GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1936.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1936 Session I, H-32

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1936. N E W ZEA L A N I).

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1936.

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

To the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee. Sir, — I have the honour to report on the operations of the General Assembly Library for the year 1935-36. Accessions. During the year 2,826 volumes were added to the collection from all sources, as compared with an average accession during the last ten years of 2,485. The total number of volumes accessioned to the end of the financial year was 134,611. That total, however, does not represent the book stock accurately. Owing to books becoming dilapidated or lost, the stock must now be some thousands less than the total accessions. How much we cannot ascertain until we are able to take stock of certain classes which are housed in stack-rooms used mainly for the storage of little-used books. Of the total number of books received from all sources each year, something more than one-third come to us through the medium of our exchange system. On an average of recent years we have received free of charge 540 volumes through the International Exchange; 85 from the League of Nations and the International Labour Office (for which we are the library of deposit) ; and more than 400 under the New Zealand Copyright Act. The international exchange arrangements have been considerably developed in the last year or two, and I expect that in the future we shall profit even more liberally from this source. Donations. The Library has again this year received numerous gifts of books. Included amongst these is a fine collection of more than 500 volumes presented under the will of the late A. R. Atkinson (M.TI.R. 1899-1902). This is especially rich in poetry, philosophy, and British constitutional history. Another gift of considerable interest is from Mrs. Isabel Baynes, widow of Admiral H. C. A. Baynes, R.N., who as a captain commanded H.M.S. " Mildura " when Lord Ranfurly hoisted the British flag in certain Pacific islands in 1900. This gift includes a volume of photographs taken by Captain Baynes and Surgeon May; a photograph of Captain Baynes; captain's night order-books of H.M.S.s "Diana" and " Mildura"; and some New Zealand newspapers. Mrs. Baynes on a previous occasion presented valuable papers and other relics of her father, Admiral Sir Joseph Nias, who commanded the " Herald" when it brought Captain Hobson to New Zealand in 1840. Other gifts came from Mr. Herbert Baillie, the Carnegie Trust Endowment, the Tokio Chamber of Commerce and the Tokyo Municipal Office, the Empire Parliamentary Conference, the Russell Sage Foundation, N.Y., the State Library of New York, the Glasgow Public Library, the League of Nations Union, the Women's Centennial Council, Victoria, the Town Clerk, Adelaide, Major Astor, M.P. (London), Dr. J. C. Dunn (Edinburgh), J. Paton (London), W. H. Turton (South Africa), and from the consular offices of Italy, Japan, China, Sweden, and Norway. The Library has been made the repository of the reply of His Majesty King George V to the loyal address presented by both Houses of the New Zealand Parliament on the occasion

