PREFACE.

AT the Twelfth Annual Meeting of the Library Association, held in Gray's Inn, on 4th October, 1889, the following resolution was moved by Mr. J. Y. W. MacAlister (one of the Honorary Secretaries), and carried unanimously:

“That it be an instruction to the Council to draw up a plan for the preparation of a Manual on the establishment and organisation of Libraries, and to send a copy of the plan by circular to each member, with a request for suggestions; and that immediately thereafter steps be taken to prepare and publish the Manual as an official publication of the Association.”

No time was lost in carrying this resolution into effect, for, at the first meeting of the new Council, a Manual Committee was appointed and empowered to act. At an early meeting they submitted, for the approval of the Council, a plan which provided for Chapters or Sections on the following Subjects:

I. ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY MOVE-
MENT; by Mr. F. T. Barrett, Librarian of the
Mitchell Library.

II. PUBLIC LIBRARY LAW: including the Text of all the
Acts, English, Irish, and Scottish, with Commentary
and Working Abstract--also Reports of Leading
Cases; by Mr. H. W. Fovargue, Town Clerk of
Eastbourne, and Mr. J. J. Ogle, Librarian of the
Public Library, Bootle.

III. HOW TO GET THE ACTS ADOPTED-Guide to Successful
Agitation and Directions for Procedure in taking the
Sense of the Ratepayers; by Mr. J. Potter Briscoe,
Librarian of the Nottingham Public Libraries.

IV. FIRST STEPS AFTER ADOPTION OF ACTS-Appointment
of Librarian, &c.; by Mr. W. H. K. Wright, Librarian
of the Public Library, Plymouth.

V. STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION--Model Establishments of

Different Grades-Scheme of Work and General
Information on the Subject. of Staff likely to be
useful to newly formed Committees; by Mr. Peter
Cowell, Librarian of the Public Libraries, Liverpool.
VL LIBRARY BUILDINGS-Illustrated by Selected Plans and
Descriptions, by Mr. Beresford Pite, F.R.I.B.A., and

Mr. F. J. Burgoyne, Librarian of the Lambeth
Public Libraries.

VIL LIBRARY APPLIANCES-A Complete Guide to the Fur-
nishing and Technical Equipment of a Library; by
Mr. J. D. Brown, Librarian of the Clerkenwell Public
Library.

VIII SELECTION OF BOOKS AND BEST METHODS OF PUR-
CHASING; by Mr. Thomas Mason, Librarian of the St.
Martin's Free Library.

IX. BOOKBINDING; by Mr. Cedric Chivers and Mr. J. Y. W.
MacAlister.

X. CATALOGUING; by Mr. Wm. May, Librarian of the
Birkenhead Public Library.

XI. CLASSIFICATION; by Mr. F. T. Barrett, Librarian of the
Mitchell Library, Glasgow.

XII. STATISTICS AND REPORTS; by Mr. C. Madeley, Li

brarian of the Warrington Museum.

XIII. STATISTICAL RETURN OF ALL THE PLACES WHERE THE
ACTS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED; by Mr. J. Y. W. MacAlister.

The plan was approved, and Mr. MacAlister was appointed editor.

After Mr. Thomas Mason's election as one of the Honorary Secretaries, in the room of the late Mr. E. C. Thomas, he was joined with Mr. MacAlister in the editorship.

All the contributors are busy men; but although, so far, progress has been by no means rapid, it has been steady, and the editors feel that for a work of this description it is better to get the deliberate and matured thought of the experts engaged rather than the result of hasty work done under conditions of pressure.

The Part now issued reflects the highest credit upon its authors; and, although, in some respects, it may be regarded as

the most laborious of all, yet it has been the first to be completed. It is an excellent piece of work, and cannot fail to be of the utmost service to all whose duty it is to administer the Public Library Laws in any portion of the United Kingdom.

The Sections on

66

STAFF" and 66 'LIBRARY APPLIANCES

are already in print, and will be issued with as little delay as possible.

THE EDITORS.

NOTE.

Just as this Part is going to press the Public Libraries Act (1892), promoted by Sir John Lubbock, on behalf of the Library Association, has received the Royal Assent. The new law, which comes into force on 1st October, consolidates and amends all previous Acts, and thus to some extent forestalls the work of Messrs. Fovargue and Ogle. A revised edition will be immediately prepared by them; but as this is ready, it is thought better to issue it in its original form, as it will always be valuable as a work of reference.

27th June, 1892.