Move For Libraries In All Primary Schools

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30234, 12 September 1963, Page 12

Move For Libraries In All Primary Schools

The provision of proper library facilities for all primary schools will be advocated by the Canterbury School Committees’ Association at the annual conference of the committees’ federation.

Delegates at last night’s meeting complained of “inadequate and makeshift" library facilities at most schools, and criticised the attitude of the Department of Education to the question. Parents and school authorities were led to believe that it was essentia] for children to have access to books said Mr R. K Milne. The Education Board, parent-teacher

associations and other groups should be ready to support any move for better library facilities.

Mr H. R. Atkinson said that useful libraries had been constructed from old rooms for a quite reasonable outlay. These “poor man’s libraries” at least provided the facilities in a hurry. “Dreams of a £3OOO library can be placed with dreams of a £7OOO assembly hall,” he said.

The department was not consistent in its policy on libraries, said the secretary (Mr R W. Taylor). At one stage it had been suggested that spare rooms would be converted into libraries, but in at least one instance a request along these lines had been refused, with the information that the policy had been changed. “You cannot just turn any old coal-shed into a library,” said the president (Mrs G E. Boyd). “It should be included in the building plaps.” Although libraries could perhaps be provided out of parent-teacher funds, it would be better if the essentia] facilities were provided and money could then be channelled into buying books, said Mr J. S. Whiten. Post-pri-mary schools once again seemed to have library services as a right, when it was equally important for primary school children to have access to a library and be taught how to use it