18 TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

CIRCULATION

The number of searchers coming to the Hall of Records remained fairly
constant as the figures for the last three fiscal years show:

1953-1954 ................................ 1,404

1954-1955 ................................ 1,354

1955-1956 ................................ 1,360

These figures do not include school children accompanied by their teachers,
nor the hundreds of unregistered tourists who visit our exhibits but do not
use any of our records.

In spite of the increase in the number of searchers, the year showed a
net decrease in the number of items circulated:

1953-1954 ................................ 8,433

1954-1955 ................................ 8,006

1955-1956 ................................ 7,726

These totals include 852 reels of microfilm, a loss from last year of 359 reels.
It is difficult to know why there was a decrease in the use of microfilm, com-
posed mainly of land and probate records after 1850, while the use of records
of the earlier period increased.

Many searchers, too far distant to come in person, must rely on corres-
pondence with the Hall of Records staff. In 1956, North and South Dakota
and Rhode Island were the only states from which we received no queries. In-
quiries were received from Great Britain, Canada and Japan. The total of cor-
respondence increased by about ten per cent in the year.

1953-1954................................ 1,318

1954-1955 ................................ 1,287

1955-1956 ................................ 1,451