17

H.—22,

at Qhin.em.utu, in which all the old tukutuku or laced patterns known to the Arawa, people have been wrought in panels of fwrapaki work, were also photographed. The names of the various patterns are to be supplied by the workers Te Kiwi Aniohau and Te Wheoro, who will be in Wellington later in connection with the decorative work of the Native Committee-room in the new Parliament Buildings, Provision is now being made for the safer and more convenient storage of cinematograph films, and also for the negatives made by (lie official photographers with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Mr. F. E. Tomlinson assisted in the photographic work during (he parliamentary recess, hut accompanied the parliamentary party to the Cook Islands and Samoa, and , was occupied during most of the remaining time with work for the External Affairs Department arising out of that visit. Libraby; Mr. .1. .McDonald reports as follows on (lie library work : — The steadily increasing exchange of journals devoled to science and industry resulting from the publication by I Ik , Hoard of Science and Art of the Journal of Science ami Technology has added considerably to the work in this section. While the war was in progress but few shipments of exchanges were received from America, but cessation of hostilities released the accumulations of the International Exchange Service, and during the period just ended thirty-two cases of literature were received from the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. Eleven eases were delivered to the General Assembly Library; three to University of Otago, Dunedin; three to Canterbury College, Christchureli ; and fifteen hundred packages were distributed . to recipients throughout the Dominion. The publications received through this service for the libraries of the Museum and New Zealand Institute have been duly recorded. As a result of the economy enforced upon us since the ending of the war few purchases of books have been made. An important addition to the literature on the Native races of Polynesia is the set of twenty-one volumes of Fiji Land Claims, Gazettes, and Ordinances in which much tribal history is recorded, acquired in London by the High Commissioner. Artists and art students continue to make good use of the books in the art section, and there has been an increased inquiry for biographies of famous artists and art workers. Our collection requires many additions to make it more representative. An increase of good biographies and historical works would be appreciated. There is a fairly complete collection in the General Assembly Library, but unfortunately this is closed to the public while Parliament is in session. Works dealing with the art and lives of Australian artists are now being acquired as they arc published. So far no publication on the art of our country has been printed, Much important work has been done by New Zealand artists, and there is need of a, more complete and illuminating record of our art .activities than the bald statement of the exhibition catalogues, J. Alnan Thomson, Director. The dnder-Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.

V. KEPORT OF THE ADVISOT?Y DIRECTOR, TURNBULL LIBRARY, General Assembly Library, Wellington, 15th June, 1920. Cataloguing, Binding, etc. Substantial progress lias been made during the year with the cataloguing and arranging of the library. As was foreshadowed in my last year's report, the whole of (lie time of the three lady assistants appointed Ist May, 1019, has been devoted to the cataloguing of the works in the Oceanic Section, which includes all books, periodicals, etc., dealing with the history, geography, ethnology, and sociology of Australia, New Zealand, and Polynesia. By the 81st March, 1920, over seven thousand volumes had been classified, numbered, and arranged in their places on the shelves. In the catalogue—which is a, detailed index of subjects and authors—these books are represented by some thirty thousand separate cards. In addition, some twenty thousand cards have been written for the printing of a, catalogue, if such be deemed necessary at such time as this section is completed. It is part of the Librarian's general scheme that a separate of (lie Oceanic Section shall be printed, a similar catalogue of the remaining sections of the collection following later; but in view of the general necessity for economy, 1 do not advise this being done for the present, as the card catalogue would, it seems to me, afford all the bibliographical information necessary for the use of research students and others who will mainly consult the works in the library. The estimate of the number of books in the Oceanic Section was given in last year's report as ten thousand, I now find that (he estimate was very much under the mark. The bound volumes alone in this section will exceed ten thousand, and in addition there are upwards of five thousand volumes of bound pamphlets, many being of great rarity and value, as well as seven hundred volumes of bound newspapers. There is also a considerable bulk of unbound material belonging to this section, consisting of newspapers and other periodicals and pamphlets. This material will nil be dealt with when time allows. In last year's report an indication was given of the work still to be done. In addition to the items then mentioned, it was discovered that a large quantity of material was still stored away in the commercial house with which the late Mr. Turnbull was connected. This has now been brought to the library. It consists of about three hundred bound volumes of newspapers, over one hundred rolls of unbound papers, and thirty cases of papers, bound and unbound, and miscellaneous publications. When time permits, all this material will be carefully examined and ai ranged.

3—H. 22.