THE FREE LIBRARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 90, 18 April 1893, Page 2

THE FREE LIBRARY.

(To the Editor)

Sir,—Aucklanders are justly proud of their Free Library, for thanks to Sir George Grey it contains many rare and beautiful books and manuscripts which would be considered worthy of special notice in even the largest libraries of Europe. Besides these, it contains a fair supply of books of reference— encyclopedias, dictionaries, pazebtes, maps, and now of the Greek and Latin classics. Its collection of the <l Quarterly and Edinburgh Reviews," of the " Annual Register," of the " Illustrated News," and of "Punch" is complete to date, and there are probably few libraries in the Southern Hemisphere of which the samo can be said, it has also a considerable number, but not a complete set, of the imperial Parliamentary blue books relating to New Zealand, and of course pU the appendices to the journals of the General Assembly. Besides these, and many other works which may properly be considered as works ot reference, n»ro esjjaciV.ly those belonging

to the McKelvie collection, ib contains a vary large number of other works that) would properly be found in the circulating; library. Valuable as the library in both its departments is, its management and arrangement leave much to be desired, and a few hints from one who has had personal knowledge of several large libraries may nob be useless. The present writer is one of the few remaining readers who had a ticket for the British Museum Library when ifc was in the old building, long before the present magnificent dome wa3 open to the public. Bo had for many years the privilege of frequenting that library both in the old and the new building. He had also habitual access, as a member of the Royal College of Surgeons, to the library of the College in Lincoln's Inn Square, and to the library of the Royal Medical and Chiruigical Society. Unless by special permission, admission to these libraries is only given to the Follows and members. All his life since manhood he has been a subscriber to some circulating library or. other, from Mudie's down to thab of a small New Zealand township, and having been a perfect hclluo librorum, he may claim to speak with some authority on libraries and their management. Now, ib will be known to the large majority of readers of this paper that bho Auckland Public Library consists of three distinct departments — the free or reference library, the circulating department, and the news room on the ground floor. For the circulating library a small subscription of six shillings a year for one volume, and nine shillings for two volumes is required. The others are free to all comers. As a means of education, the one is quite as important as the other. Tho reference library is placed in one large room, having a gallery. At right angles to tho walls of this room the booKshelves stand out, ab intervals of a few feet —just enough to allow a narrow table and chairs to stand in each niche. _ The north end is apsidal, and contains a long table across the room. In the centre of the room arc other tables placed longitudinally, while in a kind of transept the current periodicals on one side, and the illustrated papers on the1 other are kept. For some reason unknown to the present writer, it is assumed thab tho ladies want a table to themselves, and the sole perusal of tho illustrated papers. This part of the room is therefore tapu to the ladies. There is a similar table in the reading room of the British Museum, labelled "for ladies only." It might almost as well have been labelled • 'For one lady only," as I never saw more than one aba time seated ab it. Tho ladies, curiously enough, preferred being mixed up ab tho same tables with the men. Perhaps now thab tho room is so crowded they are obliged to occupy their own table. The arrangement in fche Auckland Library is almost exactly, the fame as in that of the College of Surgeons. Bub ib has this glaring disadvantage—the officials cannob see tho readers without completely perambulating the room. Now this did nob matter much at the College of Surgeons' Library. The readers were bub few, they were all Follows or members, they were known to tho Librarian, aud they were noi) (in my time) exactly the kind ot men likely to steal books or to cut out plates. But there is no check on admission to the Auckland reference library. Anybody of the mature age of 14 may walk in, take a seat, and bake any book down from the shelves. The school children from Welles-ley-street avail themselves of it to while away the dinner-hour; hot and dusty matrons come in with troops of children, and keep them quieb with picture-booka while they reab awhile, and it is wellknown that books disappear, plates are cut out, and other injuries, accidental perhaps, are done to the books, without the possibility of detection by tho mosb vigilant of librarians. Ab Christchurch, where there is a small bub exceedingly well selected reference library, far more complete than that of Auckland, inasmuch as it contains standard works in French, German, and Italian, no one can go into it without a ticket of admission, which is only I granted to known residents, or on the nomination of two burgesses. Although, | even there mischief has been done, because the assistant librarian has to attend to the circulating department, and can only occasionally sfeep into the reference room. The present arrangement of the book shelves is therefore radically bad, and ought to be altered. In a few years1 time under the present system, it will be found that sets will be spoilt by the stealing of odd volumes, or valuable books irretrievably injured by cutting out plates or leaves. In addibion to the Library proper, a table is sob apart for the current periodicals, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. Of these there i« a good selection, and ths table near which theso are set out, ia always occupied. Round the gallery which occupies the upper story of tho reading room, and communicates with ib by a winding staircase, ara a number of books belonging to Sir George Grey's collection, and some volumes of the English Hansard, and Parliamentary Blue Books. Below the reading room and on the ground floor is to be found the readingroom for bho daily papers bobh of the ciby and other parts of the colony. A number of weekly English and colonial papers, bhe "Illustrated"News," "Graphic," "Punch," "Army and Navy Gazette," " Economist," " Public Opinion," and many others are taken in. Unfortunabely, ib entered into somebody's head that it would be a wise aud good thiug to provide chess and draught boards and man. Why nob packs of cards, -backgammon boards and dice ? The consequence is thab the room is tilled from morning to nighb with loafers and idlers, who come to pass away the time, bub not to read. It is dark, low, and ill-ventilated, and in hot or web weather ia a most unpleasant place. Ib is quits unsuited for the purpose for which it is used, and is a disgrace to bhe city. In no other large town is the public reading room so ill-ventilated and so dark, and in proportion to the population—so small. I do nob know who paid for the hideous building in which the Library, the Art Gallery, and tho Municipal Buildings are huddled up together, nor who ia responsible for the monstrosity, but the portion allotted to the Library department is much too small, seems incapable of extension, and 13 very badly adapted to the purpose it has to fulfil. The circulating department ia ex-

