The Free Public Library.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3163, 8 September 1880, Page 2

The Free Public Library.

INAUGUKAL CELEBRATION. A The opening of the Free Public Library was singualiicd last evening by a grand conversazione held in the building familiar to Aucklandcrs under the unpretcn&ious designation of "Mechanics' Institute," but henceforth to bo known by a more striking title. The admission was by ticket only, and as His Worship had distributed hio invitations with a judiciousregardtothecomfort of his guests, there was just a suflicicnt number present to be conveniently accommodated. He must also be complimented upon the discrimination which he exercised iv securing a fair representation of all classes, creeds and sections of tho citizens. It is no idle compliment to say that very few social gatherings of such a thoroughly denotative or typical character have been held io. Auckland. The Senate, ihe Press, the Pulpit, the Bar, the Lancet/and all the public institutions and bodies, as well as tbe leading trades were well represented, while the presence of the ladies lent an additional charm to the proceedings. To attempt to individualise names amidst such an assemblage would be highly invidious, and therefore it will suffice to say that IJis Worship the Mayor presided, and that he was supported on tho right by Sir G. M. O'Korke, M.U.It. (Speaker of tho House of Representatives), Bishop Cowie, Colonel Haultain, and Mr F. J. Moss, M.H.K-, and on tho left by Archbishop Steins, S. J., Key. D. Bruce (Presbyterian, and Key W. Morley (Wesleyan). From the dais on which the.seats of these- gentlemen were placed three tables extended longitudinally to the entrance of tbe Hall The supply of dainties reflected credit upon the caterer (Mr Stacey), while a plentiful supply of bouquets of flowers and pot plants added greatly to the effect. The books are ranged in neat shelves fitted up between the windows, while underneath the sashes of the latter the handsome photographs recently received from Wellington are arranged. These were all fringed and bordered last night with ferns, and in short there was a profusion of greenery, while striDgs of variegated flags depended from the cailing. aud were hung around the walls. The interior of the building presented a really charming appearauce, and when the company was seated the effect was very eulivening. Bishop Cowie having pronounced grace, tea was dispensed, . and in the twinkling of an eye everyone was engaged in discussing the fare. After the visitors had passed from tea to dessert an interval was allowed for conversation,and finally the Artillery Band gave notice of the approach of the more formal part of the proceedings by rendering an overture, " Pride of Scotland.'1 The Chairman then delivered the opening address. He assured tho company that it gave him very great pleasure to see Buch a large and representative assemblage of the citizens of Auckland. They were met that night to inaugurate the opening of the Free Public Library, and that was an object whicli should receive the countenance aud command the approval of all. For, whatever differences of opinion might exist among us on many points, we are at one on this—that the diffu«ion of knowledge, aud the education of the people are things to be desired, as being capable of producing benefits alike to the individual and the commuuity. As they were aware that building had long been known in Auckland as the Mechanics' Institute— an institution which had shared the fate of many others with similar designation and aims throughout the world. It was uunecessary to enter minutely into the causes which had led to tha chronic state of disablement into which it fell, further than to state that the committee, in their embarrassment, applied to the City Council for aid, and that the Council was precluded by the Act from giving monetary assistance to an institution notentiiely under its own control. Overtures were theu made and agreed to, to hand over the institute for the purpose of forming a free library. An Act was obtained giving the necessary power to transfer. The Libraries Act was brought into operation by a poll of the citizens, and in addition to the books available for the Mechanics' Institute they had been favoured by the gift of the truly excellent library of the late Provincial Council. He thought there would be little disagreement on this point, that these valuable booka belonging to the latter library were much better collected there as a wholeihnn scattered over the provinces in driblets as was suggested by some. The Council haviog resolved to carry put the scheme at once, had fitted- "up the present building as a temporary arrangement, but they looked forward at no distant date to the erection of a new permanent, safe, and suitable building, one which would