H,—32.

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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