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Press, 19 May 1984, Page 8

Dr Mel Aiken, right, and Dr Denis Stewart browse through medical journals in the Canterbury Medical Library last evening, before attending the library’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations in the Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine at Christchurch Hospital. Dr Aiken was a founding member of the library in 1934.

Dr Stewart first became associated with the library as an honorary secretary in 1939 and later became a chairman. He was awarded a life membership last evening.

The library was formed to serve the post-graduate medical society and by 1936 it provided medical information services, and regularly circulated journals to subscribers throughout New Zealand.

During the library’s 50 years it has had the support of the Canterbury Hospital Board and the University of Otago. In 1972 the library was voluntarily wound up and its assets given to the Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, but the name was kept. During the last decade the services have been further expanded and now include regular bibliographical instruction for students, inter-library loans, and computer-based information services. There are now 11 branches of the library and the total collection covers 35,500 volumes of books, and about 1280 journal subscriptions.