that the provision in rural areas was almost negligible. It was estimated that while 79 per cent. of the urban population lived in library areas, only 2.5 per cent. of the rural population enjoyed this privilege. Moreover, the income of rate-supported libraries in urban areas was in very many cases inadequate to maintain a library in a reasonable state of efficiency. He came to two principal conclusions: the first was that the grants made by Mr. Carnegie had led to over-building, and that many centres which had benefited were unwilling or unable to support a library on the scale which he had provided. The second was that county councils should be given a power, which at that time they did not possess, to become public library authorities. Professor Adams had in mind a system of distribution from a central library. It is worthy of note that such a system had been recommended by Mr. Edwards in his evidence with regard to "itinerating" libraries in 1849, and had been endorsed by the Select Committee, but had never been carried out.

42. The Carnegie Trustees acted on the recommendations of Professor Adams. A time limit was set to the building grants, and certain county councils were invited to establish county library schemes on the basis of full capital expenditure and maintenance costs for a period of five years being met by the Trustees. Staffordshire County Council was the first to accept the offer and other county councils followed suit. There was a considerable element of risk, inasmuch as no legislation was even contemplated at that time which would give the county council the power to carry on the library so instituted after the end of the five year period.

43. Their position was regularised in Scotland in 1918. The Education (Scotland) Act of that year empowered county education authorities (not county councils) to make provision of books for children and young persons attending schools or continuation classes and for the adult residents of the county. The situation in Scotland differs therefore considerably in this as in other matters from that in England. In 1919 the Adult Education Committee of the Ministry of Reconstruction issued an interim report on libraries and museums which included a number of useful recommendations. The principal recommendation however concerned the transference of public libraries to the control of local education authorities, and the controversy centring round this recommendation distracted attention from the other constructive suggestions in the report.

44. Towards the end of 1919 however the Public Libraries Act was passed(1). This Act was the most important since the Act of

(1) This Act applied only to England and Wales. The legislation relating to county libraries in Scotland was contained in the Education (Scotland) Act, 1918; in Northern Ireland in the Public Libraries Act, 1924; in the Irish Free State in the Local Government Act, 1925.

1892, and it is desirable to set out its provisions in detail. In Section 1, county councils were authorised to adopt the Public Libraries Acts. By Section 2 any existing library authority, other than a county borough, could relinquish its powers to the county council subject to the consent of the Board of Education, which thus appears for the first time as a body interested in libraries. Section 3 provided that where a county council or county borough council adopted the Public Libraries Acts after the commencement of the Act, all matters relating to the exercise of their powers, except the power of raising a rate or borrowing money must stand referred to the Education Committee. Provision was also made whereby such councils, if they had previously adopted the Acts, might refer matters relating to the exercise of their powers to the Education Committee. Section 4 removed the limitations of the penny rate. Section 5 gave county councils power to apply to the Board of Education for an Order rescinding their resolutions adopting the Acts as respects any district within their area, if they thought this course advisable with a view to the better carrying into effect of the Acts.

45. In 1850 the Public Libraries Bill was carried by a majority of 17 only. In 1919 it was carried without a division, the opposition being virtually confined to two members. In the following year a Statutory Rule and Order, 1920, No. 810, conferred on the Board of Education a further interest in public libraries by transferring to them certain powers from the Ministry of Health, which had recently taken the place of the Local Government Board. These powers mainly referred to the allowance or disallowance of byelaws and approval of the sale or exchange of lands. At the same time it was provided that the notices required by Section 8 of the Public Libraries Act, 1901, in regard to the adoption of the Acts should be given to the Board of Education in addition to the Ministry of Health.

46. The conferment of public library powers on county councils was followed by an immediate extension of library facilities to a large part of the population. The Carnegie Trustees withdrew their offer of providing both capital expenditure and maintenance costs, but continued to offer to the county councils willing to adopt. the Acts the whole of their capital expenditure. From time to time also grants have been made in aid of special objects. In the result county library schemes have practically covered the country. Between 1920 and 1926, 57 out of 62 counties adopted the Acts; 96.3 per cent. of the population of England and Wales now reside in library areas(1).

47. We enter into greater detail on the recent history of county libraries in Chapter III, but it would be unbecoming not to express here our sense of the debt which the country owes to Andrew Carnegie and the Trustees whom he established. Born

(1) Tables I and II.

among "the masses of the people," he experienced for himself in his youth the need which in his maturity he endeavoured to satisfy for others on so ample a scale. His benefactions embraced many subjects and both hemispheres, but the provision of books lay nearest his heart, because, like Richard de Bury, he believed "that the desirable treasure of wisdom and science, which all men desire by an instinct of nature, surpasses all the riches of the world," and that this treasure has placed its " tabernacle in books." Other men have laboured to transmute the baser metals into gold. He laboured to transmute his gold into wisdom. He persisted in his aims over a long period of years with little recognition and in spite of not a little criticism and hostility, and it would be difficult to find any direction in which the expenditure of a relatively small sum of money has added so much to the happiness and wellbeing of the masses of the people. He occupies a place which entitles him to be ranked among the great benefactors, and assuredly but for his efforts there could at the present time be no possibility of completing library provision throughout England and Wales.

