8 



borrowers have had to be reminded that their books were overdue ; but 

 the offences cannot have been of such long standing, as the amount 

 which had to be levied for fines is considerably less. No fewer than 

 3,736 volumes bad to pass through the binder's hands for greater or less 

 reason, 519 of which had to be re-bound. All the small repairs, all the 

 numbering, labelling, and lettering (except where books were re-bound) 

 were done by our own man on the premises. The Table giving the 

 occupations of the last thousand borrowers is always an interesting one, 

 showing that all classes and occupations are represented. This year's 

 shows no new features, and the same thousand borrowers are distributed 

 among the Wards as shown in the Table below, on which there is no new 

 remark to make. 



Our new Fiction Catalogue was issued after the Annual Stock- 

 taking, and sells well. A new edition of the Children's Catalogue is 

 ready for the printer, and the next section of the Ceneral Catalogue — 

 that embracing History, Biography, and Travel— is in a forward con- 

 dition. We hope soon to have the Card Catalogue system in operation 

 for showing recent additions, and for the Reference Library as a whole- 



The News-rooms are quite as fully used as ever, and I should say 

 that the number using the rooms is larger now than it was before the 

 branch at the Arboretum was opened, while the attendance at the latter 

 increases month by month. The Book Committee went thoroughly 

 into the list of newspapers and magazines at the beginning of the year, 

 and considerably revised and improved it at an additional expenditure 

 of about £14 annually. New lists have been posted in each room, of 

 the magazines to be found there, while a general list in the front corridor 

 shows the names of all that are taken. I have no complaint to make 

 of the conduct of those who use the rooms. 



