NEW CITY LIBRARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 7

NEW CITY LIBRARY

IMPROVED SERVICE

;A^ENING NEXT MONTH <

.•■Nbfr a) great-deal remains to be done before; L^W';-n^4-.(^ty' Library opens its doors to ithe| public"some time next month. ;'Trieie;.:is'^one:>]6b' outstanding ithat might give the-Gity Librarian . (Mr. J. Norrie).^ah:d;'Kis staff a head> ache-or twp,:wefe'it'iidt for a welcome offer, of. co-bpe^atiph; That is the trans£erence;pf the book stock of 60,000 ir so'yiG»iume^;-from the old building to the.iievz;,. but many hands will make, light SiW^jrk:pfsit. Some 500 pupils of Rongotai College are to handle the job, which -is set1 down for the morning of February;, 9, j and, working to a plan devised-by Mr. Norrie; they should effect the 'change-over without confusion or waste of effort. The building and its interior decoration and furnishings have already been sufficiently described; to: show that the , new library service will be on the most up-to-date lines. Financial limits have had to be ; coAsidered but the effects are; nowhere-in; evijience, and full attention: has ;bee2Jt-;giyen to the icoavenience and' requirements, of the reading public as well as to the needs of the staff,, who have done a fine job of work in cramped and otherwise unsuitable conditions in the old building. LENDING OF ItECORDS. Overseas library technique has beea followed wherever it marks a worthwhile advance. An example will be the lending of gramoplaone records, an ' innovation iii New Zealand. • Sheet and bound music: has been available from the old building for some years and new musical scores are being , acquired all the time, but records have not hitherto beenyin stock. Those v which will be;i on loan from, the new library will not be^solely of.. "highbrow" music. It is recognised that in music, as in literature, tastes, differ widely and that devotees of popular music are entitled to, full consideration, One of the two soundproof rooms on ' the uppeV floor of the new library will be devoted te.the playing.over of records before-'*h^r are^aken out, that is, if some public-spirited 1 brganisauon or citizen comes to light with the money for the.purchase of a gramophone -or, preferably, a radio-gramo-phone. The other room will be used for the trying of sheet music. There f is ample space for a baby grand, but. so far there is no indication that one will be presented to the library.; Even an upright piano would be warmly welcomed, and those associated with the library are optimistic that the need will be met before very long. , A CHANGE OF POLICY. Following but the'neW conception of library service the department hitherto known as the lending library is to be , designated the popular library. • The reason is that practically _all the books in the reference sections are to be made available for borrowing, a change of policy that will be fully appreciated, by those who have hitherto had to do their reading on the spot. Workmen are busy clearing up and laying out the grounds in preparation for the official opening next month. A fair amount of work will remain to be , completed after that, but the library itself will be ready to give the improved service for which it has been - designed-and which should meet the needs of the city for many years to, come. ■-' •"-•■'"- ■':'"■'' ■■' ;:';- • ■