a suitable library on a central site at a cost of £1,500 if the town would adopt the Acts. With such an offer before them there was no question about carrying the Acts through. The one or two public meetings held for the furtherance of the object were most enthusiastic, and the reading of the speeches is very interesting. Mr. John Parry, who took all through an active interest in the movement, said that he had for over twenty years been a resident in South Stockton, and it had been his earnest desire to see a Public Library instituted. He was informed that they were going to meet with some opposition to the scheme, and the property owners were going to oppose it. Well, they must tell those landlords that it was the working men and not they who paid the rates.

The result of the poll, taken in November, 1890, was overwhelmingly in favour of the adoption of the Acts. Whilst 1,121 said "Yes," only 71 said "No." The building is in course of erection, and will shortly be completed.

STALEYBRIDGE.

The origin of the Public Library movement was the issue of a circular, in 1886, by Mr. Mark Fentem, during his mayoralty, who has all through been a warm friend of the movement. This set the question moving, and a provisional committee was formed. The work of this committee was performed in an admirable manner, and in the early part of 1888 a statutory meeting declared in favour of the adoption by a large majority. In September, 1889, the mayor formally opened a Public Library, established in some of the rooms of the Town Hall. No newspaper reading-room is provided, the opinion being held that the various political and other clubs provide largely for the public wants in this direction. There is, however, a room for the reading of books of reference and other works. The mayor, in the course of a short speech, dwelt upon the advantages, educational and otherwise, of Public Libraries, and expressed the hope that the new institution would prove a guide to the young, a help to those of mature years, and a comfort to the old and feeble. He moved a vote of thanks to the gentlemen who had rendered financial aid to the formation of the library. Amongst those especially mentioned were Mr. T. H. Sidebotham, M.P., Mr. J. F. Cheetham, and Messrs. Summers, each of whom gave £500, and Messrs. Knott who gave £100.

One good feature suggested for the work here is the establishment of a reading class, under the conductorship of a well-read man. The classes are free and open to all. The management of the classes is on similar lines to mutual improvement societies. The course consists of an opening lecture on the value of books by some eminent man; followed on other nights by a person reading a criticism of the work or works of a certain author, showing the style, merits, language, &c., and a public discussion follows.

ST. HELENS.

St. Helens, as a town, would not be described as a beautiful place. The chemical and iron-works in the neighbourhood prevent the artistic in street architecture from boldly asserting itself. But in its library work there has been an extraordinary growth. The library was established under the St. Helens' Improvement Act in 1869, but was not opened until 1877. The stock of books and issues and the attendances at the readingroom have doubled themselves in seven years.

The attendance on Sundays continues to be very satisfactory, the number of visits during the last year being 22,345 against 18,629 for the previous year. This gives an average of 471 per Sunday.

On Easter Sunday, 1890, an exhibition of the rare, curious, and valuable books in the library, together with some others kindly lent for the occasion, took place in the Assembly Room at the Town Hall, when nearly 200 volumes were open for the inspection of the public, and the exhibition was attended by about 1,200 persons, and very much appreciated. One branch library is in operation and doing good work, and another is to be opened during the present year. A large number of printed circulars, drawing the attention of the inhabitants to the Sutton branch, have been distributed.

SUNDERLAND.

This town has a beautiful building which is an ornament to the whole place. A Public Library, Museum, Art Gallery, and a large conservatory are all under one roof, and from the engraving which appears it will be seen what a handsome structure is this, institution for the people.

In the vestibule are three superb models of steamers built by Messrs. Doxford of Pallion. One of the models cost close upon a thousand pounds to produce, and anything finer in this line of craftsmanship is probably not to be found in the island. Even the Sunderland people themselves, accustomed to look upon ship models, view the contents of the three glass cases with unconcealed admiration.

The reports of the librarian and committee deserve careful perusal. That of the latter notes that the class of literature in demand shows a decided improvement in the taste of readers. They then follow by saying that such authors as Carlyle and Emerson are in constant demand. A book like "Sartor Resartus is seldom found on the shelves. Macaulay here holds his own as first in popularity of our historians, and Justin McCarthy comes next. Then the issue of fiction is noticed, which at Sunderland stands at 59 per cent. Amongst the novelists, Edna Lyall is the most popular, while the works of such writers as Geo. Eliot, Dickens, George McDonald, Charles Kingsley W. M. Thackeray, and the Brontës are in constant demand.

