A Public Lending Library.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 122, 1 June 1885, Page 2

A Public Lending Library.

It may safely bo affirmed that no question of moro widely-extended public interest has been ventilated in the City Council Chambers this year than that of establishing a lending department in connection with the Free Public Library, It comes boforo tho public, too, singularly frco of personal considerations, and in raising it Cr. Upton displays a commendablo abnegation of eelf-interest, for it is manifestly to his advantage as a booksollor that tho systematic loan of books should bo confined to the trade which he represents. This very fact lends additional lorce, therefore, to tho arguments which ho adduced at tho last meeting of the Council in furtherance of tho scheme with which he is identifying himself. It stands to reason that as the-ratepayers pay forthe maintenance of the Library,they ore entitled to dorivo from it iho groate.it possible advantages that it can bo made to yield them. That thoy do not at present securo anything like a commensurate return for their contributions, a littlo reflection will clearly establish. In tho daytimo tho classes who viisit the Library are people of retired loiauro, strangers passing through tho city, and persons out of work, with an infusion of tho shopboy and approntice element nt the luncheon hour. After nightfall tho Library is usually filled with men living in lodgings within the city, with a sprinkling: of sailors from the vessels in harbour. Tho groat bulk of tho artisan class, howevor, rosido in tho suburbs, and at such a distance from the Library that under tho most favourable conditions of weather or of nccoss to tho city tho bodily fatigue resulting from the day's hard work would act as a strong deterrent to the gratification of literary tastes at the expense of a long walk. Besides, in the interests of domostic happiness, it would be undesirable to oQer temptations for tho abridgement of tho few flours which tho plodding artisan has to spend in the bosom of his family. It is obvious, thoroforo, that a3 tho ratopayor cannot como to the Library to consume his literary pabulum, ho must have tho opportunity of taking it homo to feed upon and assimilato at his loisuro. Councillor Upton's reference to the succoss of tho experiment of lending books from tho great libraries in England was very apposite, and tho bare tact that out often million issuos from tho Newcastlo-on-Tyne Library only sixteon books had boen lost, should go far to answer any objections that may be raised on the score of extra oxponso. Any additional expenditure involved in carrying out tho scheme in its entiroly might be defrayed by levying a small fee on those who use the londing branch. The Council took a practical step in Instructing the Town Clerk to write to Sydney, Nowcastleon-Tyne, and Nottingham, for information regarding the method adopted for working the lending branch. They should also have in eluded North Shields In the list of towns whence information is derived, since that place has the distinction of being tho first to adopt the Free Publio Libraries Act in the United Kingdom. All requieito particulars, too, could havo been obtained in tho colony as to tho management of tho principal public libraries of the old country. At North Shields, we may mention, a most efficient system is in vogue, whereby the labour of tho librarian and the time of tho public aro alike economised. Each borrower (who has to ontor into a writton bond to make good any loss or injury of books whilo in his care) is provided with a card, on which is noted the nambor of the book he may tako out, along with tho date. This card is depositod in a rack, which, with thousands of small pigeonholes, runs along the counter, and is only in possession of tho reador whon he has no book from tho library. The pigoonholos bear numbers corresponding with thoso of every book intholibrary, which numbers are duplicated inside for the use of the librarian, and a glance to see whether the card is in the pigeon-hole is sufficient to show whether a given book is in tho library or in the hands of a reader. Persons wishing books have Bimply to stand in front of this rack with their catalogues, and without a minute's delay or requiring the aid of the librarian, they can tell whether the books they wish are to be got. This system being also adopted at South Shields and Newcastle-on-Tyne, our City Council will be supplied with a full description of it. It appears admirably adapted for large populations, where otherwise great delay would take place through the librarian having to search the shelves to find if any book that was wanted was " in " or "out."