of the latest being nearly the whole of the almost priceless collection of Birmingham books, papers, &c., belonging to Mr. Sam.  Timmins.  The sum of L1,100 was paid him for a certain portion of backs, but the number he has given at various times is almost past count.  Immediate steps were taken after the fire to get the lending department of the Library into work again, and on the 9th of June, 1879, a commodious (though rather dark) reading room was opened in Eden Place, the Town Council allowing a number of rooms in the Municipal Buildings to be used by the Libraries Committee.  In a little time the nucleus of the new Reference gathering was also in hand, and for three years the institution sojourned with the Council.  The new buildings were opened June 1st, 1882, and the date should be recorded as a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving.  The Reference department was opened to readers on the 26th of the same month.  In place of the hired rooms so long used as a library in Constitution Hill, there has been erected in the near neighbourhood a neat two-storey building which will accommodate some 2,000 readers per day, and the shelves are supplied with about 7,000 volumes.  This new library was opened July 18, 1883.  To summarise this brief history of the Birmingham Free Libraries it is well to state that L78,000 has been spent on them, of which L36,392 has been for buildings.  The cost of the Central Library so far has been L55,000, the remaining L23,000 being the expenditure on the branch libraries.  The present annual cost is L9,372, of which L3,372 goes for interest and sinking fund, so that an addition must soon be made to the 1d. rate, which produces L6,454.  The power to increase the rate is given in the last Act of Parliament obtained by the Corporation.  At the end of 1882 the Reference Library contained 50,000 volumes.  The number of books in the Central Lending Library was 21,394, while the branch lending libraries contained—­Constitution Hill, 7,815; Deritend, 8,295; Gosta Green, 8,274; and Adderley Park, 3,122.  The aggregate of all the libraries was 98,900 volumes.  The issues of books during 1882 were as follows:—­Reference Library, 202,179; Central Lending Library, 186,988; Constitution Hill, 73,705; Deriteud, 70,218; Gosta Green, 56,160; Adderley Park, 8,497; total, 597,747; giving a daily average of 2,127 issues.  These figures are exclusive of the Sunday issues at the Reference Library, which numbered 25,095.  The average number of readers in the Reference Library on Sundays has been 545; and the average attendance at all the libraries shows something like 55,000 readers per week, 133 different weekly and monthly periodicals being put on the tables for their use, besides the books.  At a meeting of the School Board, June 4, 1875, permission was given to use the several infants’ schoolrooms connected with the Board Schools, as evening reading rooms in connection with the libraries.