Public Library.

This institution, originally the Christchurch Literary Institute, was conveyed, land, buildings, books, furniture, &c., by its trustees to the Superintendent of Canterbury upon trust for the purposes of a public library, under the Canterbury Museum and Library ordinance, conditionally on a reading room, reference library, and circulating library being maintained page 60the same, or other buildings on the same land; the reading room and reference library to be open to the public free of charge. The Superintendent gave the control of the library to the Board of Governors of the Canterbury College.

The number of books at present in the circulating library is 8942, and in the reference library 6577. This latter, in spite of complaints sometimes made against it, is vastly superior to any similar collection in the Colony, except the General Assembly Library in Wellington, and is of great use to students and those engaged at work. The number of subscribers to the circulating library is 576.