H.—32,

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