NEW PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8039, 29 January 1906, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY.

ANNUAL UKI'OIiT. The following report nnil balancesheet of the Public Library for the year ending December ;ilst, 11)05, will lie submitted at the annua! niectiiig to-night:— In submitting their :umiiul rcpoi-l, tlic Committee rcgivl to lind there lias been a falling (.IV in 1 lie number of subscribers during I !ii! past veal', till' number baring fallen from 280 to 21S, and tbe siibseril)lion.> from £l5O Us !)d to £121! 10s 2d. Despite tlie falling oil' in subscriptions, the linnnees of tbe Library lire in u fairly satisfactory condition. Tlie Committee began tbe year with a credit balance of £3(» 12s

Scl, against which there were outstanding liabilities amounting to ill). The credit balance at the en 1 of the year was £2O ltis 7d, against which there arc outstanding liabilities of about the same amount. This may be considered satisfactory in view of the fact that during the year, in addition to the heavy charges for new books and periodicals and general upkeep, the Com- | mittec havo compiled a new cataloguo at a cost of some £3O. The system of obtaining all new books in their original binding has answered satisfactorily. ' With the saving in the cost of binding effected, the Committee are enabled to purchase nine extra book# by each mail. As will be secu by the, attached statement of accounts, nearly the whole of the year's'receipts was spent iu the purchase of new books and periodicals and general upkeep, and being the aim of the Committeo as far as possible to spend the whole of the available income in providing additional books and attractions to the Library. There is now in the Library a total of 5779 volvmes, of which 433 were added during the year. The number of books taken out during the year was as follows •. —

1005. 100-1. Fiction 15,908 15,100 History and Biography 100 200 Geography and Travel 203 220 Miscellaneous 110 121 Total 1(5,380 15,914 The work of selecting the books to be ordered by each mail has fallen upon Mr Kelsey, and he has carried out the somewhat arduous d.-: : ,'s in an ade mann-ev, and the thrnks of the s.ibscribers arc duo to him for the trouble ho has taken. During the past month electric- light has been installed into the llead'ng llooin and Library. If finances permit it. the now Committee will have lo take into consideration the question of providing more up-to-date furniture for the Heading Room. There is without doubt need for considerable improvement in the latter, but with its limited income the committee has found diflieully in providing even most necessary articles. A set of by-laws has boon drafted by the committee, and will be submitted for the approval of the subscribers. The librarian, Miss Free, has given every satisfaction in the discharge of her duties, ;ud the custodian, Mr Drcwetl, lias boon very assiduous in attending to Ihe Heading Boom,

n.u.Axeii-siii'.KT. liecoipts.- -Cr. balance, December 31st, HKI-t, £3(i lis 3d ; subscriptions, £l2(i 10s 2d; Government subsidy £l7 Is !)d ; Borough subsidy, £SO; refund magazine subscription, (is lid. Total, £230 Us Id. Expenditure.—Salary, £00; printing, etc., £27; insurance, £3 7s ild; new hooks, periodicals and newspapers, £U9 7s9d; cr. balance, £2O 18s 7d. Total, £230 14s Id. The books arc insured for £SOO. The retiring committee is as fidlows :—Messrs K. Cock, T. O, Kcbcv, W. H. Skinner, W. A. Collin, .1. i\ Stolir, F. E. Wilson, C E. Bcllringor, and Hev, Woolley,