The Picton Reading Room, called so in honour of the late Sir James 

 A. Picton, who for nearly 49 years was Chairman of this Institution, 

 is set apart as a student's room and for literary research and inquiry. 

 No restriction is placed upon the number of volumes a reader may 

 require, and facilities are given by the provision of pens and ink for 

 making notes and extracts from the books. Some 300 dictionaries and 

 other books in constant use for reference are so placed that they can be 

 had at a moment's notice. Two large globes and various important 

 atlases are placed in the room for easy reference, and near the entrance 

 will be found some 180 scientific and literary magazines, reviews, &c., to 

 which readers have free access. The issue of novels is confined to the 

 Brown Reading Room. The total issue of books for reference and study 

 has been 173,831 volumes, being a decrease of 17,240 volumes. The 

 reviews and other scientific and literary periodicals issued show, on the 

 other hand, an increase of 1,879. The cause of this decrease is not 

 apparent. It has probably arisen from the better state of trade in the 

 port during 1891 than in 1890. The classes of literature which show 

 an increase are Latin and Greek classics, 778 vols. ; politics, 275 vols. ; 

 languages, 157 vols. ; and dictionaries, encyclopaedias, and works of 

 general reference, 801 vols. 



Id order to give better facilities for the examination of specifications of 

 patents, and consulting the volumes and files of newspapers, the Com- 

 mittee are considering the desirability of utilizing the basement of the 

 Brown Library, and there finding that increased accommodation for books 

 which has become necessary. 



The special grant of £1,600 made by the City Council, under the 

 Customs and Excise Act, has enabled the Committee to add numerous 

 important books in technology to the Reference and Lending Libraries, 

 and so develope the practical side, so to speak, of the institutions. 

 The lists of books were supervised by several specialists, and every efi"ort 

 made to secure works of only standard merit. 



A new volume of the Reference Library Catalogue has just been 

 printed and made available for readers. It has been compiled with every 

 endeavour to render accessible the varied literary stores collected in the 

 Library, and that no one should find difficulty in finding any particular 

 book, or what the Library possesses on any particular subject. A volume 

 of 740 pp. 4to, compiled on the elaborate plan in use in the Library and 



