the establishment charges generally is most gratifying, and has 

 enabled the Committee to deal with several important matters. 



In the first place, the Committee have been enabled to repaint 

 and clean thoroughly the news rooms and corridors. This, coupled 

 with some necessary cleaning in the Curator's house has cost about 

 £T4. Next year they hope to be able to deal with the Museum 

 in the same way. They have also long thought it desirable to 

 reduce by degrees, and to pay off as soon as possible the ^500 

 they have on loan. They have during the past year been able to 

 set aside /ioo towards a sinking fund for this purpose, and in the 

 absence of unforeseen sources of expense, hope to do the same in 

 succeeding years till the debt is discharged. 



The Librarian's Annual Report to this Committee is appended 

 hereto. It contains the usual statistics, to which all those interested 

 in the inner working of the Institution are referred. The Committee 

 believe that the Institution was never more flourishing, and that it 

 is being worked in a thoroughly efficient manner, and at an 

 economical rate. 



On behalf of the Committee, 



WILLIAM HOBSON, 



Chairman. 

 October 27th, 1887. 



To the Chairman and Members of the Free 

 Library and Museum Committee. 



Gentlem en, 



I have much pleasure in submitting to you my second Annual 

 Report. 



The past year has been a prosperous one as regards the 



Library. The stock in the Lending Library numbers 13,796 

 volumes, and that of the Reference Library 8376 volumes against 

 13,256 and 8184 last year, or an increase of 732 volumes. The 

 total number of Books in the Library is therefore 22,172. The total 

 issue has been in the Lending Library 131,641, and in the Reference 

 Library 28,070, a net increase on last year's issues of 9573 volumes. 

 The increase in the number of works rerd is greater than is apparent 

 from these figures, as the old books in three volumes are being 



