DO LIBRARIES PAY?

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 31, 31 October 1932, Page 10

DO LIBRARIES PAY?

City Librarian Surprised

“Some mention has been made here and in the Press as to whether libraries pay,” said Mr. J. Norrie, the chief city librarian, in the course of his remarks at the Wellington Headmasters’ Association’s send-off .to Mr. J. E. F. Perry, assistant librarian, on Saturday morning. “This is really astounding to me. as I have never heard it discussed in that sense before I came to Wellington. You may as well say ‘Do your schools pay?’ What they mean, these critics, is: Do they pay financially? From any other point of view other than financial, of course, libraries and schools pay. “I can say that I never met such at attitude of mind in the Old Country,” continued Mr. Norrie. “Do they pay? ... I hope if ever this point is raised again it will be taken out and sunk in the middle of the harbour. We are endeavouring to turn out good and useful citizens, and I make bold to say that we are doing that handsomely. ’ Mr. Norrie also commented on a paragraph in the Civic Commission s report, which said: “There appears to be a tendency for the libraries to become suppliers of light fiction.” As a matter of fact, said Mr. Norrie, the reading of books of a general character had increased to a greater extent than had the reading of fiction. This was surely evidence that people were getting away from fiction. Of course, works of fiction were read more often than books of a general character. They go out every few days, while the serious readers may only come once a fortnight. __