To the Chairman and Members of the Free 

 Library and Museum Committee. 



Gentlemen, 



It gives me great pleasure to submit to you my Fourth Annual 

 Report. 



The total number of books now in the Lending Library is 14,836 

 against 14,227 last year, and in the Reference Library 8,825 against 8,595. 

 This gives as the total in both Libraries 23,661, an increase of 839 

 on last year's total, and this in spite of 801 volumes having been with- 

 drawn from circulation as worn out. The total issues in each Depart- 

 ment show a decrease, which in the Lending Library amounts to 5,758 

 volumes, and in the Reference Library to 4,695. The causes for this are 

 various. The gradual elimination of the three volume novel counts for 

 much ; the fact that many of the pictorial volumes so much in demand are 

 hopelessly worn out is another cause ; but, in my opinion, the chief causes 

 are that in the Lending Library books are kept longer than formerly, and 

 changes are less frequent, which I hope points to more thorough, and less 

 desultory reading ; while the readers in both Libraries are undoubtedly 

 diminished by the fact that better times have decreased the numbers of the 

 unemployed, and there is less time for reading. The state of the News 

 Rooms just now in the day time is a remarkable contrast to what it 

 was this time last year. The issues in the two Departments are as follows : 

 Lending, 124,556; Reference, 23,222; together 147,778. As a matter of 

 interest, it may be stated that the total issue of books since the foundation 

 of the Library is — Lending, 2,488,218; Reference, 331,880, making 

 together the astounding total of 2,826,098. The daily issue in the 

 Lending Department during the past year varies considerably, ranging from 

 599 in the month of March to 338 in July, the highest daily issue being 

 on April 18th, when 1,148 volumes were given out. The Reference 

 Library varies in the same way, November standing at the head with a 

 daily issue of 126, and June only showing a daily average of 35. 



In the Lending Department 771 volumes have been withdrawn as 

 worn out The whole list of books so withdrawn for several years past 

 has been carefully gone over by the Book Committee, and as a result 798 

 volumes have been replaced, the remainder being struck off the list and 

 their places declared vacant. In addition to this, 589 new volumes have 

 been purchased. These include the most recent and interesting works in 

 Biography and Travels, and a large proportion of good, healthy juvenile 

 literature. When a new Catalogue is undertaken, it will be seen that 



