The present, while plans for a new Town Hall, to include all Municipal offices, are under consideration, would appear to be the time to discuss the propriety of having a Public Li. It would be a pity to allow Municipal buildings to be erected which did not include some provision fur the reading portion of the community, even if the next step, of instituting a Public Library, were not taken at present; and the two questions may well be ¢ sidered separately.
hho existing subscription Library, while limiting the issue of books to subscribers, is also a free public Reading Room open to all comers, and it is on this condition that the Municipal Council makes its grant. For the purposes of a Reading Room it is not, however, very conveniently situated whereas the Municipal compound is central and accessible from all sides. Under present conditions, attaching a Library room tothe Town Hall would be merely providing properly public Reading Room for the whole community, at the sole cost of also providing book space for those who furnish the reeling matter. It is really a joint operation: one party, the community, provides the accommodation, receiving in return reading matter; while the other party, the Library subscribers, provide the reading matter in return for accommodation for it. The Municipality will save the it of Tls. 100 now made annually to the brary on condition of keeping open a froe Reading Room, and the extra cost of providing the required accommodation can hardly exceed this sum capitalised.
The above applies under the supposition that matters remain on their present footing, the Library being a private undertaking; but it is certain that Shanghai will some day imitate other progressive towns and have its Public Library. Scarcel; town of any respectable size exists in and and, America which has not ite Free statements may be credited, the largest are library; in Massachusetts, if newspaper or village which has no Free Library, has than 4,000 inhabitants; and Shanghai,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.