Library siting studied

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33093, 7 December 1972, Page 1

Library siting studied

The emphasis in central public libraries overseas had shifted to service to businesses, manufacturers, and technologists, said the City Librarian (Mr J. E. D. Stringleman) yesterday. Mr Stringleman, who has returned from a visit to Britain, Canada, and Nigeria to study metropolitan libraries, said that this aspect of public library work was just beginning to be noticed in New Zealand.

“Businesses and industries make a tremendous use of the libraries, which in turn attract financial support from them,” Mr Stringleman said.

“We have it in mind to do the same in a modest way, and already the Canterbury Public Library has circulated lists of technological books to Christchurch businesses.

“When we have the room to do so, we would like to be able to enlarge this section of the library.” Mr Stringleman said that wherever he went overseas, the importance of strategic siting of public libraries was demonstrated and emphasised.

“For example, in Toronto the Metropolitan Library Board waited for some years until a central site was available, even though it had the money; and the site it eventually bought cost s6m, which shows how important the board thought it was to have a central situation,” he said. Several observations made

by Mr Stringleman regarding the siting and financing of public libraries will be passed on to the Christchurch City Council, and some recommendations will also be made. “In Bromley, Kent, the public library was sited in the main shopping area, and retail space on the ground floor was let on 99-year leases, which paid for the whole building,” Mr Stringleman said. “And in Brighton. Sussex, the city council is finding a developer prepared to erect a library building in return for a share of the land on which the building will be situated.” Mr Stringleman said that while in Britain he had examined electronic bookcharging systems, which feed information and numbers of a book and borrower into a computer, thereby saving staff a lot of work.

“We are faced with changing our system within two years, and I hope to recommend to the City Council that we replace our present system with this electronic system,” he said. “It would be costly in terms of initial capital outlay—about $40,000 to $50,000 —but it would save staff time, promote better control Of issues, and improve public relations.” Mr Stringleman attended in Nigeria the first plenary meeting of the council of the Commonwealth Library Association. The five-day conference was held to improve library services throughout the Commonwealth, to stimulate the exchange of librarians and information, to help the setting-up of associations in countries where there are none, and to help the training of librarians in emerging countries.