NURSERY OF READING
THE SCHOOL LIBBABY SYSTEM,
An interesting review of the progress of the present Municipal Library system in. Wellington was made by Mr. Ji E. F. Perry, librarian at the Newtown Public Library, in a paper read at the Libraries' Conference in Dunedin.
The year 1908, he said, saw the birth of the idea of school libraries for Wellington, but it was not until 1912 that the scheme, with Miss Sievwright in charge, was actually put into operation. It was started very quietly with one school. The • year 1915 saw nine schools participating, the total books on loan being 3076. More and more schools had been admitted, and last year 34 schools, including three large secondary schools, were in receipt of 11,574 books, and the issues of the previous years' books amounted to 155,460. The Wellington School libraries' scheme now supplied all the city and most of the suburban schools. These books were free, except in the case of some of the suburban schools which were situated outside the-city's boundaries, and, in their case, their particular municipal body paid a Bmall sum for the privilege. The school libraries were supplied to all classes from Standard 111. upward, a separate collection of books being sent to each class. Last year the 34 schools supplied required 128 separate collections.
Mr. Perry went on to say that after ten year*' close connection with the Wellington School Libraries, watching their , development and great growth, he was more than ever convinced that this department was the most valuable portion of their library's activities. The principle underlying the movement being to inculcate a love of reading, and of good books, it naturally made the school the nursery for our future readers. In connection with what the children read from\their school libraries, he might add that stories accounted for -01,912 issue, and all other classes of books for 63,548. Over 1200 new volumes had been added to their stock during the past year.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 7
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328NURSERY OF READING Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 13, 16 January 1926, Page 7
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