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adopting some further expedient. The work of the Library has increased so much during recent years that it is difficult to carry on within the walls of the present building. Not only is the design out of date, but the sunshine through the tall windows of the main reading-room is seriously affecting the bindings. The working-quarters for the staff are quite inadequate, particularly in the reference room and the cataloguing department. The number of students and graduates engaging in research continues to increase and further provision for their accommodation is required. Staff There have been a few staff changes through the year. Mr. J. 0. Wilson, on being released from war service, carried out a tour of study of libraries in Great Britain and the United States. He paid particular attention to official papers in both countries and spent a considerable proportion of his time in the British Museum and H.M. Stationery Office in London and in the Library of Congress in Washington. In both countries he got an insight not only into official papers, but also into the copyright procedure. I regret to announce that Mr. William Baine, who joined the staff of the Library in 1912 and had retired towards the end of 1946, died in December. Manuscripts There have been no important additions to the manuscript collection during the year, but further progress has been made in the organization of collections already in our possession. Donations Amongst the donations were a number of volumes of the Proceedings of the Medical School at Otago University. Other gifts were received from the Department of External Affairs, the French Press and Information Service (Sydney), Edward W. Hamilton and Whitney D arrow. Reginald Hunter (New York), A. M. Isdaile (Thames), the Korean American Cultural Association (Hawaii), Library of Congress (Washington), the Licensee Publishing Co. and National Council of the Licensed Trade, J. F. Mackley (Auckland), A. E. Monaghan (Wellington), the Netherlands Information Bureau (Melbourne), the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, W. Erie Rose (Southbridge), and the Theosophical Society (Auckland). Interloan Our operations under interloan continued to expand during the year, and we lent 983 books, as compared with 805 in the previous year. The number of borrowing libraries was 37 (as compared with 32). The principal of these, the National Library Service, received 528 volumes (as compared with 545) ; Wellington Public Library received 50 (as compared with 65) ; Dunedin Public Library received 42: Auckland Public Library and Palmerston North Public Library, each 37; Gisborne Public Library, 25; and Invercargill Public Library and Nelson Institute Library, each 20. Seven others received more than 10 volumes and four more than 5. Eighteen received less than 5. Loans to the Library School numbered 48. Our borrowings from four libraries totalled 5. The books lent from our stock were classified as follows: bibliography, 54; philosophy, 60; religion, 40; sociology, 169; philology, 12; science, 39; useful arts, 49; fine arts, 64; literature, 160; history and biography, 323; New Zealand, 13.

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