GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1939.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1939 Session I, H-32

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1939. NEW ZEALAND.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1939.

Laid on the Table of the House of Representatives by Leave.

To the Chairman, Joint Library Committee. Sir,— I have the honour to report on the operations of the General Assembly Library for the year 1938-39. Accessions. During the financial year 1938-39 we added to our stock 5,236 volumes, as compared with 4,994 in the previous year, 4,240 in the year before, and an average of 2,516 for the preceding eleven years. The number of books accessioned constitutes a record, but is unlikely to be maintained during the next year or two. At the end of May the number of books accessioned was 152,750. In pursuance of our policy of making up leeway in the acquisition of reference books, standard texts, &c., and at the same time acquiring all that is called for in the field of sociology, history, and official papers, we have fully expended our fund instead of carrying over a considerable balance to the current year. Owing to the operation of the exchange we have found it advantageous to make more of our purchases within New Zealand. Donations. We have, as usual, received a good number of donations during the year from various sources. Amongst these are the following : Aeradio Committee (Wellington), American Association for Adult Education (New York), H. A. Armstrong (Melbourne), Australian Trade Commissioner (Wellington), K. Binns (Canberra), C. M. Bothamley (Wellington), E. J. Burrows (Cheltenham), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (Washington), China Information Committee (Hankow), Consul-General for Czechoslovakia (Sydney), Consul-General of Japan (Wellington), Consul-General for Sweden (Sydney), Dotation Carnegie pour la Paix Internationale, Educational Policies Commission (Washington), Empire Parliamentary Association (London), R. F. Kies (South Australia), Hon. H. G. R. Mason (Wellington), Minister of Customs (Wellington), National Library (Wales), New York State Library (New York), J. J. Paton (London), T. M. Plimmer (Khandallah), Prime Minister's Department (Wellington), Proportional Representation Society (London), Public Archives of Canada, RegistrarGeneral (Belfast), South African Public Library (Capetown), Miss M. M. Stafford (London), J. T. Stuart (Wellington), T. R. Toovey (Sydney), and E. Westner (Germany). Staff Work. Early this year the Assistant Librarian, Mr. W. S. Wauchop, having accepted the appointment of Pageant Master for the Centennial, was seconded from the Library for this duty. He will probably not rejoin the staff until after the end of the present financial year. In April, Miss Q. B. Cowles left for the United Kingdom on six months' leave of absence. Temporary arrangements have been made to fill these positions. Mr. C. Johnson, the binder, who has been on the staff for more than twenty years, retired in April. His place has been filled by the appointment of Mr. R. McEwan. I regret to say that Mr. T. J. Lewis, the stack superintendent, died in April. He had rendered very efficient service over a period of about twelve years. The Library and archives have been very largely used during the year for purposes of research, particularly in connection with the approaching Centennial celebrations. Students from all over New Zealand have made use of our resources, and their w'ants have been met very satisfactorily by the staff. The secretariat of the National Historical Committee has now vacated the rooms previously occupied on the top floor, thereby making further space available for the storage of archive material. The Health Department has also completely evacuated the rooms it has occupied for many years in the Library wing. The additional accommodation thus made available will enable us, when, shelving is provided, to complete the official stack on the top floor and to house in better order a large quantity of archive material and duplicate book stock.

