Cibrarian 's Jlepori 



TO THE COMMITTEE, FOR THE YEAR ENDING 

 SEPTEMBER 29th, 1906. 



Gentlemen, 



I have very much pleasure in laying before you my Annual Report, 

 and although I am naturally obliged to traverse much the same 

 ground year after year, I hope I may be able to place before you some 

 points of interest in the working of the Institution under my charge, 

 and at the same time indicate some of the principal results arrived at 

 in the Statistical Tables. 



Dealing first with the Library Stock ; in the Lending Depart- 

 ment our total number of books is now 23,126, or 275 less than last 

 year, and this in spite of the addition of 501 new books for 1,387 have 

 been withdrawn as worn out or obsolete, of which only 618 have been 

 replaced. All our classes show an increase except light literature, 

 and there we have a decrease of 503. Works of fiction now form 

 about 27 per cent, of the Library stock. Six books have been lost 

 and paid for, and one has been totally lost through default of both 

 borrower and guarantor. This out of an annual issue of 153,211, 1 am 

 sure the Committee will consider a satisfactory result. The issues 

 have steadily increased throughout the year, and in the Children's 

 department, which now contains 2,135 books, the issues during the 

 past year have risen from 12,682 to 21,621, and the daily average from 

 49 to 84. In the Reference Department the daily issue is two less 

 than last year, but the Stock has been increased by 290 volumes. The 

 total Library Stock is now 37,016 volumes. 1,190 overdue books have 

 been written for, and 2,796 books have passed through the binder's 

 hands for re-binding or repair. We have this year done with only 

 one intermediate Stocktaking, and the experiment has been a success. 



The Newsrooms, both in the Wardwick and the Arboretum have 

 been as largely frequented as ever, and I have no complaint to make 

 of the behaviour of those who attend them. The improved conditions 

 of light and ventilation have added much to the comfort of our 

 readers. 



