GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR 1914-15.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1915 Session I, H-32

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1915. NEW ZEALAND.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR 1914-15.

Laid on the Table by Leave of the House.

The Chief Librarian to the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee. Sir, — I have the honour to submit the following report for the year 1914-15 : — Recess Library Committee. The Recess Library Committee, under the chairmanship of Sir William Hall-Jones, K.C.M.G., M.L.C., held three meetings during the recess. Lists of books suggested for order were brought before the Committee by the Chief Librarian and duly considered. Recess Privileges. The number of privilege permits issued to non-members during the recess was 415, as against 439 in 1913-14; the number of volumes lent to ordinary recess-privilege holders being 3,945, as against 3,642 issued during the recess 1913-14. This number does not include the volumes lent to persons whose names are on the full-privilege lists, such as the members of the Governor's staff, the Judges, and the officers of the House. As usual, no fiction was issued save to persons on the full-privilege list. The following is a list of the occupations of those to whom ordinaryprivilege permits were issued : Actuaries, 4 ; agents, 4 ; architects, 2 ; artists, 2; art dealer, 1 ; bank officials, 6 ; bookseller, 1 : butcher, 1 ; bootmakers, 2 ; City Council employee, 1; chemists, 2 ; Civil servants, 100; civil engineers, 4; clergymen, 13; clerks, 21; domestic duties, 37; doctor, 1; drapers, 2; electrician, 1; gardener, 1 ; Government employees (other than Civil servants), 26 ; hairdressers, 2 ; Inspector of Schools, 1; journalists, 7 ; lawyers, 15 ; machinists, 3 ; masseur, 1; managers, secretaries, &c, 12; merchants, 4; military officers, 2; musicians, 4; Native Land Court Judge, 1 ; painter, 1 ; photographers, 3 ; private means, 4; settlers and settlers' wives, 66; shorthand reporters and typists, 8; school-teachers, 23; students, 19; tailoress, 1; visitors to Wellington, 2 ; warehousemen, 2. Classes of Works favoured by Permit-holders. The classes of works mainly favoured by privilege-holders were biography, science, history, voyages and travels, poetry, and essays, in the above order. I have nothing to complain of in the way the books have been treated by borrowers. Additions to the Library. The Accessions List for the year 1914-15, copies of which have been issued to members of both Houses, includes all books and publications added to the Library and catalogued during the period 7th June, 1914, to 3rd May, 1915, the number being 3,521, as against 2,652 in an almost equal period 1913-14, and 2,647 for the period 1912-13. Between the 3rd May and the date of the opening of Parliament (24th June) 879 more publications have been catalogued, making a grand total of 4,400 books from the 7th June, 1914, to the 24th June, 1915. Although, by reason of the war, the publication of many important works has been postponed, it will be found that the accessions for the year include a large number of exceptionally interesting and valuable books. Special attention has been paid to literature dealing with the war, duplicate copies having been provided in many instances where the works were of such a character as to render it probable they would be in special demand. A large number of works, new and old, dealing with the history of the countries affected, and more particularly with their political and military history, will also be found among the accessions. Amongst the important works of reference added during the year will be found a full set (sixty-three volumes) of the " Proceedings of the Scottish Historical Society." Another notable addition to the Library is a set of the'English '-Law Times Reports" from 1904 to the present year. We are now receiving these reports regularly, and they will be bound as the various volumes are completed.

