22 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
In the West Indies, public libraries have been established at 
Antigua, Barbados, Nassau (Jamaica), Grenada and Trinidad. There 
is a public library at Port Louis, on the Island of Mauritius; two at 
Colombo, Ceylon; one at Singapore, one at Malacca, another at Penang, 
and finally, one at Hong Kong. 
CANADIAN PUBLIC LIBRARIES. 
The history of free public libraries in Canada is almost too 
recent for consideration at the present time. Outside of the Province 
of Ontario, they may be numbered upon one’s fingers—with a good 
margin over. Of course if one takes account of other than municipal 
free libraries—which is the especial field of this paper—the showing 
is a trifle more creditable. In a report published in 1893 by the 
United States Bureau of Education, relating to public libraries, detailed 
statistics are given of the various libraries of Canada.’ From these 
statistics it appears that, in 1891, there were altogether some 202 
public libraries in the Dominion,’ containing 1,392,366 volumes and 
86,544 pamphlets. Of these, 152 libraries, or over three-quarters of 
the entire number, with 821,198 books and 42,134 pamphlets, were in 
Ontario; 27 libraries, or over on-half of the remaining number with 
459,781 volumes and 31,073 pamphlets, were in Quebec; and the 
remainder were scattered over the other provinces. Of the 202 
libraries, only 17 were strictly speaking free public libraries. There 

NATAL. 
Name of Library. Bstab. No. of Books. 
IPISter mete DIY Sr ARE sisi che le bia’. pe 1851 11,261 
POUT IAS ee. epi ease, ea stein Heel Wella deo bares e's 1853 12,368 
Meer uibet 0e APN PMR ig Life ER CPL S CT DEP 1857 2,794 
RACOMONG RNG Eash nobis! net ney comet) ae! dela tie 1865 2,500 
AVEC NS Dee ems ath eee Gel 1872 
ELON ict, RL TE Tr Mes louise 1873 1,100 
ATTY LOW AYISL. UE RE Le lorient 1874 2,759 
ASL COULD. ne ete ace nek ERAS thos a 1875 2,300 
TOPO! Shi Le ARE NN ER RENE) Le 1880 2,310 
NONPAS TELE AA sain ere amen aie ete bes 1880 3,200 
ISIDINLO vo) 0 See ee ee yaa ett aye, das 1880 
Howick: JaHplecs ARE nl 2% 1883 1,022 
I Sys | '-) F: 1138 Pine coc à Nt er Ad ete 1885 500 
Harding’ Circulating oa ee As ee our 1886 400 
Dundee, ey Sag Foe. Su ea) CARA RSS 1891 
Stier Hpriitesn Comes was lee) temo ea Cire 1896 450 
SEANEET 5 ae) ee eee ee ae na te Lee Ov er tee 1898 419 
? Prepared by Mr. James Bain, Jr., Chief Librarian of the Toronto Public 
Library. 
2 These include only libraries containing at least 1,000 volumes. 
