THE FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The establishment of Free Libraries, adapted to meet the wants of
readers of all classes, has made rapid progress within the last few
years. Some, such as the Chetham Library of Manchester, owe their origin
to the bequests of public-spirited citizens of former days; some, like
the British Museum Library, to national support; but they remained
comparatively unused, until the modern system of common school
education, and the wonderful development of newspaper enterprise, made
readers of the working classes. I remember when London had but one daily
journal, the _Times_, and one weekly, the _News_, which latter paper was
sold for sixpence sterling by men whom I have seen running through the
streets on Sunday morning, blowing tin horns to announce their approach
to their customers.
The introduction of Mechanics' Institutes by the joint efforts of Lord
Brougham and Dr. Birkbeck, I also recollect; as a lad I was one of the
first members. They spread over all English-speaking communities, throve
for many years, then gradually waned. Scientific knowledge became so
common, that lectures on chemistry, astronomy, &c., ceased to attract
audiences. But the appetite for reading did not diminish in the least,
and hence it happened that Free Libraries began to supersede Mechanics'
Institutes.
Toronto has heretofore done but little in this way, and it remained for
a few public-spirited citizens of the present decade, to effect any
marked advance in the direction of free reading for all classes. In
August, 1880, the Rev. Dr. Scadding addressed a letter to the City
Council, calling its attention to the propriety of establishing a Public
Library in Toronto. In the following December, Alderman Taylor, in an
address to his constituents, wrote--"In 1881 the nucleus of a free
Public Library should be secured by purchase or otherwise, so that in a
few years we may boast of a library that will do no discredit to the
educational centre of the Dominion. Cities across the lake annually vote
a sum to be so applied, Chicago alone voting $39,000 per annum for a
similar purpose. Surely Toronto can afford say $5,000 a year for the
mental improvement of her citizens." In the City Council for 1881, the
subject was zealously taken up by Aldermen Hallam, Taylor and Mitchell.
Later in the year, Alderman Hallam presented to the council an
interesting report of his investigations among English public libraries,
describing their system and condition.
Early in 1882, an Act was passed by the Ontario Legislature, giving
power to the ratepayers of any municipality in Ontario to tax themselves
for the purchase or erection and maintenance of a Free Public Library,
limiting the rate to be so levied to one half mill on the dollar on
taxable property.[29] The Town of Guelph was the first to avail itself
of the privilege, and was followed by Toronto, which, on 1st January,
1883, adopted a by-law submitted by the City Council in accordance with
the statute, the majority thereon being 2,543, the largest ever polled
at any Toronto city election for raising money for any special object.
This result was not obtained without very active exertions on the part
of the friends of the movement, amongst whom, as is admitted on all
hands, Alderman Hallam is entitled to the chief credit. But for his
liberal expenditure for printing, his unwearied activity in addressing
public meetings, and his successful appeals through the children of the
common schools to their parents, the by-law might have failed. Ald.
Taylor and other gentlemen gave efficient aid. Professor Wilson,
President of Toronto University, presided at meetings held in its
favour; and Messrs. John Hague, W. H. Knowlton and other citizens
supported it warmly through the press. The editors of the principal city
papers also doing good service through their columns.
In Toronto, as elsewhere, the Mechanics' Institute has had its day. But
times change, and the public taste changes with them. A library and
reading-room supported by subscription, could hardly hope to compete
with an amply endowed rival, to which admission would be absolutely
free. So the officers of the Mechanics' Institute threw themselves
heartily into the new movement, and after consultation with their
members, offered, in accordance with the statute, to transfer their
property, valued at some twenty thousand dollars, exclusive of all
encumbrances, to the City Council for the use of the Free Library, which
offer was gladly accepted.
The first Board of Management was composed as follows:--The Mayor, A. R.
Boswell (ex-officio); John Hallam, John Taylor and George D'Arcy
Boulton,[30] nominated by the City Council; Dr. George Wright, W. H.
Knowlton and J. A. Mills, nominees of the Public School Board; and James
Mason and Wm. Scully, representing the Board of Separate School
Trustees. At their first meeting, held February 15th, 1883, the new
Board elected John Hallam to be their chairman for the year, and myself
as secretary _pro tem_.
