CHAPTER IX
The free public libraries in London and its suburbs are of quite recent growth. They usually comprise a central library for each parish, containing reference and lending departments, with reading-rooms for newspapers, and magazines. Many of the larger parishes have, in addition, branch lending libraries and news-rooms, the provision found necessary being, roughly, one library to each 60,000 or 70,000 inhabitants.
The purchase of suitable sites, where ground is so valuable, has been matter of much difficulty, and consequently many of the buildings are not so large or well-arranged as they would have been if greater choice of location had been possible. The libraries described in this and the following chapter comprise examples of successful planning under many difficulties, and may be taken as fairly representative of the whole. Plans are here given of buildings erected upon corner sites, both square and of varying angles; and of others erected upon enclosed
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