Auckland Institute. 601 



books of their own, but are unwilling to purchase large and expensive works, 

 which are not only beyond their means, but which contain, perhaps, only a 

 few pages of special interest to themselves. Take, for instance, that well- 

 known work, or series of works, the " Encyclopfedia Brittanica." We all, 

 from time to time, would like to have the opportunity to refer to one or 

 other of its articles, but this desire is not so urgent as to impel us to expend 

 upon the purchase of the book some eighty or ninety guineas. The refer- 

 ence library helps us out of the dithculty. On its shelves the book is to be 

 found, and being there used by numbers of people, justifies the money 

 expended in its purchase. There are, of course, vast numbers of books of 

 this character, but in tbe scientific world none are more important than the 

 serials published under the auspices of the various learned societies ; and to 

 which must be added others, such as the " Philosophical Magazine," and 

 the " Annales de Chimie et de Physique." If our library is to be a reference 

 library, we must endeavour to collect all these books within its walls ; and 

 as the majority soon fall out of print, and rise thereby greatly in price, it 

 behoves us not to put off their purchase for too long a time. 



A student's library requires no definition : it is one which contains 

 manuals, text-books, and treatises on various subjects, and selected mono- 

 graphs upon special branches of those subjects. It is the necessary adjunct 

 of every college and high school. 



A library for the general reader contains all those books which are 

 termed "popular," all which are likely to interest or instruct the general 

 public ; in fact, all good and useful books other than those mentioned above. 



Now, just as we saw that in the case of our collections, we are likely to 

 do unnecessarily, and therefore wastefully, the same work as other bodies 

 are bound to do ; so here, we should remember that the City possesses a 

 general library, and that the University College, of necessity, maintains a 

 students' library. Our duty then would seem to be to form a reference 

 library, to expend upon that the funds which we can spare, and not to fritter 

 away those funds in the purchase of a number of books selected for no 

 further reason than that they are nice books to have. If we form here 

 a really good reference library, we shall be doing an incalculable service to 

 our contemporaries, and a still greater service to our children, one for 

 which they will never cease to be grateful. 



To sum up the chief points of this very brief address — 



(1.) We should subdivide our museum, so as to avoid incongruity of 

 impression, and to facilitate classification and re-arrangement, 



(2.) We should decide what departments of knowledge we propose to 

 illustrate in our museum, and confine ourselves to these. 



(3.) We should spend our energies to a large extent upon the forma- 

 tion of exhibits specially designed for the instruction of the 

 people. To this must be added a system of ample labelling, 

 or it will be of but little avail. 



(4.) We should do our best to extend our influence in the community, 

 and to make of this Society a real and active agent for those 

 interests for which it was formed. 



(5.) We should set up some definite aim with regard to our Library, 

 and such aim should include the formation of a Eeference 

 Department. 



In conclusion, let me beg of you not to regard this address as a mere 

 mass of empty words, strung together for the purpose of filling the greater 

 portion of an hour. The necessity of all which I have suggested has been 

 graving itself on my mind ever since I have had the iDleasiu'e of being con- 

 nected with this Society, and I have felt it my duty to put before you this 

 evening my views with regard to the conduct of this institution — views 

 which may differ in many respects from those of many among you, but 

 which, I earnestly hope, will meet with your serious consideration. We 

 are, as I have said before, no longer a private society, but a public body 



