PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



97 



The proposal to establish the second class was, however, premature, and accord- 

 ingly, finding that Mechanics' Institutes, supported by members' fees, were being- 

 developed throughout the many towns and villages, the Educational Department 

 wisely aided the movement by giving a small grant, proportionate to the amount con- 

 tributed by the members, for the purchase of books, and reaching a maximum of 

 $200, afterwards increased under altered conditions to $400 annually. In 1869 these 

 had grown to number 26, in 1880, 74, and in 1896 to 292. The number of books 

 possessed by these 292 libraries was 404,605, or an average of 1,385 each, with a total 

 membership of 32,603. The issue of books for home reading was 700,958, or an 

 average of 24.6 for each member, which is a very creditable return, considering that 

 only thirty per cent, of the books were fiction. 



In 1895 the Minister of Education brought in a bill, which came into force in 

 May, changing the name, "Mechanics' Institutes" into " PubUc Library." By 

 this Act the directors of any Mechanics' Institute were empowered to transfer the 

 property of the Institute to the municipal corporation on condition that the library 

 be free. This can be done without passing a by-law or requiring a vote from the 

 people. A large number have already availed themselves of it. 



In the cities and larger towns, however, the Mechanics' Institute, with its limited 

 number of subscribers, was found unequal to the task assigned it, and accordingly, 

 in 1882, the Free Libraries Act was passed, based upon similar enactments in Britain 

 &nd the United States. 



The first Free Library established under the Act was in 1883, and in the period 

 between that date and 1896 fifty-four have successfully come into operation. They 

 contain 254,091 volumes and circulated during 1895, ^,216,407. Two of them, Toronto, 

 and Hamilton, take rank, both in number and character of their books, among the 

 best libraries of the Dominion. 



Unitedly the 346 Public and Free Libraries of the Province of Ontario have 

 on their shelves 658,696 volumes, and supplied in 1895, 1,917,365 books to their 

 readers. Their revenue was $183,688, of which $42,741 was contributed by the Pro- 

 vince, and they spent of this in books $49,417. 



The Province of Quebec has not yet introduced a Free Library Act, but the 

 generosity of the late Mr. Eraser and of a number of gentlemen in Montreal has 

 provided a fund for the establishment of a Free Library in that city, which was 

 opened in October, 1885, under the title of the Eraser Institute. The Mercantile 

 Library Association transferred to it 5,500 Engli&h books and LTnstitut Canadien 

 7,000 French. 



In St. John, N.B., a Free Library was founded in June, 1883, to commemorate 

 the landing of the Loyalists a century previous, and in Halifax a Free Library owes 

 its origin to the generosity of the late Chief Justice Young, both of which have been 

 very successful. A sister society, the Library and Historical Society of Manitoba, 

 has been the means of introducing a Public Library, and, with, the assistance of the 

 municipal authorities of Winnipeg, has laid the foundation of an extensive and 

 valuable library. 



In the lack of trustworthy information, I have not attempted to give any 

 particulars of the Law, Medical, Scientific, Collegiate Institute and Young Men's 

 Christian Association Libraries, further than they are summed up in the following 

 condensed tables, showing the character, and the Province in which they are placed, 

 of the 480 libraries of a more or less public character in Canada. 



Kind. No. Pamphlets. Books. 



Law 21 1,929 105,788 



Legislation 9 4^,834 309i395 



Public 325 17.535 663,125 



Collegiate, etc 62 24,894 627,246 



Others 29 15,224 96.918 



Special 2 i4.330 18,500 



Y. M. C. Associations 32 23,660 



Totals 480 122,746 1,874,632 



