Early British Public Library Annual Reports: Then and Now Part II

Abstract

Abstract This article continues the study of public library annual reports which commenced in the previous issue of this journal (vol. 20, no. 3, November 2004, pp. 223–38). This second paper assesses the value and contemporary importance of the reports in the expansion of the public library movement, considering criticisms from both then and now. It is suggested that these documents should be of wider significance than just as sources for historians of libraries.