1000 OVERDUE BOOKS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25306, 4 October 1947, Page 2

1000 OVERDUE BOOKS

PUBLIC LIBRARY SEEKS RECOVERY More than 1000 books borrowed from the Christchurch Public Library are overdue for return. During this month a fortnight’s campaign will be made to recover these books and, to reduce embarrassment to readers, no fines will be levied. Mr E. J. Bell, librarian, said that at the last meeting of the library committee of the Canterbury University College Council he had had to report that 1000 books and more than 200 magazines were overdue for periods ranging from one week to eight months. This meant that a substantial proportion of the library’s reading material was virtually out of circulation and other subscribers were deprived of access to these works. This lack of consideration or forgetfulness on the part of the offenders was grossly unfair to regular readers. The library committee had approved the plan to make a fortnight’s drive for overdue books Without charging fines; the object being to .recover the library s property and get it back on the shelves rather than impose penalties. Afterwards, it was hoped subscribers would all return books by the proper date or else have the loan renewed.

Ihe-time spent by the staff issuing postcard notices and telephoning about overdue books was considerable. Another change announced by Mr Sell was the lifting of the seven-day I 1 1”” ° n ne / / novels - This short period had been fixed to permit rapid circulation oi hew books; but all books would now be issued for a 14-day period, he said.