pared and forwarded to the Legislature, and was passed in February, 1868. On the 24th of the same month Mr. Lane and his wife executed a deed of conveyance of all the library property, including books and fixtures, to the City Council for the use of the public. This deed is recorded in Vol. 50, page 537, of the Butler County records.

Certain conditions are embodied in this conveyance, and should the City Council fail, without reasonable cause, to comply with them, the Library would revert to Mr. Lane or his heirs. These conditions are:

First-That the property conveyed shall be maintained as a free public library and reading room in as good order and repair as it was at the time of the conveyance - "natural decay, ordinary wear or destruction by fire or other unforeseen casualty only excepted" — and that it shall be kept "neat, clean and comfortable, and in such condition as shall be acceptable to the good and moral people" of the city.

Second That the rooms shall be free to all "classes of persons of proper age and demeanor," and shall be kept open "not less than two hours every evening," except Sunday evenings, and from 2 o'clock until 4 of the afternoon, "at least every Sunday."

Third — That there shall be kept a liberal file of news, scientific and literary periodicals, including at least two newspapers representing "the active and influential political parties of the times;" that as far as possible, the political papers be so selected as to represent the existing political parties equally in number; and that a party desiring to select "a proper organ to represent it," be permitted to do so through a committee or by a public meeting.

The above conditions do not forbid the closing of the library for necessary repairs, but it cannot be closed for more than thirty days. in any one year. If at any time the conditions of the donation should become "objectionable to a majority of the voters of the city," or fail to promote the good intended by the donor," the City Council is to re-convey the property to Mr. Lane or to his heirs.

On February 4th, 1868, the City Council appointed three library trustees, one from each ward, who were to serve for one year, and have the entire government of the library, subject to such rules as Council might adopt and to the restriction that all contracts involving the expenditure of money must be submitted to Council for its approval.

On March 2nd, 1868, Council instructed the trustees to make a complete inventory of the library property; to permit no reading matter to be taken from the library until Council determined otherwise; to employ a librarian and to furnish the reading room with periodicals; and in all things to comply with the conditions of Mr. Lane's gift.

The library was at first a reference library only, but the question of making it a circulating one soon began to be agitated. On February 13th, 1872, the Council appointed a committee to confer with the trustees in reference to the change. The committee reported, February 20th, in

favor of the change, and the Council on April 1st, 1873, passed a resolution authorizing it. But for some reason the matter was dropped, and nothing was done till January, 1875, when a petition was presented to Council asking for the change. Council appointed a new committee and conferences were again held with the trustees, but nothing definite resulted till December, 1878, when the trustees reported a series of rules and regulations for the government of the circulating library. These were adopted by resolution of Council July 14th, 1879, and the library was dedicated as a circulating library September 23rd, 1879.

The government of the library is under a board of trustees appointed by the Council, one from each ward. The following persons have served as trustees of the library since its acceptance by the city: Joseph Traber, G. M. Flenner, S. E. Giffin, James E. Neal, Dr. C. Markt, Job E. Owens, August Benninghofen, Daniel Shafer, William Ritchie, John L. Martin, L. D. Brown, B. F. Thomas, James E. Campbell, P. G. Berry, Patrick Burns, Charles E. Durst, Christian Pabst, L. P. Clawson, W. P. Cope, Dr. W. C. Miller, and Frank E. Brandt. At present the board consists of Christian Pabst, President; Dr. W. C. Miller, Secretary; Patrick Burns, W. P. Cope, and David Pierce.

Miss Emma Lane acted as librarian until February 1868, when the City accepted Mr. Lane's gift of the library. Miss Laura Skinner was appointed shortly afterwards, and served till her resignation in April, 1878.

Mrs. Florence S. Schenck was appointed librarian April 15th, 1878, and still holds the position. To her faithful work and knowledge of books much of the success that the library has attained is due. Miss Laura Rodefer was appointed assistant May 15th, 1880, and continued in the position till her resignation October 1st, 1892. Miss Clara Laughlin was appointed to fill the vacancy, and filled the place till June 1st, 1896. Upon her resignation Miss Ella J. Laughlin was appointed to the position.

Since the library has come into the possession of the city numerous changes and additions have been made in the building and equipments. Substantial stone steps have been placed at the front entrance, and cement walks have been laid. New cases accommodating several hundred books have been put in the original building. In 1888 a great improvement was made in the heating of the building, by putting in steam heating system.

In the Autumn of 1892 an addition was built in the rear of the library building, and fitted up with cases sufficient to hold several thousand volumes.

The number of volumes in the library when it came into the possession of the city was 1,898. By a special act of the State Legislature, passed May 12th, 1879, the remains of the Hamilton Public School Library were transferred to the Lane Free Library. By this transfer

14 S. O. L.

949 volumes were added. By purchase and gifts additions have been made from time to time till the number of volumes has been increased to 6,765 at the present time.

The reading room is well supplied with the best periodical literature of the day. Six daily newspapers, twenty-one weekly newspapers, and fifteen monthly magazines and reviews are now taken by the library.

The first catalogue was published in 1879. When this catalogue was published the library contained 3,249 volumes. Since then supplements to the catalogue have been published from time to time as new books have been added.

On account of the large accession of new books, and other changes in the library, this catalogue long since failed to meet the needs of the librarian or the public. The matter of preparing and publishing a new catalogue has been under consideration for several years.

