Page:A history of booksellers, the old and the new.djvu/474

432 432 CHARLES EDWARD MUDIE. The Liverpool Library, the best used of all these institutions, was founded chiefly through the munifi- cence of Mr. William Brown, who, at its opening in 1860, was created a baronet. It consists of a reference and two lending libraries, and in 1867, though there were only 45,668 volumes in the reference library, the daily issue of books actually averaged 2041. At Bebbington, a suburb of Liverpool, or, more justly, of Birkenhead, a very excellent free circulating library has been established by Mr. Meyer, the emi- nent goldsmith and antiquarian, and its advantages are duly appreciated by the residents for miles around, At Birmingham there are five different libraries and reading-rooms, containing, in all, 52,269 volumes. In 1869, 300,031 volumes were borrowed by 9688 persons, of- whom no fewer than 5607 were under twenty years of age. The " lending library " at all these towns appears to be of a more popular character than the "reference library," though both are essential. After this short survey, it does indeed seem dis- graceful to the London authorities that now, when the State is absolutely preparing its weapons to battle with Ignorance, when Education is to be made pos- sible to all, patent to all, Mr. Mudie should be allowed, unrivalled, to supply so admirably the literary wants of the wealthy, and that the poor should be refused the cheapest and most remunerative of all boons a free opportunity of gaining knowledge.