will be made that the whole of public libraries are ill-selected, ill-maintained, and poor in result. The average man judges the whole of things merely by the few things he himself knows. A bad library, then, is a curse to the whole library movement.

LENDING LIBRAIRES.

I was so struck with an editorial remark in the last issue of The Library World that I must needs talk about it to you. The remark to the effect that we do not duplicate enough in lending libraries, and that the public judges our stock by the absence rather than the presence of particular books; absence, that is to say in the hands of readers, not absence from the catalogue and the stock proper. I feel that there is much to be said for the point of view expressed. We do not always realise that to buy one, two, or even six copies of a very popular book for a library which has (say) ten thousand readers, is merely ludicrous. I remember Mr. Berwick Sayers once startled me by saying that he had put forty copies of a work in much demand on his shelves. I forget what the book was, but I should be glad if he would tell us frankly how it worked out. I am inclined to think that there is much to be said for the view once expressed, by Mr. Jast, I think, that, in regard to any work of classic rank, there should be so many copies provided as will always ensure one being "in" This was meant to apply to such works as Alice in Wonderland, or Green's Short History, or so I imagine. But it should, as I think, apply also to any current work immensely in demand, so long as that work has a standard of value that can be recognised. For example, I suppose of our hypothetical ten thousand readers, at least two thousand wanted to read (say) Hall Caine's Master of Man. If six copies were provided, and it took the readers an average of a fortnight to read the book, each reader had a chance of getting it in 666 days, if I calculate aright. How would you like the waiting! My examples may not commend itself to you; but I think the principle will. We ought to provide good things in very large numbers; and I am waiting to hear of the librarian who will boldly ask his Committee for thirty or fifty copies of a work which he knows to be good, and which he knows his readers want. Such a policy, pursued with great care, of course, but pursued logically, would revolutionize public opinion. I hope that the subject will not be allowed to drop.

REMUNERATION.

How the newspapers shriek for joy at the "cuts " in the salaries of officials! But I do not seem to see any cuts " in the selling price of newspapers; are you aware of any? The cost of living falls by leaps according to the miraculous official index-but my wife says she has been unable to reduce her household expenses; and she is a better barometer of such affairs than any index ever indexed. May the good Fates deal gently with your poor remuneration and mine. ERATOSTHENES.

[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for the opinions of the writers of LETTERS ON OUR AFFAIRS."]

LIBRARY NEWS.

[Readers are invited to send us items of news for this column. Brief Notes on innovations, interesting happenings, appointments and changes and other local items of general interest are particularly welcome.]

Reporting upon the work of the BRISTOL Municipal Libraries for the month of September, the City Librarian says the total issue of books from all departments reached 65,361 volumes, as compared with 49,305 in demand during September of last year, being an average issue of 2,762 daily. The Library of Commerce records an issue of 4,953, as compared with 4,203 for the like period of last year.

By reason of the large influx of juvenile borrowers, already amounting to 1,256, due to recent action incident to closer relationship of library with school, the stock of juvenile books at each library needs strengthening. The total number of borrowers of 15 years of age or under regularly using the libraries is 9,458, while the entire stock of books for their use falls short of 9,000 volumes.

The Mayor of Croydon (Councillor W. Wood Roberts) has just publicly opened a new Junior Library in the Thornton Heath Branch of the CROYDON Public Libraries. It was, he said, the second such library in the borough, and opened with a stock of over 2,000 volumes, supplemented by the 6,000 more books for children in other parts of the system. It was a large room, with open access shelves, a reference collection, and the tables held some fifty or so of magazines suitable for children. As at Croydon Central Library, story-hours, lectures, exhibitions, etc., would be held, and the feature of the scheme is that a trained librarian is to devote herself to the work. The library is in charge of Miss Kathleen M, Snow, who has been on the staff for six years, and is a third year student at University College.

