has to be
confessed, however, that the attendance, once the novelty had worn off,
was not sufficient to justify the expenditure of time and trouble which
was necessarily involved." {70}

Owing to ill-health Mr. Tennant, who had served the Library faithfully
for about 21 years, was compelled to vacate the office of Librarian in
1909, and light occupation was found for him in the capacity of
Superintendent of the Reading Room, which post he filled until his death
in August, 1911. He was succeeded as Librarian by the Sub-Librarian, Mr.
Haggerston, who resigned his appointment on 1st March, 1911. Following
Mr. Haggerston's resignation, the Committee advertised for a trained
librarian, and from 110 candidates the author of this History, who was
the Chief Assistant Librarian of the St. Pancras Public Libraries, and
who received his earlier training at the Bishopsgate Institute, was
appointed in May, 1911.

The administration of the Library for many years had, in the words of the
Report for 1909-10 "proceeded steadily on the old lines," and when the
present Librarian took office his first duty was to present a
comprehensive report to the Committee on the condition of the Library,
and to make suggestions for its re-organisation on up-to-date methods of
library administration. The Report was approved in principle, and since
that date the work of re-organisation has proceeded as rapidly as the
conditions have allowed.

The work of re-organisation may be briefly described. The rules and
regulations for the conduct and management of all departments of the
Library were revised with the view of affording additional facilities to
the public. Structural alterations were made for the better lighting and
arrangement of the Lending Library, and improvements were made in the
electric lighting of the several departments.

The condition of the Lending Library was especially serious. The Library
had been in existence for over half a century, and the stock of books had
never been subjected to a thorough overhauling, so that there were
accumulations of old, useless and worn-out books, while numerous standard
works on various branches of knowledge were not in the Library. The work
of re-organisation was done systematically, class by class. First the
useless books were discarded, and new standard and popular books were
added. The class was then closely classified according to the Dewey
System of Classification, and catalogued. As co