LIBRARY FOR WAIMAIRI

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28672, 23 August 1958, Page 4

LIBRARY FOR WAIMAIRI

£6500 Building Proposed The Waimairi County Council’s proposed office building at the corner ot Clyde and Jeffreys roads will be extended by the addition of a 1500 square foot library block, estimated to cost £6500. Although it will be known as a country library—so that it can join the Country Library Service —only the Fen dalton riding and parts of the Middleton, Wairarapa and Harewood ridings will be rated for it, and only those residents will be entitled to free membership. The rated area will not be extended to other parts of the county without the approval of the riding members. Funds Available There was £lOOO in the Fendalton library building and nearly £6OO available from the Fendalton park loan interest account, the county clerk (Mr K. Maclachlan) reported. The balance of about £4BOO could be raised by a loan. The running costs would be about £3OOO a year. The rate on householders in the library area would be about 5s a £ 1000 of capital value, said Cr. P. Wynn-Williams—‘‘riot more than about £1 on most properties”—and each resident in the area would be entitled to free membership. Rental fees would be charged for books from the fiction section. ‘‘Fendalton does not require a library of this sort,” said Cr. A. R. plank. “It would be better in the closely built-up parts of Wairarapa riding.” Cr. Blank, at the library committee meeting, moved that in view of the recent council expenditure on waterworks and county offices, the matter should be held over for 18 months; but his amendment was lost. The council adopted the library committee’s recommendation to establish a library service. When that library is completed the Upper Riccarton library will be absorbed as part of the service.