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TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE 



Jfrec fjibrscg mxl ffiuBtnm (Eommtttee, 



For the Year ended Sept. 30 th, 1891. 



THE Free Library and Museum Committee present their Twentieth 

 Annual Report to the Town Council with very great pleasure, and 

 are glad to be able to speak of the prosperity of the Institution under their 

 charge as continuous and progressive. 



The year just closed has not seen the inauguration of anything new 

 in connection with the work of the Library and Museum, but the Com- 

 mittee have had steadily in view the important part the Institution plays 

 in the intellectual life of the town, and have endeavoured to make its 

 attractiveness and usefulness keep pace with the ever-growing requirements 

 of the time. No fewer than 1,512 new books have been added to the 

 Library, of which 1,136 are quite new, and 376 are replacements. Of the 

 new books, 254 have been placed in the Reference department, many 

 of them Scientific works of great value, and the addition of works bearing 

 on Technical Education has not been lost sight of, and will be carefully 

 looked after as time progresses. 



The Committee are glad to report the Building to be in a good state of 

 repair. No painting and cleaning have been necessary during the past year, 

 except to the houses of the Librarian and Porter, but there have been 

 several important items of expenditure. The remodelling of the Heating 

 Apparatus at a cost of ^90, remedied a very unsatisfactory state of things, 

 and the building is now comfortably warmed throughout. The re-lighting 

 of the Reading Room is responsible for a cost of p£6i, but the excellent 

 result justifies the expense, and probably nothing better can be obtained 



