THE CENTEAL EEFERENCE LIBKARY. 



The interest of this department is fully maintained; increase in 

 readers being impossible, for want of additional space for them. 



The conduct of the readers has been unexceptionable. There has 

 not been a single complaint of injury to the books, or of misconduct of 

 any kind. The only loss has been that of one small volume, of 

 trifling value. 



During the year ending August 31, 1855, 100,507 books have been 

 issued and returned; in addition, there have been, on an average, 

 110 readers per day of magazines, reviews, and other perodicals, not 

 entered in the daily statistics; making a total of 131,912 works 

 perused, or about 462 per day, in the different classes of literature, 

 according to the following classification : — 



Number and Classification of Books. Daily average, about 



Theology, Metaphysics, &c 3128 11 



Natural Philosophy 2663 9 



Natural History 1220 4: 



Science and the Arts 3165 11 



History and Biography 9343 36 



Topography and Antiquities 1097 4 



Geography, Voyages, and Travels 4527 16 



Miscellaneous Literature 44510 155 



Law, Politics, &c 562 2 



Commerce and Political Economy 372 1 



Education, Language, &c , 1050 3 



Poetry and Dramatic Literature 4936 17 



Novels and Works of Imagination 53630 187 



Classical Literature 213 1 



Heraldry, Encyclopaedias, and Works of Reference . . 1496 5 



Total 131912 462 



