326 Royal Colonial Institute. 



work of cataloguing the additions to the Library has been specially arduous, and for 

 some time it has been apparent that the rapid increase of books has rendered the task 

 of keeping the catalogue up to date extremely difficult. Steps are now being taken 

 to ensure the cataloguing of all additions to the Library. About 15,000 cards have been 

 written during the year, the number since the commencement of the card-catalogue 

 in April, 1910, being about 59,000. The value of the card-catalogue has now been 

 fully established. It forms an indispensable aid to the staff, as well as Ijeing of the 

 greatest service to those who make use of the Library. 



The number of Fellows and others using the Library shows a steady increase — 

 a fact gratifying to the Council and to those who have charge of the collections of 

 books. Students of law, economics, ethnology, and administration have found the 

 Library of great service, and its resources have been placed at the disposal of all 

 bond fide inquirers desiring information about the various parts of the British Empire. 

 The special Law Library has been strengthened by the addition of many valuable 

 treatises and law reports, and now forms a most important feature of the Institute. 

 The papers in connection with the cases determined before the Judicial Committee 

 of the Privy Council are now regularly received in the Library, through the courtesy 

 of the Clerk of the Council, and form a complete record of appeals during the j'ear. 

 Another section of the Library which is becoming increasingly useful is that which 

 contains the reports issued by the different Overseas municipaUties. The special 

 section of the Library dealing with the Colonial period of American history, which was 

 first started during the year 1911, has received some notable donations from the various 

 American historical societies, including sets of proceedings from the Ohio State 

 Historical Society, the Michigan Historical Commission, the New Haven Colony 

 Historical Society, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and the South Dakota Historical 

 Society. These are in addition to the Transactions of the American Historical Associa- 

 tion, the New York Historical Society, and Proceedings of other societies which were 

 already being received. There can be no doubt that this section of the Library will 

 prove of the greatest benefit to historical students, who find it difficult to obtain access 

 in London to such publications. The Council are grateful for the support accorded to 

 the Library by the different Overseas Governments, by the American and other 

 foreign Governments, and by various Government departments in this country. 



In particular they desire to call attention to the action of the War Office in pre- 

 senting a series of valuable maps, and to the courtesy of the Admiralty in continuing 

 to supply the official charts. The collection of maps in the Institute is now a large 

 one, and it is hoped that at a not distant date some better provision may be made for 

 their display than at present exists. The Council are also indebted to publishers 

 who have sent books for review in United Empire ; to learned societies ; to the 

 authorities of museums, to libraries, and similar institutions who have sent their Trans- 

 actions ; to the proprietors of newspapers ; and to a large number of private donors. 



In August the Council were gratified by the reception of a letter from Mr. C. Delaval 

 Cobham, C.M.G., announcing that he intended to make an immediate donation of 

 his unique collection of books relating to Cyprus to the Library of the Institute. 

 This valuable collection has been placed in a special section of the Library, and is now 

 available for the use of Fellows and others who maybe interested in Cyprus. It con- 

 sists of over 700 books and pamphlets, and includes practically everything of historical 

 interest ]-elating to Cyprus that has been printed. The Council wish to express their 

 thanks to Mr. Cobham for so generously placing his collection in the Library of the 