be worthy of the city and the useful purpose which the library is intended to subserye. After descanting upon the advantages which would accrue to the city from the establishnftnt of a free library such as that found in our midst, and adverting to the success attendant upon similar large-minded schemes in the old country, His Worship remarked that he was not sanguine enough to believe that crowds would flock to this library who had hitherto ignored reading and etudy, but he hoped that the advantages offered there would be appreciated by the studious, would foster a love of reading amongst the young, and tend to substitute the pleasures of the intellect and the profitable acquisition of information for the too common indulgence during leisure hours in idleness, mischief, and frivolity. One of the distinguishing features of the present age was the large amount of reading which was indulged in and enjoyed by all classes of society. First, we had the wide-spread newspaper literature, and no one would deny the immense and. varied educating power which was exercised by the Press. Then there were the periodicals and magazine?, many of which presented an ever-varying feast of entertainment, in talcs and work of the imagination, while others embodied solid instruction in every department of thought and action, being themselves but the forerunners or advance editions of the more permanent volumes. Haying stated, as an illustration of the rapidity with which books are being issued from the press, that the British Museum Library received under the Copyright Act no less than 8.345 new and complete volumes last year, besides 17,796 part works and periodicals, tho speaker proceeded, in eloquent language, to dilate upon the levelling tendency of printed literature, his own opinions on this and cognate points being supported by a quotation from Carlyle, in which that modern tagc declares that " the true university of these day 3is a collection of book*." But, His Worship went on to say, there were dangers associated with our advanced privileges, which we would do well to note and avoid, prominent amongst them, apart from the mass of evanescent reading matter -presented to us, necessitating judicious culling and light treatment, being the temptation in subjects requiriug close' attention, -instead of limiting the number of treatises, aud first thoroughly mastering them, to dip into many and skim the surface, tie was convinced that in other than light reading, a few good books, well digested aud assimilated by the mind, were worth | more iv acquiring the principles that lie at the root of real learning than many books fitfully read. The library which they were now privileged to open was iuteuded in the meantime, like the Melbourne one, to be i only forrcfercuce and reading in the building, leaving tho question of supplementing it with a lending libraiy, to be dealt with, as in Sydney, only after the first had been well established. He thought the Council had acted wisely iv adopting this course. It had indeed been mooted that the restriction was a retiograde step, since the Mechanics' Library was a circulating one. While conceding the very great importance of having a circulating library, it must not, however, be forgotten that a large number of the books taken over from tho Mechanics' Library had had to be discarded as unfit for use, and that to begin lending at this early stage might seriously endanger the ultimate success of the institution. No doubt when, the time arrived that feature would receive duo consideration. The speaker went on to upcak of the care which should over be exercised by those who_ had the privilege of making additions to the library. A heterogeneous gatheriug of books was not necessarily a library. In many cases in tho old country, the libraries suffered much from the committees having to beg for donations of books, tho result being a fortuitous conglomeration on their shelves, and the fostering of a tendency in many to send the refuse or weedings of their libraries to the Public Library, as if there had been affixed to the ■walls a notice, "Kubbish may be shot here." Fortunately the rate which had been struck in this city for tho purpose afforded us a good basis to work upon. The greatest clieerivnination and care would be icquired in selectiug the books on a definite plan, with a view to making the libiary thoioughly broad and catholic in it 3 character, wellbalanced in its various parfs, Sect representing by the works of standard writers every phase of human thought. Whether the Council should endeavour to associate with the library committee some of the citizcus with special literary ability, to assist in this important direction, was deserving, he thought, of ita serious attention. After alluding to the refining and educating power inherent in a good library, His Wor.

