MONTHLY NOTES OF

The unofficial arrangements for the Meeting include a Reception and Soiree and Dinner by the Local Committee, on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, besides which there will be visits to Knowsley, by permission of Lord Derby, and by invitation of Lord Crawford and Balcarres to Haigh Hall. There will be an excursion on the river in a steamer kindly placed at our disposal by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, and numerous visits to places of interest.

His Worship, the Mayor of Liverpool, has issued invitations to a Dinner, on Thursday evening, so that those who have received invitations will find it more convenient to visit Haigh Hall on Friday.

Certain notices of motion have been given for the Meeting. The Hon. Secretary has given notice of his intention to move: "That a Committee be appointed to revise the Constitution, and to report to the Meeting at Liverpool.

Mr. F. T. Barrett, Librarian of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, has also given notice to move again, if necessary, the motion which he brought forward at our Cambridge Meeting:"That the Council be requested to draw up for the consideration of the Annual Meeting of 1884 a scheme for the classification of books in a library.

The Council have given notice that they will propose for immediate election at Cambridge, any non-librarians who may have been unable to give the usual one-month's notice.

The following gentlemen being engaged in library administration have become Members of the Association :- Mr. R. G. Brook, Member of the Free Library Committee, St. Helen's; Mr. Henry Burns, Librarian, South Free Lending Library, Liverpool; Mr. Alderman Cannon, Chairman of the Free Library Committee, Bolton; Mr. W. Cockerell, J.P., Member of the Free Library Committee, Cambridge; Mr. M. Comerford, Librarian, Free Library, Dundalk; Prof. R. K. Douglas, Assistant Keeper of Printed Books, British Museum; Mr. Dromgoole, Member of the Free Library Committee, St. Helen's; Mr. Thomas Formby, Sub-Librarian, Free Public Library, Liverpool; Mr. John Frowde, Librarian, Free Library, Barrow-in-Furness; Mr. Walter Huntley, Librarian, North Free Lending Library, Liverpool; Mr. J. D. Jones, Librarian, Free Public Library, Runcorn; Mr. James MacIvor, Librarian, King's Inns' Library, Dublin; Mr. William May, Assistant-Librarian, Free Public Library, Liverpool; Mr. J. Henry Quinn, Assistant-Librarian, Free Public Library, Liverpool; Mr. T. Stanley, Free Library, Wednesbury; and Mr. C. G. Virgo, Librarian, Free Public Library, Bradford.

It may be convenient and may save new Members some trouble if it is explained here that the financial year of the Association ends on October 4 in each year. The subscription paid therefore for the Liverpool Meeting by incoming Members, though it covers the Meeting and entitles them to a copy of its Transactions, does not extend beyond the 4th of October next. If it is desired to continue membership for next year the convenient course will probably be to pay the subscription for next year also, which will be due in advance on the 5th of October next.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL.

THE Council have the pleasure of presenting to the members their report on the work and progress of the Association during the Sixth Year of its existence.

Cambridge Meeting.-The Annual Meeting of last year at Cambridge was, perhaps, the most enjoyable and successful of all our annual gatherings. This was largely due to the great interest shown in our proceedings by the University and Municipal Authorities of Cambridge, and the courteous hospitality extended to us; but above all to the personal efforts and kindliness of our late President, Mr. Henry Bradshaw, who has laid the whole Association under an obligation which the Council are glad to have this opportunity of acknowledging.

Members. It will be remembered that there was some discussion at Cambridge upon the question of the arrears of subscriptions due from many Members, and the Council undertook to deal with the whole matter during the year. The list of Members has accordingly been carefully revised, and was printed and issued with the January number of the Monthly Notes. The result of the revision was that about 40 names were struck off the list. Notwithstanding this serious depletion of the list, the number of Members on the roll at the 31st August is 380, as against 368 at the date of the last Report. Of this number 30 are Honorary Members. There has accordingly been a not insignificant increase of 12 during the year, and a still further accession to our numbers may be expected at Liverpool. The number of Life Members is 22.

