OPTIMISTS’ LUNCHEON CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 20510, 14 June 1930, Page 12

OPTIMISTS’ LUNCHEON CLUB

The Y.M.C.A. is incorporating in its activities a certain amount of work among young business men in the city. A club, known as the Optimists, which has been established for a number of years now, holds a mid-day meeting every second Thursday, at which instructive addresses are given by men prominent in the administrative and business life of the city. Thursday’s address was of outstanding interest, and was delivered by Mr W, B. M'Ewan, city librarian, his subject being ‘ Public Library Department.’ He is an undoubted authority on the subject, and gave a very interesting and informative history of the Dunedin Public Library from its inception. His remarks covered a period of twenty-two years, and dealt very exhaustively with the internal •workings of the library, explaining each sectional department and its public service, and also the architectural features of the seven departments. Comparative figures from the commencement of tho library up to the present wore submitted, shelving how rapidly it had grown. The number of books used proved that the public was catered for in every section of the community from the child of ton years to the adult of mature years. Reference was made to the gifts from the Savings Bank trustees and other sources.