Library Notes and News. W H Hattersley in 1892 the Library secured a splendid portrait of Mr. Hall, but nevertheless the institution lost its best benefactor, and the committee a friend whom all respected " rt T r G late / rof e ssor Bensle y> Oriental library has been presented to eC CUMMINGSTON, ELGIN. -The use of the school-room at Cum- mmgston has .been granted for the accommodation of a free library, which Sir William and Lady Gordon Gumming are giving to the village. DARLINGTON.-The Board of Guardians Assessment Committee have ultimately agreed to assess the Library at the rate of ^120 and /ioo net. 1 he original assessment was 100, against which the Committee appealed in the hope of having it made ^80, that being the amount at which the Inland Revenue Authorities had rated the Library. The Guardians' Committee, however, acting under the advice of their Clerk increased the amount to ^258 gross and ^215 net. Being informed that they had no legal remedy, the Library Committee admitted their liability but pointed out at the same time that to pay upon the larger amount would materially cripple the work of the institution, whereupon the Guardians' Committee reduced it, as above stated. DARWEN, LANCASHIRE._Mr. Albert Cawthorne, chief assistant in the Central Reference Library at Birmingham, has been appointed librarian of the Free Library. The Free Library Committee of Darwen have decided to adopt the " Clerkenwell system " of free access to the shelves. The library com- prises about 16,000 volumes, with a daily average of about 100 readers. DORCHESTER. A library of clerical and theological works has been established at the County Museum by the Rev. Walter Lock and Canon E. R. Bernard. The Rev. O. M. Ridley has been appointed librarian, and the library will be under the management of a committee consisting of the incumbents for the time being of the five parishes of the town, and the librarian. The use of the books will be free to incumbents, curates, and chaplains of the town, and open to other of the clergy and laity on payment of 53. a year. DOWNPATRICK. The Town Commissioners have been consider- ing the question of adopting the Public Libraries Act, and have come to the conclusion that it is not desirable at the present time to adopt the Act. EDINBURGH. The centenary of the Edinburgh Subscription Lib- rary was celebrrted on December 4th, when Professor Mason delivered an interesting address. Some correspondence ensued in the Scotsman as to the relative claims of Dr. Hall or Dr. Paddie to be the founder of the institution. FALKIRK. On December I7th, at the annual meeting in connec- tion with the Free Library, founded by Mr. Robert Dollar, at Falkirk, a resolution was unanimously passed requesting the Town Council to adopt the Public Libraries Act, and to take over the " Dollar" Library. G-LASGOW. A large collection of Gaelic books has been added to the library of the Free Church College, which now boasts of pos- sessing a Gaelic library second to none in the world.
