Library Association of the United Kingdom.
This Association was founded on 5th October, 1877, at the conclusionof the International Conference of Librarians held at the LondonInstitution, under the presidency of the late Mr. J. Winter Jones,then principal librarian of the British Museum.
Its objects are: (a) to encourage and aid by every means in itspower the establishment of new libraries; (b) to endeavour to securebetter legislation for rate-supported libraries; (c) to unite all personsengaged or interested in library work, for the purpose of promoting thebest possible administration of libraries; and (d) to encourage bibliographicalresearch.
The Association has, by the invitation of the Local Authorities, heldits Annual Meetings in the following towns: Oxford, Manchester,Edinburgh, London, Cambridge, Liverpool, Dublin, Plymouth, Birmingham,Glasgow, Reading, Nottingham, and Paris.
The Annual Subscription is One Guinea, payable in advance, on 1stJanuary. The Life Subscription is Fifteen Guineas. Any personactually engaged in library administration may become a member, withoutelection, on payment of the Subscription to the Treasurer. Any personnot so engaged may be elected at the Monthly or Annual Meetings.Library Assistants, approved by the Council, are admitted on paymentof a Subscription of Half-a-Guinea.
The official organ of the Association is The Library, which is issuedmonthly and sent free to members. Other publications of the Associationare the Transactions and Proceedings of the various Annual Meetings,The Library Chronicle, 1884-1888, 5 vols., and The Library Association Year-Book(price one shilling), in which will be found full particulars of thework accomplished by the Association in various departments.
A small Museum of Library Appliances has been opened in theClerkenwell Public Library, Skinner Street, London, E.C., and will beshown to any one interested in library administration. It containsSpecimens of Apparatus, Catalogues, Forms, &c., and is the nucleus of alarger collection contemplated by the Association.
All communications connected with the Association should beaddressed to Mr. J. Y. W. MacAlister, 20 Hanover Square, London, W.Subscriptions should be paid to Mr. H. R. Tedder, Hon. Treasurer,Athenæum Club, Pall Mall, London, W.
COTGREAVE’S LIBRARY INDICATOR.
This Invention is now in use in some 200 Public Libraries (30 in London andSuburbs), and has everywhere given great satisfaction. The followingis a brief summary of its more useful features:
1. Show at a glance both to borrower and Librarian the books or magazinesin or out. Also the titles can be shown to the borrower if desired.2. Who has any book that is out, and how long it has been out. 3. Thenames of every borrower that has had any book since it was added tothe Library. 4. The dates of accession, binding, or replacement of anybook. 5. The title, author, number of volumes, and date of publication.6. The book any individual has out, and every book he hashad out since joining the library. 7. If a borrower’s ticket has beenmisplaced in the indicator, it will instantly denote, if referred to, theexact number where such ticket will be found. 8. It will show at aglance by a colour arrangement the number of books issued each day orweek, and consequently which are