To the Chairman and Members of the Derby Free 
Library and Museum Committee. 
GENTLEMEN, 
I have much pleasure in submitting to you my Fifth Annual 
Report. 
The Lending Library now contains 15,594 books, against 14,836 
last year, and the issues have amounted to 129,269, against 124,556. 
The average daily issue is six lower than last year, but taking into 
account the gradual withdrawal of three volume novels, and the substi- 
tution of books in one volume, there is rather an increase than a 
decrease in the works issued. The Reference Library stock now 
numbers 9,079 volumes, against 8,825 last year, but the total issue has 
fallen from 23,222 to 17,380, and the average daily issue from 84 to 
59. This is entirely accounted for by the withdrawal of all the worn- 
out bound volumes of the ///ustrated London News and Graphic, the 
issues of which were counted in the Reference Library returns. There 
is no serious diminution in the numbers of those who consult the 
more important portions of the Reference Department. The daily 
average issue in the Lending Department varies from 566 in April to 
373 in July, and in the Reference Department from 80 in October to 
39 in May and July. 
In the Lending Library 427 volumes have been withdrawn as 
worn out: of these 340 have been replaced. The places of some 
have been declared vacant, and others will be re-purchased as opportu- 
nity arises. Nine volumes have been lost and paid for, and four 
totally lost. The new books amount to 858, which include the most 
recent works in science, biography, and travels; and plenty of good, 
healthy reading for boys and girls. The additions to the Reference 
Library number 322 volumes, and include some of the most valuable 
works of the day. 
A new Supplementary Catalogue has been prepared during the 
past year, and was issued to the public in August last. It deals with 
about 4,700 volumes. A glance at this will show the character of all 
the books added in recent years, and bear eloquent testimony to the 
