ty-six thousand volumes, all in excellent condition, fully catalogued, and easily accessible. The appropriation for books for the Centennial year, 1910-1911, is seven hundred dollars. Though now a library for general culture and no longer prominent either for size or contents, the Athenæum is nevertheless an institution of unusual interest historically. Nathaniel Bowditch unquestionably knew all the facts when in making bequest to the Athenæum in 1838 he designated it as having been in his early days "a better collection of philosophical and scientific books than could be found in any other part of the United States nearer than Philadelphia." This distinction of course long ago passed from the Athenæum; but the fact that it once held such a distinction secures for it an honorable place in the history of libraries in America. The Athenæum has historical interest in other ways also. It is one of the oldest libraries in the United States, the oldest institution of its general class in the community, and perpetuates in itself one of the distinctive types of American libraries, a type no longer prevailing. The period of its life has been of exceptional importance; during its years great and notable changes have taken place in the organization, character and management of libraries, and in their place and function in the community. The Athenæum, covering as it does practically the entire period of library development in this country, is in one way and another illustrative of many of these changes. Again, by reason of its own direct influence in the intellectual life of the community and its character as the guardian and friend, if not actually the parent of kindred institutions in Salem, the Athenæum is conspicuous in local history. Its history is thus, to an unusual degree, indicative of the course of library development in America, and expressive of the history of learning and culture in Salem. |