THE NATIONAL CENTRAL LIBRARY

The latest published report of the Executive Committee of the National Central Library, for the year ended 28th February, 1950, records steady maintenance, and in some directions, steady increase, of the Library's services to libraries in this country and abroad. Also noted is the progress made in three new departments of the Library's activity: the Union Catalogues of Russian books and periodicals, and German war‐time books and periodicals in British libraries, and the British National Book Centre. One sign of this steady progress is the growing recognition of the work of the Library and its national importance by His Majesty's Treasury, in that they again increased their grant‐in‐aid, from £19,000 to £22,500, for the year under review. The fact that the total income of the Library for the year was £29,850 16s. 8d. emphasizes this national recognition. In making their increased grants‐in‐aid His Majesty's Treasury have expressed their view that users of the Library should also be expected to contribute to its increased costs, and as a result the Executive Committee launched an appeal, early in 1950, for increased or new contributions, to all co‐operating libraries of all types. The hope is expressed that the appeal will secure a wide and generous response which will leave no doubt in the minds of His Majesty's Treasury of the value set by the libraries of the country on the services of the National Central Library.