THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12905, 10 September 1907, Page 7

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

THREATENED RESTRICTIONS

APPLICATION TO THE COUNCIL

'flic City Conncii last evening received ;i ietter from Mr G. W. Russell, chairman of the Canterbury College I5;-;ml el (.ever :;>rs, drawing nttenti m to the financial position of the Public Library, aiv.l * r-.tiggesting that the Council should assist the funds of that, institution. Tho Library, the lettor stated, was a credit to the city, and provided <. cry completely for the needs of the? population. The total number of bookj oa December 31st w»is :—ivoferonce, 10.0S2; circulating, 23.(510. Additions were made to the buildings in 1001 and 1«J02., at a cost of £'4SOO. At present £.'4OOO was owing on the buildings, upon which IJ per cent, was p:»id. An liiinual sinking fund of £!>i •aa> set aside, u;id stood ot the present tinii' at CllO. Other cities hud been

' .-■: spelled t.i provide capital for bu\!d\\v£\ on< 1 levy if.Kiiiiil mt< J, but Christ-c-isurri'. hail enjoyed t'.:o benefits of this institution without contributing a i...ftiuii t.i tli;.- ii,a. '1 he statement hi receipts k>r the ten yours ending iIOO <!:owed that the contributions r.iiidu by th« Bonn! (lining that time a:nuuuted to £.'o4'iU, subscriptions «nd liornry receipts amounted to £9460, i)r.-(jiu-st.s provided about JL'.'JTCO, and t!* , Government grunted jCITX). At December 31st tiio debit balance on the library account was £02V). The Hoard did not think it reasonable o» just to the other interests committed to its charge that Chriatchurch should any longer refrain from contributing a substantial quota towards the maintenance of the Public Library, ©specially seeing that at least 90 per cent, of the, books taken out wero fiction. There were numerous precedents for suggesting thot the city should accept sotno share of responsibility in connection with the finanoc. Last year the Board set aside for the library no less than £600 of tho receipts from the Museum, Library and School of Technical Science Endowment Account, representing in round terms onefifth of the total. Tho opinion was held in some quarters that in devoting a portion of the proceeds of tho endowment to a circulating library, the benefite of which were confined to the city, the Board was straining tho letter of the law. It was held by many authorities that tho library contemplated under the endowment was rather one of a collegiate character than a public circulating one. Littlo had , been done in the way of establishing a proper College library, which must be regarded as one of the chief needs of thd institution. Tho Board, therefore! was of opinion that it should now establish a College library for tne benefit of the students and staff, in which fiction would find no place, hut where works of scientific value would be found. It would not be possible to do this and maintain the same large contribution to the Public Library. In preparing its estimate for the year 1908 the Board 1 would' feel bound to dorote a considerable portion of tho money which has hitherto been devoted to t/no Public Library to mc purposes t of a College library. If this were done, it would probably mean mat the account of the Public Library woul<3 have to be balanced by one of two coureos, or both, viz., by an increase of the subscriptions charged! for the use of the institution, or T>y a reduction of the expenditure on the staff and convenience in regard l to hours of opening, etc. Ho trusted.that neither of these changes would beoom# necessary, but that the Council would accept some ot the responsibility nitherto shouldered by the Board of iiovernore. Cr. Soronson moved that the letfor bo received, and that the Board be informed that the Council had no funds available this year to make a grant to the Library funds, 'iae estimates had already bean made up, and all the fund* available had been fully allocated. The Board' could also be informed that they couiu make the request again before next year's estimates were drawn up, when i\, wouM be considered on ite merits. He had always understood that the library had been VVJ*? for ou * of th « endowment funds to a certain extent. £ r, .i£ 1 i iso . n ' j n "Ending the motion. «" d toat he did not think the Board should be invited to apply again nest year. There were several mente in the letter from the Board one being that the publio wae obtaining the benefit of the libraiy without paying a penny for it. A number of citizens had shares in the old Meohaalcs' Institute, the cite of the original building -was found by the subscribers, and a considerable part of the building was ako paid for by the people. Cr. Hall moved as.. an amendment that the letter be referred' to the Financo Committee. If no assistance was being given at present to the library or reading-room, the Council should make some grant. It was very essential that there should be some such institution free to the public, and if assistance was require, it should bo given out of the rates.

Cγ. Paraone eaid that the Council had assisted suburban libraries end various public institutions, and he hoped that they would consider making o vote next year.

Cr. Sorensen replied that the Finance Committee had no funds, and could •not make a favourable j-ccommenda-tion. The Council had made email grants to suburban libraries, but from £5 to £25 would not bo of any \im to the Board.

The amendment was lost, and the motion carried.