Report of Honorary Librarian

Exchanges. The Society is now exchanging with 463 institutions. This figure includes the new exchanges which were approved during the past year by the Standing Committee.

Library Assistant. Mrs. J. W. Brodie was absent for six months, accompanying her husband on his visit to overseas institutions. It was not practicable to fill the temporary vacancy, and the secretary coped with the library work as far as possible. Mrs. Brodie returned in March, and is now rapidly overtaking the arrears of accessioning.

New Accessions. Publications received during the year totalled 2,052.

Binding. During the year 281 volumes have been bound. These include runs of the Bulletin U.S. National Museum, Trans. N.Y. Academy Science, and six sets of Maori Art (for selling purposes). Volume 1 of Palaeontologia Indica was bound because it has been in regular use for some years and required protection. The Original Loans Register, now of historical interest, has been appropriately bound, in keeping with its importance. It contains numerous holograph entries by earlier New Zealand scientists from the first years of the New Zealand Institute.

Two more binding firms have been tried out, and their work has proved very satisfactory. At an extra cost of 2/- per volume, one of these firms has produced a much better and more lasting binding than the firm which handled similar work last year.

Loans. A total of 743 loans were made during the year, including 246 through the postal interloan scheme. Extensive use of the library facilities has been made by members of the Society and by the staff and research students of Victoria University.

H. B. Fell,
Acting Hon. Librarian.
May 1, 1958.