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28
The Council having lately adopted the Public Libraries
Acts for the parish of Tooting, the penny rate was levied at the
beginning of the financial year 1902-3. alderman the Rev.
J. H. Anderson, M.A., Rector of Tooting, and Mr. Edward
Coleman, M.R.C.VS., of Tooting, were appointed members of the
Libraries Committee.
In October last Mr. Ernest A. Davis, of Upper Tooting,
was elected in the place of the Rev. H. Barron, deceased. In
December, the Council re-elected the Committee for another year.
The Committee take this opportunity of recording their
high appreciation of Mr. MASSINGHAM'S services during his year
of office as Chairman of the Divisional Committee and their
indebtedness to him for the time and attention which he has
devoted so assiduously to the interest and work of the libraries
during the five years that he has been identified with the
management.
Councillor Clifford M. Ashdown has been appointed
Chairman of the Divisional Committee for the ensuing twelve
months.
It will be seen from this Report that substantial progress
has been made in the work of the libraries during the past year.
Much, however, remains to be done if the libraries are to attain
that efficient position which it is the desire and object of the
Committee to see accomplished. The very limited stock of books
contained in the Institutions located at Balham and Tooting is
obviously quite inadequate for the needs of these rapidly growing
suburbs, whilst the amount of money available for books at the
Tate Library hardly suffices for more than the replacement of
worn-out stock.
During the ensuing year it is expected that a circulation of
more than a quarter of a million volumes will be reached, consequently
an increased expenditure for re-binding and replenishing
the stock may be anticipated. The greater facilities which have
been provided during the past year for borrowing books and
reading the current periodical literature also entail an additional
expenditure for maintenance, thus leaving a somewhat small