REPORT. 



emphatically in favour of converting the library into a Read- 

 ing-room, with all possible facilities for those persons who 

 wish to consult the books ; and your Committee are decidedly 

 of the opinion, that this Library will never fulfil all the use- 

 fulness of which it is capable, until the use of the books shall 

 be restricted within the walls of the Library itself. We are 

 well aware that this plan will never become feasible, until 

 the Society can remunerate their Librarian for his attend- 

 ance during certain hours daily : such an arrangement is at 

 present impracticable; but we call the attention of our fellow 

 members to this important desideratum, as one calculated to 

 render the books much less liable to loss and injury, and at 

 the same time more available for the purposes of reference, 

 than they now are. The restrictions at present adopted 

 are designed to embrace all large and costly works, and 

 those which are in many volumes : also periodical Journals, 

 Maps and Charts, and all Tracts on Natural History. The 

 latter having been arranged with great care, and bound into 

 volumes, should be always in the Library for reference. 



Another highly important object is the establishment of 

 " a Library Fund, the annual proceeds of which should be 

 expended in the purchase of books. The want of such a 

 provision has been greatly felt for many years past, and its 

 importance must be obvious to every one. No exertions 

 should be spared in establishing the nucleus of this fund, 

 which, once commenced, we have no doubt would, in a few 

 years, receive such additions as would make it subserve all 

 the reasonable wants of the Society."* 



Valuable as this library is in certain branches of know- 

 ledge, it will be observed that in others it is very deficient : 



* Notice of the Academy, p. 15. 



