Owing to the great rarity of most of the works in the National Laboratory Library, and the impossibility of replacement if lost or damaged, the Collection must be regarded as for reference purposes only.  A comfortable reading room is provided for Members who wish to consult the volumes.  In very exceptional cases, at the discretion of the Council, arrangements can be made for the examination of a book outside the Rooms of the Laboratory.  A few duplicates are available for circulation among the Members.

For those Members who do net reside sufficiently near the Metropolis to consult the Library in person, the fullest information concerning any book or subject will be forwarded on request.  The Librarian will prepare lists of books on any subject and will supply to Members extracts and translated résumés from works in the following languages, viz.: English, French, German, and Italian.  It is to be hoped that the Members will make the fullest use of this service which is designed to mitigate any inconvenience which might be experienced through the inability to personally consult the volumes.

The fullest information concerning the books is to be found in the Card Index.  Each card records the following data: (a) Full name of author(s) and/or pseudonym if one is employed; (b) title of book; (c) what edition; (d) place of publication; (e) date of publication; (f) size of volume; (g) number of pages; (h) style of binding; (i) remarks of a biographical or bibliographical nature; (j) press mark; (k) accession number.  It is a matter of a few seconds only to locate, any of the six thousand titles catalagued.  A red star on a card indicates that the book recorded is not included in the present Catalogue though it may appear in future editions or supplements.

Apart from the works whose, titles appear in this Catalogue, there are several hundred books of a technical nature which are not listed.  Books on photography and chemistry, catalogues, laboratory furnishers' price-lists, work-shop handbooks, dictionaries, encyclopædia, etc., etc., are available for the use of Members.

The scrap-books should be examined for records of ancient psychic phenomena and the work of the early spiritualists.  One of these books contains about fifteen hundred items and is a veritable mine of information for the student and historian.  Unfortunately, it has been found impossible to list these items.

Members requiring the use of books are requested to apply to the Librarian who will procure the volumes needed.  When finished with, they are to be returned to the Librarian and not replaced on the shelves.  Readers are held responsible for any damage to the books while in their possession.

The Laboratory contains suitable equipment for the photographing of old title pages, illustrations, drawings, or text which a Member may wish to have reproduced.  The Member is at liberty to do this work or the Librarian will arrange that the work be done for him.