the original editions. These editions were usually published in octavo, with several volumes per title, and often contained white spaces and even blank pages, making the volumes appear more substantial than they actually were. Another development that contributed to the decline of the cabinet de lecture was the increase cheaply created and cheaply sold literature. Emile de Girardin founded the Presse, a cheap, popular press in 1836, and Gervais Charpentier created a series of works in small volumes which sold for F 3.50. Because of the low price of such publications, they could be easily purchased by people from any walk of life, and as cheap papers and affordable serialized novels became more popular, cabinets de lecture became obsolete. References Sources Gustave Fustier, Le Livre, Paris, A. Quantin, 1883, . William Duckett fils, Dictionnaire de la conversation et de la lecture, tome 4, Paris, Didot, 1873, . Artaud de Montor, Encyclopédie des gens du monde, tome 4, Paris, Treuttel et Würtz, 1834, . Literary societies Libraries by type Types of library