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THE FIRST BOOK known to have been printed at Sheffield did not appear until 1736. Not even the most fervent upholder of local pride and tradition could claim that this is particularly early. There was, of course, no printing at Sheffield resembling that which occurred at certain provincial towns before 1557, when the Charter granted to the Stationers' Company practically put an end to printing in England outside London, Oxford and Cambridge.

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND has three copies of the first quarto (dated 1676) of Sir George Etherege's The Man of Mode, one of the finest and most successful of Restoration comedies. One of these is a prompt copy, a good specimen, prepared with professional skill and thoroughness. It deserves notice for the information which it provides about Restoration stage practice, and for the connexion which it may have with a somewhat obscure episode in the history of the King's Company.

“FORMAL classes on how to use a library would be an insult to the intelligence of the student.” This was an extreme reply mentioned in the Report of the Committee on Libraries, with reference to a questionnaire to academic staff about instruction in library use. This view of the teaching activities of librarians with students must be familiar to all librarians whether they are concerned with formal teaching activities or not. Nevertheless it is suggested that, in the current climate of change in the nature of sixth form studies, and the need for bibliographic training as part of a general education leading to informed library users in the academic and professional world, there is now a strong case for an examined course of study at “A” level G.C.E. incorporating the principles of bibliographical knowledge for users.