H—32

1946 NEW ZEALAND

GENERAL ASSEMBLY LIBRARY (REPORT OF THE CHIEF LIBRARIAN FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1946)

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 1945-46. The Book Stock The number of books accessioned during the financial year was 3,301, compared with 3,152 in the previous year and an average of 3,256 for the past fifteen years. The Library has now accessioned altogether 174,714 volumes. The stock is short of that, however, by routine withdrawals of obsolete and worn-out books and gifts made to the fighting Forces in the two world wars. The accessions for the year were classed as follows : bibliography, 106 volumes ; newspapers, 73 ; philosophy, 49 ; religion, 51 ; sociology, 714 ; parliamentary, 162 ; philology, 24 ; natural science, 81 ; useful arts, 288 ; fine arts, 184 ; literature, 392 ; travel and history, 589 ; biography, 249 ; fiction, 306 ; New Zealand, 36. Transport conditions since the war ended have affected considerably the arrival of books from oversea. Shipping from England is now more frequent and British publishers are again able, with the partial relaxation of paper restrictions, to respond to the demands of the market and afford English authors an outlet for their work. Though British book production has not regained its position as to either quantity or quality, it is at any rate satisfactory to find British books coming more freely on the market. We have had no losses in transit, and deliveries, from England especially, are much more regular and prompt than for some years past. Our balance in hand is already being reduced accordingly. The Year's Work It was fortunate, in view of the numerical weakness of the staff, that no tasks of rearrangement of stock were called for. The whole energy of the staff was required for routine work and the demands of members, which were particularly pressing during last session. The opening of the Library School also placed an unusual demand on the staff, both in the production of books for use in the school and in attendance on students using the Library for study. This work w-as, of course, cheerfully undertaken. Staff We now at length know where we are as regards staff. All who went oversea on war service have been released, and others whose duty kept them in New Zealand have made their decisions and so enabled us to take steps to reconstitute a permanent staff. Of the eight who volunteered when the war commenced, three only came back to the staff.