LIBRARY DEPARTMENT. 



Ciiikk Librarian's Report. 

 The appended statistical tables, showing the work of the Libraries 

 during the past year, exhibit some remarkable figures. The total 

 uumber of volumes issued for perusal, either in the Heading Booms 

 of the Libi-aries or at home, amount to 2,052,896. The magazines 

 and reviews issued in the Reading Rooms numbered 1,088,713, 

 the persons who consulted the newspapers are computed at 

 1,084,168, and those who have attended the free lectures 76,481. 

 Such figures arc unmistakable evidence of the popularity and 

 appreciation of the Libraries as resorts for mental improvement and 

 recreation. The fluctuations which take place in the total number 

 of hooks issued, and the classes of literature into which they are 

 divided, are not always easy to account for. The Picton Reading 

 Room is essentially a student's room, for the reader of novels or the 

 illustrated weekly papers finds no encouragement. Here there 

 has been a falling off in the books lent of 12,879, bxit this may hud 

 its explanation in the increased number of books placed so that 

 readers may help themselves to them without the intermediary of 

 one of the library officials. Exact statistics of the use of these 

 books cannot be taken. It is pleasing to state here how few losses 

 of hooks have been sustained since these open-access shelves were 

 instituted; to those engaged in literary work, and to students 

 generally, these standard books of reference, available at pleasure, 

 are highly appreciated, while the general reader is no less pleased 

 with the selection of the latest books published placed at his disposal. 



The total number of readers who used the Picton Reading Room 

 during the year was 228,211, and of these 10,235 were lady students. 



The Brown Reading Room of the Central Library is resorted to by 

 those who prefer recreative rather than studious reading, and for the 

 various newspapers and directories. The increase or decrease in the 

 book and magazine issues, and the number of readers referring to the 

 newspapers, have usually been regarded as indicating, more or less, 



