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MONTHLY NOTES

OF THE

Library Association

of the United Kingdom.

We have not yet received the programme of proceedings for the Annual Meeting. The Secretary will send a notice to members by post, as soon as the arrangements are complete. In the meantime, communications with regard to the local arrangements may be sent to the Local Secretaries at Edinburgh-Mr. T. G. Law, Signet Library; and Mr. W. Black, S.S.C. Library.

The Secretary has received notice of the following nominations. -For Vice-President: Mr. H. R. Tedder. For the Council : Messrs. J. B. Bailey, J. P. Briscoe, A. Cotgreave, A. J. Frost, J. W. Knapman, C. Madeley, Professor Henry Morley, Henry Stevens, H. R. Tedder, W. S. W. Vaux, C. Welch and W. H. K. Wright. For Secretaries: Messrs. E. C. Thomas and C. Welch. (A copy of the voting paper which will be used at the Annual Meeting will be found on page 71.)

The Secretary has also received notice of the following motions to be proposed at the Edinburgh Meeting :

From Mr. A. J. Frost:-"That the date of future Annual Meetings be fixed earlier than the month of October."

From Mr. E. B. Nicholson :-"That it be an instruction to the Council to send to all bookbinders in the Bookbinder's Trade Directory a circular letter, containing such enquiries as it may be desirable to make, and inviting answers, suggestions, and scales of prices. And that the results be laid before the Association at its next yearly meeting, together with such samples of binding as the Council may think fit to obtain.

"That this Association is in favour of the general principle of opening public libraries, museums, and other galleries for some part at least of every Sunday; though particular local circumstances may sometimes render the present application of this principle useless or undesirable.

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From Mr. H. R. Tedder :- "That it is desirable that the Council of this Association should take steps to consider how library assistants may best be aided in their training in the general principles of their profession."

REPORT OF THE MANCHESTER MEETING.

WE are glad to state that the long-expected Report of the Manchester Meeting (edited by Messrs. Tedder and Thomas) will be in the hands of members in a few days. It will be a handsome volume, printed by the Chiswick Press in the same form as the Transactions and Proceedings of the London and Oxford Meetings. The delay in its production is the subject of much regret to the Editors, but it has been caused by matters entirely beyond their control. Besides the reports presented at Manchester, and a full account of all the discussions and proceedings (including the speeches at the Salford banquet), the book contains the following papers-Opening address, by Alderman T. Baker; the consolidation and amendment of the Public Libraries Acts, by E. B. Nicholson; the grouping of populous places for library purposes, by G. Lamb Campbell; the employment of young women as assistants in public free libraries, by Alderman T. Baker; lectures in connection with public free libraries, by W. H. Bailey; the public free library and the board school, by Wm. H. K. Wright; the provision of novels in rate-supported libraries, by J. Taylor Kay; the libraries of Lancashire and Cheshire, by Wm. E. A. Axon; special collections of books in Lancashire and Cheshire, by J. H. Nodal; the co-operative libraries of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham, by E. Barnish; the destruction of libraries by fire, considered practically and historically, by C. Walford; an indicator-book, by A. Cotgreave; the card-ledger, a charging system without writing, by G. Parr; an indicator-catalogue and charging system, by Wm. H. K. Wright; classification in public libraries, by H. Wilson; and a note on the classifications used in reporting statistics of issues in public free libraries, by J. Taylor Kay. The volume also includes historical and descriptive accounts of the Manchester and Salford libraries visited by the Association. The Appendix comprises some very valuable matter, including suggestions on size-notation, by Professor W. Stanley Jevons, J. Winter Jones, W. H. Overall, E. A. Roy, P. Viollet, B. R. Wheatley, and J. Vernon Whitaker; the statistical report, in an amended form (in four large folding tables), of the local secretaries on public free libraries; statistical details concerning the special collections of Lancashire and Cheshire described in Mr. Nodal's important paper; a large folding table furnishing returns respecting co-operative societies' libraries; a chronological sketch of the destruction of libraries by fire in ancient and modern times, and of other severe losses of books and MSS. by fire or water; and specimens of a co-ordinative catalogue and subject-index. A very full index completes the work.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

THE Council are glad to present to the members of the Library Association of the United Kingdom their third Annual Report on the work of the Association during the year.

The Annual Meeting at Manchester, in September, 1879, was in no way less successful than that held at Oxford. This was largely due to the efforts of the Local Committee; and the Council are happy to have this opportunity of renewing their acknowledgments to the members of that committee, as well as to all those friends in Manchester and its neighbourhood, who by their hospitality contributed to render our meeting so agreeable.

As in previous years, the editing and preparation of the printed report of the "Transactions and Proceedings" have entailed very considerable labours upon the secretaries. With regard to its production, Mr. B. F. Stevens consented to renew his former liberal arrangement, and thus the volume shows no falling off in typographical perfection.

Monthly Meetings.-The use of their committee-room has been very kindly continued to us by the Board of Management of the London Institution, and the Council beg to offer their hearty thanks on behalf of the Association. Nine monthly meetings have been held during the year, reports of which have duly appeared in the Monthly Notes, as well as in the Library Journal.

At the first meeting (November 7) a paper was read by Mr. W. Brace on "Early Catalogues of the Dutch Church Library, 1650-68." Mr. Scarse's Standard Book-Scale was exhibited, and also a specimen of the Dundee Indicator. Mr. Welch showed a handy reference bundle of specimens of leather for binding. The new catalogue of the Library of the Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society, by Mr. B. R. Wheatley, was also shown.

At the second meeting (December 5), Mr. Cornelius Walford delivered a "Talk about American Libraries and Librarians.” Mr. Parr's Index-Ledger was exhibited in actual working in the London Institution Library.

