17 



Wat §orictt) T s pbrarp* 



The nucleus of the Library consisted of a number of books 

 presented in January, 1910, by Dr. Crallan, our second Presi- 

 dent, who continued to make a succession of further generous 

 gifts till his removal to Jersey. The example so set was followed 

 by other members, thus, in the first year of the Library's exist- 

 ence, books were contributed by twenty different donors. 



The first Hon. Librarian was the late Mr. Alexander Scott, 

 and, since his lamented death in 1910, the office has been held in 

 succession by Mr. F. I. Cooke (1910-12), Mr. W. Munn Rankin 

 (1912-14), and Mr. Henry J. Ellis, the present holder of the office, 

 who followed Mr. Rankin in 1914. 



The growth of the Library has been due mainly to gifts of 

 books, but these have been supplemented by purchases on a very 

 limited scale. In the first eight years a total sum of £35 4s. 5d. 

 was expended on the Library, part of this being for binding and 

 miscellaneous expenses. In February, 1918, a special Committee 

 was appointed to report on the condition of the Library, and to 

 make recommendations for increasing its usefulness. In the re- 

 port which the Committee presented to the Council it was sug- 

 gested that the Library ought to contain : — 



1. A complete collection of books and pamphlets bearing on 

 scientific matters of local interest, cspeciallv those pub- 

 lished since 1900. 



2. A selection of the recognised standard text-books on 

 each of the subjects within the purview of the various 

 Sections of the Society. 



It was also recommended that a standing Library Com- 

 mittee, with the Hon. Librarian as Secretary, should be appointed 

 and empowered to deal with all matters pertaining to the Library, 

 and that an annual sum of not less than £20 should be allocated 

 to this Committee to be expended with a view to realising, as 

 far as possible, the objects set forth above. 



The Council adopted the report, appointed the Committee, 

 and directed that a monthly report should be presented. Mr. 

 George Grace was the first Chairman. 



During the Session much work was done in classifying, 

 arranging and shelving the books, and valuable additions were 

 made to their number. Thirty-seven works have been purchased 

 for the library, and a total of 279 volumes and pamphlets have 

 been presenled. The annual subscriptions for a number of 

 periodicals have been maintained as in former years, and ex- 

 changes of our yearly volume of Proceedings have been kept up 

 with a number of corresponding Societies. Lists are sub-joined 



