7 
To the Chairman and Members of the Free 
Library and Museum Commuttee. 
GENTLEMEN, 
It gives me great pleasure to submit to you my Fourth Annual 
Report. 
The total number of books now in the Lending Library is 14,836 
against 14,227 last year, and in the Reference Library 8,825 against 8,595. 
This gives as the total in both Libraries 23,661, an increase of 839 
on last year’s total, and this in spite of 801 volumes having been with- 
drawn from circulation as worn out. ‘The total issues in each Depart- 
ment show a decrease, which in the Lending Library amounts to 59758 
volumes, and in the Reference Library to 4,695. The causes for this are 
various. The gradual elimination of the three volume novel counts for 
much ; the fact that many of the pictorial volumes so much in demand are 
hopelessly worn out is another cause ; but, in my opinion, the chief causes 
are that in the Lending Library books are kept longer than formerly, and 
changes are less frequent, which I hope points to more thorough, and less 
desultory reading; while the readers in both Libraries are undoubtedly 
diminished by the fact that better times have decreased the numbers of the 
unemployed, and there is less time for reading. The state of the News 
Rooms just now in the day time is a remarkable contrast to what it 
was this time last year. The issues in the two Departments are as follows : 
Lending, 124,556; Reference, 23,222; together 147,778. As a matter of 
interest, it may be stated that the total issue of books since the foundation 
of the Library is—Lending, 2,488,218; Reference, 331,880, making 
together the astounding total of 2,826,098. The daily issue in the 
Lending Department during the past year varies considerably, ranging from 
599 in the month of March to 338 in July, the highest daily issue being 
on April 18th, when 1,148 volumes were given out. The Reference 
Library varies in the same way, November standing at the head with a 
daily issue of 126, and June only showing a daily average of 35. 
In the Lending Department 771 volumes have been withdrawn as 
worn out. The whole list of books so withdrawn for several years past 
has been carefully gone over by the Book Committee, and as a result 798 
volumes have been replaced, the remainder being struck off the list and 
their places declared vacant. In addition to this, 589 new volumes have 
been purchased. These include the most recent and interesting works in 
Biography and Travels, and a large proportion of good, healthy juvenile 
literature. When a new Catalogue is undertaken, it will be seen that 
