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35
The following is a copy of the Report of the Commissioners for the year ended
25th March, 1896.
PARISH OF ST. MARY, ROTHERHITHE, LONDON, S.E.
Fifth Report of the Commissioners for Public Libraries
and Museums, 1895-96.
In presenting this, the Fifth Annual Report, covering the period from March 26th, 1895,
to March 25th, 1896, the Commissioners have much pleasure in reporting that steady
progress, and continued public appreciation, has been made in all departments of the Library
during the year.
The most important event to be recorded is the opening of a Branch Delivery Station at
Rotherhithe Street, S.E. This Station was opened on Monday, March 9th, 1896, and has
fully justified the call for such a branch. The Commissioners were desirous of providing for
the intellectual necessities of this district, and readily adopted the scheme drawn up by the
Librarian, which up to the present is working admirably.
It will be seen by the statistics that the attendance in the News Room,
Ladies' Reading Room, etc., has increased considerably during the year; several new
papers have been added to the list, and appear to ba very popular among the readers.
The posting of the "Situations Vacant" advertisement sheets of the daily papers on a
board outside the Library, from 8 to 9 in the morning, has also proved to be very much
appreciated by persons seeking employment.
714 new volumes have been added during the year, of which 504 have been placed in
the Lending Department, and 210 in the Reference Department, making the total number
of books now in the Library 5185.