The Liverpool Public Library, one of the first in the country, was first housed in a building in Duke Street and the Reference Library with over 8,000 books was opened to the public on 18th October, 1852. Eight years later, a Free Public Library and Museum were donated by William Brown, the street in which they were sited being named after him. During its initial year of operation the Public Library issued over 111,000 books. By its Jubilee year 1902-3, this had risen to over 600,000.