The County Borough Council of Limerick takes great pride in its Public Free Library, which serves as a valuable resource for the community. In this report, we present the library’s performance for the months of May and June in 1905, highlighting the number of visitors, books turned over, borrowers enrolled, fines collected, and sales made during this period. As the Librarian, M Hogan, and Chairman, James Frost, along with other officials, have diligently compiled and presented this data, we aim to showcase the library’s achievements and contributions to the people of Limerick.

The library is not only a place for book lovers but also a hub for knowledge seekers and a center for learning. With its extensive Reference Library and well-stocked Lending Library, it caters to a diverse range of interests and age groups. Moreover, the library actively promotes literacy and encourages readership through various initiatives and events.

As we delve into the report’s details, we hope to shed light on the library’s impact on the community and its efforts to foster a culture of reading and learning. The commitment of the County Borough Council and its officials to provide a quality library service is evident in the figures and data presented here. Through this report, we also acknowledge the valuable contributions of the library’s patrons, borrowers, and visitors, who have made it a vibrant and thriving center of knowledge.

Let us now delve into the numbers and statistics that exemplify the success of the County Borough Council’s Public Free Library for the months of May and June in 1905.

LIBRARY RETURN for the Months of May and June 1905

Reference Library:

• Number of visitors in May: 8,733
• Number of visitors in June: 6,714
• Number of books turned over in May: 555
• Number of books turned over in June: 481

Lending Library:

• Number of borrowers enrolled in May: 11
• Number of borrowers enrolled in June: 10
• Number of books turned over in May: 1,951
• Number of books turned over in June: 1,701

Fines:

• Persons fined for retention of books in May: 337, totaling £3 1s
• Persons fined for retention of books in June: 278, totaling £2 9s 7d
• One person fined for damage to books in May: 6d

Sales:

• Catalogues sold in May: 7, totaling 3s 6d
• Catalogues sold in June: 3, totaling 1s 6d
• Borrowers’ tickets sold in May: 12, totaling 1s
• Borrowers’ tickets sold in June: 12, totaling 1s 6d
• Proceeds of sales of newspapers, periodicals, etc in May: 2s 5d
• Proceeds of sales of newspapers, periodicals, etc in June: 4s 7d

Amount Handed to Treasurer:

• May: £3 8s 6d
• June: £2 16s 8d

Signed by:
M Hogan, Librarian
Dated 20th June 1905

Submitted at a meeting of Committee on 29th June 1995
James Frost, Chairman
M Hogan, Librarian
Dated 27th July 1905

Submitted at a meeting of Committee on 27th July 1905
M Joyce, Mayor, Chairman

By order,
W M NOLAN, Town Clerk, Hon. Sec.

Limerick Echo – Tuesday 08 August 1905