This 1865 catalogue was created as a supplement to the Melbourne Public Library’s first catalogue in 1861. This catalogue includes the original preface for the 1861 catalogue, a supplemental preface detailing the progress made by the Library since, and as with the earlier catalogue it contains the rules and regulations, records of the ‘monies voted by Parliament’, a sample bequest form for patrons, and the layout of the Library building. This catalogue follows the design and arrangement of the previous catalogue and also features botanical illustrations, initials and finals. Comprising approximately 7000 volumes, the catalogue is arranged alphabetically by author and title and contains detailed information about the works including the date, place and format of publication. As with the earlier catalogue, it contains a classificatory index and a detailed plan of the Library indicating where the various genres can be found.
The collection in this catalogue is as equally wide-ranging as the 1861 catalogue and comprises similar genre proportions, with science, history and literature forming a large part of the collection. The proportion of theological works increased as did the range. Although works concerned with Protestantism still dominate, the section is not confined to Christianity but includes books on Hinduism and Judaism. The proportion of ‘travel and voyages’ also increased, as did the section on ‘colonies and colonisation’. While British drama, poetry and prose authors still form the majority in the literature section, Australian poetry increased, as did the range of translated foreign language works, largely due to the inclusion of 70 volumes from The Oriental Translation Fund which featured translations of Cingalese, Coptic, Ethiopic, and Malayan works amongst others. As with the previous catalogue, publications from learned societies, serials and ‘cabinet libraries’ form a significant part of the collection and cover the full range of genres. Notable inclusions are 500 volumes from Bohn’s Libraries, 83 volumes from the Roxburgh Club, and 326 volumes of the Patrologia Graeca.
Following the main alphabetical catalogue, a section on ‘Globes, Charts, Maps and Surveys’ and a list of ‘Donations’ are included. The donations again demonstrate the international prestige of the library, with a list of benefactors including: the British Government, the Prussian Government, the British Museum, and the University of Copenhagen. Also included is a detailed catalogue of the Lending Library which contains 32 cases of approximately 50 volumes each which would be distributed to regional libraries within a 10-mile radius of Melbourne.
A printed note included after the ‘List of Botanical Illustrations’ shows how busy the Library was in expanding and updating its collection. Dated 11 March 1865, the note states that following the printing of the supplemental catalogue 5,450 volumes were added to the collection and that the ‘number of Volumes in the Library exceeds 38,000’.
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