"The first edition of this paper was published in the Journal of the Statistical society of London for August, 1848 ... The second edition was printed at Leipsic, in the same year, as an Appendix to Dr. Naumann's Serapeum ̓... This third edition ... forms part of the appendix of tothe Report of the Select commitee on public libraries, appointed by the House of commons, on the motion of William Ewart, esq., during the present session of Parliment. In the Minutes of evidence,̓ subjoined to that report, and also in the Appendix, will be found further tables.

Illustrated by 11 "plans" of the principal cities of Europe, showing the location of their public llibraries; and a "Statistical map, exhibiting the relative provision of books, in public libraries, in the principal cities of Europe." The statistics were subjected to a severe criticism by "Verificator" (Thomas Watts) in a series of letters to the Athenaeum, 1848-50.