Influence Of Librarians

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32057, 4 August 1969, Page 1

Influence Of Librarians

The Australian poet, publisher and critic, Max Harris, yesterday credited New Zealand librarians with having had a civilising effect on the Government.

Mr Harris told guests at the opening of the Library and Book Week exhibition that librarians and other literate persons in New Zealand had been a humane and civilising force operating against Government controls.

collection of books should never be underestimated. One of the principal features of the exhibition—which will be at the Canterbury Society of Arts gallery until next Sunday—is a display of 66 English illustrated books published between 1570 and 1933.

They were provided by the British Council and include an instructive dissertation on the art of swimming, published in 1699, and open at a page which tells how easy it is “To cuts the nails of the toes in the water.” The oldest item is an original leaf from a book printed by William Caxton’s chief workman, Wynken de Worde at Westminster in 1498. The illustration is from a woodblock used by Caxton for his first edition of 1483. There are also special displays of books, book printing and book-binding, and visitors may print their own certificates of attendance on a 100-year-old press.

Their effectiveness was demonstrated in the country’s censorship structure. By contrast Australia’s censorship was the most severe in the world, after Eire—“and we’ll have them licked in 12 months.” Mr Harris said that New Zealand had a different kind of person running its libraries. They were not, as they were in Australia, “dreary preparations for the automation age” who could reel off statistics on library useage but had never heard of Karl Marx.

The Deputy Mayor (Cr H. P. Smith) said that the library system in Christchurch was now under careful study to see if it were not due for a change. He emphasised that the city’s suburban library system would not have endured so long or functioned so well without the gratuitous service given in them. However well, or badly, the Government or local government provided in the library field, said Mr Smith, the value of a small personal