Officers. The Council regret that during the year they have lost the valuable services of Mr. J. W. Bone as an Auditor of the Association. The Council have appointed Mr. G. R. Humphery and Mr. J. Whittall to serve as Auditors for the present year. They have also to announce that they have been offered and have accepted the services of a professional gentleman to assist the Auditors, upon conditions which appear to the Council to be very satisfactory. It is with much regret also that they announce that Mr. E. B. Nicholson and Mr. Pink have tendered their resignations as Members of the Council. The Council feel particular regret that Mr. Pink's resignation is caused by an illness, which will also prevent him attending the Liverpool Meeting. The Council feel sure that the Members of

the Association will join with them in wishing Mr. Pink a speedy restoration to health and strength.

Obituary. The Association has lost several Members by death during the year, including Mr. C. H. Bayley, of West Bromwich: Lieut. T. D. Sullivan, of London; Mr. George Lovejoy, of Reading; Mr. J. C. Woodhill, of Birmingham; Mr. Richard Platt, of Wigan; and Mr. W. Brace. Mr. Brace was a zealous and useful Member of the Association, and, besides holding the office of Auditor of the Association, was for two years Editor of THE MONTHLY NOTES. A resolution expressing regret at his loss was passed at the January Monthly Meeting.

Monthly Meetings. The usual Monthly Meetings have been held during the year. The use of their Committee-room has been continued to us by the kindness and courtesy of the Board of Managers of the London Institution, and the Council have again the pleasant duty of tendering them hearty thanks on behalf of the Association.

At the Second Meeting (November 3rd) Mr. C. Pfoundes read a Paper on "Japanese Libraries and Books."

At the Third Meeting (December 1) Mr. H. R. Tedder read a Paper on "A French Librarian on Librarianship.'

At the Fourth Meeting (January 5) on "The Distribution of Public Documents to Libraries in the United States."

At the Fifth Meeting (February 2) Papers were read by Mr. Credland on "Free Public Libraries in 1882;" and by Mr. Tedder on "The Bibliography of 1882."

At the Sixth Meeting (March 2), Mr. E. C. Thomas read a Paper on "Classed Catalogues, and the New Classed Catalogue of the German Reichsgericht."

At the Seventh Meeting (April 6), Mr. G. R. Humphery read a paper on "Librarians and the Working Classes." At the Eighth Meeting (May 4) Papers were read by Mr. Henry Wilson on "An old English Text: the Speculum Vitæ Christi;' and by Mr. A. Allchin on "The Communal Library of Abbeville on the Somme."

By a resolution of the Council the Monthly Meetings for July, August and September were suspended.

Committees. The work done by Committees during the year has not been very considerable, but it must be obvious that it is too much to expect that a few Members who happen to be resident in London can be expected to sacrifice so large a share of their scanty leisure as would be demanded for the adequate treatment of those difficult and complicated questions which are usually assigned to Committees. In view of this circumstance, and also of the advantage to be derived from the co-operation of our leading provincial Members, the Council have passed the following resolution, which they seriously commend to the consideration of the Liverpool Meeting:"Resolved: That in the opinion of the Council it is desirable

that a larger amount of work should be done by Committees meeting in connexion with the Annual Meetings."

The Committee on Size Notation has had the question once more under consideration, and will, it is expected, report to the Meeting at Liverpool.

The Committee on Illustrations to the Cataloguing Rules has collected a number of proposed examples, which have been printed, and will be laid before the Annual Meeting, together with some further recommendations.

Free Libraries Bill.-The Council regret that the pressure upon the time of Parliament has been so great that the Free Libraries Bill has practically had no chance whatever of being considered. It may be hoped that in the next Session they may have an opportunity of doing all that they can to assist in the carrying of a satisfactory measure.

