s 



care exercised by the Book Committee. A Catalogue of the " Devon- 

 shire" Library of local books, which has hitherto only existed in 

 manuscript, is in active preparation, and will form an interesting and 

 valuable addition. 



I am again able to report favourably on the way the books are 

 used ; and there has been considerable improvement in many respects. 

 We still occasionally meet with stupid marginal notes, more often 

 reflecting the vacuity of the reader's mind than an intelligent under- 

 standing of the text ; but in this matter there is a marked improve- 

 ment. I am still forced to believe that all readers do not use the 

 books with perfectly clean hands, and certain unmistakable signs show 

 that the habit of reading at meals has not altogether died out ; but 

 on the whole there is very little to complain of. Among damaged 

 books, we have had during the past year one which had been soaked 

 in a bucket of water, one burnt through with cigar ash, and one 

 worried by a dog. It is only fair to add, that in all these cases the 

 damage was cheerfully paid for by the borrower. I believe that most 

 of the borrowers fully appreciate the value of the Library, and exercise 

 all reasonable care in the treatment of the books. One very gratifying 

 feature during the past year is the marked decline in the number of 

 overdue books which had to be written for. The number of books 

 bespoken by the payment of one penny has increased from 1,005 to 

 1,204. 



In Table VII. the annual turnover of each volume in the Library 

 is given as 8-3. This is somewhat misleading, as very many books 

 seldom or ever go out, and with books really in active use the 

 turnover is much greater. It will be interesting from several points of 

 view to notice the circulation of the following typical books during the 

 past year, each selected as a good representative of its class : — 



COPIES. TIMES. 



Sir W. Scott—" Ivanhoe " 



Charles Dickens — " David Copperfield " 

 W. M. Thackeray — " Vanity Fair " 



( Edna Lyall — "Donovan" 



< Mrs. H. Ward—" Robert Elsmere" 



i F. M. Crawford — " Saracinesca " ... 



( Mrs. H. Wood — "The Channings" 

 \ Miss Worboise — "Overdale" 

 C G. A. Henty — "A Final Reckoning" 

 { Jules Verne—" Abandoned" 

 These figures speak for themselves. 



During the period which has elapsed since my last report, 1,168 



