Milestones

Milestones

Milestones and events in the Institute’s progress, and especially in the development of its book and serials collection, include:

1842      Initial membership 50; in first 6 months 170 volumes acquired 

1843      Collection of Launceston Book Society added 

1845      Museum collection established; land acquired on corner of   Cameron & St John streets and small building erected 

1850s Membership averages 245; over 2000 books in stock 

1860      Institute building opened on Cameron Street site 

1870      Membership 337; 4800 books ; 11,000 issues of books & 9,000 issues of periodicals 

1880      Membership 493; 9300 books; 18,000 issues of books & 9000 issues of periodicals

1887   Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery built; museum & art collection transferred to it

1888-90  Transfer of books from Launceston Library Society to LMI, followed by Act of Incorporation changing name to Launceston Mechanics’ Institute and Public Library; state govt subsidy re-established.

 

1892   Jubilee year: 417 members; 18,570 volumes held 

1904   Card system of issuing introduced; fiction separated & arranged by author, nonfiction by subject (previously in accession order)

1910      Membership over 600; old fiction sold off leaving 25,876 vols 

1929      Name changed to Launceston Public Library, but ownership retained by subscribing members and governed by the Launceston Public Library Board 

1934-35    Munn-Pitt Report into Australian libraries recommends overhaul of state systems and the end of mechanics’ institute libraries as anachronistic; Free Public Library movement initiated  

1943-45    Launceston Public Library Board passes ownership of LMI building and contents to Launceston City Corporation, which in turn passes responsibility for providing public library services to the State government under a shared funding arrangement. 

1954   Launceston City Council buys the Meston Collection of 407 titles,  in part through public subscription, and  lodges them with theLaunceston Public Library 

1971   Regional Library Agreement signed between LCC and state govt in which management of Launceston Library is vested in the State Library Board and ownership of all materials apart from Meston and LMI Collections pass to the Board 

1970s & 80s  Books and serials once in the LMI continue to be withdrawn     from circulation and placed in stack shelves or on display in the Northern Regional Library (mostly popular fiction and periodicals) and in a store in Moonah (nonfiction) 

1993-96 Popular fiction to 1914 is identified as the Victorian & Edwardian Collection, catalogued and shelved in Launceston Stack, and nonfiction progressively returned to Launceston Library and stored in boxes on 3^rd Floor 

2013   Following inclusion of Tasmanian Archives and Heritage Office into LINC Tasmania, decision taken to re-examine the problem of unused and inaccessible parts of remnant LMI Collection; recommendation that nonfiction be disposed of.