cessively cramped, and is quite desbibute of even such obviously necessary articles as sbepladders on wheels. Ib is evidenb thab the librarian has had no previous experience in that capaciby, for much might be done by proper management to facilitate the delivery of books. The best managed circulating library I was ever a subscriber bo, was one in bho Soubh Island. The librariau had bwo large ledgers, in ono of which bhe name of every book was enbered, and every book was numbered. In bhe other was the name of every subscriber. When you took oub a book, bhe librarian referred to its page in tho book ledger, and at the same time opened up the subscribers' ledger at the page on which your name was inscribed. Say the book's number was 1251, and the subscriber's number 184. The librarian debited the subscriber with 1251—adding the date thus 20.2.93 and on tho book ledger be wrote the date and 184—the subscriber's number. When bhe book was returned, its receipt waa marked off in another column. By bhis plan, the librarian could in a minube tell who had any particular book, how long ib had been out, and whether bbc time had expired allowed for reading ib. Ib often happens in a library thab books are detained a mosb unreasonable time. Of course fines are in all cases threatened, bub after the first bloom of a new undertaking goes off, they are never enforced. If the fines inflicted at the Auckland Free Library are rigorously enforced, the subscribers will whine and howl until they get them abolished. Sixpence a day per volume is a monstrous amounb, higher than in any library I have ever been connected with. The rules generally are of the severest character. In fact a Draconian severity rules all over the building, as ib does over every municipal instibubion in Auckland. Ib would fill about a column of this paper to copy all tho rules which a subscriber has to obey. Some of them are characberieed by a holy simplicity which is rather amusing. Apparently the person who suggested this code was nob a believer in bhe cleanliness of Aucklanders, as bhe rules on this poinb are very plain spoken and sbringenb. You are informed bhat a lavabory is provided in order bhab you may wash your hands before touching the books ; the natural inference being that your hands are usually dirby. Probably the compiler of the rules was one of bhe class of people of whom ib is told thab being asked whetiier he would like to wash his hands before luncheon, replied, after looking ab them, " No, thanks, bhey ain'b dirby; I washed 'em when I gob up thia morning!" I musb hold over the suggestion I have to make for another contribution.--1 am, etc., R. H. Bakewell, M.D.