At a meeting of the trustees held May 3rd, 1895, a communication was received from Mr. James W. See, offering to catalogue the library according to the most approved modern methods. He generously offered his own services gratuitously on condition that the trustees grant him full power to carry out the work in accordance with his own ideas, and pay for the clerical work and other needed expenditures incurred in completing the work of cataloguing.

The communication was favorably received, but for various reasons. action was deferred till February 12th, 1896, when Mr. See was authorized to do the work as proposed in his communication of several months previous.

The library is now catalogued in accordance with the card system. A card catalogue was first made. In this each book is catalogued according to subject, author, title, etc., averaging four cards for each book. The cards, arranged alphabetically, are placed in drawers and secured by means of an iron rod passing through each card. The drawers are arranged in a convenient cabinet, which at all times will be accessible to the patrons of the library.

If any one desires a particular book, or seeks information on a given subject, the card catalogue will show whether the book sought is in the library, and in the other case will give all the books on the subject that are in the library, indicating the number of the various books and the shelves on which they are found. This catalogue will always be up to date, for whenever new books are purchased, cards are immediately written out for them, and placed in the catalogue. Thus no matter how many books may be added to the present list, the card catalogue will always be complete.

The printed catalogue is simply a printed copy of the card catalogue, and is issued for the convenience of those using the library. It is a complete catalogue of all the books and pamphlets in the library up to the time of its publication.

For this complete catalogue of the Lane Free Library all the patrons have been placed under lasting obligations to Mr. See for his labors so generously and so freely given. Capt. August Margedant rendered valuable assistance to Mr. See in kindly assisting in the cataloguing of the German books.

In the catalogue published in 1879 the hope was expressed that the people of Hamilton would take a deeper interest in the library, and that the number of volumes would soon be doubled. Both of these wishes have been attained. The citizens no longer look with indifference upon their public library, but have come to regard it as one of the most powerful educational institutions in their midst. The number of readers has increased many fold, and the number of volumes has been more than doubled. While these improvements are very gratifying, the trustees feel that valuable as the library is at present, it is only the beginning of what it shall become in the futureW. P. C.

HILLSBORO.

HILLSBOROUGH PUBLIC LIBRARY.

When the new city hall building in Hillsborough was planned, provision was made for a public library. A large and handsome room in the west part of the building was constructed for this special purpose.

On the completion of the building, it was the general desire of the people of the town that the library room be utilized. The first move in this direction was made in the spring of 1877. It was then thought that if a public reading room should be opened in the library room that it would help on the temperance reformation then going on in the community. Accordingly, a public meeting was held in the city hall on the thirty-first of May, 1877.

At this meeting a committee was appointed to inaugurate the work of opening a free reading room in the library room.

The committee consisted of C. S. Bell, F. W. Armstrong, W. J. McSurely, H. M. Huggins, and H. S. Doggett. The committee met the following day and resolved to raise by public subscription the funds. necessary to open the reading room. It was also determined to ask the town council to levy a tax to buy books for the public library. Accordingly, committees were appointed to solicit subscriptions from the citizens of the town.

In a short time eight hundred dollars were subscribed. The town council, on the fourth of June, made a levy of one-half mill for library purposes. That body also authorized the fitting up, at once, of the library room for the purposes of the reading room.

The committee at once ordered the money subscribed to be collected. A list of newspapers and other periodicals, and of a library of books of reference, was made out and ordered for the use of the reading room.

All arrangements were pushed forward rapidly, and, on the night. of July 12th, 1877, the room was opened to the public. Congratulatory remarks were made by several prominent citizens, among whom were Isaac Sams, W. J. McSurely and C. S. Bell. The reading room at oncebecame a popular place of resort, and has so continued. Its friends claim. that it has been the means of doing a great deal of good.

On opening the room, it was put in charge of R. J. Duffey, and tohis faithful and efficient service, the success of the reading room and library is in a great measure due.

On the fifteenth of April, 1878, an ordinance was passed creating a board of trustees for the public library, and defining the powers and duties of such board. The appointment of the board was given to the mayor of the town; and on the fourth of May, Mayor Beeson appointed a board consisting of C. S. Bell, W. J. McSurely, H. M. Huggins, F. W. Armstrong, Josiah Stevenson and H. S. Doggett. The board organized by electing W. J. McSurely President, H. M. Huggins Treasurer, and H. S. Doggett Secretary.

Soon afterward it was resolved by the board to request the council' to put up book cases in one end of the library room, sufficient for four thousand volumes. This was done; and in September, 1878, the first installment of one thousand, four hundred books was purchased.

These were at once catalogued. Rules were adopted for the regulation of the loaning of the books, and the use of them. The books were placed upon the shelves and the library was thrown open to the public on the tenth of October, 1878. Since the opening of the library some five hundred volumes have been purchased. Donations have been received from the ladies' circulating library of Hillsborough, and from the Union School library and from private individuals. Senator Thurman and Representative Dickey have favored the library with a large number of public documents, many of them of great interest and value. The number of persons now taking books is about four hundred, and is gradually increasing. The circulation of the books is under the control of Mr. Duffey, the librarian, and he has given general satisfaction, in his arduous position. It is the intention of the trustees to add, every year, from five hundred to one thousand volumes to the library. In time therewill be nothing of which the people of Hillsboro will be prouder than they will be of the public library."

The above sketch is from the pen of the late Prof. Henry S. Doggett and was published in the "History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio," in the year 1880. Owing to Prof. Doggett's activity in the founding of the library and his intimate association with its early operations, no more accurate sketch, and none more complete up to the time of its publication