Contents: Extract from 'The civic frontier' by Bernard Barrett: chapter 24: Mechanics' institutes and town halls (1979). Extract from 'Men of yesterday' by Margaret Kiddle: p454-6 (1961). Information about mechanics' institutes in Victoria in the R.H.S.V. library (bibliography). Extract from 'Vision and realisation': local initiative: the technological schools of art 1869-90 / J. Docherty (1973). Advantages of mechanics' institutions: introductory lecture to the Port Phillip Mechanics' Institution / T.H. Osborne (1840). The mechanics': historical relics still in use (article 2001). Now part of our past (article 1985). 1000 mechanics' institutes across Victoria (article, Melbourne Observer, 23/8/2006 p14). 2 x article from The Weekly Times regarding the role of Mechanics' Institute Halls in local communities, 8 August 2007. Article from the Quadro: Monash Public Library Service newsletter winter 2002 regarding the Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria. SLV listing for the manuscript 'Mechanics Institute and schools of design in Victoria'. Excerpt from 'The Victorian statutes 1915' vol 7 index to acts p1509-1510. Excerpt from government gazette 1888 p67 including information on grants for free libraries and country museums. Excerpt from government gazette 1889 p18-21, 163, 2435 including regulations for grant distribution, horticultural society grants, free libraries and country museums. Article from The Age 21/5/2004 regarding the State's lack of funding to historical sites throughout the state, causing the buildings to be lost, featuring an image of the Wunghnu Institute. Article from The Star 12/3/2002 regarding the exhibition of images of Southern Gippsland Institutes at the Leongatha Mechanics' Institute. Order form for the book 'If the walls could speak: a social history of the Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria'. Articles in The News 23/6/1999 and the Sentinel Times 22/6/1999 regarding the revival of the Institutes in Victoria. Graphs showing the number of Institutes established in Victoria by decade from the 1830s-1920s and the growth of Institute numbers from 1840-1900. First report of the Library Committee 1861-2 in the Legislative Assembly. Essay 'Funding communal culture: opportunism and standardisation of funding for Mechanics' Institutes in colonial Victoria' by Donald Barker. Article from the Broadmeadows Observer 14/7/1993 giving a brief insight to the Mechanics' movement. Libraries Act 1958. Excerpt from 'Victorian Legislative Assembly index to Parliamentary papers etc. 1851-1909' p161. Information about Mechanics' Institutes in Victoria in RHSV library. List of grants given to Mechanics' Institutes from 1852-7. Library Association of Victoria questionaire. Excerpt from 'I recall: collections and recollections' by Croll p14-23. Article in the Melbourne Observer 23/8/2006 regarding the vast number of Institutes across the state. List of country Free Libraries. Cover of the annual report of the Free Library Service Board of Victoria 30/6/1949. Annual report of the Free Library Service Board of Victoria 33/6/1956. Review of 'If the walls could speak' in the Library History Journal vol 21, July 2005. Victorian list from 'Register of Libraries in Australia' (1963)..