GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1931.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1931 Session I-II, H-32

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1931. NEW ZEALAND.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1931.

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 on the operations of the General Assembly Library for the year 1930-31. Accessions. During the year 3,136 volumes were added to the collection from all sources, as compared with 2,906 in the previous year, 2,153 in 1928-29, 2,270 in 1927-28, 2,162 in 1926-27, and 1,501 in 1925-26. The number of volumes accessioned to the end of the financial year was 123,338. The balance in the bank at the end of the year, £319 11s. 4d., was rather less than usual, and orders which have come to hand since then have absorbed practically the whole of that. As in previous years, advantage has been taken of any opportunity to fill up gaps in existing sets of books and to complete sets which required additional volumes. Stocktaking. Owing to the special session early in the present year, it was impossible to carry out all the stocktaking, cleaning, and moving that would normally have been done during the recess. Stock was taken, however, in the class 900-929 (travel and biography). The result was very satisfactory. A considerable number of books which appeared by the stock-sheets to be missing were discovered to have been given two accession numbers, and were thus satisfactorily accounted for. It is hoped in the forthcoming recess to complete the stocktaking in the history section and definitely to write off books that are missing from the Library. Donations. ; During the year the Library has received donations of books from the following : Mr. D. R. Menzies ("Wellington), Mr. J. Wilson (Auckland), Mr. Basil Stocker (Wellington), Sir Thomas Henley (Australia), Mr Albert P. Taylor (Hawaii), Mr. A. E. Currie (Wellington), Mr. Ou Tsin Shuing (Consul for China), Mr. W. H. Ataok (Wellington), Mr. D. W. M. Burn (Otago), Mr. E. H. Freshfield (England), Right Hon. L. C. M. S. Amery (England), Mr. R. Bell (Christchurch), Messrs. R. S. and D. C. Herries (England), the Department of External Affairs, and the Government of Finland. Binding. The binding vote for the year was over-expended. The routine requirements under this vote are considerable, especially for the binding of newspapers ; and there is also a growing expenditure on economic pamphlet literature which is urgently needed and must be bound before issue. Steady progress has also been made in the rebinding of old newspaper files which were falling to pieces through ordinary wear-and-tear. During the year we obtained from the British Museum a small quantity of the dressing used in that institution for the preservation of leather bindings against decay. By treating systematically the leather-bound books in the Library the deterioration of bindings can be appreciably checked.

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Reference and Research. During the last few years the amount of reference work required of the staff of the Library has increased very rapidly. Each day, during both session and recess, a variety of information is asked for and scarcely a day passes without the stafi being called upon to answer inquiries involving much more than the mere finding of a book. New and useful reference books are always being acquired, and the various indexes kept by members of the staff (e.g., current events, biographical, periodical literature, and economic) are constantly being referred to. Another side of the Library's work which has developed most satisfactorily is the students research branch. A constantly increasing number of students of history, politics, economics, and literature is making use of the "Library, and in quite a number of cases members of the Library stall act towards them in the capacity of directors of research. Almost any student working on a New Zealand subject, whether historical, political, literary, or economic, must sooner or later consult the sources available in the Parliamentary Library, and with the approval of the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee every effort has been made to accommodate them. The want of a public researchroom is sometimes felt during the session, but generally it has been found possible to provide facilities for students without encroaching upon the privacy and convenience of members. Recess Privileges. Owing to the short session early in the present year the privilege to use the Library during the recess had to be somewhat curtailed ; and in view of the large amount of work which had to be done by the staff in preparation for the main session the Library was not available to recess-privilege holders during the short interim between the two sessions. Nevertheless 804 persons recommended by members of Parliament made use of the recess privilege in the longer recess, and during that period the issue of books was as active as in normal years. Once more the recess-privilege holders showed their appreciation of the privilege by observing the rules strictly. The following meetings of the various Library Committees were held during the financial year : Legislative Council, 1 ; House of Representatives, 1 ; Joint, 1 ; Selection, 1 : Recess, 1. I have again to record my appreciation of the efficient work of the whole Library staff during the year, and of the unfailing and sympathetic co-operation of the Library Committee. The balance-sheet for the year, with the Auditor-General's certificate attached, is appended. I have, &c, G. H. SCHOLEFIELD, Chief Librarian.

LIBRARY FUND ACCOUNT. Statement for Year ended 31st March, 1931. Receipts. £ s. d. j Expenditure. £ s. d. To Balance, Ist April, 1930 .. .. 417 6 3 By Purchase of books and periodicals inAnnual grant 900 0 0 United Kmgdom .. .. 627 3 4 Private Bill fees 150 0 0 United States of America .. ■;. « Refunds, unexpired subscriptions, &c. .. 19 10 New Zealand * J Australia .. .. .. 77 14 w South Africa .. .. . • 6 6 3 Canada .. .. ■. • • 1 18 5 Insurance on books .. .. .. 17 10 0 Petty expenditure .. .. ■ • 118 7 Bank charge, 15s. ; cheque-book, 10s. .. 15 0 Balance— £ B. d. At Bank of New Zealand .. 319 11 4 Petty cash .. .. 0 3 7 319 14 11 £1,468 16 1 £M 6B 16 1 G. H. SOHOLEFIELD, Chief Librarian. Examined and found correct.—G. V. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.

Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given; printing (425 copies), £2 6s.

By Authority : W. A. G. Skinner, Government Printer, Wellington. —1931.

Price 3d.]

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