in the urban areas outside the boroughs. Becoming a public library authority was another extension of their authority. In 1866, an amending Act was passed which eliminated entirely the population limit and replaced the two-thirds majority previously required for adoption with a simple majority. It also allowed neighbouring parishes to combine with an existing or potential library authority. This Act covered Scotland, England and Wales and in 1867 another Act was passed in Scotland to amend and consolidate it, which established a form of library committee composed of a maximum of twenty members, of which half were to be members of the council and the other half to be selected by the council from householders. Legacy The Public Library Acts of 1855 and 1866 were the last to be advanced by William Ewart, who retired in 1868. He had made great efforts to promote the public library system in Great Britain and perhaps his greatest achievement was the complete elimination of the population limits, as it allowed even very small towns or parishes to set up a public library. It was later found that this could present a problem, as many public libraries were established by library authorities that did not in fact have enough money to run a library satisfactorily. Despite the rise in the level of tax public libraries could levy, it was still very difficult for boroughs to raise enough capital to fund new libraries. The growth of the public library movement in the wake of the 1850 Act relied heavily on the donations of philanthropists such as Andrew Carnegie, John Passmore Edwards and Henry Tate. See also Public library Public Libraries Act References Citations General and cited references LISU (2009). Number of Libraries. Accessed April 12, 2010. McMenemy, D. (2009). The Public Library London: FACET Kelly, Thomas, (1973). History of Public Libraries in Great Britain 1845-1965 London: Library Association Kelly, T & Kelly, E (1977). Books for the People: an illustrated history of the British Public Library London: Andre Deutsch Max, Stanley M. (1984). "Tory Reaction to the Public Libraries Bill, 1850." Journal of Library History (1984): 504-524. in JSTOR Minto, J (1932). History of the Public Library Movement in Great Britain and Ireland London: Library Association Murison, W J (1971). The Public Library: its origins, purpose and significance (2nd ed), London: Harrap Sturges, P. (1996). "Conceptualizing the public library 1850–1919". In: Kinnell, M. and Sturges,