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78
STATEMENT AS TO TEMPORARY READING ROOM (IN
LONG ACRE) AND NEW LIBRARY.
The Reading Room in Long Acre has continued to be numerously
attended. As is shown by the accompanying table over a quarter
of a million of persons visited the room during the fifteen month?
ended March, 1890. The greater number of these visitors
belonged to the respectable working class. The daily newspapers
were largely used, especially by persons in search of work on
some mornings as many as ninety men coming in during the first
ten minutes after opening, to scan the "situations" lists,
H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, who was accompanied by the
Princess of Wales and the Princesses Maud and Victoria, placed a
Memorial Stone in the Lending Library Hall of the New Library
Buildings in St. Martin's Lane on 18th March, 1890.
An address was presented to T.R. Highnesses by Rev. J. F.
Kitto, M.A., on behalf of the Library Commissioners, and Lord
Kinnaird proposed a vote of thanks to T.R. Highnesses for their
presence. The Prince, in reply, expressed the very great
pleasure that the Princess and himself took in the proceedings,
and said he had no doubt that the library would be of the greatest
possible benefit and importance to the people of the district.
The new buildings are now approaching completion and the
Commissioners are hopeful of being able to open the Lending
Library and News-room in October next.
By that time the Lending Library will consist of about 10,000
Volumes in all classes of literature, and will be fully catalogued.
It may be useful to state that all persons rated, resident or
employed in the parish will be allowed to borrow books.
All ratepayers, whose names appear on the current Parliamentary
Register, may borrow books on their own responsibility, and
Compound householders, non-ratepaying residents and non-resident
employes, will be, able to borrow on obtaining a guarantee from a
duly qualified ratepayer.