GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1949

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1949 Session I, H-32

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1949 NEW ZEALAND

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1949

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave

To the Chairman, Joint Library Committee. Sir, — I have the honour to report on the operations of the General Assembly Library for the year 1948-49.

Staff At the end of January Miss Q. B. Cowles, after twenty-three years of faithful service, relinquished her duties as Chief Cataloguer. She was succeeded by Miss Marion Hogg, MA., who has recently returned from a trip to Great Britain, where she visited some of the more outstanding libraries. In October Miss Judith Kent, 8.A., was added to the staff following a recommendation of the Joint Library Committee that an additional assistant be appointed to enable the work of indexing early Wellington newspapers to be carried out. Mis ; Elizabeth Hogg and Mr. S. Donkin have been appointed to fill two vacancies which occurred on the staff. Book Stock The total number of accessions at 31st March was 190,061. The number of books accessioned this year shows a decrease to 4,911, as compared with 5,741 in the previous year. The bank balance at the end of the year has been reduced, to a few pounds, despite curtailment in buying. The following are recent; balances, in round figures: 1944, £1,071; 1945, £1,112; 1946, £982; 1947, £BO ;; 1945, £127; 1949, £6B. This steady decrease is due largely to the increased cost, of books and subscriptions to magazines. It has been necessary to curtail' purchases in a way which is not in the best interests of the Library. I feel that a larger annual grant is necessary if the Library is to be maintained at its. present standard. The law section, for example, needs to have a considerable! sum spent on it if it is to be kept up to date. New editions of many of the standard works are being published and must be bought for a Library such as this where it is of paramount importance to have the latest information available.

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The new accessions were classified as follows, the figures for last year being given in parentheses: Bibliography, 227 (316); newspapers, 159 (173); philosophy, 26 (61) ; religion, 129 (135); sociology, 1,293 (1,403) ; parliamentary, 251 (418); philology, 42 (48); natural science, 233 (194); useful arts, 552 (600) ; fine arts, 346 (377) ; literature, 325 (447) ; travel and history, 672 (673); biography, 283 (353); fiction, 373 (406). In addition to cataloguing the above, the cataloguing staff has completed the reclassification of the New Zealand travel and history sections. Reference Department The reference staff has served not only Members of Parliament and Government Departments, but the public of New Zealand generally. Requests for information come to us not only by telephone, but by letter from all parts of New Zealand and from abroad, and numerous letters of appreciation have been received. Statistics show that, apart from inquiries which can be answered offhand, 1,389 inquiries needing research on the part of the staff were answered during the year. Of these, 392 required less than five minutes each, 555 took from five to fifteen minutes' work, and 442 took more than fifteen minutes' research. Sixty-eight students have used the Library during the year for research purposes. This is nearly double last year's total of thirty-five, and at times the accommodation for them has been severely taxed. As the Library has resources which cannot be found elsewhere in New Zealand, we are anxious at all times to give the serious student the maximum of assistance. Donations I wish to acknowledge, with thanks, donations to the Library from the following: East African Commissioner (London), Reprint Society, Ltd. (London), Belgian Legation (Wellington), High Commissioner for United Kingdom (Wellington), New Zealand Federation of Young People's Clubs (Wellington), British Council (London), Town Clerk (Brisbane), Danish Consul (Wellington), Commonwealth Economic Committee (London), Mrs. R. C. Smyth (Huntly), A.E.W.S. (Wellington), The Times (London), E. Field (Letchworth, Herts.), Library of Parliament (Cape Town), Alexander Turnbull Library (Wellington), Legation of the U.S.S.R. (Wellington), Netherlands Legation (Wellington), I. H. Flamm (Chicago), R. M. Campbell (Wellington), Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, Ltd. (Stoke-on-Trent), United Commercial Travellers' Association (Melbourne), Natal University College Library (Durban), Miss E. Pomerov (Toronto), National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh), Town Clerk (Adelaide), High Commissioner for Canada (Wellington), Lands and Survey Department (Wellington). R. J. Campagnolo (Wellington), A. L. Brewer (Glen dale, California), J. A. Vaughan (Nelson), J. N. Casavis (Astoria, N.Y.), First Church of Christ Scientist (Wellington), Mrs. D. KingSpencer (Gisborne), Strathearn Gordon (London), and R. Lloyd Jones (La Jolla, California). Circulation * There has been a further increase in the number of recess privilege holders, the total this year reaching 650, as compared with 484 last year. Statistics show that 23,452 books were issued during the year. Eighty-one baskets and 74 parcels were posted to Members and 251 parcels to other libraries. Altogether 907 books were lent to 34 libraries under the inter-loan arrangements, including 368 to the National Library Service and 260 to the Library School. Our borrowings from other libraries numbered 38.

