The last division of the Catalogue is now completed, and will be 

 issued about the same time as this Report. The delay in its issue has 

 been unavoidable. Some special means of making the additions to the 

 Library known will be shortly recommended by the Book Committee, and 

 this will probably take the form of a small supplement published at 

 regular intervals. 



The visitors to the Newsrooms are as numerous as ever, both 

 at the Central Institution and tlie Arboretum Branch Reading Room. 

 I have no complaint to make of the order which is maintained, nor has 

 any complaint been made to me. A word is generally sufficient to check 

 audible conversation, and there are few other matters on which com- 

 plaints can be made. Pilfering from the Reading Rooms, more particu- 

 larly from the magazines, is not yet extinct, and seems to break out 

 at times like an epidemic. It is at no time very serious, and I hope the 

 additional supervision we shall shortly have will stop it altogether. I 

 have had no serious complaints about the ill-treatment or mutilation of 

 books while in the custody of borrowers. 



A change has recently taken place in our staff ; Mr. W. L. Coltman, 

 who has been employed in the Library for the past nine jears, having 

 obtained an appointment in the Public Library at Woolwich. His 

 departure will necessitate some re-arrangement of duties, and the 

 advancement of others of the staff wbo have done us good service. 

 I am glad to be able to speak in terms of satisfaction of the work done 

 by the whole of them, and I think no Library Committee in the country 

 is better served. It only remains for me to once more thank the Derby 

 press for their kindly co-operation with me for the benefit of the Institu- 

 tion, and to gratefully acknowledge the belp and encouragement I have 

 invariably received from the members of my Committee. 



I remain, Gentlemen, 



Your obedient servant, 



WILLIAM CROWTHER, 



Librarian, Curator, and Secretary. 

 October 30/5/4, 19u2. 



