REPOET. 



The history of this institution has been one of continued progress from 

 its commencement, nor has the last year fallen short in any department 

 of its usefulness. 



The opening of the Picton Beading Room has fully answered the 

 expectations entertained of its usefulness. The old Reading Room of 

 the Brown Library, which formerly accommodated the whole of the 

 readers, is now appropriated to light literature and periodicals, and 

 continues to be as crowded as heretofore ; whilst the new Reading Room 

 affords ample accommodation for the students of science, and literature 

 of a higher class. 



The electric light has been adopted in the Picton Reading Room with 

 advantage, avoiding the injurious effects, both to the books and readers, 

 of the fumes from the consumption of gas. It is j)robable that this will 

 be ultimately applied in other portions of the building. 



The Catalogue of the Reference Library was revised and condensed 

 into one volume in the year 1870. Since that date three supplements 

 have been printed. The inconvenience of having to search through 

 such a number of volumes has decided the Committee to comprise all 

 the works received since 1870 into a second volume, which will be about 

 equal in size to the first, and will much facilitate the researches of 

 readers. 



The new Lecture Room or Rotunda, under the Reading Room, is in 

 course of completion, and will probably be opened in the course of the 

 year. This will give the much-needed additional accommodation for 

 the attendance at the Winter Courses of Lectures, which have increased 

 in popularity to such an extent that, in many cases, the audiences have 

 been far greater than the Lecture Room could hold, and in others 

 advantage has been taken of the Concert Room at St. George's Hall. 

 The particulars are given below. 



In the early part of the year an Exhibition of Pre-historic Antiquities 

 and Ethnography was held under -the auspices of a local Committee. Of 

 this exhibition a large portion consisted of the Pre-historic Antiquities of 



