23oroucjfy of X)erby. 



SIXTEE^TW 7\\RNUKL REPORT 



FOR THE 



FREE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM COMMITTEE, 



For the Year ending September sgth, 188J. 



THE Free Library and Museum Committee in presenting their 

 Sixteenth Annual Report, desire to congratulate the Council 

 on the continued and increasing prosperity and utility of the 

 Institution. 



It will be seen that large additions have been made to the 

 Lending Library during the year. To this Department a New 

 Musical Section has been added, which at present contains copies 

 of the best known oratorios and operas, becks of standard songs, 

 and copies of standard text books on musical subjects. This 

 department is already proving useful, and no doubt will be extensively 

 drawn upon as time goes on. The number of books bound and 

 repaired during the year amounts to 4054. AYith the exception of 

 the magazines and the book music, these have all been done on 

 our own premises, by our own workmen. 



Fewer additions have been made to the Reference Library, but 

 both it and the Specifications of Patents continue to be very largely 

 consulted, and the issues show a steady increase. 



The alterations in the gas arrangements referred to in last 



r's Report continue to work satisfactorily, and the Committee 



tote with pleasure the fact that the gas bill is lower by ^21 



than last year's, and by £2$ than that of 1885. The reduction in 



