1957 PROFESSIONAL COURSE
At the end of November nine diplomas and five certificates were awarded
to 14 students who completed the course. For health reasons one student
accepted under the Colombo Plan returned to his own country at the end
of the first term. Of the successful students two returned to the
libraries in which they had been employed before attending the school,
three were appointed librarians of smaller public libraries, four joined
the staffs of city public libraries, two are now members of the School
Library Service staff, and one the librarian of the Central Military
District. The two holders of UNESCO Fellowships are consolidating their
training by carrying out practical work in the Delhi Public Library for
three months.
1958 PROFESSIONAL COURSE
This course began on 4 March with 17 New Zealand students and the three
Indonesian students who have been working in libraries in New Zealand
since February 1957.
Four students have a master's and nine a bachelor's degree in arts, one
a bachelor's degree in music, and two are holders of the New Zealand
Library Association's Certificate.
NEW ZEALAND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TRAINING COURSE
Part II of this course was held at the Library School from 14 January to
15 February. Twenty-two students attended and all were recommended for
the award of the Association's certificate.
1957 SHORT COURSE
A short course for librarians and library assistants mainly from smaller
public libraries was held from 12 to 31 August. There were 21 students
from the following public libraries: Birkenhead, Blenheim, Dargaville,
Devonport, Hawera, Howick, Huntly, Inglewood, Kaiapoi, Kaikohe, Kaitaia,
Martinborough, Mataura, Nelson Institute, Otaki, Palmerston, Rangiora,
Taumarunui, Upper Hutt, Waiuku, Warkworth, and a field librarian from
the Country Library Service, Hamilton.
In addition to lectures and practical exercises, several hours were set
aside for the informal discussion of problems and special questions
raised by the students. Senior members of National Library Service
headquarters joined the staff of the school in these discussions.
Limits imposed by the size of the school made it necessary to defer
acceptance of some students eligible for this course.
A short course on similar lines will be offered again in August this
year to librarians or library assistants of small public libraries who
are not able to take advantage of other means of training.
As in previous years we wish to acknowledge the valuable contribution
made to these courses by visiting lecturers and the libraries which lend
us books.
SECTION IV--NATIONAL LIBRARY CENTRE
The National Library Centre, in addition to acting as the division
responsible for the headquarters work of the Service, has continued to
promote the cooperative use of library resources. Staff at headquarters
are still working under very difficult conditions and there is a
continuing and pressing need both for administrative working space and
adequate housing for the book collections.
_Inter-library Loan_--All inter-library loan requests for books and
periodicals the location of which is not known are sent to the National
Centre. Items which are not found in the Union Catalogue of non-fiction
books, the _Union List of Serials_, or other bibliographical sources are
listed in the weekly publication _Book Resources_, which is sent to 39
libraries for checking.
1956-57 1957-58
Number % Number %
Interloan cards received 7,197 100.0 7,640 100.0
Supplied from National Library Service 4,312 59.9 4,411 57.7
Supplied from other Wellington libraries 171 2.4 139 1.8
Supplied from Union Catalogue records 949 13.2 1,055 13.8
Supplied from _Union List of Serials_ 101 1.4 173 2.3
Not supplied for various reasons 641 8.9 664 8.7
Listed on _Book Resources_ 1,023 14.2 1,198 15.7
Four hundred and seventy-five titles not found in any library were
ordered for national stock.
The number of requests received by the centre represents probably less
than half the total volume of traffic among New Zealand libraries, the
proportion of direct interloan being higher in the special and
university libraries. Interloan was devised and introduced among
libraries by the New Zealand Library Association and in its operation
the responsibility of the National Library Service is not merely to act
as a clearing house but to provide all the material it reasonably can to
make the system effective. Other libraries participate reciprocally, or
lend so that they may the more freely borrow. The contribution, as has
always been expected, is a varying one and one or two libraries may
consider that they have a substantial and unrealisable credit balance in
their favour. The point beyond which certain libraries may feel they
cannot go in the common interest has not so far been determined
administratively but it may be necessary to consider this. If so, it is
better that it be done quantitatively on the basis of a common library
policy rather than that the present procedure should become an
embarrassment or be administered capriciously or conservatively.
_Central Bureau for Library Book Imports_--After the introduction of
import control in January the Government approved that the facilities of
the bureau should be extended to meet the situation and assure libraries
of their essential supplies. The bureau was set up in 1940 as a
responsibility of the Country Library Service as a result of discussions
between the Government and the Library Association. Because libraries
undertook to avoid unnecessary duplication and develop cooperative ways
of recording and using their holdings, the 50 per cent cut in book
imports made in 1939 was restored and the necessary machinery
established to safeguard the country's supply of essential publications.
The situation now is that recommendations for licences are made to the
Comptroller of Customs in two categories: firstly, block licence in
annual or six-monthly lots to cover a full licensing period, on behalf
of public libraries serving a population of 20,000 and over, university
libraries, and a few special libraries; secondly, individual
recommendations on behalf of smaller libraries which are made on the
basis of orders sent in when making application. Book-sellers are
expected to give libraries a proportionate share of their 1956
transactions on which their current licence would be computed.
Block licence recommendations, normally made at the end of the year--and
for some years only for anticipated imports from scheduled countries,
chiefly the dollar area--were held over until the present calendar year
and statistically will be included in the figures for the 1958 licensing
period.
_Libraries of Government Departments_--A total of £45,357 was spent on
behalf of Government Departments financed from the Consolidated Fund and
purchasing through the National Library Service. Of this total, £25,344
was for standing orders, chiefly periodical subscriptions. The value,
nationally, of a range of periodicals wider than that which is now
received by all the libraries would scarcely be disputed, but the degree
of duplication between and particularly within Departments continues to
cause concern.
_Book Resources Committee of the New Zealand Library Association_--The
Book Resources Committee of which the Librarian, National Centre, is
Secretary, has continued to act as the national planning and advisory
body in the cooperative acquisition, recording, and use of publications.
In June and July of this year Dr K. D. Metcalf, Librarian Emeritus of
Harvard, at the joint invitation of the United States Educational
Foundation in New Zealand and the New Zealand Government, will visit New
Zealand. Dr Metcalf will visit the main centres and will have
discussions with the committee and the Government on policy matters.
_Union Catalogue_--During the year 26,033 new titles were added
including 2,928 from the microfilmed record of library catalogues. The
catalogue now includes over 400,000 entries.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL SECTION
_Union List of Serials_--The typing and printing of the sixth
(cumulative) supplement to the _Union List of Serials_ has commenced and
publication is anticipated early in 1959.
_Index to New Zealand Periodicals_--The 1956 issue of the index, the
first for which the National Library Service has accepted the
responsibility of publication, was printed by photo-offset and
distributed. The 1957 issue is being prepared in the same way. The
possibility of simplifying production by printing direct from the typed
cards is being explored.
_General_--Printed catalogue cards for 247 New Zealand books and
pamphlets were issued during the year. Work on the national
bibliography, from 1890 to 1950, has continued and it is hoped to
commence the typing of a preliminary check list of holdings at the end
of the year.
BY AUTHORITY:
R. E. OWEN, GOVERNMENT PRINTER, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND--1958
_Price 1 s._ 96098-58 G