LIBRARY CENSUS

Evening Star, Issue 23352, 23 August 1939, Page 3

LIBRARY CENSUS

, TRENDS IN DOMINION The results of the census of libraries taken in the Dominion last year are summarised in the latest monthly Abstract of Statistics and disclose some interesting facts. The library censuses of 1921 and 1926 covered public libraries only. The 1938 census endeavoured to cover also libraries of professional societies, Government departments, university colleges, and secondary schools. The following s'ummarv covers public libraries for 1921-38; for 1906-1916 certain semipublic libraries are included

The increase in the number ot libraries is understated, as, because of the amalgamation of adjoining boroughs or town districts, formerly independent libraries became merely branches of central libraries. During the recent depression some small, rural libraries went out of existence; possibly the development of radio broadcasting and the new proprietary bookclubs were not without some effect. Probably t the number of volumes in relation to population is the better index of the development of library facilities, and here the growth is definitely marked. Tho total number of public libraries in the Dominion is given as 401 and the total number of volumes as 1,040,051. Public libraries contained 435,622 reference and 1,398.147 lending volumes, as well as 106,882 volumes in junior divisions. Omitting junior volumes they may be classified as —fiction, 1,120,190; non-fiction, 713,579. The proportion of non-fiction is higher in the larger libraries than_ in the smaller. Libraries of professional societies, Government departments and educational institutions are mainly reference and non-fiction.,

Issues during 1937-38 from public libraries comprised: Fiction, 4,391,413; non-fiction, 985,720; junior 604,637; total, 6,356,573 (inclusive of eases where only total issues wore known). The number of issues is understated, as a number of libraries (chiefly among the smaller) could not furnish even a reasonable accurate estimate.

O . ‘C II s x> £*9 5 x 3 _ I i 5 — £75 1906 3W 32.770 367,841 886,000 1911 ... 358 31.221 863.878 1,005,589 1916 404 33,034 967,465 1,096,328 1921 ... 42! 60,441 1.133,079 1,314,677 1926 435 63,403 1,266,892 1.344,469 1938 401 114,180 1,940,651 1,517,713