GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23108, 26 August 1940, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY

WORK DURING YEAR f THE PRESS Special Service! WELLINGTON, August 25. Difflcultes of exchange and other war restrictions resulted in less freedom in purchasing books abroad for the General Assembly Library, according to the annual report of the chief librarian (Dr.- G. H. Scholefield). As in the previous year, the tendency was to get a larger proportion of the books in New Zealand. There were other effects of the outbreaks of war. There was, for instance, a considerable alternation in the policy of book selection; many books which were of interest in prewar months suddenly lost favour and gave place to a demand for quite a different class of literature. Another effect was a considerable demand for maps and reference books dealing’ with each of the countries as they became involved in the war. The library was able to meet most of the demands in this direction, both from members of Parliament and the services. “The fine collection of maps and charts which has been built up in the last few years was found of very great value,” the report continued. “This collection includes the official maps and charts of the British Ordnance Survey, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the U.S. Hydrographic Office, and the corresponding departments m Canada and the Australian Commonwealth.

Surplus Books for Troops

Advantage was taken of the demand for reading mailer for the troops on active service to make a complete overhaul of fiction stock, and this resulted in 9G5 volumes, all in fit condition for reading, being transferred to the Country Library Service for the use of the troops. The stocktaking also made it possible to bring together in one place most of the library’s collection of standard English-literature, in which the General Assembly Library is particularly strong. The great use made of the archive material assembled in the library, the report states, encouraged the hope that in the near future some steps might be taken to place this branch on a more satisfactory basis. The extra rooms which had been made available through the removal of the Health* Department to new premises had enabled another redistribution of the book stock to be made, which it was hoped would meet requirements for some years to come. On the financial side the year ended with a credit balance of £SB 4s 2d.