North Midland Library Association. 33 flortb /NMManfc 3Librat Hesociation, A MEETING of this Association was held at the Free Public Library, Leicester ; amongst those present being Mr. W. Crowther (Derby) President, Mr. C. V. Kirkby (Leicester), Vice-President, Mr. John T. Radford, Hon. Sec., Mr. Easom (Nottingham), Mr. Walton (Derby), Mr. F. S. Herne (Leicester), Miss Horton (Leicester), Mr. G. H. Andrews, (Loughborough), and others. In the absence of the chairman of the Leicester Free Library Committee the Association were welcomed by Mr. Kirkby, after which a visit was paid by the members to the West- cotes branch library, which met with the approval of all present as a model of what a branch library should be. Tea was provided at the Welford Coffee House. The members then met at the Central Free Library for business. Letters of apology were read from absent members. The President (Mr. Crowther) next dealt with current events having relation to libraries and librarians. A paper on " Branch Libraries," by Mr. John Potter Briscoe was, in the absence of the writer, read by Mr. Radford, and raised an animated discussion in which Messrs. Kirkby, Crowther, Radford, Walton and Herne took part. The Hon. Sec. then drew the attention of the members to the great usefulness of the " Index to Periodicals," issued from the Review of Reviews office, and recommended its use in all libraries, either in con- junction with " Poole's Index "or separately. A question having been asked as to the number of libraries which placed the Sportsman on their tables, it appeared that at none of the libraries represented was it to be found. Mr. C. V. Kirkby next opened a discussion on "damaged books," dealing with damages caused by water, abstraction of leaves or plates, written remarks or pencil marks. A sheet of questions sent to one of the members by Mr. Cotgreave, London, was read and discussed. Votes of thanks to the Free Library Committee for the use of the room in which the meeting was held, and to the chairman for presiding, brought the meeting to a close. publications of tbe %.H:a,1fc, SPECIAL OFFER. WE believe we shall be doing our readers a service by bringing under their notice the publications of the L.A.U.K. The council did not begin the publication of the Association Series as a speculation or in hope of making gain. For several years the association, both publicly and privately, had been urged to produce such hand-books, and as soon as funds permitted a start was made. The sole object was to advance practical librarianship and promote the interests of libraries, and therefore, the price of each number was fixed at cost, and as a certain amount of free distribution was necessaryit is obvious that even if each edition were sold out there would still be a considerable money loss to be borne by the association ; but this was cheerfully anticipated in the belief that the result would justify the expenditure. The work of the authors and editors has been in every case a labour of love, and they have cheerfully given an amount of time and work which, if devoted to private ends, would undoubtedly have earned substantial reward.
