H—32A

1950 NEW ZEALAND

NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICE (ANNUAL REPORT OF THE) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1950

Presented to Both Houses of the General Assembly by Leave

The Hon. the Minister op Education. Sir,— Wellington, 12th July, 1950. I have the honour to submit the following report of the activities of the National Library Service. The report covers the work of the three divisions of the ServiceCountry Library Service, Library School, and National Library Centre. Gr. T. Alley, Director. SECTION I—COUNTRY LIBRARY SERVICE On the 31st March, 1950, 822 towns and small centres were receiving regular loans of books, an increase of 14 centres over the previous year. The School Library Service has also increased, and on the 31st March, 1950, 2,058 schools, with 149,657 children, were receiving service. This is an increase of 76 schools, with 14,771 children, since the same date in 1949. A summary of the methods bv which books, periodicals, and information are made available to country people is given below : (a) Free loans of books are made on a population basis to libraries controlled by local authorities, which in turn agree to make their libraries free and to maintain reasonable standards of library service ; (b) Loans of books are granted to independent subscription public libraries at a small annual charge per fifty books loaned ; (c) Loans of books through hamper collections are available to isolated groups of readers at a small annual charge ; (d) Loans of books are also made free of charge to isolated readers through the postal service ; and (e) Free loans of books are also granted on a population basis to Works Department, State Hydro-electric and New Zealand Forest Service Camps.