Librarian's Report 



TO THE COMMITTEE, 

 For the year enrlinfj Septemher 29th, 1901. 



Gentlemen, 



W^ HAYVj much pleasure in laying befoi-e you my Sixteenth Annual 

 ^ Report. The year's work presents no very special features, 

 but there are a few facts concerning the working of the Library 

 which are worthy of attention, and which I may venture to place 

 before you in a connected ai:id convenient form. 



In the Jjending Libi-ary we now have 22,002 books ; of these 

 73.5 have been added during the past year, while 31.'') others appear 

 as replacements of those worn out ; 882 books bave become worn 

 ofit ; two have been lost and jjaid for ; eight have been destroyed, 

 through having been in infected houses ; and eight appear as totally 

 lost, a larger number than usual. Both the gross issues and the daily 

 average show again a slight decline. This is partly owing to 

 various causes before referred to, and to the new system of 

 issue adopted last year, which at first was considerably slower and 

 the number of borrovi^ers fewer. I am glad to say that the issues for 

 the last three months show a steady advance, and that there is every 

 sign that we shall soon be back to our normal condition. The 

 diminished number of issues is in books read for recreation and 

 amusement, all other classes except fiction showing an increase. 

 Decreased issues are the rule rather than the excei^tion in 

 other towns. In the Children's Library the issues are about the 

 same as last year, and in the Reference Department only four less, 



