15 



With regard to the Reference Library the Com- 

 mittee are glad to report that it has continued to be very 

 extensively and increasingly used, more especially by 

 those who require to consult its contents for special 

 purposes of study and research. 



The total number of works consulted during the two 

 years, inclusive of scientific and literary publications, is 

 100,373, an d in the use of these books both the general 

 reading room and the inner, or students' room, have 

 often been fully occupied. A comparison of the figures 

 now given with those for an equal period of time, dealt 

 with in the last report, shows an increase of 38,034 in 

 the total. 



This striking increase is no doubt largely due to the 

 careful selection of additions to the Library, by which it 

 has been still more adapted to present-day requirements. 



Amongst other matters that demanded the special at- 

 tention of the Committee, it was found that for some time 

 before the transfer of the Museum and Library to the city 

 the addition of the valuable periodical literature issued by 

 a number of the learned societies had been discontinued. 

 The sets of publications thus left incomplete included — 

 Archtzologia, Historical MSS. Commission Reports, Linncean 

 Society's Transactions, Palceontographical Society's Mono- 

 graphs, Ray Society's Monographs, and other similar works 

 of general or local importance. These have all been com- 

 pleted, and new volumes are added as they are published. 



Also it was found that a considerable gap existed in 

 the series of Calendars of State Papers, and in the Rolls 

 Series. Finding that no grant of the requisite volumes 

 could be obtained, the Committee have perfected the sets 

 by purchase, and they will in future be kept complete. 



