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during the recess, and a number of books dealing with Polynesian history and travel were supplied to the steamer " Mapourika " on the occasion of the Islands trip. New Books. Since the date of my last report the number of accessions to the Library stands at 3,080, made up as follows : Books by purchase, 1,700; books presented or received as exchanges from the Imperial and American Governments, the Smithsonian Institute, from the other colonies, and from various other sources, 1,380. This considerably exceeds the estimate I ventured to make in last year's report. This great and sustained increase in the number of books obtained for the Library has been rendered possible by avoiding expensive bindings, except in special instances where the books were of a very valuable character, and by better arrangements as to terms with the various firms which supply us. I have devoted a large amount of spare time during the recess to a careful study of the catalogues issued every month by the English second-hand and " remainder" booksellers. Marly second-hand books, of good editions, which are long ago out of print and difficult to procure, have been bought in this way. Where rebinding was necessary this was done at very moderate cost. I have here to thank Mr. Mackay, the Government Printer, for the keen personal interest he always displays in the work done for the Library. Much of the binding done for the Library by the Printing Office compares well, as to finish, with binding done in London, and my wishes as to colour and style have been carried out with great care. I have been greatly assisted in my task of selecting and ordering new books by the Chairman and members of the Eecess Selection Committee, which held seven meetings and devoted much time to considering the lists prepared by myself. Whilst very properly, I think, devoting chief attention to procuring the very latest works in every class of modern literature, I have not been unmindful of the fact that the library required strengthening by the purchase of standard works not necessarily of very recent publication. Amongst others, I was able to secure, at very reasonable prices, sets of the publications of the Old and New Shakespeare Societies, the Percy Society's scarce and valuable collection of Old English ballads and romances, the still more scarce publications of the Early English Text Society, the first variorum edition of Shakespeare ; also Nichols's Literary Anecdotes and Illustrations of the Literary History of the Eighteenth Century. I have also added new library editions of the works of Hazlitt (the first complete edition), Fielding, Smollett, Eichardson, Thackeray (the biographical edition), George Eliot, and George Borrow. Where there are duplicates the best edition has been placed in the literature section of the main reading-room, and will be treated as a reference set, the other and inferior edition being placed in the fiction department for the purpose of circulation. Amongst notable additions to the library during the recess I may mention the following: The extra volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica; Larned's History for Beady Eeference; Professor Woodrow Wilson's History of the United States; Cust's National Portrait Gallery; the Goupil monographs on Charles the First, Charles the Second, and Henry the Eighth; Crawford's Industries of Eussia; Uhle's Industries and Arts of South America ; Wright and Smith's Parliament Past and Present; recent additions to the " Great Musicians" and " Masters of Medicine" series; Dent's " Mediaeval Cities " series; the Jewish Encyclopaedia; the Oxford History of Music ; the first volumes of the Cambridge Modern History; a variety of books dealing with the Shakespeare-Bacon controversy; and many other new and important works in all branches of literature. Continued attention has been given to the Sociology class, so important a feature in a library of this kind. In this section we can, I think, fairly consider we are thoroughly up to date. The following additions have been made to the periodicals list : The Sphere, the Navy and Army Illustrated, Harper's Weekly, Muhsey's Magazine, McClure's Magazine, the Investors' Eeview, and " M.A.P." Our London agents, Messrs. Sotheran and Co. (books) and Messrs. Street and Co. (periodicals) have executed the library orders throughout the year with most praiseworthy care and promptitude, my special thanks being due to the first-mentioned firm for the trouble they have taken in hunting up many works which were out of print. The packing of the periodicals has been much improved by Messrs. Street, and the papers and magazines now arrive in much better order than was formerly the case. I must also express my thanks to the Agent-General, who has sent out many interesting pamphlets, and to his staff, my requests, sometimes giving, I fear, no little trouble, being most carefully attended to. In addition to the accessions to be found on the tables in the main reading-room, several consignments of new books will arrive during the session. The Eecess Committee has continued the system under which I am allowed, under the control of the Chairman, to purchase not more than ten pounds' worth of books locally per month. This system has worked very well, and enables me to obtain many new books with a minimum of delay, and I respectfully recommend its continuance during the present session. A list of books purchased each month is placed, it may be remembered, before the Committee at each meeting. I have also attended several local book-sales by auction, and have secured, with the approval of the Committee, many valuable works at exceedingly low prices. During the recess several works which had been in the "missing" list, and which I was authorised to replace as opportunity offered, have been bought and placed on the shelves. EOOMS AND FUBNISHINGS : ALTEEATIONS AND IMPBOVEMENTS. Since last session the top stack-room (which has been standing empty since the Library was built) has been fitted with iron standards and shelving. Experience having proved that stronger shelving was desirable to accommodate folios and quartos, this requirement has been attended to, the standards being now closer together and the shelves of an improved and stronger construction. I am now utilising this room to diminish the overcrowding of the lower rooms, and hope to still further improve the whole of the classification arrangements next recess.