THE REFERENCE LIBRARY, 



DUKE STREET. 



The usefulness and interest of this portion of the institution con- 

 tinue unabated, being in fact only restricted by the limited accommo- 

 dation provided for the readers. During the year ending 31st of 

 August last, 98, 760 volumes have been issued, being an average of 346 

 per day, to which must be added the readers of the magazines and 

 other periodicals, about 110 per day, making a total of 129,997 

 books perused, or 456 per day. 



The classification of the books read, is as follows ; — 



Number and Classification of Books read. 



Theology, Metaphysics, &c 3640 



Natural Philosophy 2740 



Natural History 1484 



Science and the Arts 2591 



History and Biography 10321 



Topography and Antiquities 1358 



Geography, Voyages and Travels 5294 



Miscellaneous Literature 10660 



Law, Politics, &c 646 



Commerce and Political Economy 254 



Education, Logic, Language, &c 693 



Poetry and the Drama 4841 



Novels 52283 



Classical Literature 31 1 



Encyclopaedias, Heraldry, and Works of Eeference . . 1644 



Total 98760 



Daily average, 

 about 



13 

 9 

 6 

 9 



36 

 5 



19 



37 

 2 

 1 

 3 



17 



183 



1 



6 



It is naturally to be expected, that in the number of books read in 

 a free library, works of imagination will preponderate, but the prepon- 

 derance is not so great as would at first sight appear. Novels, to a 

 great extent, are in three volumes, and are read much more rapidly 

 than works of a more solid description ; so that it may happen that 

 although the mmiber of volumes in this class taken out and registered 

 far exceeds that in any other class, the number of readers is by no 

 means in the like proportion. 



From the date of the last report, (October 18, 1853,) to August 

 31st, 1854, to which date the account? will, in future, be made up, in 



