4 CHAIRMAN’S PREFACE. 
Branch Libraries, all controlled from William Brown Street; the 
creation of the Central Depét there in connection with them; the 
rapidly growing popularity of the Central Lending Library, and 
the consequent extension of its premises; the arrangements for 186 
Free Lectures in 22 centres; all these have, on the one hand, greatly 
increased the work of the staff, and on the other, restricted the room 
they have for doing it. They are consequently scattered through 
the building, making organisation or control, on any economic 
system, impossible. The present Brown Reading Room could be 
easily adapted partly as a new Central Lending Library and partly 
for Cataloguing and Staff Rooms. The room is now used wholly by 
workingmen who come to read newspapers and periodicals, and 
what is needed is the provision of a new Reading Room in a more 
suitable position for them, say by the munificence of some generous 
citizen. Many more convenient sites could be found, to the mutual 
advantage of the readers and the libraries. May I venture to point 
out that, with the exception of the Hornby Bequest, there has 
been no gift to the City for literary purposes, from one of its own 
citizens for over 30 years. Here is the opportunity. 
I hope the next report of the Committee will record the 
completion of the new Library Buildings at Sefton Park and 
Walton, and the new Reading Room in Stanley Road. A perusal 
of the present volume will show that the Committee’s steady aim, in 
all its departments of work, is towards progress and improvement. 
FRANK J. LESLIE, 
CHAIRMAN. 
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