ANNUAL MEETING, MAY 17. 53 



The Salem Athenaeum, the owners of Plummer Hall, 

 on the 25th of May, 1885, gave the Essex Institute the 

 two years' notice of the termination of the present con- 

 tract between the two societies. The accommodation of 

 the present Plummer Hall building being insufficient to 

 meet the requirements of both societies, the Athenaeum 

 needing the whole of the second story'for the proper ar- 

 rangement of its library and reading-rooms, it was thought 

 advisable to secure accommodatious for the Institute li- 

 brary elsewhere. 



The finance committee of the Institute was therefore 

 authorized to negotiate for the purchase of the Daland 

 estate, which purchase was duly effected and the proper 

 deeds passed. In devising plans for the utilization of the 

 purchase, it was deemed a fitting opportunity to attempt 

 to obtain a public library for our city. A joint committee 

 on the part of the Athenaeum and the Institute was ap- 

 pointed to prepare a plan looking to the union of the li- 

 braries of these societies, the cooperation of other library 

 organizations, and the city government. The plan pro- 

 posed by such committee, not meeting with the unanimous 

 approval of the proprietors of the Athenaeum, and it be- 

 ing deemed unadvisable without such approval to carry 

 the plan into effect, the committee was discharged from 

 consideration of the subject. 



It now devolves upon your committee to propose a plan 

 looking to the establishing of the Essex Institute in its own 

 building, which should be at once prepared for its ac- 

 commodation, and in general terms, to say, that the 

 Daland estate can be so prepared at moderate expense ; 

 plans have been drawn showing the proposed alterations 

 and an estimate of the cost has been made. The plan pro- 

 poses on the first floor, a large room 49 X 19 feet for 

 meetings and social gatherings, an office or reception 

 room, a room for the publications of the society, an 