ship entered upon the f0110w,,,,, i lr - M happy peroration ;-Hero, thcfe*^ 1 toil may be relieved by the fascinati "* °* 1 of our girted English novelistsf l WWw ' breathings of poetical goS,*'*?»«* stirring narratives of adventure «J 1 th ° History will open h C r pa Seß tVefel j mind, and bring before the mental X!!*' I careers o peoples and nations tfiS■ khe I attained to eminence anft now* i av«!': 1 world, aud many of which have aftit *¥ '■'I sunk into oblivion or decay Th« td> i minds of every epoch will be in n. t/i1"1^ ! to pour forth their wisdom at bidd? lL ° 1 make known the thoughts, the feeifJ & m 4 aspirations which found a p&W I them m their widely different ciml T lhlti I of age. of race, and peographS S-^li The progress 'of coLtfimfiffi 1 "ggjM meat, aud the principles which I M late commercial intercourse utiLi3P"m tive action thereon will here ha* *■"■ bodiment. .Science, too, will nr P »Il vast stores of knowledge, and'SKtSS persevering and patient research \»| have led to those wonderful- dUcoli ' I and brilliant achievements in uJm ■ ■'"" realm that are the glory of our rfim Ik And if the old yet ever new a ne «HiSß#i? man himself, his being and ft, IS3K demond an answer, anatomy an<T «L ?' ology will be at baud to deecribe tJi. yßl# 5 stiuction of his phyeical frame a "? «* 1 cology will endeavour to unravel theZ I workings of his chief characteristic-S 1 I while religion, and more especially .?' Christian religion, which formai thei fn,, a tion of our national greatness, will fi a position, and assert her claims to n °n the affections, elevate the life ahdcnT a higher and nobler state. Thus rialt^ library, if rightly used, minister to th« ' tellectual health and progress of the nw \ Here, in short, man will be stfoiufirf' the exercise of thought, the nobles'tinft 'a dilfetentiating quality of' oar race an/ they are led to rise above the mere £,1 portions of their nature, astheyareeduS to observe and admire all that is beauiif i around them, and to become less sordid • their character, so much the more »' a especially it united to moral1 pnritv n■ : spiritual enlightenment, will they fulfil Jr W true end o£ their being. I will only f.irik I say tiiat if with, regard to this eartulv it : of ours, physicians and sanitary reform,.' by reason o£ the evil habits and preiudir' 1 which assert themselves, have notßn&efflw! in lengthening its term to the extehiSl under wiser rules and closer observant tbereof, it may one day attain, yet mi* we by intellectual and moral aids asibt if obtaining an equivalent, by conmregaW i more true and higher life in to ft ii.l 1 realising the words of Festus, . v jj 11 We live in deeds, not years; m tliontrhb, n - t -; breath; »6«m, mi In feeling*, not in figures on a dial. Wo abould count timo by neart-tlmrt* ir» meat lives ""■ "0. "Who thinks most-feels the noblest-act> a.1 best." "H ">» His Worship concluded amidst warm and general applause. ™ "The Charmed Song," Mra Mil™ The iady sang the selection with rare « pression, and at the close she -received!! cordial meed of approbation. ■' ■ Sir G. M. O'Korke, oa rising iosSyi dress the company, was received^ cordial applause. He "commenced h™ speech with an expression of tbe gratife. tiou which he felt in being present atlS an inauguration, Many yejrs had rolled over his head since he first cherMwd , the sanguine hope of seeing a free public library established in Attcklaurf and he was glad to perceive now iit I happy relisation. The honorable friend I who sat on his left hand (the chairman) had made his Mayoralty memorable by his endeavours in the direction ot supplying this great public want. True, the shelve* were but scantily filled as yet, and many oE the volumes were bound in quaint aid diversified attire, but they formed the nucleus of what would, at no very distant4 date, be a proud and ambitious collection of literature. Auckland had distinguished herself as the first city in New Zealand l>> take advantage of the Act which gave tbe people the power of rating themselTC* for sucUanecessary institution asapublich'bnuy — and he earnestly hoped that the example' now set would be largely followed, It might be said that the State bad not displayed mnch generosity in merely giving its constituents the opportunity of farther-; rating themselves, but it was highly impor- : taut as presenting opportunities for the formation of civic repositaiies of literature, which, once established, would inrgreat