The Newspaper Room. 31 



special sections may be mentioned one containing the prose and poetic writings of 

 Colonial litterateurs. The importance of the growing national literatiires of Canada, 

 Australia, and even South Africa is attested by the size of the special sections. There is 

 also a botanical section in which the chief works on the floras of the Colonies are kept, 

 and a language section containing publications on and in native languages is being 

 formed. A journey round the bookshelves reveals the gi-eatness of the British Empire, 

 and brings home in a better way than can perhaps be done elsewhere the vast amount 

 of literature that has been written about the British possessions. The library is 

 becoming more and more known to literary workers, and many well-known works 

 on subjects of colonial and imperial interest have been written within its walls. 



X. -THE NEWSPAPER ROOM. 



Over nine hundred newspapers, journals, and magazines are received and filed 

 at the Institute. Most of the monthly and quarterly magazines are kept in the 

 library or on tables in the law-room, but the newspapers and weekly journals are 

 displayed on stands in the newspaper-room. They include periodical publications 

 from every portion of the British Empire, arranged in different sections, and can 

 be easily and quickly found. It may be stated that almost every newspaper of any 

 importance is received, many of them being presented by their publishers. Fellows 

 from overseas and Resident Fellows who have returned to the Mother Country find 

 the newspaper-room one of the most useful features of the Institute, for by means of the 

 files of cuiTcnt papers they are enabled to keep in close touch with events in the portion 

 of the Empire with which they are connected. No other institution has so good a 

 display of Colonial periodical publications. It would be invidious to point out any 

 special paper or journal, but attention may be directed to the various classes of papers 

 that are filed in this room. First are the daily newspapers published in the capitals and 

 chief cities of the Empire, and reflecting the political and social life of their respective 

 spheres. The majority of these, after the expiration of one year, are handed over 

 to the British Museum for permanent storage, and Fellows of the Institute may always 

 consult back files on presentation of their card to the Museum officials. Then there 

 are the official gazettes from every State in the Empire. These are kept permanently 

 in the Institute so that they may be available for reference at any time. Many impor- 

 tant trade journals, both of a technical and commercial character, are also received, 

 and by their aid the business man is able to follow the different commercial movements 

 in the Empire. There are in addition a number of papers and magazines of a special 

 character, relating to medicine and tropical hygiene, mining, engineering, and tropical 

 products ; whilst the magazines include the chief British and overseas monthlies, and 

 reflect every jihase of thought. The magazines also include the agricultural journals 

 of the different States, the periodical journals of the chief British, Colonial, and foreign 

 learned societies, the journals of the principal geographical societies, a number of 

 reviews dealing with anthropological and linguistic topics, and the various law reports 

 and legal journals published in the Overseas Dominions. 



