The growth of the Launceston Mechanics' Institute Library

In May 1842 the Launceston Examiner editorialised under the headline 

'MECHANICS' INSTITUTE';

"Is Launceston now to support a mechanics' institution, or to wait, at the bidding of its enemies, until a race of lecturers shall arise who repudiate book-learning, and reject all knowledge unless it is derived intuitively, or drops from the clouds?"

The Institute's steering committee established a foundation collection for its library immediately, the members donating eighty volumes:

Henty, William - Smollett’s History of England (8 vol), Quarterly Review (44vol)

Fletcher, W - Nicholson’s Operative Mechanic

Button, Thomas - Tredgold on Ventilation

Stubbs, Mr - Curtis’ Botanical Magazine, The Companion to Botanical Magazine (2 vol)

Connors, Mr - Standard Library (2vol)

Sherwin, Mr - Johnson’s Dictionary (2vol), Smith’s Wealth of Nations, Dolby’s Mathematics

Breton, Mr - “17 volumes of valuable works”.

At the Institute's first annual meeting in October 1842 it was recorded that "the Library now consists of about 170 volumes."

A year later the second annual general meeting advised that "The librarian has now under his charge 495 volumes, besides 116 magazines and periodicals, and by a report he has given, it is shewn that during the last six months 1043 volumes have been circulated amongst the members, being an average of 22 on each evening of the library being open."

By 1850 the collection had increased to 1293 volumes, and the people of Launceston were given notice that "The committee have received advice of the shipment of a case of books on board the Potentate, which may be daily expected to arrive. Amongst them will be found Macaulay's History of England and Layard's Nineveh, with other works of standard merit."

Here is a snapshot of the growth of the collection;

1860 2436 volumes

1870 5100 volumes

1880 8860 volumes. A new printed catalogue was issued in this year.

1890 17480 volumes

1900 22962 volumes

1910 25663 volumes. In the previous two years 2900 volumes of fiction had been withdrawn.

1914 28254 volumes

The legacy collection from this remarkable community library includes 6347 catalogued popular fiction volumes, all published prior to 1915, an estimated 13000 non-fiction volumes yet to be catalogued, and 221 periodical titles. Details of these collections are to be found in other postings on this blog.