NATIONAL CENTRAL LIBRARY

The 42nd Annual Report of the National Central Library, for the year ending 28th February 1958, records the decision to postpone from 1st January 1958 to 1st January 1959 operation of the arrangement under which the Library should cease to handle requests from the regional systems for British books listed in the British National Bibliography and published on, or after, what is now the latter date. It is understood that special and university libraries may continue to request the loan of current British books after 1st January 1959 through the National Central Library but, in such cases, the books would have to be borrowed from sources other than through the regional systems. Negotiations are in progress with a view to allowing requests for current British books from special and university libraries in the London and south‐eastern areas, not available elsewhere, to be forwarded by the National Central Library to the London and south‐eastern regional systems, membership of which is confined to libraries of local authorities. Special libraries outside the London and south‐eastern areas are eligible for membership of the appropriate regional system.