To the Chairman and Members of the Derby Free 

 Library and Museum Committee. 



Gentlemen, 

 Q* HAVE the honour and pleasure of laying before you my Tenth 

 <3^ Annual Report. The past year has been the busiest I have ever 

 had in your service. The ordinary work, as the accompanying Tables 

 show, is ever increasing. A new Department for Children has been 

 organised and set to work. The whole of the scientific books have 

 been newly catalogued, and the necessary arrangements have been 

 made for opening a Branch Reading Room. In addition, a considerable 

 amount of re-arrangement has been done in the Museum, and my work 

 in connection with the Art Gallery increases rather than diminishes. 

 My time has therefore been very fully employed, but, thanks to your 

 ready co-operation and the loyal and willing help I receive from the 

 whole of the staff, whose duties, like my own, are at times extremely 

 heavy, the work has been done pleasantly enough, and I hope and 

 believe to your satisfaction and that of the ratepayers. 



A few figures, by way of comparison, will say more as to the 

 increase of the Library and its work than anything else, and these I 

 give below. 



TOTAL BOOKS. TOTAL ISSUES. DAILY AVERAGE. 



The special figures belonging to this year's work will be found in 

 the accompanying Tables, which, I think, contain all information likely 

 to be interesting, and do not present any special features in any of the 

 results shown. New books have been steadily added, and all depart- 

 ments of the Library kept well up to date, sufficient new books to give 



