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In some ways the popularity of John Fowles is surprising. His two best‐sellers, The Magus and The French Lieutenant's Woman, exemplify strengths and weaknesses unusual in so widely‐read a writer. His virtues shade into his faults. His uncompromising determination to write the kind of novel that interests him, regardless of the expectations of his readership, has made each of his books excitingly distinct but is less happily reflected in a frequent lack of concern for his reader's interests — or, indeed, interest. Again his pre‐occupation with ideas — though admirable as the manifestation of an intellectuality rare among British novelists — occasionally leads him to incorporate them somewhat indigestibly into his novels. His worst faults derive from these ambivalent virtues: a lack of humour, stylistic carelessness, the subordination of characters to ideas, and a tendency to didacticism of tone and content.

THE Reference Department of Paisley Central Library today occupies the room which was the original Public Library built in 1870 and opened to the public in April 1871. Since that date two extensions to the building have taken place. The first, in 1882, provided a separate room for both Reference and Lending libraries; the second, opened in 1938, provided a new Children's Department. Together with the original cost of the building, these extensions were entirely financed by Sir Peter Coats, James Coats of Auchendrane and Daniel Coats respectively. The people of Paisley indeed owe much to this one family, whose generosity was great. They not only provided the capital required but continued to donate many useful and often extremely valuable works of reference over the many years that followed. In 1975 Paisley Library was incorporated in the new Renfrew District library service.

The “greening” of preserved vegetables by addition of sulphate of copper can only be regarded as an abominable form of adulteration, and it is passing strange that in this year of grace 1904 it should still be necessary to endeavour to impress the fact, not only upon the public generally, but upon the Government authorities and upon those who are concerned in the administration of the Food Acts and in adjudicating under their provisions. It ought surely not to be necessary to insist upon the tolerably obvious fact that the admixture of poisons with food is a most reprehensible and dangerous practice, and that the deliberate preparation and sale of food thus treated should be visited with condign punishment. The salts of copper are highly poisonous, and articles of food to which sulphate of copper has been added are not only thereby rendered injurious to health, but may be extremely dangerous when swallowed by persons who happen to be specially susceptible to the effects of this poison. After a lengthy investigation, the Departmental Committee appointed by the Local Government Board to report on the treatment of food with preservatives and colouring matters condemned the practice of adding salts of copper to food and recommended that the use of these poisons for such purposes should be absolutely prohibited. Without any such investigation as that which was conducted by the Departmental Committee—and a most thorough and painstaking investigation it was—it should have been sufficiently plain that to allow or to excuse the practice in question are proceedings utterly at variance with common sense.

THE “power of the Press” is infinite in almost everything, and none the less in Public Library Administration. In addition to notices of important accessions to the Library, reports of library lectures, paragraphs on every happening with the object of keeping the institution constantly in the public eye the idea of contributing special “publicity” articles to the local newspapers may be worthy of general consideration.

LIBRARIANS in Britain stand at the threshold of great possibilities. Having passed through the ages of the ecclesiastical library, the rich collector's private library, the academic institutional library, and the rate‐supported public library—all general libraries —they have reached the age of the special library. The next will be that of the co‐ordinated, co‐operative library service.

This column inaugurates a new facet of the coverage of reference materials contained in RSR: the inclusion of sections devoted to reviews of useful reference books published around the world. Inasmuch as RSR's emphasis is on American reference sources and American libraries, the titles selected for evaluation were chosen on the basis of their appeal and relevance to libraries both in the U.S. and in other countries.

The Northfleet Group of Gravesend, Kent — UK market leaders in retail display systems — has appointed Gary B. Pettit to head the company's projects division as major accounts manager. This is a new position within the group which is aimed at the continued expansion and development of the division in serving the company's multiple retail and wholesale outlets. In this capacity, Mr Pettit reports directly to the sales director and leads a team of four managers and a further 16 sales and administrative personnel.

^∗ Indicates books which are especially recommended.