One-to-Three Ratio to Be Observed at Library The Library Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Council, reviewing recent lists of new books Submitted by the Librarian, consider~ fed the question of the proportion of purchases of non-action to fiction. It was recalled that, in January, 1992, members of the committee recorded the view that the proportion of works dt nonefielion to those of fiction had been too high, and the Librarian was required, when submitting lists to putrehase, to observe generally a ratio Of three volumes of fiction to one of 'After discussion, the Committee criminated eleven items from the lists of new books submitted by the Libraridn, in which the proportion of non-fielion was considered excessly' fs compared with fiction. The pri tiple for the preservation of a rat fof three volumes of fiction to one of on-fiction will be observed by the Librarian in future.
The Librarian proposed to facilitate the identifation of new subscribers ud to eliminate trouble in excluding non-subscribers by the issue of! fdentifeation cards. In a later report, however, he suggested the installation of a Dickman book-charger, which would modernize the whole" system and, incidentally, provide a different type of identifica tion eard. This machine was offered fon a three months' free trial and its Inelusive cost (apart from freight and Customs duty) was GS 14295.
The committee deferred consideration of the question of identification cards for borrowers, pending the installation on a three months free trial of a Dickman book-charging machine. The Council approved the minutes of the committee,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.