GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN, FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1927.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1927 Session I, H-32

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1927. NEW ZEALAND.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN, FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1927.

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

To the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee. Sib, — I have the honour to report for the year 1926-27. The meetings of Committees held during the year were as follows : Eeeess, 3 ; House of Representatives, 1 ; Legislative Council, 1 ; Joint, 4; Joint Selection, 2. During the financial year 2,162 books were added to the Library, as compared with 1,501 last year, and 2,089 in the year before. This brings the total number accessioned to the 31st March, 1927, up to 112,880. Since the end of the year an unusually large number of books has come to hand, making up in part for the short buying at the beginning of the year. These purchases will absorb much of the balance shown at the beginning of the year. Stack-room Accommodation. The pressure on the shelf-space, which was very marked a year ago and was the cause of much confusion, has been somewhat relieved by the erection of a quantity of wooden shelving in the large room over the main reading-room. This accommodation, though not of the best description, is being used for the storage of some thousands of books which are not so much in demand. The serious problem of accommodating United States official publications has been overcome in the meantime by carefully weeding and classifying the books which were issued during the last decade or two, and putting them on the shelves in their proper classes. For the past six years, unfortunately, these publications have not been coming to the Library, but they are now being resumed, and I hope that we shall be able to accommodate all that are of service, handing over to the scientific Departments of the Government those which are purely technical in character. Structural alterations in the Library have greatly improved the accommodation for current fiction, and for the staff working-room. Unfortunately we have not yet a room available for use as a staff-room, which is sadly needed. The Staff. The vacancy on the staff caused by the resignation of Mr. P. McColl was filled by the appointment of Miss Q. B. Cowles, who had many years' experience in the Turnbull Library. The death occurred early in 1927 of Mr. F. Sampson, one of the oldest members of the staff, who had seen fifty years of faithful service in the Library. Mr. C. Brown has been promoted to Mr. Sampson's duty. Stock-taking. The year has been a particularly strenuous one for all members of the staff, and I much appreciate the cheerful manner in which they have met the demands upon them. Owing to the staff being short, and the heavy work entailed in the transference of books to the new stack-room, it was possible to take stock only in the Science class (500) which had not been overhauled since 1916. There are 5,284 volumes in this class, of which 831 were added since 1916. Mr. Dighton, who took the stock, reports that twenty-eight volumes are missing. Of these, sixteen had disappeared before the first stock-taking in 1913. As books are constantly coming back after long periods of absence, it is to be hoped that a good number of those now reported missing will eventually return. Card System. The obsolete system of charging books on issue by means of ledgers and day-books has been abolished, and the much less cumbrous and more accurate card system substituted.

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Binding. It is again obvious that the sum provided for binding is quite inadequate for the work that has to be done. The binding of newspaper volumes alone absorbs more than £150 of the vote, and it is quite impossible out of the £500 provided to bind the regular official books and periodicals, and to do the current repairs that are needed. There are many volumes in a condition that demands rebinding, and the problem will have to be faced as soon as finances are available. The preservation of official papers and documents from the other Dominions and from neighbouring countries in the Pacific requires more careful attention. If they are not properly bound it is inevitable that they should go astray, and new copies will have to be purchased in future years at an enhanced cost. I hope that the binding vote will be sufficient to provide for this most important part of a parliamentary library's duty. Recess Privilege. The privilege of using the Library during the recess was granted to 944 persons, as compared with 817 last year. The gradual increase of the number is shown by the following figures : 1918-19, 289 ; 1919-20, 526 ; 1920-21, 757 ; 1921-22, 549 ; 1922-23, 611; 1923-24, 740; 1924-25, 670; 1925-26, 817 ; 1926-27, 944. The number of books taken out by recess privilege-holders was 12,649, an increase of 34 per cent, on the preceding recess. The users of this privilege have, as a rule, carefully observed the regulations of the Library. Very few have caused any trouble at all. The occupations of the privilege-holders are stated as follows : Accountants, 35 ; architects, 2 ; artists, 8 ; baker, 1 ; bankers, 17 ; biologist, 1 ; builders, 7 ; carpenters, 3 ; chemists, 5 ; Civil servants, 172 ; clergymen, 20 ; clerks, 95 ; conchologist, 1 ; dentists, 4 ; domestic duties, 122 ; draughtsmen, 8 ; electrical engineers, 5 ; electric wiremen, 2 ; civil engineers, 6 ; mechanical engineers, 2 ; farmers, 4 ; garage-proprietor, 1 ; gardeners, 4 ; hairdresser, 1 ; hotelkeeper, 1 ; inspectors of schools, 5 ; insurance agents, 5 ; journalists, 22 ; labourers, 9 ; land agents, 5 ; law clerks, 26 ; manufacturers, 5 ; mechanic, 1 ; medical practitioners, 15 ; merchants, 27 ; messengers, 15 ; military officers, 4 ; musicians, 4 ; naval officers, 2 ; no occupation, 84 ; nurses, 12 ; painter, 1 ; photographers, 3 ; palaeontologist, 1 ; piano-tuner, ] ; police constables, 3 ; printers, 5 ; retired Civil servants, 41 ; salesmen, 10 ; shop assistants, 3 ; stenographers, 5 ; students, 23 ; surveyors, 2 ; tailor, 1 ; teachers, 60 ; trade-union secretary, 1 ; typists, 14 ; waiters, 2. In conclusion, I wish to thank the Library Committee for their sympathetic assistance and advice, and the Government for the generous manner in which it has provided for the necessary alterations and additional shelving. To members of Parliament I am very grateful for the helpful manner in which they have assisted the staff. By registering all books taken out, and returning them as promptly as possible after using, they enable the Library to attain efficiency and to be of the greatest service to all. The balance-sheet, with the Auditor-General's certificate, is appended." I have, &c., G. H. Sc'TIOLEFIELD, Chief Librarian. LIBRARY FUND ACCOUNT. Statement foe the Year ended 31st March, 1927. Receipts. £ s. d. Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance, Ist April, 1926 .. 627 12 4 By Purchase of books and periodicals in— Annual grant .. .. .. 700 0 0 United Kingdom .. .. .. 405 11 2 Private Bills fees .. .. .. 75 0 0 United States .. .. .. 24 12 11 Australia .. .. .. 27 19 0 New Zealand .. .. .. 312 12 0 Insurance .. .. .. 8 3 4 Cheque-book .. .. .. 0 10 0 Petty cash .. .. .. 13 2 Balance 31st March, 1927— £ s. d. Bank of New Zealand 620 4 6 In hand .. .. 1 16 3 622 0 9 £1,402 12 4 £1,402 12 4 ===== j = Bth July, 1927. G. H. Scholefield, Chief Librarian. Examined and found correct. —G. P. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given: printing (500 copies), £2 10s.

Authority : W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 927.

Price 3d.]

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