Towns > Glasgow > 1828-1912 - Post-Office annual Glasgow directory > 1898-1899

194
LIBRARIES, NEWS-ROOMS, &c.
LIBBAEIES, NEWS-ROOMS. AND NEWSPAPER OFFICES.
THE MITCHELL LIBRARY.
21 Miller Street.
Founded on a bequest of the late Stephen Mitchell,
Esq. Mr. Mitchell died in April, 1874, and the be-
quest was accepted by the Town Council Jn July of
the same year.
The library was opened November 1, 1877, and is
open daily from 9.30 a.m. till 10 p.m. uninterruptedly.
It now contains about 127,000 volumes, and is the
largest library in Scotland to which the general
public have a right of free admission. The books
are not to be" taken away, but may be* read in
the library, which has been conveniently furnished
for this purpose, there being separate accommodation
for ladies and for students. There is a magazine
room, where may be seeu about 400 of the principal
weekly, monthly, and quarterly periodicals of_ all
classes— literary, artistic, scientific, trade, technical,
and general — and including a number of American,
German, and French serials. The admission is free,
and no introduction or guarantee is required. In
the selection of the books to form the library,
efforts have been made to give it a thoroughly
representative character, so that students in every
department of knowledge will derive advantage from
its use. Collections of books relating to Scotland,
and particularly to Glasgow and the West, are form-
ing. The "Poets Corner" is believed to contain the
largest and most valuable library of Burns and Scot-
tish Poets and Dramatists in existence. Much atten-
tion has also been " devoted to securing standard
works on industrial and technological subjects, from
which many persons engaged in manufactures, espe-
cially such as include design, derive much advantage.
The number of readers is large — over 2000
daily — the average number of volumes consulted daily
being from 1700 to 1800. The total number issued
from the commencement to 1st March, 1898, was
7,861,710, exclusive of the reading of th? periodicals
in the magazine room, the references to which are
estimated to be not less in number than the volumes
issued.
The library is administered by the following com-
mittee of the Town Council : the Hon. the Lord Pro-
vost; Bailie Fife, convener; Treasurer Colquhoun,
LL.D., sub-convener; Bailies Dick, Sinclair,
M'Cutcheon, Hunter, and Battersby, Dean of Guild
Donald Graham, CLE., D.L., River Bailie Cuthbert,
Councillors Bilsland, Richard Browne, Carswell,
Ferguson, Gray, Maxwell, Saodilands, D. M. Steven-
son, N. M. Thomson. F. T. Barrett, librarian ; John
Ingram, sub-librarian.
STIRLING'S & GLASGOW PUBLIC LIBRARY.
48 Miller Street.
Stirling's Public Library was founded by Walter
Stirling, merchant and ex-bailie of the city, and son
of Dr. William Stirling, a well-known Glasgow sur-
geon of the last century. The bequest came into
effect at the death of Mr. Stirling on 18th January,
1791. It consisted of the founder's own library (802
volumes), his house in Miller Street (where the library
now stands), a share in the Tontine Society, and the
sum of £1000. Mr. Stirling directed that, the library
was to be free to any one, and was to exist in per-
petuity. In 1825 Mr. William Jameson, jun., be-
queathed his books to the library. In 1871 Dr.
Scouler, professor of mineralogy in the Royal Society
of Dublin, bequeathed his collection of books ; and in
the same year the Glasgow Public Library, a subscrip-
tion lending library started in 1804, amalgamated
with Stirling's Library, and the title then became
Stirling's and Glasgow Public Library.
The library contains over 50,000 volumes and pam-
phlets, including many rare, valuable, and useful
works. It possesses several manuscripts (two on
vellum), and nearly thirty examples of fifteenth cen-
tury printing, the earliest being 1469, or fourteen
years after the issue of the first printed book. It is
the depository of the only complete set in the West of
Scotland of the publications of Her Majesty's Patent
Office, which consist of over 150,000 separate publi-
cations. They date from 1617 when the first British
patent was enrolled, and come up to the latest patents
issued. The Board of Trade recently presented a
complete set of the Trade Marks Journal to the
library, and supply the current numbers as issued.
The Government of the United States have also
presented their Specifications of Patents from the
28th March, 1893, and continue to supply the
current numbsrs as issued.
The foundation being inadequate for the proper
maintenance of the library the directors organized a
system of lending of books. This has been immensely
developed in recent years, and a large supply of new
books and magazines — over 2000 annually of the
latter — render it one of the best, as it is by far the most
extensive and most moderately rated lending library
in the city and district. The terms are — For two
works and one magazine at a time, one year, 10s. 6d.;
six months, 7s. 6cL; life, £5 5s.; for one work (no
magazine) at a time, one year, 5s. 3d. Members
may join at any time (no entry money), and may
change their books and magazines singly or together
as often as tbey choose. The library is open every
lawful day from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m.
Board of Directors — President, David Richmond,
the Hon. the Lord Provost ; vice-president, J. Barclay
Murdoch ; elected by the Town Council, Treasurer
Colquhoun, LL.D., Councillor Graham, and Council-
lor Walter Paton ; elected by the Merchants House,
William L. Brown, George A. Burns, and Mat-
thew Arthur ; elected by the Presbytery of Glas-
gow, Rev. David Millar, Rev. G. Gibson Gunn, and
Rev. John Maclean, D.D.; elected by the Faculty
of Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Wm. Dun, Dr. JohD
Barlow, and Dr. George Dickson; elected by the
Subscribers,DonaldM'Corquodale, J. Forbes Ferguson,
A. W. G. Buchanan, Peter Johnstone, J. O. Mitchell,
LL.D., John Wilson, J. B. Murdoch, and G. Neilson.
Hon. treasurer, Peter Johnstone; hon. secretary,
John Forbes Ferguson ; librarian, W. J. S. Paterson.
ROYAL EXCHANGE ROOMS
Receives regularly all the latest home and foreign tele-
grams, and the London, English, Provincial, Scotch,
and Irish newspapers and Directories ; also, Commer-
cial Lists, French, German, Colonial, Canton, Indian,
and American papers, with all the leading reviews,
magazines, &c. Open daily from 8 morning till 7
evening. Strangers resident beyond 45 miles, having