10s. 6d.

61 8

750 extra copies of Table II. for the Metropolitan Free Libraries Association

000

£148 15 11

COMMITTEE ON A GENERAL CATALOGUE OF ENGLISH

LITERATURE,

The following Report has been rendered to the Council by the Special Committee, and will be formally presented to the Association at Edinburgh.

REPORT.

"This Committee was re-appointed by the Monthly Meeting of November 7, 1879, and has held several meetings, at which the best method of proceeding to carry the proposed scheme for a General Catalogue of English Literature into execution, has been carefully considered.

"A great difference of opinion has arisen on the very important point, whether the proposed specimen letter (referred to in our previous Report) should include only books printed in English in the United Kingdom, or all books printed in English whether here or abroad. It has not been possible, therefore, to complete the contemplated specimen for the Edinburgh Meeting, and your Committee must ask leave to consider the matter through another year. "Meanwhile, the Committee have requested the Secretary, who has been engaged in compiling the English titles for the specimen, to lay before the meeting the conclusions which his labours on the subject have led him to form.

66

August 20, 1880."

The consolidation of the Library Journal with the Publishers' Weekly ceases with the number for 7th August last. In that number Mr. Leypoldt announces that he has decided to complete the fifth volume of the Library Journal in its original shape, and that, should his action be productive of renewed efforts on the part of others on behalf of the Journal, it is still possible that the work may be successfully continued.

QUERY.

WHO is the author of "The Shortest Way to end Disputes about Religion," in two parts: Part I. published at Brussels, 1716; Part II. at Antwerp in the same year? The title-page of Part II. says that it is in answer to Lesley's "Case Stated."

MR.

ADVERTISEMENT.

W. J.

R. E. B. NICHOLSON, London Institution, Finsbury Circus, strongly recommends for Library employment Mr. EDWARD M. BORRAJO, who has been temporarily engaged under him for some months. Age 26; knows Greek, Latin, French, Spanish. Address to Mr. NICHOLSON's care.

London: TRÜBNER & CO., Ludgate Hill. Single Numbers, Threepence each. Annual Subscription, post free, 3s. 6d.

MONTHLY NOTES

OF THE

Library Association

of the United Kingdom.

THE next Monthly Meeting of the Association will be held on Friday, November 5th, at 8 p.m., at the London Institution, Finsbury Circus, when Mr. E. B. NICHOLSON will read a paper, entitled "Buckram, a Palinode."

The Association may be congratulated on the success of the Annual Meeting of 1880. Notwithstanding the lateness of the season, and the distance which many members had to travel, there was no falling off in the attendance, and the cordial welcome which we received will long be remembered. The literary and historical associations connected with Edinburgh would in themselves have sufficed to make our visit interesting, but the liberality with which the various Institutions of the northern capital were thrown open to members greatly enhanced the pleasure, and the valuable papers on those institutions which were read at the meeting will afford an important addition to the information on library matters recorded in the proceedings of our annual meetings.

ANNUAL MEETING AT EDINBURGH.

The third annual meeting of this Association was held at Edinburgh, in the rooms of the Royal Society, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the 5th, 6th and 7th of this month. The first day's business began at 10 a.m., after a preliminary meeting of the Council.

On the proposal of Mr. MULLINS, Vice-President, seconded by Mr. HARRISON, Treasurer, Mr. SMALL, Vice-President of the Association and Librarian of the University Library, Edinburgh, was unanimously elected to preside.

The SECRETARY read a letter from the Rev. H. O. COXE, President of the Association, expressing regret that the state of his health did not permit him to attend. Letters from Lord LINDSAY and the Baron de WATTEVILLE were also read.

Mr. R. R. BOWKER was elected an honorary member, and in accordance with a special resolution of the Council, several other gentlemen were proposed and elected.

The CHAIRMAN then delivered a brief introductory address, in which he expressed his regret at the absence of the President, and, after thanking the Association for electing him to the office of Vice-President, gave the members a hearty welcome to Edinburgh. He then gave a sketch of the work already done by the Association, directed the attention of members to the libraries of Edinburgh which were thrown open for their inspection, and concluded with an account of the progress of the library movement in Edinburgh. The SECRETARY read the report of the Council, and a letter from Mr. DEWEY, received since the report was drawn up. The TREASURER read the balance-sheet. (See pp. 67-70.)

Mr. FROST, as one of the auditors, stated that there was a charge of £37 10s. for extra copies of Table II. in the appendix to the proceedings of the meeting last year, for the Metropolitan Free Libraries Association, in respect of which the £10 in the balancesheet had been paid. He said that at present the amount stood as paid on account, and protested against the funds of this Association being taken to provide the sinews of war for the Metropolitan Free Libraries Association.-Mr. NICHOLSON said that the copies had been ordered under the authority of the resolution of the Association at its annual meeting last year, (see Proceedings, p. 108), and that the sum mentioned included an item for extra costs in setting up the tables for the volume. The TREASURER explained that the expenditure was incurred in setting up the tables for the volume, which the publishers had contracted to do at a fixed price; their attention had been called to this point, and there would be no further claim on their part.* Mr. WALFORD Suggested that the question should be referred to the Council. Mr. FROST Concurred, and the report and balance-sheet were unanimously approved.

Mr. J. T. CLARK, Keeper of the Advocates' Library, then read a paper entitled "Notes on Early Printing in Scotland," giving an account of early printing in Scotland from its introduction by Walter Chapman and Andrew Myllar in 1507, to the year 1600; and called attention to the rarity of some of the books of which the number of impressions was known to be large.

In reply to a vote of thanks for this paper, Mr. CLARK stated that the art of stereotyping had its origin in Scotland, and was first practised by William Ged, who published an edition of Sallust in 1739; one of his plates was in the Advocates' Library, and a few copies had been printed from it for distribution among the members.

The SECRETARY then read a notice received from one of the members, concerning the Benedictine Monastery and College at Fort Augustus; the Prior of which had sent an invitation to any members of the Association who might wish to visit it after the meeting.

*A letter received subsequently, and read at the meeting, stated that the cost of the 750 copies of Table II. was about £6. The balance, therefore, of the £10 paid was for the volume itself.