part \>3 strengthened and supplemented by' private benefactions. It was only 30 years since the Libraries Act was passed iv Bug. laud, and Manchester was the first city there to take advantage of its provisions.,, At the instigation of tU«|!Him)E^ra^^B£3o,ooo was subscribed vfor \»uiiai^'tlo library, and an income of £5000 a year was secured to.it by a rate of one penuy in tao pound. The next city was Liverpool. There a successful merchant undertook to bear half the cost of a magnificent bnildisg, but subsequently proceeded to raise the whole of the building at his own cost. ThV> building cost £40,000. Birmingham w« . apt in following these illustrious enmplw, but it was greatly to be deplored-tltat tbe valuable library established in Jhat city should have been recently destroyed by fire, a library which cost £30,000 of the; iratepayeis' money, irrespective altogether of the ■Shakespeare Library, wlrich numbered^ many thousand volumes in connection with ■' Shakespearian literature alone. America, too, presented similar examples, There::' was the Lennox Library, for which a mmst. ~ ficent citizen subscribed 700,000 dollars, an'd^ the Astor Library, ,for which four .milts dollars were subscribed by another national; : benefactor, whose son added another foot: : million dollars. In the city of Chicago a like sum was bequeathed for the pnrpoae .of establishing a "free town library. 11 Coming nearer home, he would remind them that in South Australia two pnHicspirited citizens contributed no less th*n £20,000 for this purpose, while the Mayor of Melbourne a short time ago, annouaced-.; that Mr Wilson, a successful colonist, bad presented him with £30,000 for the purposes' of a library in connection with the ITn! raS sity. He believed it would be here in New Zealand, as it had been in thoseM)ther colo: nies aud large cities, that men of weaUi would feel honour in every endeavour Lev s made to promote and extend the cs*;/ tablishment of public free" libraries.' All these thiugs went to show that it o.nl j required a commencement to be made io order to enlist the asaiatauce and secure tho cordial support of the people at large. Aiier the relation of so many successes elsewbw —it might seem rather pitiful to refer to tlie penury aud humility which.had markedly. 1 efforts made in this proviuce and colony to found a public library. Before the nwiiv tion of the provinces he succeeded in getting • £5,000 put on tho estimates ■. for fufnis.lm|| assistance uot merely to country libraries but to similar institutions established ■■by-;-municipalities, but he regretted to say toat; the exigencies of local finance bad cai»«f the vote to be abolished: before we coald participate iv the benefit of it. All that we had done, so far, was to prepare the grov™ for the appearance, growth and propac*-.. tion of these, admirable means for disseminating knowledge broadcast amongst; the people, aud in due time they would arrive at a glorioiu maturity. Jree public libraries were the necessary aojuncts to our-very efficient system oi education, and their powerful effect upon the communities which had access to tucni would be soon perceptible. Ho felt deeply sorry that our legislators had not seen tuc wisdom of presenting to the colonists « this island the academic advantages• w»n which the more favoured inhabitants ot we South Island were already provided m we establishment of a university.' ThaMßnUC' man theu went on to expatiate in glowiag language upon the influences for good which a well-iurnishcd and judicioußly- ;! v selected library, -open to all, e» rcw?u upon a people. It would aJure tho ■ youug from the hauuts of vice Vnj* dissipation, enp.eudcr aud diffuse .B tasto for the graceful verse and ™eW°? thoughts of the gifted intellects ot every mcc and age, and elevate the social We ana aspirations of all conditions of men. loe Mayor aud Councillors ot Auckland had n« associated any churlish] spirit with tbeir, ;, endeavour to fulfil the declared behests .oi , their constituents, for they had thrown wiao the portals of the institution to all, whetiier ■ ratepayers or non-ratepayers. The .kdi igM»; resumed his seat after uttering the »r7" n "; hope that at na distant date would, tae , volumes forming our municipal library .^ translated into a more spacious, lasting, ». BU / appropriate abiding place. „ / S2jpng-"The Goodwin Sands," Mr W, dofl*Gooch. The singer was in KOOQ?