H—32A

In January, 1947, the Library School will give a short refresher course for librarians of small public libraries. As early as possible short refresher courses will be planned also for Government departmental librarians and for school librarians. The 1947 professional course will begin on 10th February and close in December. Administratively the Library School is now a Division of the National Library Service. It is also a joint undertaking of the New Zealand and the United States Governments, since the Director of the Library School is the Director of the United States Information Library in Wellington, who has been seconded for part time by the United States Government, upon request of the New Zealand Government, to direct this School. In return the New Zealand Government has seconded to the United States Information Library in Wellington a full-time clerical worker and a part-time professional librarian, SECTION lII.—NATIONAL LIBRARY CENTRE Report by the Librarian: Mr. A. G. Bagn all INTER-LIBRARY LOAN The scheme has now been operating for two complete years, and the following table shows the growth of the service : 1945. 1946. Number of inter-loan cards received .. .. .. .. 1,735 3,029* Number of items located before the issue of Book Resources — (a) From Country Library Service stock .. .. .. 860 1,428 (b) From Union Catalogue records .. .. .. .. 103 232 (c) From other Wellington libraries .. .. .. .. 295 522 Number of items which had appeared previously on Book Resources and were on order .. .. .. .. .. 14 17 Number rejected (outside scope or having insufficient data) .. 37 84 Number of items remaining not supplied from Wellington .. .. 426 74fr Total number of items appearing on Book Resources .. .. 712 1,172 Number located through Book Resources .. .. .. 288 929 Number of items requested by Country Library Service .. .. 286 426 The increase in the number of inter-loan cards received amounts to 75 per cent.,, while the subsidiary figures have increased proportionately. The number of items obtained from Wellington libraries in excess of those found in the Union Catalogue emphasizes the need for the completion of this catalogue. The outstanding increase in the number of titles located through Book Resources, 929, as against 288 for the previous years, is accounted for by the increased number of libraries co-operating and the wider range of title requested. Inter-library loan requests show already an increase over the figures to 31st March, 1946. UNION CATALOGUE The Union Catalogue, in which accessions to the stock of the major libraries havenow been recorded for six years, is becoming increasingly useful beyond the location of inter-library loan requests ; 15,000 cards were added during the year. The inclusion of catalogue entries before 1941 is still a vital necessity. The Carnegie Corporation of New York, which had agreed to supply micro-filming equipment to the New Zealand Library Association in 1941 for this purpose, has reaffirmed its intention to assist, but the equipment is not yet available. UNION LIST OF SERIALS Work is proceeding on the union list of serials under the supervision of the editor,. Mr. John Harris, of Otago University. From the additional information obtained after the issue of the check-list a supplement was published in 1945 covering scientific and technical serials. It is hoped to merge into the general sequence all information obtained from the check-list issue before handing the union list over to the custody of the National Library Centre at the end of the year.

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