The special features of the past year's work are the publication of a supplementary catalogue, and the collecting of works of a local nature for the reference library. Two other items worthy of

note in recent years are, the providing of a special room for ladies, which, judging from the numbers constantly using it, is highly appreciated; and the placing of a glass case in a promi

SUNDERLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY, MUSEUM, AND ART GALLERY.

nent position, in which all new books are placed, so that readers may have before them the latest purchases, till such time as printed slips of these additions are prepared. This has seemingly stored up an interest in the library and called forth several notices of approval on the judicious selection made in the purchase of new books.

Perhaps the most important reference is the change made in the condition of borrowing books from the library. Formerly a burgess who was on the list had to get a form of security signed by another burgess before he could become a borrower. Now according to the amended rule, a burgess who is on the current list is able to borrow books on his own security.

The committee mention that the newsroom is evidently too small for the crowds of readers who regularly visit it, and the chief want in accommodation is a separate room for the reference library. A word of praise is given to the librarian and staff.

WHITEHAVEN.

The library is the old Mechanics' Institute, which was generously offered to the people if they would adopt the Public Libraries Acts. The efforts of the local press in helping to bring about the desired change are here acknowledged, as indeed they ought to be. On February 19, 1887, the vote was taken, and showed 1,532 for the adoption of the Acts and 784 against. On May 15, 1888, the library was opened by the late Archbishop of York, who, on the afternoon and evening of the opening day, delivered interesting addresses, which did much to emphasize in the public mind the value of the institution as an educational force, and as a means of rational recreation. He advised the people to use their Public Library for amusement. Amusement was a necessity, and he hoped they would get it in that building rather than by keeping a small book with rounded corners in which they calculated the odds on a horse which they never saw and probably never would see. In their Public Library they had a place of wholesome recreation, and a place which to visit would bring upon them neither remorse nor headaches afterwards.

Leave was given by the Local Government Board, in February, 1887, to borrow £650 for structural alterations. The trustees wished to make it £500, but the inspector suggested the larger sum in order that the library might have a better start. "These libraries," he said, "are very useful. You want very good reference books, and you want books for the people to take away with them," and so the £650 was borrowed, repayable with interest in thirty years. The popularity attained by the library has fully equalled the anticipations of its friends.

The last report bears witness to the continued usefulness and abiding popularity of the institution. Whatever may have been the division of opinion which made the establishment of the library a task of some difficulty, it is now, at any rate, a source of satisfaction to its supporters that their confidence in its utility

has been so fully justified. The history of the library movement in Whitehaven has been that of many similar schemes of popular improvement. Distrusted and resisted at first, it seemed at one time out of the question to hope for any immediate or even early acceptance of the proposal. Even after the Mechanics' Institute building became available and did so much to render the adoption of the Acts more easy by providing for the main source of expense -the building, the road by which the supporters of the library had to make their way was by no means a clear one. The gift, however, was the first foothold that the supporters of the scheme got in Whitehaven. But it required quite as much determination, and quite as much industry and energy, to carry on the work of conversion when the ratepayers were at last got to consider the subject in earnest as it had done before that to bring them to that point. The advocates of enlightenment and education proved equal to the occasion. They have been rewarded by seeing the full success of the undertaking to which so much energy and industry had been devoted.

WIGAN.

Wigan has an excellent record to give of every department of its work. For its population of 54,000 it has the respectable number of 37,605 volumes exclusive of pamphlets. The additions during the last library year reached 2,248 volumes. The total gifts have reached £14,822, and in addition to this sum pictures and busts to the value of £675 have been given. The memory of the late Joseph Taylor Winnard will ever be green in Wigan. He left by will the bulk of his estate for the purchase of books; but unfortunately, owing to some indefiniteness in the will, the whole of what the donor appeared to intend should come to the library has not been received; so that instead of 12,000 volumes which the bequest produced, the number should have been 25,000. This serves as another of many proofs why intending donors should make their gifts to Public Libraries during their lifetime, and not give the opportunity for posthumous litigation to harass and curtail their well-meant generosity. Another local townsman adopted this latter plan, and Mr. Thomas Taylor, who still takes a warm interest in the work of the library, purchased the site of the old Grammar School in the centre of the town, and built upon it the present library. So rapidly has its work extended since it was opened in 1878, that already the newsroom and the lending library need extension, and a spare piece of ground in the rear of the building is being used for the purpose of extending the present building. The official opening in October, 1877, was worthy of the town.

All things taken into consideration, the reference library is, for its arrangement and the selection of books, one of the finest in the country of any town of its size; and even some towns with double the population of Wigan might well be proud of that department. The day is rapidly approaching when in no Public Library will the reference section take a second place, but will be