LENDING LIBRAEIES. 



The history of these Libraries during the past year has been 

 much the same as former years, and requires no special comment. 

 They are quite as popular as ever, and if the number of borrowers 

 has not materially increased, it is simply because, as has been 

 stated in previous reports, more cannot be satisfactorily attended 

 to. In fact, the usefulness of the Libraries is being somewhat 

 impaired by overcrowding. An average of 4,500 readers at each 

 Library, the vast majority not mere nominal readers, entails an 

 amount of work independent of debiting and crediting Avhlch 

 cannot be indicated by statistics. With the present number of 

 readers and the staff and the system strained to the utmost, 

 disappointment in obtaining particular books and delay through 

 waiting cannot possibly be prevented. Another source of injury 

 to the well-being and reputation of the Libraries is the mutilation 

 of the books tlirough the carelessness, and in some cases the 

 apparent wilfuhiess, of readers. To discover the guilty parties 

 in such cases is not always an easy matter, even with the utmost 

 vigilance on the part of the officers. 



Although the issue of books is entirely gratuitous, yet in 

 justice to the public, to whom the Institution belongs, a fine is 

 inflicted when a book is kept beyond the specified period, and a 

 charge is made to cover the expense of Catalogues and the readers' 

 tickets. The Eeceipts from this source have been during the last 

 year as follows : — 



For Fines (North Library) £94 is 2 



„ „ (South Library) 108 5 



„ Catalogues 55 12 



„ Tickets 80 17 4 



£339 12 6 