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Binding This department lias bound 2,268 volumes this year, has rebound or repaired '624 volumes, and has stamped all accessions with the Library crest and the .appropriate classification numbers. It has also done other odd jobs for the library such as printing signs for displays and making small boxes for various purposes. It has given excellent service. Copyright Again this year there has been a large increase in New Zealand publications, 517 receipts having been issued for books received under the Copyright Act, 1913, an increase of 101 compared with last year's figures. This necessarily brings additional work in cataloguing the books and in the preparation of the monthly and annual copyright lists, for which the demand, both here and abroad, to grow. The General Assembly Library co-operates with the National Library Centre in its production of catalogue cards for New Zealand books, a service recommended by the New Zealand Library Association. International Exchange As agents of the International Exchange our work continues to grow, 3,684 packages having been received this year and despatched to other institutions and addresses in New Zealand. The figures for the two previous years were 3,098 (1947-48) and 1,956 (1946-47). The Library received, in addition, 14 cases -of material for its own use. Newspaper Collection • During the recess there has been a complete reorganization of the newspaper '■• collection, which has entailed the shifting of some 8,500 volumes. The old basement now houses New Zealand newspapers only and- the new basement the ■overseas volumes. This arrangement has been made possible by the provision '■of a fireproof door which gives ready access to the new premises. Microfilm copies of the London Times prior to 1844 have been acquired, and the Library now has complete files of this paper, as far as that is possible. A microfilm reader is on its way to New Zealand and should be available soon for the use of Members. This valuable set should prove of great service to research students who use the Library. In preparation for the alterations to the ground floor stackroom, where provision is to be made for a more adequate staff-room, some of the official papers of the overseas dominions (principally debates) have been moved also -to the new basement. Further shelving is required to complete this section so that volumes of •newspapers at present inadequately stored may be placed in proper order. The work of indexing the early Wellington newspapers has been started and two and a half years, commencing with the first issue of the New Zealand *Gazette and Britannia Spectator, have been dealt with. The index has already proved useful in answering questions dealing with our early history. Visitors Some thousands of people visit the Library annually. This year we were privileged to meet Sir Gilbert Campion, former Clerk of the British House of Commons, Sir Stanley Unwin, and Sir John Falconer.

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In an article in the London Sunday Times, Sir Gilbert Campion, giving his. impressions of the Parliaments of the British Commonwealth, wrote of the General Assembly Library:— The block on the right, which survived the fire of 1907, contains a Library which provides one of the best parliamentary services in the world. Coming from such an authority, this is a very gratifying compliment and one which gives us a reputation to uphold. Acknowledgments I should like to express my thanks to the Joint Library Committee for the genuine interest it has taken in the work of the Library and for the very real help it has given me. Our thanks are due also to the High Commissioner for New Zealand in London and his staff for the courteous and efficient way they have met our many requests, and to the overseas agents of the New Zealand Government in the United States of America, Canada, and Australia. Finally,. I wish to thank the staff of the Library for their loyal and efficient co-operation. Attached is the statement of receipts and expenditure for the year, with the Auditor-General's certificate. I am, &c., W. S. Wauchop, Chief Librarian.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY ACCOUNT Statement for the Year Ending 31st March, 1949 Beceipts \ Payments £ s. d. i £ s. dL Balance — Purchase of books and subBank of New Zealand, Ist I scriptions to sundry April, 1948 .. .. 127 2 6 periodicals, &e.— Petty cash, Ist April, 1948 .. 0 13 11 United Kingdom .. .. 1,407 0 9 Annual grant . . .. 2,000 0 0 United States of America and Refunds, lost books, resale of Canada .. .. 353 1 10 books, &c. .. .. 14 14 1 Australia . . .. 39 8 11 New Zealand .. .. 271 1 0 Bank charge .. .. 0 10 0 Cheque-book .. .. 0 10 0 Petty expenses .. .. 0 19 5 Balance at Bank of New Zea-' land: £BB 4s. 10d., less cheques unpresented, £2O os. 9d. .. .. 68 4 1 Balance of petty cash .. 1 14 6' £2,142 10 6 £2,142 10 6 Private Bill fees due from Treasury but not yet received, £75: AY. S. AYauciiop, Chief Librarian. Examined and found correct.—J. P. Rutherford, Controller and AuditorGeneral. Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing (573 copies), £7.

By Authority: R. E. Owen, Government Printer, Wellington.—l 949. Price 3d.~\

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