mostly on scientific or philosophical subjects, a considerable number treating of Ireland, and a not inconsiderable number being works of and works on Aristotle. Of the history of the library during the ten years preceding 1881 little more need be said than that it was not increasing either in prosperity or in usefulness. Year after year saw the number of readers and subscribers decline, until at the end of the financial year (March 31) 1880-81, the former were estimated at 25,000 and the latter numbered 339. In the spring of 1881 a committee was appointed, with Councillor (now Bailie) Jackson as convener, to inquire into the cause of the decadence of the library. This committee reported in favour of adding a large number of new books, of shifting the library to a more populous locality, and of extending the hours during which it was open. The first and third of these proposals were under the present librarian carried into effect, and with other reforms have been the means of raising the place to its present satisfactory position. In January, 1881, Mr. Blair died at upwards of eighty years of age. He was longer in office than any of his predecessors, having nearly completed the twentieth year of his librarianship. In a minute of 10th February, 1881, the directors give expression to their deep regret at his death, and record their opinion that he had given long-continued and faithful service to the library.

CHAPTER IV.

Appointment of a new Librarian-Increase in Membership and Issue-Stock-taking-Arrangement of the Books-Difficulty of Classifying the Library while in use-Want of Room-Scheme of ClassificationGrowth of the Library-Prominent Directors-VicePresidents-Bailie Bogle-William Euing-Michael Connal Treasurers Secretaries - Robert Reid, "Senex "-Interesting Donation-Present Board of Directors-Donors-Manuscripts.

In

IN April, 1881, Mr. Thomas Mason, senior assistant librarian in the Mitchell Library, was appointed in the place of Mr. Blair as librarian. The progress of the library since then may be briefly set forth. 1880-81 the number of members was (including life and congregational members) 339; in 1881-82 these increased to 459, and further increased in the following year to 670. At the end of 1883-84 it was found that the number had reached 731. This shows an increase in three years of 392 members, the subscriptions of whom amounted to £157 15s. 3d. The number of new members enrolled was much larger (679), allowance having to be made in reckoning the increase for the members who have lapsed. Of members presently on the roll the oldest in membership is Mr. J. D. Bryce, 18 Buckingham Terrace, who was admitted as a life member on 8th February, 1836. The issue of books during the same period has increased in even a greater ratio than the members. The issue for 1880-81 was estimated at about 25,000; that for 1881-82 was 57,463; for 1882-83, 104,714; and for 1883-84, 132,239. Thus in three years the issue of books has been increased at least five-fold.

No arrangement of the books seems ever to have been made until that made by the present librarian. His first piece of work was to make an inventory of the books in the place, which labour was exceedingly dirty, and extended over a period of six months. That finished, he at once proceeded with the arrangement.

With the library in use, the process was a tedious and laborious one. The class first brought together in one place was Biography. The books composing it had to be sought for in every part of the building, and owing to the dim and sometimes titleless state of the backs of the books, the only thorough method was found to be that of opening every book and determining whether it belonged to the class in formation. This had to be done for every class, the labour, of course, becoming easier as the number of books to go over decreased. The quickest and most satisfactory way would have been to have divided the books into their respective classes at once, and then to have arranged each class on the shelves where it was most convenient to have it. But this method would have necessitated the shutting of the library for a considerable period, which was out of the question. The work was further increased by the want of room to turn in. When a class of books had been selected, a place had to be provided for them. The volumes had been gathered from every press, but there being no excess of space, the unarranged books had to be put into the vacancies caused by the abstractions, and as they might remain in their temporary places for months, their location had to be taken note of, else it would have been practically impossible to get them when wanted. This mere matter of locating occupied a considerable time, and did not directly forward the arrangement. Another piece of temporary work requires to be noted before an accurate idea can be had of the labour involved in arranging a large public library while it is being used. After a class was arranged it was necessary to provide

a key to the individual books from the old numbers. When a new catalogue is in use the books will be sought for by their new numbers, and will be readily found. But until the issue of this new catalogue the books are asked for by their old numbers, hence the necessity of a key or index from the old to the new numbers. The arrangement, we do not say re-arrangement, as the present is the first time the books have been arranged, is now concluded, and an account of it may therefore be given without danger of recording what might afterwards be altered had the plan of arrangement been only projected.

The books are arranged in thirteen classes, as follows:

A.-Theology, Philosophy, and Ecclesiastical History. B.-Biography.

C.-History, Travels, and Voyages.

D.-Science and Natural History.

E.-Fine Arts.

F.-Law, Politics, Sociology, Commerce.
G.-Language.

H.-Poetry and the Drama.
K.-Fiction (Prose).

M.-Miscellaneous Literature.
R.-Rare and Curious Books.
S.-Books relating to Scotland.
W. Scouler Donation.

The first ten of these may be called ordinary classes; the last three are special classes, composed entirely of books which naturally belong to the other classes, but which are separated for the purpose indicated in the titles—the rare books for safety, the Scottish books for convenience, and the Scouler donation for the laudable object of perpetuating in a visible manner the generosity of the donor.

The publications of the Patent Office form a class,

but being a large and very distinct one, and, further, not belonging to the library, but kept in trust for the Corporation of Glasgow, it was not necessary to deal with it as with the rest of the contents of the library. Theology and Ecclesiastical History are placed together, and Philosophy by itself, the whole class filling almost one side of the gallery. Biography is downstairs, and is divided into general biography, i.e., volumes containing two or more lives, and individual biography, consisting of books dealing with only one life. Individual biography is arranged on the shelves alphabetically by the names of the subjects of the memoirs.

History and Travels are located in the gallery, and are arranged on the shelves in countries in the following order-World, Europe, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia (islands go with the adjacent countries), Africa, Canada, United States, other American States proceeding southwards, Asia proceeding from east to west. Australasia, England and Ireland are kept downstairs, separately, of course, and are considerable sub-classes, and are again sub-divided into books on the whole of these countries and those on parts. Books on Scotland, it will be remembered, form a distinct class.

Fiction is arranged alphabetically, irrespective of size, but this matters little, as works of fiction are much alike in dimensions. The class is kept downstairs, near at hand. Rare and curious books are in the librarian's room. Books relating to Scotland are divided into those on the whole of Scotland, and those on parts, those on the ecclesiastical history, law, etc., of Scotland. Sets of magazines are shelved in parts of the library less accessible, or where an even row of uniform volumes adds to the appearance of the library without disturbing the class arrangement.

The practical advantages of having books of a class