The annual report of the Public Library states that at the end of 1937 there were 114 Chinese and 444 foreign subscribers, a total of 558. The number of books issued during the year was 54,662, as follows:—Non-fiction 8,588; Fiction 45,121; Children's books 743; Chinese books 210. There was a, decrease in circulation of foreign books by 8,784 volumes as compared with 1936 due to the local hostilities when, during the first month (August—September), the Library was closed; and also on account of the temporary. evacuation of women to Hongkong and Manila, During the year 46,145 persons made use of the Reading Rooms.
Purchases—The appropriation for the year was $4000; 966 volumes were purchased, 153 of which were non-fiction; 282 fiction; 30 children's books and 501 Chinese books.
Binding—546 volumes were bound during the year.
Periodicals, and Newspapers.—The following periodicals were added to the 1936 list—The "Sphere," "Pear-
English Review," "Literary Digest" and the "True, Detective" were cancelled.
Reduced "Subscription Rates for Students—By request from the Shanghai University and St. John's University, which were transferred
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.