(b) The Library Association.

48. We have dealt hitherto with the history of public libraries chiefly from the standpoint of legislation. We desire now to pay a tribute to the disinterested services of many well-wishers of the library movement, which alone made the legislation possible, and in particular to the services of librarians who proved to a doubting world the contribution which public libraries might make to our national life. In this connection the work of the Library Association which is a body of persons engaged or interested in library work is worthy of special mention. It was founded in 1877 as the outcome of an international library conference held in London. In 1898 the Association was granted a Royal Charter as the responsible representative body for libraries and librarians.

49. The objects of the Association as set forth in the Charter

(1) To unite all persons engaged or interested in library work
by holding conferences and meetings for the discussion
of bibliographical questions and matters affecting libra-
ries or their regulation or management or otherwise.
(2) To promote the better administration of libraries.
(3) To promote whatever may tend to the improvement of
the position and the qualifications of librarians.
(4) To promote the adoption of the Public Libraries Acts.
(5) To promote the establishment of reference and lending
libraries for use by the public.

(6) To watch legislation affecting public libraries and to
assist in the promotion of such further legislation as
may be considered necessary for the regulation and
management or extension of public libraries.

(7) To promote and encourage bibliographical study and research.

(8) To form, collect, collate, and publish (in the form of
transactions, journals, or otherwise) information of
service or of interest to the Fellows and Members of the
Association, or for the promotion of the objects of the
Corporation.

(9) To collect and maintain a library and a museum.
(10) To hold examinations in librarianship and to issue
certificates of efficiency.

(11) To do all such lawful things as are incidental or conducive
to the attainment of the above objects.

50. These objects have been and are being carried out as fully as the inadequate resources of the Association permit. The roll of membership of about 820 individuals and institutions includes representatives of every important library in the kingdom. Annual and other meetings have been held regularly; transactions and proceedings have been published; an official organ has continuously been issued.

51. A complete scheme of professional education is in practice. Classes and examinations are held at many centres, and are very largely attended. At the examinations in 1924, 1,170 candidates sat, and it has been decided in future to impose a higher preliminary standard of education.

52. The Association grants diplomas and certificates now widely recognised as technical qualifications, and shares the control of the School of Librarianship of the University of London, instituted as the outcome of its efforts.

53. A technical library for the use of members has been collected. Legal advice in the administration of the Public Libraries Acts is given by an honorary solicitor. Measures have been taken to develop the technique of library administration in such matters as the handling and care of books.

54. The Association ranks generally with other similar bodies of professional men, except that it possesses no disciplinary or directive powers, but is purely an advisory body. It has, however, upon occasion, made remonstrance, sometimes effective, against proposed action likely to be derogatory to the efficiency of libraries or to the interests of librarianship.

55. The scope of the Library Association may be expected to be greatly enlarged in the near future with the growth of the movement in the counties, and with the development of special libraries and other organisations. In those and other developments of the library service of the country which we contemplate the Library Association offers the machinery for dealing with many of the problems which will arise; and it is in our opinion highly desirable that it should receive the full support of the public libraries of the kingdom.

(c) Present state of library provision.

56. The first part of our terms of reference directed us "to enquire into the adequacy of the library provision already made under the Public Libraries Acts and the means of extending and completing such provision throughout England and Wales." We conceived it to be our duty to make an exhaustive study of the provision which at present is made, and for that purpose drew up and issued questionnaires to all urban and county authorities. The urban questionnaire required 150 answers of a statistical character in reference to the years 1914, 1921, and 1924, and 50 partly descriptive and partly statistical. We were conscious that we were laying a heavy burden of work on Library Committees and their officers, but we were also well aware that one of the major difficulties of the library service has been that the facts of the situation have not been fully known, and that in consequence misconceptions on many matters of importance have prevailed among librarians and the public, and glaring misstatements have been made, which it has not been possible to refute in the absence of authoritative figures. We are very much indebted to Library Committees, town clerks and librarians for the trouble which they have taken to make the returns complete and accurate.

57. Of 482 urban public library authorities 400 gave us particulars of their library provision. These 400 authorities cover 96 per cent. of the urban library population. Of the remaining authorities a substantial number were unable to give information because they had only recently opened their libraries, or because their library provision took the form of a contribution to a neighbouring library which provided for the needs of their population. 49 authorities (1) made no reply to the questionnaire ; of these 40 had a population of under 20,000. We do not know whether these authorities provide a library; the presumption is that they do not. We can therefore claim that our figures give a very complete picture of the library service in England and Wales.

58. The figures which we have derived from the questionnaires are set out in Appendix A, Tables I-LXXVIII. A reference to the Index will show their character and extent, and the Introductory Note sets out in full the principles which have been adopted in compiling them. Briefly Tables I-XI deal with library areas and population. In these Tables it is possible to see at a glance the number of areas (i) for which borough, urban district, or parish councils are public library authorities(2); (ii) for which county councils are public library authorities; (iii) in respect of which the Public Libraries Acts have not been adopted; with the relevant populations both on a national basis, and within each county; the population in library areas 1911, 1921, 1924 and 1926; the date when each council became a library authority.

(1) Table XI.

(2) For convenience we refer to these throughout as