ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
The total number of books taken out of the library was 5,582, and 
distributed as follows : 
Migtoryaand bios raphye2:- en ces CAO 
Mravel'and'adventures..-... 1... CARRE Babes itaccet melee 
RUG HEU hice ote ova oa RARE OS ER RE © LISE 
IP GIG VAS ec ces Me ee eee PRE ER TE, 15 
IBSSAA CLC cis. ere cn eee ROME SORT AA Ne 
IRÉSOlOS Ye ER SR RAR eae LL erica Pace Skee wa 
(G e010 iereaaote ance en ec Beet sama atseware 2 
(Chemisty, CRC EEE eee eee CPU se sees 10 
Other serentiie WOrks. -sos.<ces san csee Rte der en cei mate or ules 
Magazines 1 En au sade SENS DS DE SN ERE ee ARE US RAT 
Fiction has rather an abnormal preponderance, forming over eighty 
per cent of the volumes read, As a quasi public library the resources 
of the society are and always have been altogether too inadequate to 
meet the wants of the members, so that the little there is to expend 
annually in books is largely drawn upon by fiction. 
As the initiative for the establishment of a free public library by the 
city has now been made, it is believed that the founding of such a library 
would act beneficially on the Literary and Scientific Society, inasmuch as 
then its library would lose its prominence and the real sphere of the 
society given an opportunity for emerging from seclusion. Such a 
society should stimulate mental activity, original thought and independent 
research. The library of a literary and scientific society should pertain 
more to that of a reference than to a circulating library, and should only 
be an adjunct to the vitality of the society. This vitality should manifest 
itself through meetings, discussions, papers and a publication, as also by 
informal talks, for which latter purpose a room should be available so 
that members may learn to know of and from each other in social 
converse, the benefits of which are far-reaching. There is already 
sufficient of original and interesting work done in Ottawa that is not 
published that merits being put in permanent form. 
Were, say an annual volume issued, the exchanges that might be 
obtained thereby, with the whole literary and scientific world to draw 
from, would in themselves constitute a most valuable library and keep 
the members more in touch with the world, especially when we add the 
current literary and scientific journals, than a mere library can do. 
With these ideas in view, together with the desire to bring into 
closer contact the various literary and scientific societies of the city, and 
also to seek the support of some of our wealthy citizens who are favour- 
ably disposed towards the advancement and increase of knowledge, a 
committee was appointed at the last annual meeting of the society to 
undertake the consummation of the scheme. That it is within the range 
of possibility it is scarcely necessary to state. The crux, as usual, is 
