Chapter VI: 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