^'- ; and his rendering of this capital descrip"* 0 song proved admirable. ..., ' -After an interval for conversation, r band contributed aa instrumeotal select" from " Lucia di Lammermoor." ... Ilia Worship then apologised for mo ~ absence of, Mr Justico liichmond wbo nwj promised 1 to be present with them, aDtt,. ~ speak if his health permitted. The B°"''!\; ; man was unavoidably absent, «oW^* if:. • but Dr Wallis had kindly consen caw - supply his place. He had also to state uw he had becu corcn.bsioned that day by.«« i lixcellency the Governor to expresi.»» ; strong sympathy with the establishment ■. , which they where met to inaugurate, OJW, convey to the people his deep regrets T? ■ he could not be with them that evening. *» Excellency had desired particularly w», i this might be made known. dßir-'H Dr. Wallis, upon coming forward, w» . that no person regretted more hearing / sincerely " the absence of Mr Justice wv" ■ I

Us n'^Ttlian uT^, bccaiwelwd the learned W »*ntleman bcon present, hisowu part would 1 have boon merely that of a listener. How--1 nver ho did hoc object to occupy the ! position of a spcakor.becausc .lice were one , or two po'nw in the of both the "entlemcn who had preceded him, to which he desired to take exception. (Laughter.) In the first place. His Worship's «firv eloquent address was too comprehensive. With regard to fcir G. M. O'Korke, he might say that tho worthy Knight's declaration that ho had always Birivcn to secure the [provincial library for the city of Auckland had i clieved V his mind of a doubt, for both he aud some \ \oi the other city racmbeis had been uuder \ .liio impression that ho wanted to take it \ \io Ouehuuga. (Laughter.) Public libraries \ wfrro a very °}^ institution- They had \ cxvsited from time immemorial, and some VvonJerful accounts had come down ■jaw us of niagnifie.mit. collections in fteaotc \ ages, collections which had iß9fc sintie perished. So far as our uficnt knowledge went, an old Egyptian Vjß aii#upronounceablc name who resided "jHy^Sity of Memphis, in a long forgotten PftgS, was deserving of honourablo remeinas being the founder of the lirst public library. It vms sneooded by tlio great and incalculably valuable library of Alexandria, the destruction of which by lire extended over a period of six months, so vast waa the nuaiber of parchnicnt3 consumed. The mediaeval ajjos boasted museums and magnificent libraries, but none of these collections answered to the character of our local establishment. They were not free. His Worship's generalised remarks he thoroughly endorsed, but some of his more particularised observations he dissented from. It might not be generally known that the legislature of the State of Massachusetts enjoyed the distinction of being the lirst body to pass an Act giving the people the opportunity of rating themselves for such a beneficial purpoae as establishing a free library. .England followed suit in 1850, and Scotland and Ireland in 1852. Ho hoped that the reporters would give him credit for making this information known, for they shewed plenty of alacrity in stating things to his discredit. (Loud laughter.) That very stupid paper the "New Zealand Herald "—laughter—had beeu talking that day as if the principal scope of the library was to supply works of fiction to the people. Now works of fiction were all very well in their place aud taken in moderation, but he trusted that imaginative works of that character would not form any very considerable part of our municipal collection. The lazy people who devoted themselves entirely to this kind of literature should go elsewhere for their pabulum, for more nutritious and strengthening food would bo provided there. After advocating the provision of works of a didactic nature, from which all classes of the community could profit, the doctor went on to say that His Worship, in his elaborate speech, had referred to an intention to represent religion iv the collection. All religions contained a very large portion of the truth, and the enquiring student could find points of resemblance common to all. He would like very much to see authentic translations secured of the sacred books cf the various religions of the i world, such, for instance, as the Vcdas ot thoßuddhists theZendavesta of the Persians, the Shastirs of the Hindus, and the Koran of thu Mahoinmedaus. § H avin admitted into the precincts of our library such works as these, we surely cmld not be such Goths as to refuse to place the Bible and New Testament of