To the Chairman and Members of the Derby 
Free Library and Museum Committee. 
GENTLEMEN, 
I have much pleasure in submitting to you my Sixth Annual 
Report. 
The Lending Library now contains 16,160 books, against 15,594 last 
year, and the total issues have amounted to 133,594, against 129,269. 
The daily average has risen from 493 to 518. Of new books we have 
added 882, and we have also replaced 376 of the 669 volumes withdrawn 
as worn out. Fourteen volumes have been lost and paid for, four totally 
lost, and five books coming from infected houses have been destroyed. 
I can again report favourably as to the way in which, for the most part, 
the books are used, and considering the enormous circulation, and the fact 
that the readers, as shown in Table VI., come from all classes of the 
population, there is very little to complain. of. 
The Reference Library stock now amounts to 9,322 works against 
9,079 last year, 254 books having been added, and 11 withdrawn as worn 
out. The issues amount to 13,520, against 17,380, and the daily average 
stands at 47 instead of 59. The reduction in these figures is occasioned 
by the temporary withdrawal of the bound volumes of illustrated magazines, 
and I am glad to report that there is no reduction in the numbers of those 
readers who consult the more valuable portions of the Library ; but, on the 
contrary, a large increase of students, as opposed to those who come merely 
to look at pictures, or to pass an idle hour. The University of Cambridge 
has lent some of the more valuable books used as text books for the 
courses of University extension lectures, and we have added all the others 
necessary, and the text books kindly presented by the University Corres- 
pondence College are also very largely consulted. The new books added 
have all been carefully chosen, and include many of the most recent and 
valuable works on Science and Art. 
The number of new borrowers added during the year is about 
normal, and the number of cards cancelled considerably less than the 
average. The number of overdue books which have had to be written 
for, again shows a gratifying diminution, and that the privilege of 
bespeaking books by the payment of one penny is appreciated is shown 
