infinitely more impressive in its simplicity than all this ostentatious magnificence.

I had reserved the Library to the end of my visit, so that I might spend as much time as I cared in it. It is approached by a stone staircase from the Entrance Hall, and is open free to the public. A very long (194 feet) arched room, the floor of marble and the bookcases of a specially fine description. The books are all inserted with their fore-edge to the front, which explains why we see in some early printed books a pen-written title on the fore-edge. Down the centre of the room are a number of show cases, in which special treasures are exhibited. I noticed several finely illuminated manuscripts of the fifteenth century, among them a Breviary which had belonged to Charles V., and the Codice Aureo, written on vellum in letters of gold. Among the printed books were exhibited two Spanish incunabula, one a "Liber Hymnorum," printed at Saragossa in 1481, and a "Comprehensorium," printed at Valencia in 1475, this being one of the earliest books printed in Spain. I also saw some special bindings done for Philip II., and bearing his Arms, and I am glad to say that since my return to London I have been able quite fortuitously to obtain, in the shop of a West End bookseller, a most interesting example of these particular bindings, a duplicate from the Escorial itself, a fact testified by an inscription in the autograph of a former librarian.

The ceiling of the Library is painted in frescoe by Tibaldi, and adds a bright touch of colour to the room and its surroundings.

When I first entered the Library I had it entirely to myself, there being no trace of readers, attendants or librarians. After spending some little time in this looking round, I made my way out in search of someone, and found a young monk in an adjoining room who told me that he was the Auxiliary-Librarian. I asked if I might be permitted to see their copy of the Complutensian Polyglot Bible, but he said it was not one of the books for public inspection. I explained that I had a special interest in it, and as soon as he saw that I was not an ordinary visiting tourist he smiled assent, and fetching his keys he asked me to accompany him back to the Library. unlocked the particular case and handed me out volume by volume their copy of the book. Finely bound in old stamped leather, with the arms of Philip on the covers, it is a good, tall and clean copy. We were at the Polyglot case, and he next produced a magnificent example of the Antwerp Polyglot, printed on vellum, a presentation copy to the King, and one of the finest books one could wish to handle. He then accompanied me over the library, pointing out everything of interest. I pointed out to him Pantoja's splendid portrait of Philip II., and told him I had a few months before seen this picture at Burlington House and he was greatly interested, and it was obvious that the loan of this picture had been an event in monastic circles. Like most Spanish Libraries there was no printed nor in fact any other catalogue produced, and I very much doubt if they have any reliable idea of what books they really possess.

There appeared to be a printed catalogue of some of the Latin MSS., and no doubt in time that will be extended to the printed books. The library is singularly deficient in Spanish incunabula, for while they have some 200 of all countries, I gathered only a score of these were printed in Spain. I shall not readily forget the kindness of Fr. José Vila to a stranger, and count myself fortunate in finding so courteous a guide. It was a fitting conclusion to my visit to this historic spot, and as I made the return journey to Madrid in the slowest of slow trains I found abundance of occupation in recalling all the varied experiences of a noteworthy day.

LETTERS ON OUR AFFAIRS.

DEAR CALLIMACHUS,

Do you remember that last evening we spent together at Manchester, when I left you in a hurry to catch a train for Southport, where I intended to spend a few days before returning to my native heath? Well, that night I was dragged into an argument with a fellow passenger who held that the world of to-day was in no way either better or worse as a result of the war. As he put it," What we have gained on the roundabouts we have lost on the swings.' On the whole, it was a case of "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose." I disagreed then, but I am beginning to wonder, now.

This is why. The lessons of the war are many, but do we recognize them? So long as we don't, my fellow passenger will be right. Now one of the lessons of the way which no one can gainsay is that the woman worker must be allowed to take her place as a worker and not as a woman. That is to say, if a woman can fill a certain position she must be treated as one who fills that position, and not as a cheap substitute for a man. All our pre-war notions of the different responsibilities of the sexes are discountenanced by the fact that women have shown us that, rightly I believe, they intend to get what they can for their labour. Yet in this week's Nation there is an advertisement for applications for the post of librarian at

WINCHESTER,

in which it is stated that the salary "if a woman be appointed will commence at £200 a year .; if a man be appointed . . . at £250." Now I ask you, Eratosthenes, what the Winchester Corporation requires. A librarian, I think! Someone who is capable of administering their library. Surely they would not appoint a woman if they thought she would not do the work as well as a man? They are paying for the work, aren't they, and not in order to help to relieve unemployment? Why, then, discriminate? Of course, I know the reply would be that a man's responsibilities are greater, etc. It won't do now,-why not offer a married man more than a single one? It would only be consistent.

But the real point is that with so ridiculously low a salary it would be absurd to talk of responsibilities and such like. Were a decent salary to be offered it might be a little more permissable to discriminate between the wage of a man and a woman; but to offer a poor-law relief salary to a chief official and then to rob the dear ladies of £50 of it is laughable. Presumably women eat less

than men !

Now in 1914, when this post was vacant last, they offered £120 for a "lady" (where is our pre-war politeness ?) or £150 for a "gentleman." So the wise men of Winchester have not learned much from their war-time experiences. When we are dealing with such people we are losing on the swings, alas.

