[BURPEE] MODERN PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND THEIR METHODS 23 
were 109 Mechanics Institutes, all in Ontario, with the exception of 
one at Sherbrooke, P. Q. (The Ontario Mechanics Institutes have 
since been transformed into public libraries by an Act of the 
Legislature of Ontario.) Of the rest, 37 were university and college 
libraries; 19 law libraries; 8 parliamentary; and the remainder 
medical, historical and scientific.* 
The oldest library in Canada is that of Laval University, Quebec, 
founded about 200 years ago. It now contains over 100,000 volumes, 
besides a large number of very valuable manuscripts relating to the 
early history of Canada. 
The earliest subscription or co-operative library in Canada was 
the Quebec Library, established in 1779.2 On January 7th, 1779, the 
following advertisement appeared in the Quebec Gazette :— 
‘ À subscription has been commenced for establishing a publick library 
for the city and district of Quebec. It has met with the approbation, of His 
Excellency the Governor-General and of the Bishop, and it is hoped that the 
institution, so particularly useful in this country, will be generally encour- 
aged. A list of those who have already subscribed is lodged at the Secre- 
tary’s Office, where those who chuse it, may have an opportunity to add 
there names. The subscribers are requested to attend at the Bishop’s 
Palace, at 12 o’clock, the 15th instant, in order to chuse trustees for the 
Library.”’ 
The meeting was duly held, and resulted in the election of a 
board of trustees, and the passing of certain regulations for the govern- 
ance of the library. The subscription was placed at £5 on entering, 
and £2 annually afterwards. Books were only lent out to subscribers. 
The public were assured that “no books contrary to religion or good 
morals, would be permitted.” In 1822 the library had been removed 
from the Bishop’s Palace and occupied rooms on St. Peter Street, in the 
Lower Town. There were then some 4,000 volumes on the shelves. 
In 1843 another library was established at Quebec, known as the 
Quebee Library Association. Some years afterwards the old Quebec 
Library amalgamated with the Library Association. In 1854 the 
Parliament Buildings were destroyed by fire, and a large portion of 
the books of the Quebec Library Association, which had been housed 
there, were burnt. In 1866 a catalogue was printed showing 6990 
volumes in the library; and the following year the books were sold 
to the Quebec Literary and Historical Society; and the Quebec Library 

* See Appendix for further statistics regarding Canadian public libraries. 
? A very interesting account of the origin and history of the library of 
the Literary & Historical Society, and of the Quebec Library, and Quebec 
Library Association, by Mr. Frederick C. Wiirtele, will be found in the 
Transactions of the Lit. and Hist. Soc. of Quebec, No. 19, 1889, pp. 29-70. 
