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lending libraries of Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and other large 

 towns, give every assurance that similar rooms attached to the North 

 and South Lending Libraries of this city would be attended with equal 

 Ijopularity and success. Since the opening of the Central Reference 

 Library, the growth of the city on the North, South, and East, has been 

 immense, yet so far, no branch reading rooms, other than the somewhat 

 inconvenient schoolrooms for the perusal of newspapers and periodicals 

 from 6 to 9-30 p.m., have been established in the midst of these 

 densely populated districts. 



The North Library, situated in Great Nelson Street, is a long narrow 

 room, 75 feet by 17. The front portion (coloured red on plan), 

 35 feet in length, is used as a reception room for readers coming to 

 exchange their library books. The back portion (coloured yellow on 

 plan), with gallery and small adjoining room, are used for the storage of 

 library books. It has been thought that by removing the projecting wing 

 book-cases on the ground floor, and withdrawing entirely from the library 

 some ten thousand volumes, equal to the number of volumes now stored 

 on the ground floor in that part of the library coloured yellow on plan 

 already referred to, this space, 39 feet by 17, might be used for a reading 

 room. This would obviously be a small room for the purpose desired ; 

 and whether the gain of such a room by the sacrifice of so many volumes, 

 and the increased difficulty of working the library, which would follow 

 from having nearly all the books stored on the gallery, is a matter for 

 serious consideration. 



With regard to the South Library in Upper Parliament Street, there is 

 little or no doubt either as to what is best to be done or how it is to be 

 carried out. This library being situated at a much greater distance from 

 the Central Library than the North Branch, may be said on this account 

 to deserve priority of consideration in the establishment of a public reading 

 room. As this distance, particularly in the winter time, must do much to 

 prevent readers residing in this locality from visiting the Central Library, 

 a reading room here would, it is thought, do much to satisfy and promote 

 a taste for reading and study, and if made cheerful and comfortable, prove 

 a valuable counter-attraction to places of a less worthy character. 



The South Library premises are held by the Committee under a lease 

 from the Corporation, of which there are some thirty years to run. Their 



