CENTRAL LIBRARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 119, 22 May 1941, Page 14

CENTRAL LIBRARY

WIDE USE MADE

FIRST YEAR'S WORKING

ISSUE OP BOOKS

«'The public response to the service provided has been magnificent, and the proper display of the various facilities has greatly increased the use made of them," states the annual report of the Wellington City Libraries in reference to the first year's working of the new Central Library. "The demand for information has increased considerably," continues the report. "New subjects have come to the fore; new interests have arisen and have been provided for. Manufacturers, indent agents, and the business community generally have found the libraries something of a sheet anchor in troubled waters. Apart from their business lives, but perhaps to some extent as a result of the war, people are using books more in their leisure, seeking their recreation to an ever-increasing extent in the printed page. The increase in the popular library issues is a substantial, proof of this. "The Central Library building itself has proved to be well adapted to the purposes for which it was designed, and the unornamented, yet comfortable, surroundings have provided an added incentive to the public to pursue their studies there." MORE BOOKS ISSUED. During the year 869,922 books were issued, or 131,338 more than during the previous year, the average daily issue being 2851. The trend has been towards more serious reading, the greatest percentage increase being in books dealing with the useful and fine arts. "The trend of events is always reflected in the requests for information," continues the report. "Since the outbreak of war the sections on aviation, seamanship, and wireless have been in constant demand. Much material has been supplied to official inquirers on home defence, anti-waste in Britain, camouflage, conscription. "At the first suggestion of a queen carnival material was sought on the making of floats, and on the coronation, ceremony scheduled as a conclusion to the carnival. Broadcasting brings many inquiries for points to be checked, pronunciation of place and personal names, and material for talks: Greece, Malta, Gibraltar, the Burma Road, coaching'in New Zealand, animal stories, shipping, are among topics which have been covered during the year. There have been the usual 'how to make' inquiries—a kite, a summer hood for a perambulator, propellers for a windmill, fishing nets, a sundial. UNUSUAL INQUIRIES. "A prospective . farmer came for books on pigs and poultry, amateur theatrical societies made periodical requests for costume books and material about the plays they were producing, while members of the public came to borrow copies of the plays they were going to see. A reader inquired for the exact words of the quotation from 'Cavalcade,' read by Mr. Noel Coward at the conclusion of his Wellington concert, while an art teacher wanted collections of advertisements for his students. Another inquirer asked for pictures of fencing attitudes for a piece of silver jewellery she was making. There have been special demands for material on house designing and interior decoration, on photography, and on the study of languages; in particular, French, German, and Esperanto. There have been the usual 'first aid' telephone calls for questions of grammar to be decided, for quotations to be verified, for the sources of poems, for the etiquette of addressing titled persons, all of^which are additional _roofs that an increasingly large cross section of the community is becoming 'library-conscious.'.

"A new service which has been very popular in its first year is the gramophone room. At nearly any time during which the library is open this room is in use: often there are several people awaiting their turn to use it. The collection of records is small but carefully selected, and, of course, growing. It is added to from time to time by donations. Intelligent use is made of this service by.the public, and it is a usual procedure for a person using the gramophone to go first to the music section for scores to be used in conjunction with the records."