356 The Library. expenses, whenever lantern illustrations or music formed part of the programme, but admitting freely on those occasions when the subject, or the lecturer, or both, formed the only attraction. I cannot find a record of the institution of any other course of free lectures in connection with a public library between that of Liverpool and the commencement of the free lectures at Aston in 1883. In that year a desire, which had manifested itself in my own mind with increasing earnestness on the perusal of each succeeding programme of the splendid courses of lectures at Liverpool, found vent in a recommendation to the Aston Free Library Committee that a course of free lectures should be tried in one of the board schools of the district, and I had the satis- faction of receiving instructions to make arrangements for such a course. I must ask you to pardon me if I dwell more minutely on the Aston free lectures than on those of other places of which I have to report, not, I beg to assure you, from any feeling of egotism, but because our experiences may be of some service to other districts where the income of the library is limited, and the establishment of a course of lectures seems almost out of the question. The Aston Free Library Committee, as an experiment, limited the amount to be expended on the free lectures to fifteen pounds for each season. We have, unfortunately, no public hall available for the purpose, so we had to go to the School Board and ask them to make favourable terms for the use of one of their largest schoolrooms, and succeeded in obtaining the largest and the most centrally situated of their rooms for the sum of six shillings and sixpence per night, inclusive of fee to caretaker, hire of platform, and other incidentals. It was, of course, necessary to obtain the help of lecturers without a fee, as we could not do more than defray the expenses incurred in travelling, hire of lantern and slides, materials for experiments, &c. Yet, notwithstanding this fact, we have had no difficulty in filling up our programmes, many lecturers of first class ability having cheerfully given their services, in evidence of which I need only refer you to the series of programmes exhibited in illustration of this report. A limelight lantern was needed, and this want was very willingly met by the raising of a fund, in small subscriptions, by the people who attended the lectures. The committee have since defrayed the cost of improved apparatus in connection with
