THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 294, 21 January 1910, Page 7

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

' ANNUAL REPORT. I The annual meeting of subscribers to tile New Plymouth Public Library will ■be held in the Town Mall this evening, when the following report will be pre- ! seated by tiie committee: ; In submitting the annual balancej sheet we have pleasure, in accordance with the usual custom, of making a brief survey of th.-. year's work. SUBSCRIBERS. The number of subscribers at Ist January, 1909, was: Yearly 101), ha'fyearly 'Jo, quarterly 54 —a total of 25(5. i)n the 31st December, lilfll), the numuer was: Yearly 144, naif-yearly 72, quarterly 47 —a total of 203. Jin the hope of increasing the number of suuseribers and popularising the library, the committee considerably reduced the subscription from the Ist January, 1.00!). The result was entirely disappointing, there being actually less new members at the reduced rate than there had been at the higher rate. There was eons'e'quently a falling-ofV in revenue, anil t'le committee were compelled to revert i back to the old charge. j FINANCE. 1 The committee began the year with a debit balance of, .€43 5s Id, this somew'liat large deficit having arisen through causes which were explained in the la-it annual report. During the year ific committee found that the limvnces wergetting worse, and in June a subcommittee was- appointed to consider the question and to report what savings ' could be effected. As a result it was' found necessary to dispense, with the office of assistant librarian, the librarian doing tiie whole of the work, this necessitating a return to the old hours. Economies were effected in every way possible, with the result that at the end of the year the accounts show a credit balance of €4 13s. The balancesheet is attached hereto. LIBRARY BOOKS. There are now in the library a total of 7052 volunie-s, of which 224 were added during the year,_ as against 333 added during the previous year. Tne number of books taken out. during the year was as follows: —History and biography, 202; geography and travel, 220; science, 37; poetry and fine arts, (j; fiction, 10,382; essays and miscellaneous, 129—a'total of 10,982. A new rule was adopted during the year whereby btina fide visitors to the district were permitted to borrow books on leaving a deposit of 2s 6d and paying 3d 3or the use of each volume taken out by them. SELECTION COMMITTEE. During the year the subscribers' representatives were appointed to select the books' to be ordered, and they have carried out their duties in an able manner. The thanks of the subscribers are due to them for the trouble they have taken. I STAFF, j The librarian (Miss Free) and the custodian (Mr. Ford) have given every satisfaction in the discharge of their duties.

COMMITTEE. During the year Mr. Ilutehen resigned his seat°on the committee, Mr. H. EyreKenny being appointed to fill his place. MUSEUM. At the end of the year the Borough Council passed a resolution placing tne Museum under tiie control of the Librai'y Committee, and it is the intention of the committee tp remove a few of the more valuable exhibits into the Carnegie Library building until such time as the Museum is safely housed. In conclusion, the committee desire, on behalf of the public and subscribers, to place on record its thanks to thos'e who have during the year made donations of books to the reference library, and to the proprietors o? the various newspapers who supplied papers free r.o the reading-room. THE BALAXCE-SIIEET. The statement of accounts for the year uliows that the receipts amounteu to £349 9s 4d. and the expenditure to £3Ol lis 3d. At. the beginning of The year there was a debit balance of £43 5s Id, so that there is now a credit balance of £4 13s. The receipts were as follow:--. Members' subscriptions, etc.. £157 2s 2d; Government subsidy. £lO 9s 2d; borough subsidy, three months at £IOO per annum and nine months at £2OO per annum, £175; reimbursements, 18s. The principal items' of expenditure were: Librarian's salary. £00; assistant librarian past v j'ear, £2O 8s 4d: custodian, £">2: books, newspapers, and periodicals. £ll4 8s 10d; lighting and heating, £35.