Page:Municipal Handbook of Auckland 1922.djvu/75



The Auckland Public Library was founded in 1880, commencing its career in the Mechanics' Institute. This Institute, which was established in 1842, had filled an important function during the thirty-eight years of its existence, supplying literary recreation for its members, lectures and classes of instruction for the community, when such were not easily obtained, and providing a hall for meetings when no other existed in the City. In it many of the flourishing societies of to-day were born.

Toward the end of the 'seventies tlic Institute fell upon evil days, and the City Council acquired the premises, which were situated in Chancery Street (now Court House Lane), along with the stock and freehold, and re-named it the Free Public Library. At the same time the Council acquired the library of the Auckland Provincial Council, which contained a well-selected stock, including a valuable set of official papers relating to New Zealand. At the opening of the Public Library the stock numbered about 6,000 volumes.

The premises of the Mechanics' Institute, which were then some thirty-eight years old, were not in good condition, and they were also inadequate for the purposes of an up-to-date library. Two years after the