Provision has been made for increasing capacity of stack room. Cost of furnishings: $1,600. Free access is given to stack room and reference room. Age limit: 16 years. Librarian is given discretionary powers. System of classification: Dewey decimal. System of heating: Low pressure steam. Basement: Auditorium: 24.6 x 53. Boiler room: 15 x 16. Storage room: 14.10 x 16.111. First floor: Entrance 10.6 x 11. Delivery room: 11.6 x 53. General reading room: 23 x 53. Librarian's room: 10 x 13. Stack room: 234 x 53. Ladies' reading room: 10 x 18.10. Second flat: Board room: 15 x 22.6. APPENDIX I.—REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN OF THE To the Honourable R. A. PYNE, M.D., LL.D., M.P.P., Minister of Education for the Province of Ontario. SIR, I have the honour to submit herewith the Report of the Library of the Education Department for the year 1906. The number of books loaned during the year as contained in the following Table is 7,208, being 300 more than in 1905, an increase of about 5 per cent. The Library loaned 23 books each week day in the year, the books remaining out for two weeks at a time. It is gratifying to be able to report that not a single book has been lost during the past year. For many years the Teachers residing in Toronto have enjoyed the privilege of taking out books from the Library relating to the various branches of education in which they were specially interested. Many advantages, I have no doubt, accrued to them through this privilege, of which they were sensibly appreciative. I am now issuing books to two teachers who, while actively engaged in teaching, are studying with a view to improving their professional status. In both cases the books are being returned regularly and in good order. Taking this as an example it might fairly be assumed that there are many others who would avail themselves of the benefits of the Library to advance their educational standing if they but knew that some of the necessary books could be obtained from its shelves. Of course no Reference Books are allowed to be taken from the Library. My last year's Report gave a list of the Educational works and their Authors which were added to the Library; this year a similar list is given. Number of Books loaned, 1897-1906: Books given out in the month of— January 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 699 608 484 526 518 542 587 673 646 714 February March. April. Totals 10,369 8,896 8,446 9,120 9,137, 8,872 8,396 7,708 6,908 7,208 Number and Subjects of the Books Purchased in the Years 1897-1906: Regarding the books purchased during 1906 the largest increase is in fiction, which calls for a word or two of explanation. While I have no desire whatever to stimulate Novel reading in general, I consider that the reading of a good, well written story is wholesome mental recreation, and therefore think it reasonable that the standard works in the Department of Fiction should be available for the teachers in training who have little time at their disposal to visit the Public Library; besides most of them are strangers in the city, and hesitate to ask a mere casual acquaintance to stand sponsor for them for the safe return of the books. We have a fair supply of fiction on hand, and therefore with the usual supervision of the librarian and with ordinary care on the part of the borrower, there need be but few additions to this branch of the Library for some years to come. The Number of Books Purchased in 1902-1906 was as follows: As to the number of books donated to the Library during the past year it will be seen there is a decided increase in Text-books. This is owing to the gift of 292 books by The Macmillan Co. of Canada, Limited, 27 Richmond St. West, Toronto. The subjects dealt with in these Texts include History, Geography, Nature Study, Grammar and Composition, Science, Manual Arts and Domestic Science, English Classics, annotated, and a valuable collection of Texts on methods and Aids for Teachers in the teaching of Mathematics, Geography, History, Language, Science, etc. The above Firm as Agents for Messrs. Adam and Charles Black have added to the latter firm's publications some very interesting and instructive books. Number of Books donated to the Library 1899-1906: The noticeable increase in the number of books, magazines, etc., bound during the year is thus accounted for: For more than twelve months I have been endeavoring to complete broken volumes of Educational Journals, Reports, and Magazines and am glad to say that I have been successful beyond my expectations. The work has entailed a great deal of correspondence, but the result fully warrants all the trouble involved. The gentlemen with whom I corresponded sent me most courteous replies and where pos sible the Reports, etc., were forwarded. The Library has now added to its shelves the following Reports complete and bound, in addition to Educational Journals and Magazines: Reports, Toronto Public Schools, 1850 to 1904. Reports, Dominion Educational Association, 1892 to 1904. Reports on Education for Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia. Reports, Ontario Institution for Deaf and Dumb, 1871 to 1903. University of Toronto Monthly. Addresses and Proceedings of National Teachers' Association, U. S., 1858 to 1905, with the exception of the proceedings of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th Annual Meetings, which I hope to get in a comparatively short time. Books, Magazines, etc., Bound during the Years 1894-1906: 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 Official Reports on Education in different Countries received during 1902-1906: |