H 



REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN 



ON HIS VISIT TO PARIS TO ATTEND 



£be annual flfceetinos of tbe library association 



OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. 



(Presented to the Committee on September 26th, 1SQ2, and ordered by them to be printed 

 •with the Annual Report.) 



THE meetings of the Association were held in the Grand Hall of the 

 National Art School, a magnificent room, with its walls decorated 

 with fine fres oes by Paul Delaroche. We were indebted to the courtesy 

 of the Minister of Public Instruction for the use of this room, and for the 

 excellent arrangements made for our comfort and convenience while there. 

 The president of the gathering was M. Beljame, Professor of English 

 Literature at the Sorbonne, who spoke English fluently, and showed 

 himself an adept at managing the business of public meetings. His 

 welcome to the visitors was in the happiest possible vein. The morning 

 of each day was devoted to the reading of papers, and discussions ..hereon ; 

 and the afternoons to the visiting of the various Libraries and public 

 Institutions. 



The papers and reports down for consideration and discussion 

 numbered about thirty, and many of them had necessarily to lie omitted 

 for want, of time ; but among those read were the following : — 

 " An Account of the French National Library," by M. J U lien Havet. 

 "The British Museum Catalogue considered as a basis for a Universal Catalogue," 



by Dr. Garnett, of the British Museum. 

 " French Artists and English Bookbinding," by Mr. Councillor Cedric Chivers, 



of Bath. 

 "Present Methods of Cloth-binding," by Mr. Roger de Coverley. 

 "The Public Libraries of the City of Manchester," by Mr. Councillor Harry 



Rawson, Vice-Chairman of the Manchester Free Library Committee. 

 "Women Librarians," by Miss Kate James, Librarian of the People's Palace, 



London. 

 " Remainders," by Mr. JosErH Gilburt. 



Dr. Garnett's paper opened a very wide subject, and gave rise to a 

 very interesting discussion, and a paper by Mr. Dent, of Aston, on " Free 

 Lectures in connection with Free Libraries," made me wish that we had a 

 room in connection with our premises suitable for such a purpose. Mr. 

 Rawson 's paper was a very interesting one, and gave a full record of 





