however, indicate
that constant vigilance was necessary--and still is--to prevent books
going astray.

Mr James continued as Assistant Librarian until 1923. His later years
were marked with frequent periods of illness which told on the standard
of his work.

Mr Wilson retired in March 1926 and his successor, Dr G. H. Scholefield,
O.B.E., commenced duties in May. He was even then the author of two
books on New Zealand and the Pacific and had been New Zealand Press
Association representative in London. For the next 22 years the Library
was under his care. Hampered by depression and war, the development of
the Library was not as rapid as it could have been.

The principal change in the Library during this time was probably in
the staff. Members of the staff, mostly in senior positions, had held
degrees, but generally they had not been recruited from university
graduates and had picked up such library technique as they could at
work. A university degree now became essential, and in addition,
outside studies of library science were favoured as being of value both
to the member of the staff and to the Library. Mr A. D. McIntosh, now
head of the Department of External Affairs, for example, was given
leave in 1932 after receiving a Carnegie grant to attend the Library
School at the University of Michigan.

Dr Scholefield was also responsible for the introduction of women to
the staff. Though a Mrs North had been employed as a clerk for six
months in 1900, the hours of duty had made the Library a man's world.
In 1926 Miss Q. B. Cowles, from the Turnbull Library, was the first of
the many young ladies who since then have been members of the staff.

The other change was in the reference service. The Library came to be
called on more and more for research and information. These calls came
not only from members of Parliament, but also from Government
Departments and from the public. The staff naturally had to be more
highly trained to carry out these tasks and had to spend more time to
answer the inquiries. After Mr McIntosh's return the reference staff
was reorganised and a collection of quick reference books made. In
addition, not only did the staff carry out research but it began to
summarise and rewrite the results of its research ready for immediate
use by honourable members.

Dr Scholefield, with his keen interest in biography, was instrumental
in obtaining for the Library many collections of personal papers of New
Ze