EL—lO.

1883. N.EW ZEALAND.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY (REPORTS ON).

Laid on the Table by the Hon. Mr. Rolleston by leave of the House.

Report of Joint Recess Library Committee. This Committee was convened by the Government. The first meeting was held on the 4tb October, 1882, at which the Speaker of the Legislative Council was elected Chairman. Altogether eleven meetings have been held during the recess. Subjoined is the annual report of the Librarian. The Librarian's accounts were audited for the year ending the 31st March, 1883. The Auditor's Report is appended. From this it appears that there was a balance of £553 10s. sd. to the credit of the Committee at the end of the year. This balance is liable for an estimated amount of £4-75 for books ordered from England, and for £65 for magazines and sundry local claims. William Fitzherbert, Chairman.

Librarian's Report for the Year 1882-83. Sir,— I have the honour to report that the management of the Library during the recess hasbeen in the hands of a Committee, consisting of the Ministers aud other members of tho Legislature resident in or near Wellington. Meetings were held regularly once a month, at which, beside the ordinary business, lists of new books were agreed to and ordered to be transmitted to London by the first outgoing mail. The Government having accepted a contract for certain alterations in the buildings, necessitating the removal of the four rooms formerly belonging to the Library on the north side of the old lobby, it became necessary to remove the books and shelving from these rooms and dispose of them temporarily in some other place of security. As compensation for the loss of space thus sustained, the portion of the buildings formerly occupied by Bellamy's was handed over by the Government to the Library Committee, and steps were at once taken to have these rooms connected with the Library by a door-way, and fitted up with shelves and other necessary appliances. These alterations, of course, occupied considerable time. As soon as they were completed I thought it best, for the convenience of members aud in order to avoid all unnecessary alterations in the main body of the Library, to set the larger room apart for Parliamentary Papers—lmperial, Colonial, and American—and for Serial Literature. Insufficient wall-space obliged me to run a double row of cases across the centre of the room, and thus find the shelf-room required for the growing necessities of the Library. The smaller room forms the Librarian's office and workroom, and is also fitted up with shelves for the accommodation and safe keeping of illustrated works and other rare and valuable books belonging to our collection. The near prospect of having new buildings erected for the Library, where the arrangements will necessarily be very different from those of the present rooms, led me to make a temporary pause in the work of numbering and labelling the books. Accordingly only one or two cases, besides the present year's accessions, have been labelled. But to facilitate reference, and enable members to look at once for any volume they may desire to consult in the case in wbich it is to be found, I have had the departments and cases to which all the books already numbered and labelled belong—and these comprise the works that are most in demand—indicated in several catalogues, one of which will be found in every room. This I intend to be one of the distinguishing features of the next general catalogue that will be published. Owing in some measure to the natural dampness of the present position of the Library, but in a much greater measure to the immediate proximity of the new building, saturated as itwas with moisture, the greatest difficulty has been experienced in keeping the books free from