8 LIBRARIES. 



Ill the last report it was said that plans for a similar Library in 

 Wavertree were " in preparation."' This Library is now in course 

 of erection, and will, it is hoped, before the year is past, have entered 

 upon its mission of education. 



"West Derby calls for attention next, and this the Committee are 

 fully prepared to give as soon as the Librarian and his staff have 

 got the two Libraries in course of erection in working order. The 

 purchase of books, their cataloguing, arrangement, and other details 

 necessary to insure success and efficiency mean considerable time 

 and attention by persons familiar with such special work. 



The free lectures given in the Picton Hall, William Brown Street, 

 and in halls in various other parts of the City, were increased in 

 19UU to 11G, and the same number was again given during the year 

 just closed. Of the appreciation of these popular and instructive 

 lectures by the general public there is ample evidence in the 54,008 

 persons who attended them. A list of subjects and lecturers will be 

 found embodied in the report. 



The blind of Liverpool still have in Miss Mary L. Hornby a kind 

 and energetic friend. Her many gifts to tbe Library during the 

 past few years of books for the blind testify to her thoughtful con- 

 sideration for their mental needs ; while the typing under her 

 direction of such books as are bright aud entertaining in style and 

 character and modern in subject, evince her wisdom and sympathy 

 with their somewhat isolated position. The following titles indicate 

 some of Miss Hornby's more recent gifts: — Doyle's " The great Boer 

 war," Fitchett's " How England saved Europe," Keane's " The far 

 north," Haggard's " Swallow," Stevenson's " St. Ives," Merriman's 

 " With edged tools," Buskin's " Sesame and lilies,'' &c. The pro- 

 vision of books for blind readers was inaugurated in connection with 

 these Libraries so long ago as 1859. Since that date considerable 

 additions have been made, both by gift and purchase, to the collec- 

 tion, which is now probably the largest in any public library in the 

 country. 





