Raffles Library and Museum, 
• 7 
•Singapore, 14 th March, 1876. 
Gentlemen, 
I herewith beg to hand you the following Report on the Raffles Library and Museum 
for the year 1875. 
1 am, Gentlemen, 
Your obedient Servant, 
To the Raffles Library 
and Museum Committee. 
JAMES COLLINS. 
Report on the Raffles Library and Museum for the year 1875. 
Library. 
1 have great pleasure in reporting that the Library has been very prosperous during 
the past year, as will be seen from the number of books added thereto, and the great increase 
in the number of subscribers aud visitors. 
The number of subscribers for 1875 is as follows : — 
Proprietors ... ... 9 
lst-class Subscribers ... 50 
2nd do. ... ... 181 
The numbers for 1874 were — 
Proprietors . . . ... 9 
lst-class Subscribers ... 31 
2nd do. ... ... 62 
The Proprietors, as will be remembered, are those who, on condition of giving up to the 
Government all claims to the original Library, and the Government paying the debt of that 
Library, were to become lst-class Subscribers for life, without any, payment ; such right, 
however, not being transferable. There are at present only six of the original proprietors 
who avail themselves of this right. 
The fees taken for subscriptions Ac. amount, for the year 1875, to $368.30, and which 
amount has been paid to the Treasury. This sum, when compared with the number of 
subscribers, may seem rather low, hut is to be accounted for in two ways. First, that many 
subscribers, on account of their short stay here, only join for a single quarter, and that, as the 
Reading-room is perfectly free, many find this quite sufficient for their purpose without 
borrowing books or periodicals ; and also that before the commencement of the present year 
many annual subscriptions were paid which, although partly for 1875, are included in the 
accounts of 1874. 
Nearly 5,000 books have been lent during the past year. 
The number of visitors has been steadily increasing. During the year 1875, considerably 
over 4,000 persons availed themselves of the Reading-room, and with very Evident satisfac- 
tion ; especially Naval Officers, Passengers passing through, and Naturalists, who have always 
freely availed themselves of this boon placed within their reach by the Committee. 
The additions to the Library have been very numerous during the past year. Over 2,000 
now volumes have been added by purchase, and our Library of Malayan Literature has been 
greatly enhanced in value by tl^e many welcome additions made during the year. 
I cannot let this opportunity pass without reporting to the Committee on the great care, 
attention and zeal shewn by Messrs. Edinonston and Douglas, our Library Agents, in carry- 
ing out the orders of the Library Sub-Committee, leaving in fact nothing to be desired. 
The Library, too, is greatly indebted to the Government for very valuable sets of 
Official Gazettes, Blue Books, Consular Reports and other documents, and as these are 
received at the Colonial Secretary’s Office they are forwarded to the Library, thus making it a 
Repository of most valuable official information. 
The Library is also indebted to several friends for various books and periodicals, 
as will be seen from the Appendix. Also to the Editors of the Straits Tunes and Straits 
Observer , for their courtesy in inserting any lists of new books free of charge. To the 