From the Mitchell Library, GLASGOW, we have received a neat and handy List of Periodicals in which over 850 titles are recorded, and from WIGAN Public Libraries a similar list, reprinted from the Annual Report, for circulation among the workshops, factories, schools, societies, and so on, which shows that, in addition to a very representative selection of general periodicals, the Wigan library is unusually well supplied with technical and scientific journals.

The Manchester City News Royal Exchange Special Number contained a long account of the Commercial Library in MANCHESTER. The "Programme of Public Lectures, 1921-22," issued by the SHEFFIELD Public Libraries Committee comprises most useful reading lists on W Modern Novelists," " Modern Poets," and "Modern Dramatists," the very appropriate subjects of the Central Library lectures, and on a very interesting series of miscellaneous lectures to be given at the branches, and dealing with such varied subjects as "Bergson's Creative Evolution," "Esperanto, Mountaineering in Wales," "Abraham Lincoln," "Old Sheffield," Autobiography," and "R. L. Stevenson."

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The congested condition of the BOLTON Central Lending Library has made it imperatively necessary to find some relief, and it has been decided to remove the Newspapers and Magazines from the ground floor to a large army corrugated iron building recently purchased and now being erected on the North side of the Town Hall Square. This will allow of both the floors of the Central Lending Library building being used for the purpose of the Lending Department, and it is proposed to bring all Fiction and Juvenile Literature on to the Ground floor, making a separate entrance for children. It will also be possible by this arrangement to convert the Library to Open Access, and as it at present contains over 50,000 volumes it will be one of the largest in the Kingdom worked on this principle. For years the Library has been closely classified on Dewey, but structurally was impossible of conversion to Open Access.

PERSONAL.

"Mr. REGINALD BROWN, the Librarian, of Northampton, thoroughly deserves the hearty praise given to his work, by the Mayor when the new Local Room was opened at the Library in AbingtonStreet, a short while ago. The great improvement of the Library in recent years and the steady widening of its appeal is mainly due to Mr. Brown's own work. He is an enthusiast, he manages to interest others, and he plods along year after year, faced again and again with difficulties that seem insuperable, but somehow he overcomes them.

In what has hitherto been known as the Dryden Room, but which is now called the Local Room, has been arranged the contents of some very valuable collections of local books, manuscripts, and other documents, prints, etc. Few libraries in a town of the size of Northampton possess so much useful material of this sort. Besides, what has already been arranged in the Local Room there is much more to be dealt with, and the work is being carried forward with such voluntary assistance as Mr. Brown can obtain. Students of local history now have opportunities at the Library of what good use ought to be made."-The Northampton Daily Echo.

Mr. Councillor C. Simpson, Mayor of SHEFFIELD, and Chairman of the Libraries' Committee, delivered an address on "How our Public Libraries can help great centres of industry like Sheffield," before the Sheffield Rotary Club, a few weeks ago; and Mr. L. Acland Taylor, City Librarian of BRISTOL, similarly addressed the members of the Venture Club on "Our Municipal Libraries: their History and Activities," in October last. This is an excellent form of pub licity work.

The retirement of Dr. Hew Morrison from the Principal Librarianship of Edinburgh is the outstanding personal event of the month in librarianship. Dr. Morrison has reached the ripe age of 71, and has been the public librarian of Scotland's capital since the opening of the libraries in 1890. His early life was spent in the teaching profession; he has been Chairman of S. Cuthbert and Dean School Board, Vice-Convener of the Free Church Education Committee, received his LL.D. honoris causa, and later more honour as a Justice of the Peace. He has influenced libraries in many ways not known to everyone, seeing that he was the friend, and adviser in many of his benefactions, of Andrew Carnegie. He goes to a leisure which is well-earned and which we hope will be healthy and prolonged.

The new Lord Mayor of Sheffield is Alderman Charles Simpson. Alderman Simpson, who was elected a member and Chairman of the Sheffield Public Libraries Committee in December, 1920, keenly appreciated the value of Public Libraries, and is alive to the necessity of a forward library policy in Sheffield.

