GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY: REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR 1907-8.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1908 Session I, H-32

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1908. NEW ZEALAND.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY: REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR 1907-8.

Laid on the Table by Leave of the House.

The Chief Librarian to the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee. Sir,— I have the honour to submit the following report for the year 1907-8 : — Recess Library Committee. This Committee, under the chairmanship of W. Fraser, Esq., M.P., held three meetings during the recess. Lists of books for order were submitted by the Chief Librarian and duly considered. The majority of the works ordered have arrived, and have been placed on the tables in the main reading-room. Additions to the Library during the Year. During the year ending the 10th June, 1908, there were added to the Library, by purchase, exchange, and donation, and under the provisions of the General Assembly Library Act, 2,400 volumes. _ , ~ , . The law-books selected by the Sub-committee of Selection set up last session are now on the shelves in the Sociology Room. . The Recess Committee decided that the Library should suoscribe to the Victoria County Histories, and an order for this monumental work has been sent to our agents in London. It is expected'that the volumes already published, some forty in number, will be added to the Library before the close of the present session. Succeeding volumes will be added as they are issued by the Special attention has been paid to science and sociology, and practically all the latest works of any importance in history, biography, voyages and travels, and general literature will be found amongst the new accessions. An opportunity having offered itself for purchasing a duplicate copy of Angas s " NewZealanders,' , the Committee decided to acquire the same, the copy previously possessed by the Library having suffered much wear-and-tear from its being so frequently consulted or shown to visitors. The old copy will now be repaired, and the one more recently acquired preserved in the New Zealand case. Recess Privileges. Recess privileges were granted to 450 persons, exclusive of those on the permanent " full privilege " list No new fiction is issued to the holders of the ordinary recess privilege. As a rule the works borrowed, some three thousand in all, have been of a high class of literary merit. As usual the newspaper files have been much consulted not only by officers of the various Government Departments, but by the general public. The number of persons from other parts of the Dominion who desire and are permitted to use the Library temporarily for reference purposes is steadily increasing each year. The books borrowed have not, so far as I can ascertain, been injured in any way, although of course, the use of the books by the public during the recess must necessarily entail a certain amount of wear-and-lear. Books sent to Members. About the usual number of baskets of books have been sent out to members during the recess, sociological works being in special demand. I would again impress upon members the desirableness of not returning books through the express companies, but of forwarding them through the Post Office, with which the Library has a special arrangement.

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The main facts concerning the disastrous fire which, on the morning ot the 11th December, 1907, destroyed the greater part of Parliament Buildings, but which so fortunately spared the Library wing, are doubtless well known to members. There are, however, two or three points in connection with the fire which have a special reference to the Library and which I would now mention. Had the wind been blowing from the south instead of from the north, the efficacy, as a safeguard, of the bricking-up of the stack-room building windows, recommended by me and carried out last year, would have been very severely tested. Evenas it was, the window of the Hon. Mr. McNab's room, which was gutted, was only three or four feet away from one of these bricked-up windows. Had this window not been thus protected the flames would most certainly have swept through the upper floor of the Library building, and done an immense amount of damage. Several members of the staff were early on the scene, and when it appeared that the Library was likely to be endangered by the spread of the fire along the roof of the main lobby, I ordered the removal of the books. Some fifteen thousand volumes were taken out, in an order previously laid down by myself. Some were temporarily stored in buildings in Hill Street, and others were sent down to the Government Buildings. Valuable assistance was given by the public, and, everything considered, the damage done to the books was very small. By half-past 9 I had arranged for a cover of insurance, for £1,000, on the books removed, and later 1 on the State Fire Department contributed a sum of £30 towards the cost of repairing or rebinding the volumes damaged by removal. Very fortunately, these were old books not frequently called for and the repairing of which can be spread over a couple of years. I would again point out that my recommendation made last year, and confirmed by the Library Committee—namely, that the wooden doors to the basement and at the lobby entrance to the ground-floor stack-room should be replaced by iron doors—has not yet been given effect to. I would a second time urge that these additional safeguards against fire be provided. No addition has been made to the amount of insurance on the books and printed documents in the Library. The insurance now stands at £4,000, In last year's report I remarked, " I am of opinion that the lowest insurance on the Library-contents should be from £10,000 to £12,000, and that the cost of insurance should be defrayed by the Government, and not be taken, as are the present premiums, from the Library vote of £600, which should, I maintain, be applied solely to .the purchase of books and periodicals." General Remakks. But a very few years ago it seemed as if the " space problem " were not likely to cause any anxiety for some considerable time to come; but it is now evident that it must receive serious consideration in the near future. The sociology and main reading-rooms are practically full; the accommodation for newspaper-files is already deficient; the stack-rooms are rapidly filling-up ; and the basement, to which sets of official volumes not now much in demand are from time to time transferred, is also within measurable distance of being crowded. More space could, however, be provided in the basement were the shelving rearranged. This is a matter which must receive attention during next recess, or serious inconvenience will occur. The yearly increase of books is about 2,500, and the probabilities are in favour of this number being greatly augmented as the yea.rs go by. . Whatever the decision of Parliament may be as to the site of the new Parliament Buildings, the provision of much greater accommodation for the everincreasing collection of books and newspapers will, I trust, receive careful consideration. The Seddon Memorial Tablet, presented by the men of the Newport Eailway Workshops, Victoria, has been erected in the Library, the site chosen being at the foot of the main staircase. I should like, in conclusion, to formally express the thanks of the Library to the High Commissioner and his staff for their prompt attention to my numerous requests during the year; to Messrs. Sotheran and Co., and Messrs. Street and Co., for their careful execution of our orders; to the various members of the Library staff, who have had an exceptionally busy time during the recess ; and finally to the Chairman of the Recess Committee, who, as usual, has devoted much of his private time to supervision of Library matters. Libeaey Accounts. In an appendix will be found the Library balance-sheet for the year ended 31st March, 1908, •with a copy of the Auditor's certificate. I have, &c, Chables Wilson, Chief Librarian.

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APPENDIX.

Balance-sheet foe the Yeab ending 31st March, 1908. Receipts. & s. d. '{Expenditure. £ a. d. April 1. Balance brought forward .. .. 385 16 9 Purchase of books and periodicals in London, Sept. 7. Annual grant .. .. .. 600 0 0 freight, and marine insuranoe .. .. 458 12 3 Refund, stamp imprest .. .. 15 0 0 Purchase of American periodicals .. .. 13 13 11 Dec. 5. Private Bill fees .. .. .. 75 0 0 Purchase of books and periodicals looally .. 138 2 1 1908. . Stamp imprest .. .. .. .. 15 0 0 Feb. 4. State Fire Inmirance Department .. 30 0 0 Insuranoe .. .. .. ..1800 Cheque-book .. .. .. .. 0 2 0 Balance in Bank of New Zealand, 31st Maroh, 1908 .. .. .. .. .. 462 6 6 £1,105 16 9 £1,105 16 9 Copy of Auditor's Certificate. Account to the 31st March, 1908, has been examined and found correct, and the balance as shown is found to coincide with the bank pass-book. ■I. K. Wabbubton, 23rd July, 1908. Controller and Auditor-General.

Note.—The balance shown at the end of financial year (£462 6s. 6d.) will be entirely exhausted (in meeting accounts current) before the receipt of this year's grant. Charles Wilson, Chief Librarian. Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (1,600 copies), £1 19e.

By Authority : John MAntAY, Government Printer, Wellington.— 1908 Price 3d.]