12 



THE LENDING LIBRARIES. 



The Lending Branches maiutaiu their full complement of readers, though 

 the issues show a falling-off over last year of 11,16a vols. As there is a 

 marked improvement in the class of literature lent, no doubt the decrease is 

 due to the books being kept their full time for more careful and studious 

 reading. The whole of the above decrease, with 1,774 vols, additional, making 

 12,942, comes under the head of fiction. Miscellaneous Literature (prin. 

 cipally Magazines) shows a decrease of 2,902 vols. ; History and Biography is 

 547 vols, less; Politics, 107; and Political Economy, 81. Ou the other 

 hand, Theology shows an increase of 1,165 vols.; Natural Philosophy and 

 Mathematics, 642; Natural History, 538; Arts and Sciences, 1,570; of 

 which 333 vols, are Music; Topography, 368; Travels, 244; Education and 

 Languages, 587 ; Poetry, 284; Classics, 24 ; and Books for the Blind, 9. 



The large number of tickets cancelled results, in a great measure, 

 through the neglect of readers to renew them at the proper time (every twelve 

 months from the date of issue) ; thus they become void. In some respects 

 this is advantageous both to the Library and guarantors, as by those who 

 rejoin new vouchers are supplied to the Library, and guarantors have the 

 option of declining being again responsible should they think fit. Of the 75 

 Books lost 11 were replaced by guarantors, and the remainder by the borrowers 

 themselves. The 14 wholly lost were found missing at stock-taking, but 

 could not be traced. The Books worn out and replaced consist almost wholly 

 of works of fiction, among which the names of Dickens, Scott, Lytton, Lever, 

 Marryat, Cooper, Mayue Eeid, Mrs. Wood, Braddon, are the most 

 conspicuous. The cancelled portion consists principally of Magazines which 

 are not considered necessary to replace. In addition, however, to these 777 

 vols, worn out and withdrawn, there has been at the South Library a further 

 withdrawal of 650 duplicate Magazines now no longer in demand, which, after 

 being properly stamped, were presented to the following charitable institutions, 

 viz.: — Royal Infirmary, 200 vols.; Northern Hospital, 150 ; Royal Southern 

 Hospital, 150 ; Convalescent Institution, Woolton, 100; Newsboys' Home, 50. 

 They were in every case very thankfully accepted for the patients, and will, no 

 doubt, prove useful in lightening many an otherwise weary hour. By deduct- 

 ing the volumes withdrawn from the new works added it will be seen that the 

 net increase — 383 vols. — is very moderate, and this has been the case for 

 some years past ; but as there is a constant stream of new books flo"s\'ing in, 

 the Libraries are maintained in numbers, usefulness, and popularity. 



The following are the Statistics: — 



