Report of the committee of the west bromwich free library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, june, 1875.
West Bromwich.
Printed by J. Bates, Caxton Gas Power Printing Works, 1875.
16pp.
[Bound with:] Second annual report of the committee of the west bromwich free library. Presented to The Improvement Commissioners, june, 1876. West Bromwich. William Murray and Son, 1876. 13pp, [1].
[And:] Third annual report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to The Improvement Commissioners, june, 1877. West Bromwich. W. Britten, 1877. 16pp.
[And:] Fourth annual report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, June, 1878. West Bromwich. W. Britten, 1878. 15pp, [1].
[And:] Fifth annual report of the committee of the west bromwich free library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, june, 1879. West Bromwich. W. Britten, 1879. 15pp.
[And:] Seventh Annual Report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to The Improvement Commissioners, june, 1881. West Bromwich. Free Press Co., 1881. 20pp.
[And:] Eighth annual report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, june, 1882. West Bromwich. Richard Harris, 1882. 20pp.
[And:] Ninth Annual Report of the free library committee. Presented to the Town Council, 1883. West Bromwich. Murray & Knight, [1883]. 24pp.
[And:] Tenth Report of the free library committee. Presented to the Town Council, 1884. West Bromwich. Murray & Knight, [1884]. 34pp, [2].
[And:] Eleventh report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1885. West Bromwich. Printed by the Free Press Co., [1885]. 36pp.
[And:] Twelfth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1886. West Bromwich. Printed by J. Bates, [1886]. 32pp.
[And:] Thirteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1887. West Bromwich. Printed by the Free Press Co., [1887]. 28pp.
[And:] Fourteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1888. West Bromwich. William Britten, [1888]. 27pp, [1].
[And:] Fifteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, november, 1889. West Bromwich. Printed by Joseph Bates, [1889]. 27pp, [1].
[And:] Sixteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, november, 1890. West Bromwich. Printed by Joseph Bates, [1890]. 30pp, [2].
8vo. Contemporary half-cloth, marbled paper boards. Original publisher's printed wrappers bound in. Extremities heavily worn, boards detached, without spine panel. Marbled endpapers, lending label of Birmingham Free Libraries to FEP, FFEP detached, upper wrapper, title page, and terminal leaf of first report detached, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth reports detached., occasional ink/embossed stamps of Birmingham free libraries.
[Bound with:] Second annual report of the committee of the west bromwich free library. Presented to The Improvement Commissioners, june, 1876. West Bromwich. William Murray and Son, 1876. 13pp, [1].
[And:] Third annual report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to The Improvement Commissioners, june, 1877. West Bromwich. W. Britten, 1877. 16pp.
[And:] Fourth annual report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, June, 1878. West Bromwich. W. Britten, 1878. 15pp, [1].
[And:] Fifth annual report of the committee of the west bromwich free library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, june, 1879. West Bromwich. W. Britten, 1879. 15pp.
[And:] Seventh Annual Report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to The Improvement Commissioners, june, 1881. West Bromwich. Free Press Co., 1881. 20pp.
[And:] Eighth annual report of the committee of the West Bromwich Free Library. Presented to the improvement commissioners, june, 1882. West Bromwich. Richard Harris, 1882. 20pp.
[And:] Ninth Annual Report of the free library committee. Presented to the Town Council, 1883. West Bromwich. Murray & Knight, [1883]. 24pp.
[And:] Tenth Report of the free library committee. Presented to the Town Council, 1884. West Bromwich. Murray & Knight, [1884]. 34pp, [2].
[And:] Eleventh report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1885. West Bromwich. Printed by the Free Press Co., [1885]. 36pp.
[And:] Twelfth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1886. West Bromwich. Printed by J. Bates, [1886]. 32pp.
[And:] Thirteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1887. West Bromwich. Printed by the Free Press Co., [1887]. 28pp.
[And:] Fourteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, November, 1888. West Bromwich. William Britten, [1888]. 27pp, [1].
[And:] Fifteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, november, 1889. West Bromwich. Printed by Joseph Bates, [1889]. 27pp, [1].
[And:] Sixteenth report of the Free Library Committee. Presented to the town council, november, 1890. West Bromwich. Printed by Joseph Bates, [1890]. 30pp, [2].
8vo. Contemporary half-cloth, marbled paper boards. Original publisher's printed wrappers bound in. Extremities heavily worn, boards detached, without spine panel. Marbled endpapers, lending label of Birmingham Free Libraries to FEP, FFEP detached, upper wrapper, title page, and terminal leaf of first report detached, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth reports detached., occasional ink/embossed stamps of Birmingham free libraries.
A near unbroken run of the initial annual reports of the West Bromwich Free Library.
Established in 1874, the library was immediately immensely popular. The initial report records a total of 2,406 borrowers. From 15th February 1875, the day the lending library opened, to the 31st May, a period of 76 days, a staggering 30,724 volumes were issued. In addition to recording the number of borrowers, the reports also, where possible, list their occupations; in the first year we find that, for example, five actors, eleven bakers, and four saddlers made use of the library. However, 'Wives and Daughters' made up the vast majority of punters, with 691 borrowing books. The reports also, on occasion, list donations, both of books and sums of money. In 1875, Mr. H. Duncalfe donated a substantial number of volumes, including the works of Shakespeare and two of Scott's Waverley novels, whilst Sotheran's offered a copy of their catalogue of books. That same year, member of parliament A. Brogden donated the princely sum of £500, eclipsing the Earl of Dartmouth's comparatively paltry £50 contribution.
OCLC records that only the British Library holds copies of these reports, with the exception of numbers 4-8 and 14, which are apparently unrecorded.
£ 375.00
Antiquates Ref: 28536
Established in 1874, the library was immediately immensely popular. The initial report records a total of 2,406 borrowers. From 15th February 1875, the day the lending library opened, to the 31st May, a period of 76 days, a staggering 30,724 volumes were issued. In addition to recording the number of borrowers, the reports also, where possible, list their occupations; in the first year we find that, for example, five actors, eleven bakers, and four saddlers made use of the library. However, 'Wives and Daughters' made up the vast majority of punters, with 691 borrowing books. The reports also, on occasion, list donations, both of books and sums of money. In 1875, Mr. H. Duncalfe donated a substantial number of volumes, including the works of Shakespeare and two of Scott's Waverley novels, whilst Sotheran's offered a copy of their catalogue of books. That same year, member of parliament A. Brogden donated the princely sum of £500, eclipsing the Earl of Dartmouth's comparatively paltry £50 contribution.
OCLC records that only the British Library holds copies of these reports, with the exception of numbers 4-8 and 14, which are apparently unrecorded.