Curiously enough, though, the same number of The Library World of 1914, in which I found my information about the previous Winchester appointment, provides an antidote for my pessimism -and it concerns another "W,"

.

WIGAN.

.

And

What

Let me quote the Letter on our Affairs of worthy Zenodotus :"The Wigan authority sends us for review a dolorous annual report. In this town a twopenny rate was levied until three years ago, when it was reduced. What a cheerful fact to record when we are fighting for a higher rate!. Observe a significant passage in the report. The paucity of our financial resources have told heavily against additions to the Reference Library. For the first time for many years no increase to the incunabula has been made. Now, Wigan is a manufacturing town. Here if anywhere the authority should not forget that library work has a modern side; that people want to know what is being thought and said to-day. they are given incunabula. For my part, I do not shed tears over the slump in incunabula, but deplore most the effect of the reduction of income upon the lending library, to which during the past year only 44 new books were added. So the number of books issued was only 56,163, a decrease of 19,987 volumes. a degenerate age is this for which incunabula has no attractions!" Well, that was in 1914. The other day I received a copy of the Wigan report for 1919-1921. The story is a very different one. Since then, the committee have invested in a new broom or two, and the sweeping is in progress. Instead of 44 new books per annum for the lending library, during the last 12 months 1,007 were added, as well as equally substantial additions to the other departments— 3,269 in all. And the librarian has the courage and the confidence in the good sense of his Committee to ask a special grant of £700 for the lending library. This department has been classified, and re-organized for open access-and, of course, the issues are increasing by leaps and bounds. The reference library, with its stock inferior to only the 5 or 6 greatest cities in the country, but in which it was, under the old regime, impossible to find 15 per cent. of the stock, so inadequate were the arrangements, is now being re-organized

and classified. In fact, the tale is now a very different one. Even the incunabula so despised by Zenodotus are now displayed so as to provide an object-lesson in the history of the book, an exhibition which is proving most attractive and-yes-useful.

Here, indeed, we are gaining on the roundabouts.

Still, the parallels are not exhausted. Zenodotus discusses also the salary paid by the Burgh of Montrose. I have a notion. that I spoke in almost exactly the same way only a few months ago of the good work done by an underpaid staff. This is another

case of

LOSS ON THE SWINGS.

But I will not finish up on a note of pessimism. Curious though it may be, only a few pages from Zenodotus's letter is one from Mr. George H. Locke, of Toronto, who complains that The Library World is the only English journal that seems to be "downhearted -he wouldn't say that now. I will finish up with another gain on the dear old roundabouts. Read again the last sentence of my extract from the letter of friend Zenodotus. "What a degenerate age is this for which incunabula has no attractions!" The writers of the Letters on Our Affairs are now much more careful about their grammar.

Of course the world is improving.

II.

DEAR ARISTONYMOUS AND CALLIMACHUS,

ARISTONYMOUS.

Your letter on the Conference was a model of self-complacency. What did you accomplish? Publicity, you say. But of what sort? Sir Charles Oman complaining of printer's wages; the Manchester Evening News discovering librarians are always late; and what else?

MUDDLE.

A dreary Council record. Muddle in finance apparently, and a £250 deficit. A heavy debt on the Subject Index for want of business advice in the necessarily difficult times this and other ventures have had to face. And this same Council has re-elected an

EXECUTIVE COmmittee,

I am told, consisting of precisely the same people (with two added) who have run" the association since 1917; and therefore, I suppose, have run it into the awful position in which it now stands. Fancy any other war-time committee which usurped the functions of central government being re-elected in 1921. The L.A. Council has lost all its power and prestige by its own vote. It has given its whole functions over to elderly men: the young are utterly out of it.

You are an amazing lot.

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.]

SHEFFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARIES.

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS.

Considerable controversy centred in the Sheffield Public Libraries in the local newspaper press during August and September last, resulting in an amount of publicity which would have been difficult to obtain through ordinary channels. The functions of the Public Library were called into question by one writer, and the correspondence which ensued, whilst in the main solidly in favour of the educational value of Public Libraries, revealed once more the astonishing ignorance in the lay mind with regard to modern developments of librarianship.

The discussion originated through the plans submitted by the Libraries Committee for the general improvement and modernisation of the Libraries, which later obtained the approval of the City Council. They are as follows:---

1. The Central Lending Library to be converted to the Open Access system.

2. The 8 Delivery Stations to be closed as from the 30th Sept. All Libraries to be open on Thursday afternoons

3.

4. The Branch Reading Rooms to be closed on Sunday from the end of March to the end of September..

5. The Libraries Committee also made the following recommendations regarding the future policy of the Libraries.

(a) That as and when financial conditions allow a new Central Library, with Reference, Lending, Newsroom, and Juvenile Departments, a suitable Lecture Room, and offices for general administration, should be erected and equipped on the present site of the Central Reference and Central Lending Libraries in Surrey Street.

(b) That the present Branch Libraries (8) be converted to the Open Access system.

(c) That four new Branches be established, as circumstances allow, in different parts of the City, so as to provide as nearly as possible for each branch serving a population of approximately 40,000.

(d) That special attention be given to the development of the Commercial and Technical Library and the Central Reference Library, with a view to making them of more general service, and of special benefit to those interested in the various industries of the City; and also, as regards the Reference Library, for research work, and for general and special study.