Once again the Library has to record its thanks to the many individuals
and organisations for their kindness in presenting large numbers of
books and periodicals. All have received letters of thanks, but once
again we should like to express our thanks to those concerned for so
much material that might otherwise not reach the Library. This year one
donation was of such value and importance that it must be specially
mentioned. It was the gift of 350 books by the Carnegie Corporation of
New York. This collection has been specially selected to portray United
States life and to explain its origins. It has proved exceedingly
popular and has added many fine books on the United States to the
Library. The Library is grateful to the Corporation for its generosity
in presenting the collection.
During the year 8,375 books were catalogued and added to the
collections, compared with 7,650 during 1956-57. They were classed as
follows, the figures in parentheses being those for the previous year:
general works, 370 (420); newspapers, 238 (156); philosophy, 73 (67);
religion, 375 (414); sociology, 2,413 (2,275); parliamentary papers,
332 (423); philology, 56 (47); natural sciences, 393 (331); useful
arts, 1,023 (847); fine arts, 333 (312); literature, 440 (320); history
and travel, 1,099 (1,107); biography, 506 (421); fiction, 724 (510).
Total accessions now number 247,825.
A better guide to the stocks of the Library is the estimate prepared in
connection with the census of libraries being held this year. A quick
count of the books on 1 April 1958 gave a total of 240,450, plus 65,960
pamphlets and 18,860 maps. The figure for pamphlets is, I believe,
slightly exaggerated as many are little more than single sheets and
others now listed as several pamphlets will eventually be made into a
single bound volume.