1957 1958 Per Cent

To Country Library Service libraries 55,782 61,870 10.9
To Government Department libraries 6,423 6,998 8.9
To interloan libraries 8,051 8,801 9.3

Total issues 70,256 77,669 10.6

During the year, 26,047 requests (an increase of 9.2 per cent) were
referred to Wellington. Of the total issues, 4,975 were books belonging
to other libraries throughout New Zealand, whose willing cooperation is
gratefully acknowledged.

_Expenditure_--Expenditure under Subdivision XII, vote "Education", for
the year was L264,956. This figure includes L94,544 for the purchase of
books, of which L45,357 was for books and periodicals on behalf of
Government Departments. The expenditure on behalf of Departments
represents 12,146 books and standing orders for approximately 11,000
serial publications.

Expenditure under Subdivision III for the purchase of books by the
School Library Service was L50,580.

G. T. ALLEY, Director.

SECTION I--COUNTRY LIBRARY SERVICE

On 31 March 1958, 989 towns and small centres were receiving regular
loans of books, an increase of 32 centres over the previous year. In
addition, 54 Ministry of Works, State Hydro-electric, and New Zealand
Forest Service camps and stations were given library service. Books are
also on loan to six places in the Chatham Islands, and to Niue,
Rarotonga, and Pitcairn Island. Free loans of books on a population
basis are given to mental hospitals and prisons situated both in country
and urban districts.

Books, periodicals, and information are available to country people in
the following ways:

(a) Free loans of books on a population basis to libraries controlled by
the local authorities, which in turn agree to make their libraries
free and to maintain reasonable standards of library service.

(b) Loans of books to independent subscription public libraries at a
small annual charge per fifty books loaned.

(c) Loans of books through hamper collections to isolated groups of
readers at a small annual charge.

(d) Free loans of books to lighthouse keepers and similar very remote
readers.

(e) Free loans of books on a population basis to Ministry of Works,
State Hydro-electric, and New Zealand Forest Service camps.

All libraries served under (a) and (b) and the majority under (c)
receive regular v