The Nelson Institute.

Your Committee has much pleasure in presenting the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the 101st year since the founding of the Nelson Institute in 1841—i.e., for the year ended 31st December, 1943, as the Institute was not actually opened till 1842.

Committee: During the year Mr. J. Glasgow, the Vice-president, was reluctantly obliged to resign his seat on the Committee, and in his stead Mr. H. Hurst was elected to the deputy office. Later in the year, when Mr. S. MacArthur moved h's residence to Blenheim, the vacancy was filled by the appointment of Mr. E. R. Neale as a representative of the Nelson City Council. The required number of nominations being secured for the Committee seats, no election was held. Attendances at the Committee meetings were as follows:—City Council representatives—H. Hurst 10, N. Rout 6, W. S. Street 5, MacArthur and Neale 4; Subscribers' representatives—Sir Walter Scott 11, Mrs. A. S. G. Adam 9, Miss B. W. Rhodes 9, Miss D. Hayes 10, Mr. A. J. Gray 8, Mr. I. S. Gardiner 9, Mr. J. W. Russell 10.

At the previous Annual Meeting Lieut.-Colonel H. C. Burton severed his connection with the Commimttee after holding the office of Secretary continuously for 25 years. The Committee wishes to place on record his long term of faithful devotion to the Institute, a service that definitely promoted the stability of this important public institution. The Committee also wishes to record the valuable aid rendered by Mr. Glasgow during his many years as a member of the Committee and an enthusiastic worker for the Institute.

Subscribers: The record number of 1,287 on the books on 31st December, 1943, was made up as follows:—Adults and students 702, children 460 (an increase of 44), active rental—i.e., the regular rental clients, 125. The increase in subscriptions taken, from £555 7s 6d to £698 18s 6d, and in fees for extra books from £230 8s 11d to £304 18s, tends to emphasise the ever-growing popularity of the Library. While the lighter fiction appears to be the popular demand and possibly much of the item £304 18s for extras comes from readers of this type of literature, the Committee notes with distinct pleasure that there has been a somewhat keener demand for the better class of books.

Books, Periodicals and Newspapers: During 1943, 1624 books were added to stock, as compared with 1,023 for 1942; the accessions comprising 701 fiction, 456 general literature, 467 juvenile. The stock now consists of some 22,000 books. During the year the committee has been alive to the need for building up the general literature and reference sections, but the inadequacy of N.Z. stocks with respect to superior literature and the vagaries of overseas supply have allowed only limited progress. A sound and well-balanced library can be built only by selection and indenting.

The library subscribes to 65 different periodicals, providing 86 issues available, of which 6 are juvenile, newspapers number 26 are for 1942.