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The walls of entrance hall, staircase and landing are of polished marble from
Hopton Wood quarries, Derbyshire. A decorative frieze, due to the generosity of
Mr. Passmore Edwards, representing scenes from Shakespeare's "Macbeth,"
"Merchant of Venice," "Merry Wives of Windsor," and "The Tempest" surrounds
the entrance hall to a depth of 4ft. Gin. from the ceiling.
On the first floor landing are two stained windows containing suitable quotations
on books and reading, and a central group representing Caxton showing specimens
of his printing to Edward IV.
The library contains news and magazine rooms with a liberal supply of papers
and periodicals, ladies' reading room, boys' reading room, lending and reference
libraries, storerooms, librarian's office and committee room, &c. The building is
heated by steam conveyed from the electric light station.
A white marble bust of the late Mr. Charles Bradlaugh, M.P., has been placed in
the newsroom. The bust was executed by Mr. F. Verheyden, and is supported by a
pedestal bearing the following inscription:—"'Thorough'—Charles Bradlaugh, of this
parish, born September 26th, 1833, died January 30th, 1891—erected by subscription,
1898."
The lending library is the first in London entirely fitted up with iron bookcases
and perfectly adjustable oak shelves.
Each Parliamentary Division of Shoreditch now possesses a handsome, commodious
and well-equipped public library; and, considering that the amount of the rate levied
for the purpose of their maintenance and repayment of loans and interest is only ¾d. in
the £, no one will venture to assert that the ratepayers do not get full value for their
money.
The Vestry having by resolution consented to allow ¾d. in the £ on the full rateable
value of the parish without deductions of any kind, the annual income will
thereby be increased by about £130.
The lending and reference departments of the temporary premises were closed
after December 24th for cataloguing and removal of books. The premises have now
been vacated after a tenancy of four and a half years, during which time they
admirably answered the purpose for which they were required, and some 1,650,000
visits were made by readers or a daily average of 1,578 for the whole period.
Two important .alterations have been made by a revision of the rules; one of
which is, that persons employed in the parish though residing elsewhere are now
allowed to borrow books; and the other is, that all borrowers are privileged to hold an
additional ticket exclusively for works of music.
Many of the books through constant circulation are becoming much dilapidated;
in fact, a good number are already irreparable and incomplete, and as they are the most
popular will require to be replaced by other copies.