Christianity by their side. (Loud applause.) The Mayors of Auckland had all marked their periods of office by some public ceremonial or other. One had had the honour of presenting us with a suite ot slaughterhouses. (Laughter.) Another had been given tho opportunity of opening our excellent Waterworks with becoming dignity; but our present Mayor had associated hi 3 name with, perhaps, a more enduring work, and a more historic event — the inauguration of a Public Library. (Applause.) He had only onewishtoexpress with regard to it, and that -was that its progress might be like the little stone which shot up into a mountain. (Hear, hear, and applause). The Chairman then briefly apologised for the absence of Sir George Grey, who had been unable to attend, ill-health compelling him to leavo for the Kawau. He had, however, expressed thorough sympathy with the object. A trio from Wallace's "Lurlino"— "Though the World with Transport"— was here most agreeably sum; by Mrs Mitchell, Mr Wilson, and Mr Gooch. Mr Wilson followed with the plaintive fong, " Alice, where art Thou," which he sang rery felicitously. ' The Mayor having invited voluntary speakers to come forward, the Rev. D. Bruce delivered a brief address. He said that he rose principally with a desire_ to set a good example to intending but diffident apeakers, and not with anything special to Bay. He had been at more than one inaugural gathering of this sort, and it was with very great pleasure that he had availed himself of the privilege of attending this one. He was glad to hear from His Worship tdat this was to be a reference library open to all the people. The time might come when we would have a circulating library as an adjunct to the establishment, but during the initiatory stages of its existence it was preferable to prevent the books from leaving their home. People would not come here for amusement so much as for hard work and counsel. Iv adding to tho works, ho hoped that those who had charge of the concern would keep in view the very obvious principle of recruiting the shelves with every standard work, both sacred and profane, which was issued from time to time from the press. He hoped that the friends of the institution would not be deterred from assisting it with donations of_ books or money by the reflection that their intended gifts were not very costly or pretentious. The work of accumulation would go on very quickly if no such false hesitancy impeded the way. Dr. Purchas, as a member of the Council of tho Auckland Institute, which had acted as the custodian of the provincial library, desired to exprsss his pleasure at the opening of such.an admirable means of improving and ennobling the public taste?. At first the Council felt rather loth to part with the literary collection, but that feeling waa soon overcome, and now they heartily rejoiced at this happy result. Ho felt pleased to think that our city had earned the honorable distinction of being the first iv this Colony to follow in the wake of the important old cities of the woild, and both Mayor and Council wcro entitled to tho M greatest praise for the share they had taken 9 in achieving the end which they had now reached. After a hearty endorsement of Sir. G. M. O'Rorke's remarks with regard to our lack af the facilities for tbe higher education of gour children, Dr. Purchas concluded by taking the opportunity to express the acknowledgements of the company, to the Mayor, for calling them together in that very pleasant way, und for his exertions also in the supply of such a public necessity aa a free library. The Band having played a pleasing selection of music, viz., "The True Love Waltz " (Godfrey), His Worship took occasion to make a few concluding remarks. He regretted that the limited accommodation of the building had restricted the number of his invitations, for it had been his desire to invite twice or thrice the number he had. That had been a drawback so far as he wa3 personally concerned, but in this he felt assured that ho had the sympathies of all. He had now to declare tho Auckland Free Public Library formnlly open, and to ask tho assemblage to join with the Band in singing the National Anthem. The Band then struck up tho familiar strains, and the ladies and gentleman joined in with their voices. Afterwards, His Worship invited those present to inscribe their names on the visitors' book of the institution. That concluded the proceedings, tho hour being 10.15 p.m.