to
hold the parts of the bookcase together； and
a very long experience enables me to say
that shelves of from half… to three…quarters of
an inch worked fast into uprights of from
three…quarters to a full inch will amply suffice
for all sizes of books except large and heavy
folios； which would probably require a small；
and only