422 Report S.A.A. Advancement of Science. 



Few English libraries permit chess or draughts on the premises, 

 and I am only acquainted with one that has a smoking-room. On 

 the contrary, most American libraries encourage the use of the library 

 as a quiet club, though the large existence of the woman librarian 

 serves to banish St. Nicotine. South Africa is free and easy in its 

 wa) s, and there is a delightful homeliness and li\ eablene.ss about many 

 of its libraries which few in America and hardly any in Great Britain 

 can equal. 



The use of the library rooms by the literary clubs and societies 

 of the towns is not so much encouraged in England as it is in 

 America, and it has been practically unknown in South Africa, luit 

 a change seems imminent, and Johannesl)urg promises to lead the 

 way in a welcome innovation, which will make the library the home 

 of all literar} movements in its vicinity. Other towns are wondering 

 if they ulso cannot make the drv bones of the valley living forces 

 to the young ])eople of the town. 



Lectures in libraries are far more common in Great Britain 

 ihan they are in America, and while not unknown in South Africa are 

 wtjrthy of much more extended trial. 



Great Britain has in many oi her unviis a magnificent s\stem of 

 branches which are as characteristic as are the American delivery 

 stations. Out here branches are practical!} unknown, each little 

 village preferring independence to relationship with the one large 

 library of a district, but I V)elieve that the solution of the South 

 African Library problem will very largely be found in the linking 

 up of the smaller libraries with the larger, and an efficient sy.stem of 

 interchange. The only effective branch library that 1 know in South 

 Africa is that of Kenilworth attached to Kimberley, and this is main- 

 tained by the lil)erality of De Beers Company for its employes, and 

 constitutes at this moment the only Public Library in South Africa, 

 which in all departments is free and open to all the residents of the 

 place which contains it. 



For readers in scattered country distric-ts, America in her librar)' 

 system especially caters. Great Britain more frequently ignores this 

 most necessar) work, and in our South African library system one of 

 the best features is the way that the Govermental grant aids to estab- 

 lish and fosters the growth of libraries in places that would be deemed 

 too petty to have a libraryi in Great Britain or America, unless in 

 England they possessed a Verney as landowner, in Scotland were the 

 birthplace of a celebrity, or in America were chosen as recipient of a 

 millionaire's gift. These libraries, frequentlv poor, generally isolated, 

 only need linking up with the larger libraries to ])rofluce a library 

 system that is unequalled. 



Rapidly glancing at the library economy of the three countries, 

 we find that the hours of opening and closing are much the same. 

 English and South African libraries are usually closed on far more 

 days than is customary in America, but this is mainly because they 

 are understaffed. America has practically aholLshed'the frequently 

 unnecessar>- inconvenience of closing the lil.rarv three or four weeks 

 'n the year for stocktaking. When libraries are properiv staffe.l 



