H—32a

patients the number of books available is on the basis of one book per patient. The allocation may be increased for smaller hospitals. The request service is also available to hospitals under this scheme. One collection of 100 books is at present on loan to a library administering hospital service. Assistance has so far been offered to hospitals only through public libraries which can provide librarians to administer or supervise the service to patients and which will make available their own book stock at least to the extent of request service. Provision of accommodation for the housing of books, and book trolleys, is considered as the responsibility of the hospital. Since the Hospital Board and borough rating areas are not the same, it is reasonable for Hospital Boards to contribute an annual sum to the library either for books or librarian's salary, and this policy has been recommended to Boards. Where it is not possible for the library to provide full staffing for hospital service, co-operation with local organizations such as the Red Cross Society is a satisfactory way of organizing the circulation of books in hospitals. Training in hospital librarianship has continued through a seminar at the Library School in 1947, and lectures to librarians attending the short course at the School in 1948. Nine mental hospitals were visited during the year. Four of these are now receiving book collections from this Service, on the basis approximately of one book for two patients. The books are selected to suit the special needs of this type of patient, and are exchanged every four months. To these four institutions, 1,450 books are on loan, and four more institutions have been offered similar service. One mental hospital uses the request service, but has no library accommodation for an exchange collection. A further six prisons (including one Borstal and one women's reformatory) have been visited. Book collections are now being sent to seven institutions, and are exchanged every four months. Altogether 1,175 books are out on loan, and the request service is used in addition. Service has been offered to five more prisons. Statistics show that the average number of books issued to each inmate was about thirty a year, with an average non-fiction proportion of 25 per cent. BOOK STOCK During the year additions to stock were 44,621 volumes —16,612 fiction and 28,009 non-fiction. Withdrawals were 8,699 —7,804 fiction and 895 non-fiction —making net additions 35,922. The adult stock of the Service now stands at 243,990, made up of 85,766 fiction and 158,224 non-fiction. At 31st March, 1948, stock of the children's section was 212,464, making a grand total of all stock of 456,454 volumes. Difficulty in obtaining books from overseas has continued, but is decreasing. The very great assistance given by overseas agencies of the New Zealand Government in securing publications for the Service is acknowledged. SECTION lI.—LIBRARY SCHOOL Report by the Acting-Director: Miss N. Bateson In February, 1948, Miss Mary Parsons, who was Director of the School from its beginning in 1946, returned to the United States, and Miss Nora Bateson was appointed Acting-Director. During the third year of its existence the Library School completed the second course for training professional librarians, held the second short course for librarians and assistants from small public libraries, opened the third professional course, and recruited students for the first of two short professional courses which will be offered in 1948 and 1949 to librarians who had completed the General Training Course of the New Zealand Library Association before 31st March, 1948.

8