H—32A

(4) Staffing.—Librarianship in hospitals does not exist in New Zealand in the sense in which it is known overseas, and it would be desirable if, first, one librarian could be trained in hospital library service overseas and later return to train others in the Library School recently established in Wellington. One specially trained hospital librarian is needed to be responsible for this work in each library region, and wherever there are district depots within regions district hospital librarians should be responsible for the service within the area covered by the depot and would work in close contact with the regional hospital librarian. All staffing should be seconded to regions and districts by the National Service. In the main centres full-time staffing will be needed, as well as the administrative hospital librarian, but in smaller centres voluntary assistance should be invited from the Red Cross Society. (5) Administration.—lt is recommended that a standing committee of the New Zealand Library Association should be established and that by invitation one member of this committee should invariably be nominated by the Red Cross Society ; also that regional sub-committees of the Hospital Library Committee should be established in the same way as the regional book resources committees are planned, and that on these committees the Red Cross Society should also be represented. It is recommended that the national librarian should be ex officio a member of the Standing Committee on Hospital Libraries, and that the regional librarian should be ex officio a member of the regional Hospital Library Committee. In every small centre where there is a hospital a sub-committee consisting of the local librarian and Red Cross Society representatives should be set up for the purpose of co-operatively running the hospital library with the advice and assistance of the district hospital librarian, who would provide books and the request service and direction in technical matters. (6) Request Service. —Active request service is needed for hospital libraries, and the question of service to tubercular patients has been-taken up with the Health Department. It is hoped that a reply will be attached to this report. INDUSTRIAL, TECHNICAL, AND COMMERCIAL LIBRARY SERVICE Scientific and industrial development in this country is proceeding at an accelerating rate. Library service has a responsibility to such development, to the apprentice in the small industry as well as to the research chemist in the larger one, to the disabled serviceman learning a new trade, and to the industrialist beginning a new process in industry. Library service available at-all points throughout the country with all the resources of the libraries behind it is the only effective way by which such needs can be met. A service operating from Wellington cannot meet these needs, actual or potential'. It has been reported that a meeting of industrialists considered recently proposals for setting up a separate library, privately owned and operated, for industry. Another instance is of a private firm offering to give an information service to industry, using the resources of city and special libraries. The New Zealand Library Association has been very active in this matter through a committee appointed to report on technical and commercial library service. The committee, which was representative of public libraries, Government Departments, University, and other libraries, met a number of times and has reported to the Council Of the Association. Its report stressed the point that effective library service at the industrial, technical, and commercial levels should be available through the library system of the country. It recommended the appointment of subject specialist technical and commercial librarians, one at headquarters and one in each of the four main centres. The Association has requested that these appointments be made to the staff of the National Library Service, and the necessary approval was obtained for this to be done. Unfortunately, insufficient time was available before the opening of the Library School for the appointments to be made, and it is therefore proposed to readvertise the positions later in this year. It is considered that graduates in science with professional library training will be required. BOOK STOCK During the year additions to stock were 46,598 volumes, 18,869 fiction and 27,729 non-fiction. Withdrawals were 7,200, 6,513 fiction and 687 non-fiction, making net additions 39,398. The latter figure includes 10,102 books handed back from A.E.W.S. Library. The adult stock of the Service now stands at 158,565, made up of 60,341 fiction and 98,224 non-fiction. At 31st March, 1946, stock of the children's section was 124,782, making a grand total of all stock of 273,347 volumes. Difficulty in obtaining books from overseas has continued, but is expected to decrease,

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