H.—32,

1916. NEW ZEALAND.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY. REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR 1915-16.

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

The Chief Libkahlan to the Chairman of the Joint Library Committee. Bra,— I have the honour to submit the following report for the year 1915-16:— Recess Library Committee. The Recess Library Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones, K.C.M.G., M.L.C., held three meetings during the recess. Lists of books suggested for order were brought before the Committee by the Chief Librarian and duly considered. Recess Privileges. The number of permits issued to non-members during the recess was 363, as against 434 in 1914-15, the number of volumes lent to ordinary recess-privilege holders being 3,591. As usual, no fiction was issued save to persons on the full-privilege list (members of the Governor's staff, the Judges, and the officers of the House). The books lent have been, as a rule, very well treated by the borrowers. Additions to Library. The Accession List for the year 1915-16 has not yet been issued, its printing ha.ving been postponed until certain books ordered from London which had been delayed had arrived. These are now here, and I hope to have the list ready for issue to members early in July. Between the 3rd May, 1915, and the 31st May, 1916, the number of catalogued accessions was 3,757. The total would have been much higher but for the delay in the arrival of certain cases from London. Owing to the war the publication of many important works has been postponed, but, this fact notwithstanding, the Accession List this year will be found to contain a large number of interesting and valuable items. The Staff. Mr. P. 11. McColl, one of the Library assistants, enlisted in the month of February last, being now a member of the 14th Reinforcements. His place in the Library has been filled temporarily by Mr. H. J. Millan, formerly acting as the Library messenger. Mr. Millan's place has been taken by Mr. W. F. Johnson, an experienced member of the House messengers staff. Both officers are giving full satisfaction in the discharge of their duties. Stock-taking. The stock-taking has been continued on the system outlined by me in my report of 1913, under which stock-taking proceeds each recess, different classes being dealt with each year. This year classes 100, 200, 400, and 500 were overhauled. The result is as follows : — Missing at Stock-taking. 1913. 1916. Class 100 ... ... .. ... ... 14 Nil. Class 200 ... ... ... ... ... 18 1 Class 400 .. ... ... ... ... 8 4 Class 500 ... ... ... .... ... 18 12 Totals . . ... ... ... 50 17 The above figures show that whereas fifty volumes were missing in these four classes in 1913, only seventeen volumes are unaccounted for in 1916, thus showing that in the intervening period thirtythree volumes have been recovered. The result is even better than the figures indicate, as a considerable number of new books have been added to these classes during the past three years. It is probable that most of the missing volumes will be recovered before next year's stock-taking. The Monro Collection. The Monro collection of medical books presented to the Library by Lady Hector has been catalogued and accessioned. It contains 317 volumes, of which number fifty-eight are in the manuscript of the three Monroes, primus, secundus, and tertins, who successfully held the Chair of Surgery, &c, in the Edinburgh University from 1720 to 1846. It is worthy of note that Sir Charles Monro, Commander-in-Chief at Gallipoli, is a great-grandson of A. Monro secundus. The books of the collection, a list of which will appear in the year's list of accessions, include most of the standard works on surgery, &c. Many of the publications, some of which date so far