Library of jigsaw puzzles has trebled in last four years

Press, 20 September 1978, Page 12

Library of jigsaw puzzles has trebled in last four years

Miss O’Callaghan (left) and Mrs Margaret Robinson look over a selection of puzzles; Mrs Rene Milne chooses one to borrow.

Since the Canterbury Aged People’s Welfare Council started its jigsaw puzzle lending library at 64 Cashel Street about four years ago, the collection has grown from about 250 to nearly 760. Such is its popularity with retired senior citizens that the list of borrowers has increased from about 30 to more than 100 in the last year. The free service began in response to a public appeal by the council for puzzles to lend to borrowers over 60. Many of the users are house bound and find working jigsaws a pleasant, stimulating way to pass the time. To meet a variety of

requests some of the puzzles are very easy to do; others are quite difficult.

The concentration and interest of putting the pieces together can be therapeutic for persons recovering from an illness, particularly those who have suffered a stroke and need to exercise their fingers, says Miss Frances O’Callaghan, the puzzle librarian. “Friends or relatives come in to select puzzles for borrowers who are unable to go out,” she said. “We allow one person to take out two or three puzzles and lend up to about 20 at a time to any of the council’s six suburban centres.”

Miss O’Callaghan, a voluntary worker, catalogues all the puzzles, labels them, puts the pieces into plastic bags then back into their boxes ready for use.

Pieces sometimes get lost when the puzzles are on loan; and if she has two puzzles of a kind she tries to make up one complete jigsaw.

Eventually puzzles become worn cut and have to be discarded "That is why we always need replacements,” she said.

“About 95 per cent of those given to us are second-hand. They may come from people who have tired of them or from deceased estates.”