BOOKS FOR JUNIORS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 11

BOOKS FOR JUNIORS.

CHILDREN'S LIBRARY^PEjSED.

The new juvenile department it 'the. Central ■ Library",- was officially " opened: yesterday by Councillor J); M'Laren,'. chairman of the Libraries Committee of the- City Council. ■•■ •; . ,

In tho course of a brief address, Councillor M'Laren remarked that tbo establishment of libraries for juveniles haiv been endorsed' by -the New- Zealand Libraries' Association at a. conference in Dunedin. Tho work of educating, the young was very heartily taken up' by tho entiro conference, . and ' other libraries throughout, tlia.< Dominion .intended; to establish juvenile' branches, as well as' Wellington. • ".Diinodinv.-as'tak-ing steps in that direction at the. present time, and,, of course, Wellington, did not wish to bo loft behind. lAVorkcd in collaboration' with tho national schools) tho now department would be of very great value to-young, people. Personally, the speaker viewed the influence of good books as one of tho' very bust factors' tending to encourage a higher spirit amongst the 'population. ■ He was suro that.when this library was in use it. would give to. yernu'g. people advantages which their parents would' be wise in seeing that they utilised to the very, fullest extent;'.' After referring ii) the fact that a successful and. highly popular juvenile branch existed at the Nowtown branch library,' Councillor M'Laren remarked that already trmro were a thousand volumes on the shelves of the new'department. Tho room, as all would admit, was."a homely, one. After that day grown-up , people- would bb excluded'. It was intended tomalco the room-a'study and, in'.a'sense, a homo for the juvenile section l of the community. The. committee, was confident that under the efficient, control of Miss Sievwright, the library, would flourish. ' 'It was intended to circularise the whole of the schools/inorderthat the assistance of tho- schoolmasters'.' and mistresses might bo enlisted in making known .the faot that the city was placing this library at the'disposal.of children. . Tho charge of-2s. (id. per year for the use of tne .department should exclude no one. Later on it was hoped this-section of: tho -.library -might be made_ entirely free: As chairman, of the Library Committeo, the speaker appreciated. the work of tho-chief librarian. (Mr. H. Baillio) in connection with the establishment of this department. Mr. Baillie had brought to bear on tho work' valuable information and special knowledge acquired, during his visit to America. Concluding,' Mr. M'Laren' formally declared. the new department open..: ... ■ .. ■•■. -. Councillor J. P.' Luk- endorsed in full the remarks made by tho chairman of ■tho Library Committee, ' and declared that the .City Council was to be congratnlated upon the. latest addition to the library. ..-■-. . • .