To the Chairman and Members of the Derby Free 

 Library and Museum Committee. 



Gentlemen, 



It gives me very much pleasure to lay before you my Eighth 

 Annual Report. The number of books in the Lending Library now 

 reaches 17,402, against 16,958 last year; the total issues amount to 

 145,177, against 134,763, an increase of nearly 10,500; and the daily 

 average issue has risen from 515 to 560. The increase has been a steady 

 one throughout the year, and applies to every month alike, and all classes 

 of books have shared in the increased demand. The new books added 

 number 785 ; and out of 659 books withdrawn as worn out, 355 have been 

 replaced by new copies ; the remainder, principally three volume novels of 

 ancient date, have had their places declared as vacant, and will be replaced 

 by something better. Twenty-two volumes have been lost and paid for, 

 two only have been totally lost, while thirteen coming from infected houses 

 have been destroyed. The plan we have followed for some years with 

 regard to the last-named class continues to work well, and the public may 

 use the Library with confidence without any fear of infection. I am glad 

 to say once more that on the whole the books are very well used, instances 

 of wilful damage being rare, but we still have to suffer through occasional 

 acts of carelessness or thoughtlessness, particularly on rainy days, when 

 books are occasionally brought in very wet, when a little care would have 

 kept them dry. 



The Reference Library stock now numbers 9,798 works, of which 134 

 have been added during the past year, and no volumes have been with- 

 drawn. The Committee exercise great care in the selection of the new 

 books in this department, and are most anxious to keep the Reference 

 Library thoroughly up to date, particularly with regard to Scientific works. 

 They would be very glad, for the sake of both departments of the Library, 

 to receive suggestions from the public as to books which might be pur- 

 chased, and would like to see the fullest use made of the Proposal Forms 

 to be found in the Reading Rooms, merely asking that all who use them 

 should take care to ascertain that the books proposed are not already in 

 the Library, which at present is not always done. The Specifications of 

 Patents are still very largely consulted, and the Text-books presented by 

 the University Correspondence College are greatly used by students 

 preparing for various examinations. 



