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A survey of the bacteriological quality of pre‐packed sandwiches on sale in the UK is reported. A total of 91 sandwiches, of which 46 had been on display at ambient temperature, were analysed. Total viable counts were high: 38 per cent of all sandwiches had counts greater than 10⊃7. Coliforms were isolated from 37 per cent of the samples and at levels greater than 10⊃7 in 10 per cent. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from 17 per cent of all sandwiches. Sandwiches that had been on display at ambient temperature had higher total viable counts and were more likely to contain listeria (28 per cent compared to 7 per cent for those stored at chilled temperatures). A small follow‐up study of sandwich ingredients found high counts in salad. The significance to the public health of the high contamination rate by listeria is unclear. Nevertheless, it would seem appropriate to ensure that sandwiches are always adequately refrigerated.

Reports on a study of the bacteriological and mycological quality of 87 prepared salads purchased from delicatessens. Bacterial counts were generally low. Of the 87 salads, only 19 per cent had plate counts greater than 10⁴ organisms/g. Coliforms were isolated from three samples, E. coli from one and Listeria monocytogenes from one. By contrast yeasts were isolated from 76 per cent of the salads and at counts greater than 10⁴ organisms/g in 31 per cent. Twenty‐one different yeast species were isolated, of which the commonest were Saccharomyces dairensis and Saccharomyces exiguus. Few of the yeasts have any significant role in human disease. The commonest yeasts isolated, however, are associated with spoilage of mayonnaise‐based salads. Their isolation from these foods suggests inadequate temperature control.

MUCH has already been said and written upon the subject of the indicator: but in view of the general trend of advanced Public Library administration a little space may with advantage be devoted again to the consideration of its value as a modern library appliance. Passing over (a) the decision of that curiously constituted committee formed in 1879 to consider and report on indicators, and (b) the support which it received in 1880 from the Library Association, it may be said that for the next fourteen or fifteen years the indicator system was the popular, almost the universal, system in vogue throughout the country. Of late years professional opinion as to its value has undergone a remarkable change. The reaction which has set in was brought about chiefly by the introduction of Open Access in 1894, with the many reforms that accompanied it, though much, doubtless, was due to the prevalence of a more exact and systematic knowledge of librarianship, and to the natural evolution of ideas. It is not, however, intended in this paper to compare the indicator with the open access system, but with others suitable to the requirements of a closed library.

A television comic announces a satiric Golden Fleece Award for the faux pas of some government official. The San Diego Chicken hams it up in the stands of the baseball park. A Swiss mime troupe advertises the services of a communications corporation. All these may be more familiar to young people today than is a circus clown. These and other entertainers are all in the business of laughter and provide commentaries on current society.

Presents a short study of the evolution of public libraries in Liverpool, especially as a major contribution to the civic culture of the Victorian city. Provides a brief survey of the availability of reading materials before William Ewart and the idea of the public library emerged after 1850. Outlines Liverpool’s pioneering progress in this field, beginning in 1852, and culminating in its “Brown Library” (1860), and its “Picton Library” (1879). Also provides a history of Liverpool’s Branch Libraries, fostered by the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. Concludes with references to W.E. Gladstone as a promoter of the nation‐wide movement for public libraries.

Granada TV's recent blockbuster whodunnit ‘Prime Suspect’ held missions of viewers spellbound, yet it's likely that only those in the paint industry will have recognised the pun in the title. The principal suspect George Marlow, chillinglly portrayed by John Bowe, worked for a paint company (hence the ‘prime’ connection), the location being provided by Manchester manufacturer, H Marcel Guest.

MANY and sundry are the worries which fall to the lot of the librarian, and the matter of book‐repair is not the least among them. The very limited book‐fund at the disposal of most public library authorities makes it imperative on the part of the librarian to keep the books in his charge in circulation as long as possible, and to do this at a comparatively small cost, in spite of poor paper, poor binding, careless repairing, and unqualified assistants. This presents a problem which to some extent can be solved by the establishment of a small bindery or repairing department, under the control of an assistant who understands the technique of bookbinding.

In 1899 the medical practitioners of Dublin were confronted with an outbreak of a peculiar and obscure illness, characterised by symptoms which were very unusual. For want of a better explanation, the disorder, which seemed to be epidemic, was explained by the simple expedient of finding a name for it. It was labelled as “beri‐beri,” a tropical disease with very much the same clinical and pathological features as those observed at Dublin. Papers were read before certain societies, and then as the cases gradually diminished in number, the subject lost interest and was dropped.

EVERY librarian in his inmost heart dislikes newspapers. He regards them as bad literature; attractors of undesirable readers; a drain upon the limited resources of the library; and a target against which the detractors of public libraries are constantly battering. From the standpoint of the librarian, newspapers are the most expensive and least productive articles stocked by a library, and their lavish provision is, perhaps, the most costly method of purchasing waste‐paper ever devised. Pressure of circumstances and local conditions combine, however, to muzzle the average librarian, and the consequence is that a perfectly honest and outspoken discussion of the newspaper question is very rarely seen. In these circumstances, an attempt to marshal the arguments for and against the newspaper, together with some account of a successful practical experiment at limitation, may prove interesting to readers of this magazine.