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Attention having been drawn last session to the fact that the Library received no Canadian newspapers, arrangements were made for a regular supply of two leading Canadian journals, the Toronto Globe and the Vancouver Daily Province. The London Daily Chronicle has been substituted for the London Daily News, and the Law Times, Country Life, and the Japan Magazine have also been added to the periodical lists. Several interesting war-maps have been purchased and mounted on calico and hung in the Library. The Staff and its Work. In May last Mr. A. B. Thomson, for over seventeen years a valued member of the Library staff, retired from the Government service on superannuation, and has since left for the Old Country. Mr. Thomson was always a capable, industrious, and obliging officer, and he will be much missed by members and all who use the Library. Mr. Thomson has been succeeded by Mr. J. C. Andersen, for many years an officer of the Lands and Survey Department in Christehurch. The various members of the staff have worked well during the year. A large number of books have been repaired and rebound by the Library binder. Stock-taking. The stock-taking has been continued on the system outlined by me in my report of 1.913, under which stock-taking proceeds each recess, two different classes being dealt with each year. This year the two classes overhauled have been 000, Bibliography and Periodicals, and 100, Philosophy. The result is as follows : Class 000—Books missins?, none ; class 100—books missing, 6. In 1913, the previous time these classes were dealt with, the losses were —Class 000, nine volumes; class 100, thirteen volumes. It will be seen by the above that six works from the Philosophy section have gone astray since 1913, but it is quite possible that most of these will be returned to the Library in some roundabout way. Nothing is missing in 000 class since 1913. The result of the stock-taking is, in my opinion, to be considered satisfactory, in view of the fact that these works are housed in a stack-room where a complete check on the persons passing through cannot be kept. The twenty-two books set out on the 1913 list as missing from these sections are, I am afraid, to be accounted permanently lost. It is a somewhat curious fact that the majority of the works on the missing list in class 100 (Philosophy, &c.) are books dealing with spiritualism, psychic phenomena, and cognate subjects. These books must have been removed from the, Library without being entered in the ledgers provided for registration purposes. Whether clairvoyance or some other psychic process could be usefully employed in discovering the whereabouts of these volumes, and, what is of equal importance, the identity of the careless or dishonest persons who have raided this particular section, I am not, unfortunately, prepared to say. The Space Problem. In my last year's report 1 directed the attention of the Committee to the overcrowding of certain rooms, and as a result of my recommendations a sub-committee was set up which reported in favour of some alterations and additions. The matter was brought under the notice of the Government, but nothing has been done. Owing to the war and the necessity for economy being exercised in the State Departments I have not pressed the matter. Certain sets of books, not in common use, have been removed to the stack-rooms and to the basement, and space has thus been made for additions. Although for the present it may be desirable to make shift with the existing accommodation, I should not like to see the necessary alterations and additions indefinitely postponed, and when once the war has come to its much-desired end J trust the Committee will make new representations to the Government on this subject. Books kor the Troopships, In accordance with permission granted me by the Joint Library Committee last year the fiction class was liberally weeded out, some 1,300 volumes of more or iess old novels being removed from the shelves and placed on the, troopships in the proportion of 100 volumes to each ship. It being represented to me that the Trentham Camp Library was requiring books, 150 volumes were sent there on the authorization of the Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones, K.C.M.G., M.L.C., Chairman of the Recess Library Committee. Miscellaneous. In accordance with the rule laid down by the Committee in 1913, copies of the Library rules, with lists of the persons entitled to full and limited sessional privileges, were placed in members' boxes within four days from the opening of Parliament. I hope to be able to send out monthly Accession Lists of new books. These will serve as supplements to the usual annual List of Accessions, and will, I think, prove very useful to members. The necessity for new furniture in the sociology and smoking rooms is self-apparent. I hope that by next session this matter will be attended to. I have to tender my thanks to the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee, G. J. Anderson, Esq., M.P., and to the Chairman of the Recess Library Committee, the Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones, K.C.M.G., M.L.C., each of whom has devoted much attention to the control of Library matters during the year ; also to the High Commissioner and his staff. The Library orders for books and periodicals purchased in London have received every attention from Messrs. Sotheran and Co. and Messrs. Street and Co. Library Accounts. In an appendix will be found the Library balance-sheet for the year ended 31st March, 1915, with a copy of the Auditor's certificate. I have, &c., Charlks Wilson, Chief Librarian.

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APPENDIX. Balance-sheet for the Year ended the 31st March, 1915. Receipts. Expenditure. £ s. d. 1914. £ s. d. Higli Commissioner's imprests for books March 31. Balance at the Bank of New and periodicals .. .. .. 363 18 6 1915. Zealand .. .. 585 16 9 I Books and periodicals purohased locally.. 248 8 3 January. Treasury— American periodicals, newspapers, &c. .. 13 10 6 Private Bill fees .. .. 70 0 0 Second-hand and other books bought at Annual grant .. .. 600 0 0 auction sales .. .. .. 512 0 Stamp imprest refund .. 15 0 0 Fire insurance .. .. .. 18 0 0 Extra newspapers, advertising, &e. .. 14 13 2 Sundry small accounts .. .. 7 410 • : Stamp imprest .. .. .. 15 0 0 Balance at Bank of New Zealand .. 584 9 6 £1,270 16 9 £1,270 16 9 Copy of Auditor's Certificate. Account to the 31st March, 1915, has been examined and found correct, and the balance as shown, plus outstanding cheque, is found to coincide with the bank pass-book. R. J. Collins, Controller and Auditor-General. Note. — The balance shown at the end of the financial year (£584 9s. 6d.) will probably be exhausted (in meeting current accounts and commitments) before the receipt of this year's grant. Charles Wilson, Chief Librarian.

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