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Copyright and Publications. The copyright list has "been published as usual. This now includes all the publications for the calendar year, as being a more convenient method of arrangement for the libraries and others who make use of it. Every three months a selected list of publications received is furnished to the New Zealand Library Association for the benefit of its members. The union catalogue of New Zealand newspapers published last year has been of very great service to libraries and research students generally. During the year under review the Library published in mimeograph form a union list of official printed papers relating to New Zealand, including both papers published in the Dominion and those published in Great Britain relating to New Zealand. Another publication of interest is a bibliography of law books published in New Zealand. This was compiled by Mr. J. 0. Wilson, A.L.A., and was published in Vol. VI of Sweet and Maxwell's " Legal Bibliography." . Inter-library Loan. Inter-library lending is becoming better known year by year, and the calls for books from the General Assembly Library show a considerable increase. We lent eighty-five volumes on inter-library loan, of which twenty-nine were requisitioned by the Country Library Service and twelve by the Dunedin Public Library. Seventeen requests we were unable to meet. Of the books lent, thirty-one volumes belonged to the 300 section (sociology), and twenty-nine to the 900 (history, biography, and travel). The General Assembly Library obtained the loan of six volumes from, other libraries through this service. International Exchange. As agent in New Zealand for the International Exchange Service, the General Assembly Library last year received from abroad 3,971. packages and 11 cases of official and scientific publications, as compared with 3,295 packages and 13 cases in the year 1937-38. The bulk of this material was for the General Assembly Library, and the balance was redistributed to Departments, libraries, and private addresses throughout the Dominion. Recess Privilege. During the recess 790 persons made use of the recess privilege. The following table gives a comparison of the number of privilege holders for some years past: — 1934 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,031 1935 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,085 1935-36 (three months) .. .. .. .. .. .. 590 1937 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,079 1938 (nine weeks) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 355 1938-39 .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 790 Of the books issued to recess privilege holders, none are outstanding ; five were reported as lost or missing. The vocations of recess privilege holders were as follows : Accountants, 28 ; advertising agents, 4 ; agents, 8 ; analytical chemists, 5 ; architects, 4 ; artists, 3 ; auctioneers, 2 ; banker, 1 ; bank clerks, 10 ; barman, 1 ; barristers and solicitors, 49 ; booksellers, 2 ; brokers, 2 ; builders, 4 ; business managers, 20 ; carpenters, 3 ; chemists, 9 ; civil engineers, 9 ; civil servants, 88 ; clergymen, 16 ; clerks, 31 ; commcrcial travellers, 9 ; company secretaries, 19 ; custodians, 3 ; dentists, 6 ; domestic duties, 50; draughtsmen, 9 ; electrical engineers, 7 ; engine-driver, 1 ; engineers, 11 ; engraver, 1 ; grocers, 5 ; hairdressers, 4 ; health inspectors, 2 ; indentors, 2 ; insurance managers, 6 ; interpreter, 1 ; laboratory attendant, 1 ; labourers, 12 ; law clerks, 12 ; library assistants, 7 ; lift attendant, 1 ; manufacturers, 3 ; mechanics, 6 ; medical practitioners, 12 ; merchants, 3 ; messengers, 9 ; meteorologist, 1 ; motor engineer, 1 ; moulder, 1 ; musicteachers, 7 ; musicians, 4; naval officer, I ; no occupation, 19 ; nurses, 7 ; photographer, 1; police constable, 1 ; postal officials, 2 ; printers and compositors, 17 ; publisher, 1 ; railway officers, 6 ; readers, 7 ; retired, 15 ; salesmen, 21 ; school inspectors, 3 ; school-teachers, 48 ; sharebrokers, 2 ; shipping managers, 2 ; sign writers, 2 ; social workers, 2 ; stenographers, 11 ; stevedore, 1 ; steward, 1 ; storemen, 6 ; students, 32 ; surgeons, 5 ; surveyors, 4 ; trade-union secretaries, 2 ; tramway employees, 14 ; typists, 28 ; university lecturers, 4 ; veterinary surgeon, 1 ; waiters, 6 ; warehousemen, 2 ; wireless operator, 1. During the recess 124 baskets of books and 221 parcels were posted to members of the Legislature. New Zealand Library Association. It was not practicable, owing to the short staff, for the Chief Librarian to attend the annual conference of the New Zealand Library Association, which was held in Palmerston North in February, 1939. Mr. T. D. H. Hall, Clerk of the House of Representatives, was president of the Association last year. Attached is a statement of receipts and expenditure for the year, with the certificate of the Auditor-General. In conclusion, I would like to record my appreciation of the support given by the staff during the year, and also of the co-operation of the High Commissioner's staff in carrying out our commissions. I am grateful, also, for the cordial interest shown by the members of the Joint Library Committee in the work and staff of the library. I have, &c., - G. H. SchOLEPIELD, Chief Librarian.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY ACCOUNT. Statement for the Year ended 31st March, 1939. Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ s. d. Balance . - . .. . . .. 12 14 4 Purchase of books and periodicals in— Annual grant.. .. .. .. 1,260 0 0 United Kingdom and United States .. .. 1,102 8 4 Private Hill fees .. .. .. .. 25 0 0 Australia . . .. .. .. .. 24 8 7 Refunds, subscriptions, lost books. &c. .. .. 10 5 0 New Zealand .. .. .. . . 142 18 0 Foreign .. .. .. .. .. 8 14 Petty expenses .. .. .. 0 2 0 Bank charge .. .. .. .. ~ 0 10 0 Stamp duty .. .. .. . . .. 0 0 4 Cheque-book .. .. ~ .. 0 10 0 £ s. d. Balance, Bank of New Zealand .. 44 19 0 Less cheques unpresented : No. 4741, 19s. lOd. ; No. 742, £19 19s. ; No. 743, £4 14s. sd. .. , 25 13 3 19 5 9 £1,297 19 4 £1,297 19 4 31st May, 1939. G. H. Scholefield, Chief Librarian. Examined and found correct —J. H. Fowler, Controller and Auditor-General.

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