VALUE OF LIBRARIES

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1928, Page 12

VALUE OF LIBRARIES

+■ (To the Editor.) Sir, —It appears to be an opportune time to discuss the library question in Wellington. A movement is being made to replace the present building, and possibly co-ordinate the activities ot the other existing libraries. Our new City Librarian, it is understood, is preparing a report dealing with questions of general library policy, and in view of the importance of the subject, others interested may feel the necessity of ventilating their opinions. New Zealanders to whom the opportunity of visiting other countries does not frequently come depend almost wholly on informative and technical literature for their acquaintance with the arts and sciences. It is- not extravagant to say that the development of this country, advances, other than by our original contri^ butors, only so far as a knowledge of civilisation's discoveries percolates into it. This is- self-evident. To facilitate this infiltration is to boopt development at its source. As individuals we have a reputation for practising new methods and ideas, and it has been common practice to send individuals abroad for the sole purpose of ascertaining oversea developments. Civilisation's most pregnant event was the adoption of the printed word. Almost every beneficient discovery and idea appears in printed form immediately after its conception. Even the most highly-spe-, cialised and recondite subjects have their own channels of dissemination to the ends of the earth. We are inclined to overlook (many of us have little knowledge of) the vast extent of the world's output of informative literature. Could there be a greater influence for national evolution than a well-stocked library constantly renewed by this incalculably valuable stream ? New Zealand libraries, in the light of such an ideal, appear to be the most inadequate of all our institutions. A knowledge of the public libraries of both Islands is depressing. There are, undoubtedly, deficiencies of actual housing, but this is the least of the problems in most cases. The overwhelming fact is that every library in the country suffers from a dearth of informative literature in their reference departments. Actually, the majority of the volumes are filthy, antiquated, and useless. Standard authors are incomplete, and new editions almost unknown. The arts and sciences which have undergone the most rapid and i-evo-lutionary changes are represented by venerable and useless test-books.. Subjects which are essentially modern are usually totally unrepresented. The list of new books bought yearly, compared with the publishers.' catalogues, is ludicrously meagre. The reason for this hopelessly inadequate supply of accessible infonhative literature must be determined. The explanation appears twofold: Library funds are inadequate, and an undue proportion must be diverted to cope with the more insistent demands of the lending department. A constructive policy must advocate a greater total revenue rather than a divertunce of funds from the lending to the reforenco departments. Of the two sources of revenue, rate moneys and subscriptions, the first is the .more obvious to which to turn. The Act limiting the maximum library rate to 10/200 d has been criticised, for its insufficiency over and over again, but no authoritative agitation has ever been raised for its amelioration. Times have changed since the original measure was passed, and it lias been the cause of the poverty-stricken condition of the reference libraries. It is most improbable that the repeal of this limitation would meet with substantial opposition. There are other suggestions which might be made for diverting more revenue in the required direction, but the Act is ■undoubtedly the first and most desirable point of attack. —I am, etc., H.G.S.