REPORT. 



Thj3 results ot" the Sixth Year's experience in the history of the 

 Institution generally are of such a character as more than justify the 

 anticipations of its promoters, and must be gratifying in the highest 

 degree to the advocates of progressive education. 



The very contracted space to which every department has been 

 hitherto confined had, it was supposed, long ago, presented a barrier 

 which would prevent advance until the boundaries could be enlarged ; 

 but such has been the demand and pressure for books, that any incon- 

 venience has been submitted to in order to obtain the desired end. 

 It is only justice to the officers of the Institution to state that nothing 

 could exceed the cheerfulness with which the most intense labour and 

 activity, in the midst of a vitiated atmosphere, have been cheerfully 

 endured, to satisfy the public craving for the means of knowledge. 



The Museum and Libraries have now taken a prominent place 

 amongst the institutions of the town, a position, the importance of 

 which is yearly increasing, and which will in a few years reach a 

 magnitude and extent which is little thought of. So noiselessly and 

 unobtrusively have its affairs been conducted, that there have been no 

 salient points for public attention to take hold of, except on a few 

 isolated occasions. It may therefore create some sm-prise to be told 

 that, at the present time, a larger number of volumes are issued from 

 the Liverpool Free Public Library in the same period of time than 

 from any library in the kingdom, or, it is believed, in the world. The 

 details will be found under the respective heads, but it may here be 

 briefly stated that the issues during the past year have been — 



From the Eeference Library 198,453 vols. 



From the Lending Libraries 391,413 „ 



Making a total of 586,866 „ 



