TRAVELLING LIBRARIES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 March 1910, Page 4

TRAVELLING LIBRARIES.

A GOOD SUGGESTION

fuv tklkgkaph-sveciat. to THE SIAII.j DUNEDIN, This Day.

The principal paper read before (he Libraries Association on Monday was l/v Mr M. Cohell oil travelling libia.r----j L and their management. Mr H. Baillie, of the Newton (Mlljni.tr,n Library) whilst in Die Dnited St;Ue. bad cllc'cted mnell valuable lllfotmatioii about the matter under m’-

Mr C'ohi’ii submitted statistical | proof of tile unqualified success of travelling libraries which has been achieved in (be Dniled Staff* and in 1 1,0 States of the Commonwealth <d \nstralia. where indeed buch libraries iiavo boon in successful operation for about t'.Veiltv-five years. Ho de'oribod die VvsU.m in detail and laid on In' table' for peiusnl by delegates schedules of railway tale* for lb" carrying „f (ravelling; libraries which. by the wav, are boxes containing tip to sixtybooks. . , ||t was ibis small stun upon winch i),e back blockers depended for the upkeep of their little libra lies If the (iverninenf were aetennined to praeti.*e tcoiioluv ill thi* “t tlu* w,,id there’ were a hundred and one different wavs of doing it. 1 ,- "r tbe person who went into die wilderness to n ,„ke a iiniite it wa.s tin- duty of die Covermneiit to do more than was doin' (Mr tbe dweller in die cities, ‘(Heftr hear.) Travelling libraries, Mr. t obeli added. would serve admirably and if it £SOOO to establish dmm to give S-tilers in tile back blocks an early acquaintance witii the b st of literature was the dlllv of tile (loVellllllelit I" spend it. The vote nuisl be reston d. He concluded by moving " 1 bat it is desirable to inaugurate a system eT travelling libraries in ibis dominion and that the executive of tho Libraries Assneiation be empowered to bring dm question under die notice of the U‘>\crntneni and to request that practical

effect, be vivo,, to ibis resolnlioi) as i.iriv as practicable and that this conference desires respectfully to direct i lie attention of tin- dev'ernuietit to du svston, piwailing in bViutli Australia. Vjcloda and other countries v.lnrebv collections of books are sent front tincapital city for circulation in rural districts; also to the low rales charged on the railways in New South Wales ami elsewhere'for carriage ef parcels of books from circulating librarios. Hie Conference also urges die concession to libraries controlled by local governing bodies of th" right to forward parcels of books to and within countries at the Now South Woles or similar rat os. Mr T. W Leys (Auckland) in seconding tbe morion, said that it sionied (O him tbe on!v way dm system could bo applied in New Zealand was to get the (br.eminent to encourage Municipal Libraries to take on the vvotk. Mr I’arr (Auckland) fawned dm introduction of such a system and suggested that the distributing of dm best literature bo entrusted to (be Ivlm.ilion Department. Mr C. Wilson (Chief I’arliaiimnlary Librarian) referred to the public pract j,,■ in leaning 100 much on tbivern nieiil support. lb' siigg;e>ted that a ,-onimitt >f <oiv. nine nf be asked to submit a ivpoit to tin- (.over'im■ nI ■ Coiidilioiis ju New Zealand i were ditfelelll from dm in die Cnited Males find tile system Would I got be cheaply carded -'tit hole as | thou PI,, oivlio.i vi,i;. i airnd una iiioiou- - l l.