N.Z. LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25548, 16 July 1948, Page 8

N.Z. LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

POLICY CRITICISED BY MR F. H. DEPHOFF

Criticism of the policy of the New Zealand Library Association, as expressed at its recent conference at Napier, was made last evening by Mr F. H. Dephoff (representing the Opawa Library) at the annual meeting of the Spreydon Public Library. Views expressed at the conference revealed a trend toward the nationalisation of libraries in New Zealand, said Mr Dephoff. The association was endeavouring to prevent the circulation of fiction in public libraries, thus reducing them to reference libraries. They maintained that if readers wanted something light to read they should go to the “so-called free libraries,” he said. “All the Christchurch libraries are run on a voluntary basis,” said Mr Dephoff. “The purpose of the library is to provide the community with good literature—fictional and otherwise. We want to be able to read what we like.” Under the present voluntary system the public libraries in Christchurch were saving the City Council something like £20,000 to £30,000 as .compared with Auckland or Wellington, he said. “The voluntary library system here is rendering a greater service to the community than the library service of any other centre in New Zealand.”

It was hoped to have had the extensions to the library, taking in the caretaker’s house, completed by this time, said the chairman, Mr C. D. W. L. Sheppard, speaking to the annual report. “The powgrs that be have decided otherwise,” he said. “We have now been promised as temporary relief, to have the vacant corner in front of the house built on, giving the library an extra room. When the housing shortage is overcome we are to get the whole building.” The number of subscribers on the roll is now 419, according to the report, and the books on the shelves total 7872. An average of £27 a month is being spent on new books. The following officers were elected: patron, the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews); president, Mr J. McLenaghan; vicepresidents, Messrs C. D. W. L. Sheppard and L. G. Amos, and Mesdames A. J. Anderson and Schwartz; trustees, Messrs E. H. Hopwood and L. Parkman; auditor, Mr W. H. Hamilton; committee, Messrs McLenaghan, Packman. J. Martin, G. W. Parmenter, Downes, A. R.'Blackburn, S. Readman, Hopwood, G. Street, G. S. Webb and H. C. Eaton and Mesdames Hewitt. Elackburn, Roberts, Guzzwell, Newton. White, McDonell, Mills, Downes, and Evans, and Misses H. Hiles, G. Wilmshurst, and R. Gregg.