16 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Jeaved copies of the Catalogue of Books of Reference in the 

 Reading Room, which are requisite in order to record the 

 changes in this collection by the addition of new works, and the 

 exchange of old for new editions, have been made. The number 

 of additions to each copy is 39. 



The collection of books in the galleries of the Reading 

 Room has continued to receive additions by the incorporation 

 of new works of interest and importance, and the substitution 

 of new for older editions. The number of additions to each 

 of the interleaved copies of the Catalogue of this collection 

 is 120. 



A Subject-Index of the modern works added to the 

 Library of the British Museum from 1885 to 1890, inclusive, 

 continuing the Index previously published to the accessions 

 since 1880, and containing about 40,000 entries, has been 

 compiled by Mr. G. K. Fortescue, Superintendent of the 

 Reading Room, and published by the Trustees during the 

 past year. The indexing of recent acquisitions has also been 

 continued for the year 1891. 



III. Binding. — The number of volumes and sets of 

 pamphlets sent to be bound in the course of the year was 

 10,421, including 1,.5.33 volumes of newspapers. In conse- 

 quence of the frequent adoption of the plan of binding two or 

 more volumes in one, the number of bound volumes returned 

 was 7,171 ; in addition to w^hich 533 pamphlets have been 

 separately bound. 1,088 volumes have been repaired. 



IV. Reading Rooon Service. — The number of volumes 

 returned to the General Library from use in the Reading 

 Room was 802,204; to the Royal Library, 16,431 ; to the Gren- 

 ville Library, 1,355 ; and to the presses in which books are 

 kept from day to day for the use of readers, 449,730 ; making 

 a total amount of 1,269,720 volumes supplied to readers 

 during the year. The number of readers during the year 

 has been 198,310, giving an average of about 654 daily, 

 the room having been opened on 303 days ; and an average 

 of over six volumes daily for each reader, not reckoning 

 those taken from the shelves of the Reading Room by the 

 readers themselves. 



N'ewsjoajMv Room. — The total number of readers during the 

 year has been 14,529, giving a daily average of 48. The 

 number of volumes replaced after use was 50,543, giving a 

 daily average of over three to each reader. 



V. Additions. — {a.) 36,416 volumes and pamphlets (includ- 

 ing 851 books of music) have been added to the Library in 

 the course of the year, of which 5,018 were presented ; 10,668 

 received in pursuance of the laws of English copyright ; 

 one under the international copyright treaties ; 595 by inter- 

 national exchange, and 20,134 acquired by purchase. 



{h.) 66,206 