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Chief Librarian's Tour. For the greater part of the year I was abroad in pursuance of an invitation from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to visit Europe and the United States. During this time I visited parliamentary and national libraries in Australia, South Africa, Great Britain and several European countries, Canada and the United States, and had exceptional opportunities, largely by the introductions and assistance of the Carnegie Corporation, of observing the working of both parliamentary and national libraries. I attended the conferences of the International Federation of Library Associations in Spain and the English Library Association at Manchester. At the request of the Government I made a special report on a rural-library system which might be applicable to New Zealand, and separate reports on the development of the General Assembly Library as a national library, and upon the archives. I hope in the next few years to be able to put into effect for the benefit of the Library many improvements observed abroad. The Archives. In view of the centenary of New Zealand in 1940, it is to be expected that this branch of the Library will be very much used during the next few years; and I hope it will soon be possible to have at least one appointment made to the staff entirely for this duty. In view of the Government building scheme, it is desirable that provision should be made for receiving and properly handling the large quantity of past records for which various Departments have no further use, and which are in imminent danger of being destroyed or lost during the move to new quarters. Library Accommodation. During the past year we have again had to resort to undesirable expedients to make room for the growing book stock. My hope of being able to relieve the congestion on the lower floors by assembling most of the official documents of various countries in a new stack-room, on the top floor (previously occupied by the Valuation Department) was disappointed, owing to the decision of the Public Works Department that part of the floor was not sufficiently strong to bear the load. We were consequently compelled to content ourselves with shelving round this floor, accommodating much less than the 20,000 books that it was expected would go into this room. We have now come quite to the end of avenues of expansion within the doors of the Library. There are rooms in the Library wing occupied by the Health Department which would afford some relief merely from the point of view of space; but this would only increase the difficulties of administration, which are already considerable owing to the plan of the building and the weak numerical strength of the staff. The possibility of extending the existing stack-rooms has been considered, but with discouraging results. The design of the library is so antiquated that this would only accentuate our difficulties. In view of the duties we have at present to carry out, and the wider functions which we must soon assume, it would be a grave mistake to persevere with the present building, and I would respectfully suggest that the time has arrived when we must consider the erection of a new library of modern type and adequate capacity. Recess Privileges. Owing to the early meeting of Parliament the number of persons who used the recess privilege is considerably less than usual—i.e., 590 compared with more than 1,000 during the previous two normal recesses. Following are the vocations of the privilege holders: Accountant, 23; advertising agent, 1; agents, 4; artists, 4; auditor, 1; bank clerk, 1; barristers, 5; business managers, 3; caretaker, 1; carrier, 1; chemist, 1; civil engineers, 3; civil servants, 118; clergymen, 12; clerks, 73; commercial travellers, 2; company managers, 8; compositors, 5; dietist, 1; dentist, 1; domestic duties, 51; draughtsmen, 3; drivers, 2; editor, 1; electricians, 4; engine-driver, 1; engineers, 7; fitter, 1; grocer, 1; hairdresser, 1; hotel employee, 1; indent agent, 1; inspectors of schools, 3; insurance managers, 2; journalists, 18; laboratory assistant, 1; labourers, 4; law clerks, 3; library assistants, 3; manufacturer, 1; mechanician, 1; medical practitioners, 8; meteorologist, 1; monotype operator, 1; municipal employee, 1; musicians, 2; music-teachers, 2; no occupation, 12; nurses, 9; photographer, 1; postal officials, 3; printers, 4; radio-service man, 1; railway officers, 2; retired, 54; salesmen, 8; secretaries, 9; school-teachers, 26; shipping-managers, 2; social worker, 1; soldier, 1; solicitors, 11; stenographers, 7; storeman, 1; students, 22; surgeons, 2; surveyor, 1; tramway employees, 7; typistes, 8; valuer, 1; warehouseman, 1; waterside workers, 2; wireless operator, 1. Staff Work. ■ Again I wish to express my indebtedness, to the staff for the cordial and efficient manner in which they have carried out their duties, especially to Mr. W. S. Wauchop, who very capably controlled the Library during my absence. The work of the International Exchange, for which the Library is now the agent, has added considerably to the duties of a staff which is numerically short of the minimum necessary for the work involved. During the year Mr. B. R. Turner, 8.A., 8.C0m., accepted an appointment on the staff of the Minister of Finance. His place has been taken by Mr. R. S. Odell, B.A. (transferred from the Lands and Survey Department).

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Library Committees. As usual the various Library Committees have afforded sympathetic help to the Librarian during the year. The following meetings were held; Legislative Council Committee, 1; House of Representatives Committee, 1; Joint Library Committee, 1; Selection Sub-Committee, 1. The balance-sheet for the year, with auditor's certificate, is attached. As usual the credit balance shown is already practically exhausted by books on order or received. I have, &c., G. H. SCHOLEFIELD, Chief Librarian.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY ACCOUNT. Statement for the Year ended 31st March, 1936. Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. To Balance .. .. .. .. 169 14 7 By Purchase of books and periodicals in— £ s. d. Annual grant . . .. . . 900 0 0 United Kingdom .. . . .. 779 0 1 Private Bill fees .. .. .. 110 0 0 New Zealand .. .. .. 161 1 4 Refunds for lost books, &c. .. .. 9 12 9 United States .. . . .. 9 17 9 Australia .. .. .. 113 11 Foreign .. .. .. .. 256 Library Association . . .. 110 Bank charge . . .. . . 0 10 0 £ s. d. Balance, Bank of New Zealand 231 18 11 Less cheque unpresented 7 11 2 224 7 9 £1,189 7 4 £1,189 7 4 G. H. Scholefield, Chief Librarian. Examined and found correct. —G. F. C. Campbell, Controller and Auditor-General.

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (440 copies), £2 15s.

Authority: G. H. Loney, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 936.

Price 3d.]

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