Our attention has been drawn to the case of a young man who, during the war, acted as Assistant Librarian at the Library for British Officers Overseas, at Rouen. He has had considerable experience of stacking and sorting books, and would be glad to hear of any similar work. At present, he is out of employment, and unable to find work of any sort. Can any librarian assist him in any way towards getting employment ?

A sound and interesting article on "A Fuller Life," from the pen of MR. EDWARD GREEN, Halifax Borough Librarian, appeared recently in the "Uncensored Opinions" column of the Halifax Courier. Such articles emphasising the place of libraries and reading in our present-day life are undoubtedly among the finest publicity efforts to which we can have recourse.

CURRENT VIEWS.

At the time of the last examinations of the L.A., for some reason or other, entries were accepted after the proper day-with the result that a certain amount of trouble ensued. This winter-to make sure that no such thing will happen again, we presume-an absurdly early last date for entry was fixed. The action of the L.A. does not strike us as logical and certainly neither as helpful to the student, nor an aid to the secretary.-D.A.

LIBRARY REPORTS.

HUDDERSFIELD (COUNTY BOROUGH). Twenty-Third Annual Report ot fhe Public Library and Art Gallery, 1920-21., LIBRARIAN: Fredk. C, Cole, F.L.A. Population: 110,120 : Stock Lending, 37,139; reference, 9,280. Issues; Lending, 237,991; reference (recorded and estimated) 37,920. Income: £3,855 (from 1d. rate, £3,062). Expenditure: Books, binding and periodicals, £1,000; Salaries, £1,316; rent, rates, and taxes, £222; heating, lighting, and upkeep of building, £495.

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Considerable headway has been made during the year, creditable issue increases accompanying the addition of a large number of new books and replacements, and the carrying-out of much work spent on the improvement of catalogues and similar improvements. One of the most interesting points in the report is the statement that the juvenile issues [independent of the school libraries] have shown increases since the School libraries system was re-organised and extended to all the schools in the Borough in October last,' from which date they have been under the control of the Education Office. This is a fine example of the way in which, when books are concerned, the supply creates the demand.

KETTERING

(URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL). Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery. Abstract of statistics for the year ending March 31st, 1921. LIBRARIAN: Miss Kate E. Pierce. Population: 29,692. Stock: lending, 10,228; reference, 3,838. Issues : Issues lending, 101,524 (including children's lending library issue of 34,461); reference, (recorded). 6,823. Income: £1,584 (from 3d. rate, £1,415). Expenditure Books, binding, and periodicals, £531 (of which £340 was expended from a special Book Fund); Salaries, £493, rents rates, taxes, and loans, £315. Heating, lighting, and cleaning, £390.

An American visitor at the recent L. A. Conference, was struck by the preponderance of men in the library profession in our country. There are, in fact, very few women, relatively, în chief positions in our libraries, but --without being so ungallant as to try to show why that is so, and without any discussion of this most provocative subject there can be no denial that those few are, almost without exception, splendidly successful in their work. That Miss Pierce is among the number is shown by the figures in this abstract. So large a total issue in so small a town, coupled with the fact that it shows an increase of 18,647 during the year, is a record of which all concerned may well be proud. Moreover, judging by the classified statement, the" quality" of the issues is good, the fiction percentage being very reasonable, and the juvenile issues-a most important branch-high. It is pleasing to note the many additions (1249) that have been made to the lending library during the year. L. R. McC.

PITTSBURGH (CARNEGIE LIBRARY). Twenty-fifth annual reports of the board of Trustees, 1920.

DIRECTOR: John H. Leete. Population: 600,000. Stock: Adult, 361,529 (of which 141,354 are in the reference department); Juvenile, 117,539 (of which 2,195 are in the reference department) Lending library issues: Adult, 647,770, of which 420,179 were fiction; and Juvenile, 770,660, of which 387,671 were fiction.