ASHSURYdN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7828, 22 June 1909, Page 4

ASHSURYdN PUBLIC LIBRARY.

ANNUAL MEE'TiNG 1 OF SCRIBERS,

The annual meeting of subscribers of tho Aehburtoli Public Library Was }*eld last Th'ete wa& billy'ti, riioaSfftiii.. utten'daiace, including Messrs D. Wood (chairman), C. W. Nicoll, W. G. Hillier, T. F. Gibson,; Armer A, t Orr and H. Mercer. Apologies were recieived for the absence of Mr Watters and the Rev H. E. Bellhouse; Messrs Robert Bell and W. F. Watters were re-elected the subscribers', representatives on the committee, as also was the Rev. H ; E. Bellhouse;. in the, • flooiii of Mr $'. W: McGregor'; Yenned; : •■■ • .; : Mr Gibson said-that there had been a good deal of talk among subscribersand others regarding the inadequacy of the library, and notwithstanding the fact that subscribers were given an opportunity, biice a year of meeting together, for tM piirpose... of expressing their vievvs atitl giving hints iii .respect to the improvement. of ; the library, how hiaiiy were prc?eut.P Only one outside bf tlie Borough councillors. He certainly thought there was very little encouragement for the Council to expend more thohey. oh the Hbrar^ than it had doiio in the past. Mr Orr said, ratepayers and subscribers were continually -hinting that the committee should endeavour to get a Cai'hegie grant. As a matter of fact, several applications had been made for such a grant, but in each instance the committee had been unsuccessful. The clerk (Mr H. H. Fooks) explained that Mr Carnegie's representative had refused the application on the grounds that Ashburton had already a public library, which was controlled by a corporate body., Had, .there Jjeen a private library only in the town, and controlled by a private individual or commi.ttee, the application would no doubt have, been granted. As it was, however,■those towns that had receive^ a Carnegie grant were bound under tho agreement to observe certain hard and fast rules, and. he.was given to understand that the procedure Avas rather Costly to the ratepayers. Mr Nicoll j by was of suggestion, said that as there was so little interest taken in the library, ;how would it do to close the institution for (say) 6 months, and then make application for a Carnegie grant? He, however, was satisfied that the present accommoda- j tion for the library and reading room j was inadequate. The clerk explained, in reply to a question, that if a.Carnegie grant were obtained ho charge could be made for I the use of books. These- however, could I not be taken away from the library without a fee. Mr Mercer said he had been in most of the libraries throughout tho dominion, and he regretted to say that Ashburton was the least up-to-date and the saddest of any institution of the kind he had seen. There was fairly good material in the library, but the accommodation was totally inadequate to display it to advantage and: to make it attractive. One book was covering another and the room itself was cheerless and badly ventilated, a remark also that was particularly applicable to the reading room. He could fully endorse the remarks contained in an article that had anpeared in that night's Guardian regarding the library. Mr Mercer then went on to i'efer to the i need there was of increasing tho accommodation, and making both the public reading room 'and the library room cheerful, well ventilated and generally attractive and orderly. There should be a librarian in charge of the institution, and .several papers and magazines, which he mentioned, including the Sphere, Public Opinion, an Australian weekly, a sporting magazine, a. ladies' illustrated magazine, etc., should be filed. The library and reading room, as they were at present, were miserably inadequate and left a great deal to be desired. Under these circumstances there was some reason why the list of subscribers was limited. In reply to questions the clerk stated that tho sum of about £40 was expended annually on papers-and magazines, £35 on books and approximately £25 on binding, lighting and firiiur. No salaries wore drawn from the library account, and anything the junior clerk and himself did was free gratis. The total revenue of' the library per year had been about £60, and the expenditure £100, leaving £40 per year to be contributed by. the Council. The Government subsidy amounted to between £11 and £12 per year. Un4er Section 90 of the Municipal • Corporations Act, 1908, the Council had power to make and levy a special rate of not more than Id in the £ on rateable property, which in Ashburton, if imposed, would yield about, £130. The following motion was carried as a recommendation ■'. to the Borough Council: "Seeing the very inadequate accommodation at present afforded by the Borough Library, the incoming committee be requested to bring before the Borough Council the absolute necessity for providing more suitable rooms both for a reading room and the circulatiiig library." Mr Nicoll agreed with Mr Mercer that the present reading" room was cheerless, ill-smelling, dirty and badly ventilated. ' , The meeting was also of opinion that the services of a librarian should be secured, when the accommodation was increased. -. Mr Gibson thought the library should contain the latest works of approved atithors. Some; arrangement should be entered into with a wholesale bookseller to supply these as they were published. Mr Orr said that some of the large wholesale booksellers in the Old Country specially engaged the services of a reader, at whose recommendation books that were worth reading were supplied to circulating libraries.. The Ashburton Club has recently. ordered a supply in this way. Several lists of books were placed before the meeting; and it was recommended that a hew supply of books should be ordered. The meeting then adjourned.