At the third meeting (January 2), a paper was read by Mr. W. E. A. Axon on "The Functions of a National Library: a Reply to Mr. W. P. Courtney;" and a paper by Mr. William Blades on "The Development of Books and their Size-Notation."

At the fourth meeting (February 6), a paper was read by Mr. R. Harrison on "Dr. Priestley and his Relation to Proprietary Libraries; " and a paper by Mr. J. B. Bailey on "Some Points to be Considered in preparing Catalogues of Transactions and Periodicals." A MS. catalogue of books and MSS. issued before MDC., belonging to Owens College, was exhibited.

At the fifth meeting (March 5), a paper was read by Mr. T. W. Shore on "Librarians and Ancient Parish Registers." Some remarks on Mr. Bailey's paper on "Catalogues of Transactions and Periodicals," by Mr. T. W. Newton, with a reply by Mr. Bailey, were also read.

At the sixth meeting (April 2), a paper was read by Mr. B. R. Wheatley, entitled "Thoughts on Title-Taking; Trite, Trivial, and Tentative."

At the seventh meeting (May 7), a paper was read by Mr. Henry Wilson, of the British Museum, entitled "Remarks on Facsimile Reproduction." Specimens of a new cloth for binding purposes were exhibited by Mr. Winterbottom.

At the eighth meeting (June 4), a paper was read by Mr. Cornelius Walford on "Books I have Seen; Books I have Not Seen; Books I should Like to See; Books I never Expect to See."

At the ninth meeting (July 2), a paper was read by Mr. W. E. A. Axon on "The Poetry of the Bibliomania."

Instead of the usual Monthly meeting on August 6, the Special Committees met to consider their Reports, and the Council suspended the meeting for September.

Sub-Committees.-The Committees on Special Subjects have met during the year on the third Friday of each month. They have been engaged on the following subjects:-1, General Catalogue of English Literature; 2. Title Entries (including Size-Notation); 3. Indicators. The two former committees have been Committees of the whole Association, and have of course met in London. The Committee on Indicators has held its meetings at Birmingham. Reports on these different subjects will be presented to the Association at Edinburgh.

Obituary. During the year we have lost by death one of our honorary members, Mrs. Cornelia B. Olmsted, Librarian of the Wadsworth Library, Geneseo Village, N.Y., who was present at the London Conference, in 1877; and one of our members, Mr. John J. Rogers, of Penrose, Helston.

Members. On the 10th of September, 1880, the names of 240 members appear upon our roll, including 27 honorary members. Of these 208 appear to be actually engaged in library administration as librarians or members of library committees, and 32 consist of those interested in library work. The number of libraries represented by our members is 140. Some addition to our numbers may be hoped for at Edinburgh.

Finance.-The Treasurer's balance-sheet shows our income, for the year ending September 10, to have been £148 15 11 (including the balance from last year), and our expenditure £109 11 8, leaving a balance of £39 4 3. Of this, a sum of £20 has been invested during the year.

Officers. The Council are sorry to have to record that in the course of this year they have lost the invaluable services of Mr. Henry R. Tedder, who has been a Secretary of the Association from its original formation. In accepting Mr. Tedder's resignation on July 2, they resolved: "That the Council receive the resignation of Mr. Tedder with the utmost possible regret, and tender him their sincerest thanks for the invaluable services rendered by him to the Association, from its foundation until now."

Public Libraries Acts.-It will doubtless be remembered that

the Association, at its last yearly meeting, instructed the Council to promote the early introduction into Parliament of a Bill for consolidating and amending the Public Libraries Acts (England), on the lines suggested by Messrs. Nicholson and Campbell. As the Metropolitan Free Libraries Association already had the same subject in view, and were able to avail themselves of the advice and assistance of influential members of Parliament, the Council determined to join action with them. A Bill was drafted in the early summer by Messrs. Nicholson and Tedder, and though the course of public business has prevented its introduction during the past session, the Council have reason to believe that next session it will be brought in without fail, and will receive powerful support. The Council have also placed at the disposal of the Metropolitan Free Libraries Association a sufficient number of copies of the Statistical Report, prepared by Messrs. Sutton and Campbell, to enable them to send. one to each member of Parliament. A most energetic attempt last year by the Rev. Dr. Charles Rogers to induce the ratepayers of Camberwell to adopt the Acts gave a further evidence of the futility of such attempts in London under the system of public polling. The motion to adopt the Acts, was carried at the public meeting by a good majority, but only about one-eleventh of the ratepayers came to the poll; and, although the use of Boardschools had been promised, and a halfpenny rate only was to have been asked for, the former favourable vote was rescinded by a majority of two to one. The movement for a public library in St. Pancras has made progress; but it is hoped that no action will be taken by the friends of the Acts there or elsewhere in London until the fortunes of the projected Bill have been decided.

"Library Journal," and "Monthly Notes."-The Council have carried out the instructions given to them at the Manchester Meeting of the Association by arranging with Messrs. Trübner for the publication of the Monthly Notes. Mr. Brace was appointed to edit the "Notes," with the assistance of an editorial committee. It will be for the Edinburgh Meeting to consider how far the experiment has been a successful one, and what should be our future course with regard to it. This is made more necessary by the suspension of the Library Journal, which must have been matter of great regret to the members of our Association. The Council have not received any official communication from the American Library Association, or from the conductors of the Library Journal, and have, therefore, no information on the subject beyond what has appeared in print. As our members will be aware, it has been arranged to continue the Library Journal-at all events until the end of the year, and perhaps permanently. Although the Council readily recognise the indebtedness of English librarians to the conductors of the Library Journal for the ability and public spirit with which it has been carried on so long, the whole question of the form and conduct of an official organ for this Association may be regarded as remaining open for full consideration at Edinburgh.

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