The Press. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1903. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11546, 31 March 1903, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 1903. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Wβ are glad to see that steps are being taken with a view to further extending the popularity and usefulness of the Public Library. That humorous philosopher, Mr Dooley, affects rather to -depreciate Mr Carnegie's lavieh generosity in the matter of presenting libraries:—• "Ha* Andhrew Carnaygie given ye a libry yet?" aeked Mr Dooley. "Not thai I know iv," said Mr Henneesy. "Hβ will," said Mx Dooley. "Ye'il sot escape him. Befure he die* the hopes to crowd a Hbry on irry men, woman, *a child in th' coimtkry. He's jfiven tbim to cities, towns, villages, an' whietlin' stations. They're te»rin' down gswt bouae* an' poor-houses to pot tip Hbriea. fiefuie another year ivry bonse in PiMsburg that ain't a blast furnace will be a Coniayne libry. In some place* all th' buildin'a U libriee. If ye wptfl bam ft «s autygnlt be ainda ye «

Furthermore, Mr Dooley expresses the opinion that libraries are not good for literature. "Libriee," he cays, "niver encouraged " lithrachoor army more thin tombstones "encourage livin'. No wan iver wrote "annything because he was toT that a "hundred years fr'm now his books might "be taken down fr'm a ehelf in a granite " eepulcher an' some wan wud write 'Good' "or This man is crazy* in th' margin." If it were necessary to take at all a serious view of Mr Dooley, we ehould cay that on this particular question he is too narrow in his outlook. Without going into the somewhat intricate problem us to the exact effect which the present wide diffusion of books has upon the quality of literature of the, age, there is no question that the multiplication of libraries has at any rate had the effect of adding to the interest of life, and providing a means of recreation for the people at large. We may not care for the quality of a great deal df the fiction in which they indulge, but if it enables them to forget some of their troubles, and perhaps in some cases keeps them out of a less harmless form of recreation, it seems to us that pnblic libraries are serving a very useful purpose.

For these reasons we are especially glad to see the Board of Governors are endeavouring to make the Canterbury Library more accessible to country subscribers. It is the residents in the country who, as a rule, have most time for reading, and who, in the absentia of other distractions, feel the need of books the most. The arrangement adopted ie that for a subscription of £3 3s a year, or £1 Is a quarter, a subscriber can have a parcel of four books delivered to him once a fortnight at any railway station. The only criticism which we, have to offer ie that the subscription seems rather beyond the means of the ordinary small farmer, although we have no doubt that it is as low us the Publiu Library can afford to make it while the existing railway charges have to be paid. It seems to us that the Government which has adopted the principle of subsidising public libraries, might very well consider the advisableness of carrying these library boxes on the railway free, on condition that the subscription is correspondingly reduced. A great deal has been heard in England lately, as we showed in our review of Mr Rider Haggard's book, about the necessity of stopping the exodus of the rural population into the towns, by endeavouring to make the country more attractive as a place of Tesidenee. America, with its usual energy, has not only talked about the reform, but has taken steps to carry it into action. By rural free delivery of mails, by farm telephones, by the consolidation of country schools, and by the establishment of "travelling libraries," a great deal has been done in Kansas to make the conditions of life in the country present more of the Advantages which make town life I especially attractive. Any country j lyoeum or club can secure a library of fifty ! books free of cost by applying to the librarian in charge of the travelling library, who is now a State officer in Kansas. A library may be kept in one community for six months if desired It is then returned to the librarian, and another containing an entirely different assortment of books, may be secured. One library will furnish a winter's reading to a rural community. The New Zealand Government is not asked to go so far as this, but it might at any rate assist institutions like the Canterbury Library which are desirous of meeting the wants of country readers, by carrying the books either free or at af nominal cost.

Mr G. W. Ruasell'e proposal to convert the gallery of the reading room into a rending room for ladies only, furnishing it with newspapers and magazines, is an excellent idea, and we hope to see it tarried out. We are very eorry that the Governors did not at the same time, adopt another method of making the library; more popular with, town resident*, -which ni previously nig*

geeted in these columns, namely, by keeping both the Reference and Circulating Libraries open till 10 or 11 o'clock, instead of closing than at the ridiculously «arly hour of 9 p.m., as at present. The only time which the average working-man, the cterk, or the man of business has for steady reading ia m the evening. To these the libraries tat of very little use, if the readers are to be turned out into the streets at 9 p.m., especially if they live m the suburbs of the town. Among the subjects in the air at the present time is the advisablenees of providiaj places of resort as coonter-attrao-tkrna td the public-house. The Mayor of Dunedin, as mentioned elsewhere, has a scheme for building special meeting places, or club houses, for young men. Having such a magnificent' institution, as the Public Library ready to our hand, it seema to U3 the height of folly to cripple its usefulness by cloning it at the very time when it would be most valuable. We hope the Board of Governors will give tills aspect of the case, their furtlier consideration, and, in the meantime, we congratulate them on the reforms they have already taken in hand.