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6
The daily average issue, excluding Sunday and Juvenile
figures, was 360, as against 382 volumes in 1898-99. There are
3,768 Adult Borrowers, of whom 407 hold Student's tickets,
by which an additional non-fictional work may be obtained
for home reading. The number of Juvenile tickets in force
at March 31st, 1900, was 2,168, excluding 276 tickets
available for the Lending Library.
Juvenile Room.—The total issues from this department
numbered 10,691 volumes, exclusive of the books placed on
open shelves for use in the Reading Room. Although the
attendance has fallen off considerably since the room was first
opened, there is no doubt that it is greatly appreciated by the
more studious boys and girls of the district. The Juvenile
Room was closed on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during
the months of June to September inclusive.
Sundays.—The Reference Reading Room remained open
on Sundays from 3 to 9 p.m. during the year, save from June
to September inclusive of 1899, when diminished attendances
led to its being closed. The total attendance for the eight
months was 4,168, a daily average of 122, while the
number of books issued for reading on the premises was 714,
a daily average of 21, as against an average of 129, and
29 respectively in 1898-99.
Reading Rooms.—The number of visits to the Newsroom
was about the same as in former years, namely a total of
547,690, or a daily average of 1,430. During acute stages of
the South African War the newspaper stands have been
greatly crowded, and it is evident that the newsroom during
the past six months has been a centre for the distribution of
news which could not have been provided by any other means.
The Reference Reading Room has maintained its popularity,
and it is estimated that the total number of visits during
the year exceeded 140,000. Various improvements in the
arrangement of this department are being effected, among
them being:
Open Reference Shelves.—The main Reading Room will be
divided across its length by means of a large book-case, which
will form a partition between departments devoted to open
shelves of reference books, and a magazine reading room.