St Albans library changes name

Press, 31 May 1985, Page 20

St Albans library changes name

From Monday next week, a small suburban library which has served the St Albans district for the last 118 years, will add another chapter to its history. The St Albans Public Library committee has decided to change the library’s name to Edgeware — a move to keep in line with a trend adopted by other shops and businesses in the Colombo Street and Edgeware Road shopping area. The trend came after the last boundary change, which took Edgeware out of the St Albans electorate and postal district, and put it in Christchurch Central.

Proposals to change the name were approved by the Christchurch City Council’s cultural and public relations committee in February this year, and adopted by the library committee at its annual general meeting in March.

The committee president, Mrs Naomi Lynch, says the library is one of the few independant suburban libraries left in Christchurch. It is run by a group of 14 voluntary librarians who, between them, have given 260 years service to the library. The longest-serving librarian is Miss Connie Carter, who celebrates 50 years service this year. The plain, unpretentious building has had little

change made to it. Some remodelling inside has taken place over the years to keep it up to modern standards. The library membership stands at about 250. An annual subscription fee of $3 entitles the subscriber to take out one free book per visit. Extra books are lent out at between 10c and 30c a book. Mrs Lynch says suburban libraries serve a valuable

purpose in the community — particularly to those in the area who are unable to make regular visits into the city. Increased membership is important in keeping suburban libraries “alive,” so better publicity is needed. “The Edgeware Library is not a very outstanding

building. I’ve known people who have been in the area for years and didn’t know there was a library here,” Mrs Lynch said. For historical purposes, the building’s facade that bears the old name will be kept. A sign will be placed in the library window of the new name.