rs) 
from the rest of the Library will be an advantage all round, if it is found 
possible to do so. There has been a considerable amount of controversy 
lately as to what young people read in the way of tales, and I have taken 
the trouble to ascertain the issues of two favourite authors, one for boys, 
and one for girls. We have in the Library 98 copies of books by G. A. 
Henty, and 76 by Mrs. Marshall. I find that the former were issued 
5,400 times during the year, and the latter 2,400 times, an average of 18 a 
day in the case of the boys’ book, and of 8 in the case of the girls’. 
When it is borne in mind that there are other authors nearly as popular 
for both sexes, it will be seen how largely this department is used. 
We have added 1,207 new borrowers during the year, and the number 
of cards cancelled is only ror, so that the number of borrowers is greater 
than ever. Table 6 showing their occupations, is always an interesting 
one, and shows that we draw on all classes for our customers. About 
one-fifth return themselves as of no occupation, but this class includes 
most of the married women, and the description does not by any means 
accurately describe them, although it is the only one open. I give again 
a Table showing the distribution of our last thousand borrowers in the 
various wards of the town, which shows about the same results as formerly. 
The number from Derwent Ward is about that to be expected, Babington, 
Becket, Friar Gate, and Litchurch wards supply more than their quota of 
readers, the first named Ward having the highest average, while Arboretum, 
King’s Mead, and Castle Ward fall below. 
Actual Heniter d 
WARD. Number of ‘Condens 
EE Nit Population. 
Arboretum ... oe as 140 168 
Babington ... ao 508 159 122 
Becket 563 orn #1 210 198 
Castle be. se 2: 77 Ti5 
Derwent ... a || 62 64 | 
Friar Gate ... re Bs 144 113 
King’s Mead Boo at 112 145 
Litchurch ... 504 et 96 75 
| 
The number of people using the News Rooms is as great, if not 
greater, than ever, and I have had little cause to complain of the conduct 
of those frequenting them. The rule of silence is on the whole well 
observed, and a word of caution has always been found sufficient where 
there was a disposition to break it. 
There have been no important additions to the Museum during the 
year, beyond some remains presented by the Directors of the Midland 