The following extract from the Chairman's opening address, illustrates
the spirit in which the library is to be conducted:
"Toronto is pre-eminently a city of educational institutions. We all
feel a pride in her progress, and feel more so now that it is
possible to add a free public library to her many noble and useful
institutions. I feel sure that the benefit to the people of a
reference and lending library of carefully selected books, is
undisputed by all who are interested in the mental, moral, and
social advancement of our city. The books in such a library should
be as general and as fascinating as possible. I would have this
library a representative one, with a grand foundation of solid,
standard fact literature, with a choice, clear-minded, finely-
imaginative superstructure of light reading, and avoid the vulgar,
the sensuously sensational, the garbage of the modern press. A rate-
supported library should be practical in its aims, and not a mere
curiosity shop for a collection of curious and rare books--their
only merit being their rarity, their peculiar binding, singular
type, or quaint illustrations. It is very nice to have these
literary rare-bits; but the taxes of the people should not be spent
in buying them. A library of this kind, to be valuable as far as our
own country is concerned, should contain a full collection of--
"1. Manuscript statements and narratives of pioneer settlers;
old letters and journals relative to the early history and
settlement of Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island, and the wars
of 1776 and 1812; biographical notes of our pioneers and of
eminent citizens deceased, and facts illustrative of our Indian
tribes, their history, characteristics, sketches of their
prominent chiefs, orators, and warriors.
"2. Diaries, narratives, and documents relative to the U. E.
Loyalists, their expulsion from the old colonies, and their
settlement in the Maritime Provinces.
"3. Files of newspapers, books, pamphlets, college catalogues,
minutes of ecclesiastical conventions, associations,
conferences, and synods, and all other publications relating to
this and other provinces.
"4. Indian geographical names of streams and localities, with
their signification, and all information generally respecting
the condition, language, and history of different tribes of the
Indians.
"5. Books of all kinds, especially such as relate to Canadian
history, travels, and biography in general, and Lower Canada or
Quebec in particular, family genealogies, old magazines,
pamphlets, files of newspapers, maps, historical manuscripts and
autographs of distinguished persons.
"I feel sure such a library will rank and demand recognition
among the permanent institutions in the city for sustaining,
encouraging and stimulating everything that is great and good.
"Free libraries have a special claim on every ratepayer who
desires to see our country advance to the front, and keep pace
with the world in art, science, and commerce, and augment the
sum of human happiness. This far-reaching movement is likely to
extend to every city and considerable town in this Province. The
advantages are many. They help on the cause of education. They
tend to promote public virtue. Their influence is on the side of
order, self-respect, and general enlightenment. There are few
associations so pleasant as those excited by them. They are a
literary park where all can enjoy themselves during their
leisure hours. To all lovers of books and students, to the rich
and poor alike, the doors of these institutions are open without
money and without price."
The year 1883 was employed in getting things into working order. The
City Council did their part by voting the sum of $50,000 in debentures,
for the equipment and enlargement of the Mechanics' Institute building
for the purposes of the main or central library and reading room; the
opening of branch libraries and reading rooms in the north and west; and
for the purchase of 25,000 volumes of books, of which 5,000 each were
destined for the two branches.
On the 3rd July, the Board of Management appointed Mr. James Bain, jr.,
as librarian-in-chief, with a staff of three assistant librarians, and
four junior assistants (females). The duties of secretary were at the
same time attached to the office of first assistant-librarian, which was
given to Mr. John Davy, former secretary and librarian to the Mechanics'
Institute. I was relegated to the charge of the Northern Branch, at St.
Paul's Hall; while the Western Branch, at St. Andrew's Market, was
placed in the hands of Miss O'Dowd, an accomplished scholar and teacher.
The Chairman and Librarian, Messrs. Hallam and Bain, proceeded in
October to England for the purchase of books, most of which arrived here
in January. _The Week_ for December 13th last says of the books
selected, that they "would make the mouth water of every bibliophile in
the country." While I am writing these lines they are being catalogued
and arranged for use, and the Free Library of Toronto will become an
accomplished fact, almost simultaneously with the publication of these
"Reminiscences."
[Footnote 29: "Whatever may be its fate, the friends of progress will
remember that the Province is indebted for this bill (the Free Libraries
Act) to the zeal and public spirit of an alderman of the City of
Toronto, Mr. John Hallam. With a disinterested enthusiasm and an
assurance that the inhabitants of the towns and villages of Ontario
would derive substantial benefits from the introduction of free public
libraries, Mr. Hallam has spared no pains to stimulate public opinion in
their favour. He has freely distributed a pamphlet on the subject, which
embodies the result of much enquiry and reflection, gathered from
various sources, and he seems to be very sanguine of success."--See Dr.
Alpheus Todd's paper "_On the Establishment of Free Libraries in
Canada_," read before the Royal Society of Canada, 25th May, 1882.]
[Footnote 30: Mr. Boulton retired January 1st, 1884, and Alderman
Bernard Saunders was appointed in his stead.]