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198
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE OF
CLAPHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY,
For the Year ended 31st March, 1909.
The Sub-Committee have pleasure in presenting the TwentySecond
Annual Report on the work of the Clapham Library.
The number of books issued during the year was 125,278 in the
Lending Library and 6,198 in the Reference Library (exclusive of
books in open cases), being a total issue of 131,476 volumes, and a
daily average issue of 539 volumes. These figures are much higher
than those for any year since the library was opened, and show an
increase of issues of 17,631 volumes over the previous year, and a
daily average increase of 78 volumes issued.
The number of books now in stock is 18,198, of which 14,820 are
in the Lending Library and 3,378 in the Reference Library. Advantage
has been taken of the preparation of a new catalogue of works of
fiction and juvenile literature (to be published in the forthcoming
summer) to weed out a number of obsolete and worn-out books.
3,973 readers' ordinary tickets (including renewals) and 947
students' tickets were issued during the year. The issue of students'
tickets has been very successful, and, no doubt, accounts to some
extent for the large increase in the number of books taken out.
The Sub-Committee desire to express their cordial thanks to the
various donors of books, periodicals, pictures, etc., during the past year.
The Sub-Committee regret that, owing to the theft of several
books from the open cases in the Reference Library, they have been
reluctantly compelled to discontinue placing books on shelves
accessible to the public.