H—32a

1946 NEW ZEALAND

REPORT OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1946

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by leave

The Honourable the Minister of Education. Wellington, 11th July, 1946. Sir,— On 26th August, 1945, Cabinet approved of the designation " Country Library Service " being changed to " National Library Service " and of the organization of the latter Service being carried out in three divisions—(l) Country Library Service : (2) Library School: (3) National Library Centre. Organization under the above three divisions has accordingly been undertaken and will be reported upon below. Texts of the proposals for development were given, together with a diagram, in H.-32a, 1945, annual report of the Country Library Service. SECTION I. —COUNTRY LIBRARY SERVICE During the year this Service has expanded, and at 31st March, 1946, 638 towns and small centres were receiving regular loans of books, an increase of 100 centres on the previous year. The School Library Service has also increased, and at 31st March, 1,042 schools with 63,923 children were being served, compared with 766 schools and 44,955 children a year ago. The increase in the number of schools and children served does not include 162 schools and 9,619 children in the Otago Education Board's District which was linked with the National School Library Service in November, 1945. A summary of the methods by which books, periodicals, and information are made available to country people is now given {a) Free loans of books on a population basis to libraries controlled by local authorities, which in turn agree to make their libraries free and to maintain reasonable standards of library service ; (b) Loans of books to independent subscription public libraries at a small annual charge per one hundred books loaned; • (c) Loans of books through travelling hamper collections to isolated groups of readers at a small annual charge; and (d) Loans through the post of books free of charge to isolated readers. All libraries served under (a) and (b) receive regular visits from one of the specially equipped book-vans of this Service, at least two visits being paid to each library during a full year. In addition, all persons, whether served by the free public library or through