16 LIBRARIES. 
matter, but in this case it serves to shew that the Committee have 
been justified in declining to continue to cater for the comparatively 
limited number of borrowers who only want the latest and most 
sensational novels. The delay in the purchase of novels is not only 
an advantage to the Committee economically but also enables « 
careful selection to be made. 
The statistics of issues to Juveniles for home reading are 
interesting. The nett increase on the preceding year is 6488 
volumes. There were increased issues of non-fictional works 
amounting to 18255, and decreased issues of fiction to the extent 
of 11767. ‘This result is to be mainly attributed to the great heip 
given by the School Teachers to the Children in the selection of the 
books to be borrowed from the Libraries. 
A word of commendation is due to the Librarian and Staff at the 
Everton Branch Library for the large increase in the issues to 
children from that Library. Fifty thousand volumes were issued 
in 1911 as against 37565 volumes in 1910, and 321685 volumes in 
1909. 
In the Picton Reading Room there were eight special exhibitions 
of books on topical subjects. All were popular, while the exhibition 
of Bibles at the time of the celebration of the Tercentenary of the 
Authorized Version of the English Bible was visited by a large 
number of children from the elementary schools. Several local 
Societies held special meetings at the Reference Library when books 
on the subjects in which their members are interested were 
exhibited. 
CATALOGUES. 
The preparation of catalogues for the Libraries for children in 
the new Walton and Fazakerley and Sefton Park buildings, together 
with the revision and passing through the press of the catalogue for 
the Central Lending Library, seriously interrupted the work on the 
Reference Library catalogue. Progress, however, was made with 
this important work, and there is every prospect that during 1912 
the work will be satisfactorily advanced. 