Distribution of Public Documents.-The same large accumulation of parliamentary work has made it almost hopeless for the Council to do anything definite in the direction indicated by the resolution passed at the Cambridge meeting. The first step has been taken towards placing the distribution of the Statutes on a better footing in the recent issue of a new Promulgation List, in which, however, the Council regret to notice no sufficient regard has been had to the claims of Public Libraries, and especially of libraries supported by the ratepayers.

Proposed Examination of Library Assistants.-A Sub-Committee of Council has been appointed to consider the question of holding an examination. The Council have passed a resolution to the effect that an examination should be held, if required, in the month of April or May next. They further recommend that advantage should be taken of the Liverpool Meeting to form a larger Committee of the Council to discuss the question and report specially to the Meeting.

Classification. In pursuance of the Cambridge resolution requesting the Council to submit a scheme of Classification, the Council have had the matter under their consideration. It is, however, a matter o such complexity and importance, and they find that there is (as) was indeed to be expected) so much difference of opinion on the subject, that they are not as yet prepared to submit a definite proposal. Mr. Barrett who moved the resolution at Cambridge, has given notice of his intention to move, if necessary, that the reference to the Council be continued.

Constitution. At the October Monthly Meeting the Council were requested to "consider the desirability of offering to the next Annual Meeting of the Association, a rule to prescribe the amount of subscription proper to be paid by libraries or other institutions, and the privileges to be accorded them." The Council accordingly propose to submit the question to the consideration of the Meeting. As certain other slight changes have been suggested to them, the Hon. Secretary has given formal notice of a motion at Liverpool, "that a Committee be appointed to re-consider the constitution and report thereon to the present Meeting."

Transactions.-The Council have had the pleasant duty in several previous reports of acknowledging the service which Mr. B. F.

Stevens has rendered to the Association by undertaking the publica tion of its Transactions. The assistance afforded us in our early days, when our income was small, was most valuable, and will not be forgotten. Now however that our numbers have grown, the Council have felt justified in undertaking the publication of the Transactions, and henceforward they will be the property of the Associa tion.

The Council regret exceedingly that the Transactions of the London and Cambridge Meetings are not yet in the hands of Members. But it is only right that the Association should be informed that the Council and the Officers are not altogether responsible for the delay. The publication of the London volume was chiefly a financial question. And when, largely with a view to economy, it was finally decided to issue the transactions of the two meetings in one volume, the difficulty was not wholly met. It was found impossible to collect the Papers, and the Hon. Secretary reports that even now no less than five of the Papers read at the Cambridge Meeting are not yet received for press, although he has done all he can to secure them. It must be obvious that if the Editor of the volume is not supported by the contributors to it, he must be acquitted of responsibility for the delay. It will, it is hoped, afford some satisfaction to our Members to know that with the exception of these Papers the whole of the matter is now in type, and that the volume may now be speedily published.

The Council must not leave this question without mentioning that Dr. Richard Garnett, of the British Museum, has kindly acceded to the wish expressed by the London Meeting, and has contributed to the forthcoming volume an account of our first President, Mr. J. Winter Jones. They will propose a special vote of thanks to Dr. Garnett for his able and interesting Paper.

Transactions: Sale of Stock. -As our Members are probably aware, the stock of the Transactions held by Mr. B. F. Stevens was disposed of by auction in the summer. Mr. Stevens first offered it to the Association, but the Council felt that as we are not a trading society, and cannot afford to sink a large sum of money in a stock which we could only hope to dispose of very slowly, it was undesirable for them to accept the offer. The Treasurer and Hon. Secretary however gave a commission up to a certain amount, and the latter officer attended the sale. It may be hoped that the disposal of the stock through the natural channels of trade may have the effect of enlarging the interest felt in our work, and of increasing the sale of any future volume.

Monthly Notes."-Since the begining of the year the Council have also undertaken the publication of the "Monthly Notes" at the expense of the Association. The Council felt themselves bound by the Cambridge resolution that the Annual and Monthly publications were not at present to be merged in one publication. But it must be obvious that besides the expense necessarily involved, the literary and other labour imposed upon the editor by two distinct series of publications is a very serious consideration. Under these circumstances