H—32a

"0" OB HAMPER SERVICE In places where no library exists and when it is not possible for one to be formed and visited by the book-van, the service to properly established groups by means of travelling hampers has been continued. During the year, 38 groups received service and 21 were converted to " B " service and are now receiving visits from the book-van. REQUEST SERVICE All libraries, groups, lighthouses, and individuals who receive library service from the Country Library Service, and all Government Departments, can ask for special short-term loans of books of an informational type from the headquarters stock of this Service, and, in addition, the headquarters stock is used extensively to satisfy, interlibrary loan requests (see also the report of the Librarian, National Library Centre). During the year, 23,830 requests were received, of which 23,234 were filled, the majority from our stock ; 596 (2-5 per cent.) were not filled, either because the requested book was unobtainable or because the request was not within the scope of the Service — i.e., light fiction or non-fiction of an ephemeral kind. Figures show a continued increase :

Books requested and supplied

Books borrowed from other libraries throughout New Zealand were of great help in meeting requests ; 2,254 volumes were borrowed for libraries participating -in this Service, of which 480 volumes were lent by the General Assembly Library. To this and other libraries grateful acknowledgment is made for their help, without which the proportion of unfilled requests would have been higher. The subjects requested varied greatly, from technical books, periodicals, or information required by Government Departments, to books on floral decoration, dressmaking and sewing, boat-building, or child psychology for small public libraries. The request service for Government Departments, which was begun during the year, amost immediately began to assume large proportions. During the last seven weeks of the year (the first for which separate figures were kept) 346 of the satisfied requests were for Departments, and the service already shows signs of increasing further. POSTAL OR "D" SERVICE The service to people in really isolated places out of reach of an established library has continued to increase. Members include field cadets attached to Lincoln College but working in country districts, who are supplied with general reading on farming

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Year ended 31sfc March, 1947. 1948. Supplied— North Island .. South Island Total supplied Not supplied— North Island South Island Total not supplied 13,000 7,393 20,393 374 14,800 8,434 23,234 < 596 324 50 450 146 Total requests received 20,767 23,830