8 
care exercised by the Book Committee. A Catalogue of the ‘ Devon- 
shire” Library of local books, which has hitherto only existed in 
manuscript, is in active preparation, and will form an interesting and 
valuable addition. 
I am again able to report favourably on the way the books are 
used; and there has been considerable improvement in many respects. 
We still occasionally meet with stupid marginal notes, more often 
reflecting the vacuity of the reader’s mind than an intelligent under- 
standing of the text; but in this matter there is a marked improve- 
ment. I am still forced to believe that all readers do not use the 
books with perfectly clean hands, and certain unmistakable signs show 
that the habit of reading at meals has not altogether died out; but 
on the whole there is very little to complain of. Among damaged 
books, we have had during the past year one which had been soaked 
in a bucket of water, one burnt through with cigar ash, and one 
worried by a dog. It is only fair to add, that in all these cases the 
damage was cheerfully paid for by the borrower. I believe that most 
of the borrowers fully appreciate the value of the Library, and exercise 
all reasonable care in the treatment of the books. One very gratifying 
feature during the past year is the marked decline in the number of 
overdue books which had to be written for. The number of books 
bespoken by the payment of one penny has increased from 1,005 to 
1,204. 
In Table VII. the annual turnover of each volume in the Library 
is given as 8°3. This is somewhat misleading, as very many books 
seldom or ever go out, and with books really in active use the 
turnover is much greater. It will be interesting from several points of 
view to notice the circulation of the following typical books during the 
past year, each selected as a good representative of its class :— 
COPIES. TIMES, 
Sir W. Scott—“ Ivanhoe” eas 105 
Charles Dickens—“ David ‘Copperfield ” aes eh 11I 
W. M. Thackeray—“ Vanity Fair” 2 78 
( Edna Lyall—‘ Donovan” ; 5 122 
Mrs. H. Ward—“ Robert Elsmere” 3 118 
F. M. Crawford—“ Saracinesca” 3 114 
( Mrs. H. Wood—‘“ The Channings” 5 130 
( Miss Worboise—“ Overdale” 3 120 
(G. A. Henty—“ A Final Reckoning ” 2 120 
( Jules Verne—‘‘ Abandoned ” 3 122 
These figures speak for themselves. 
During the period which has elapsed since my last report, 1,168 
