GREYMOUTH LIBRARY

Grey River Argus, 22 September 1945, Page 2

GREYMOUTH LIBRARY

READING ROOM DISCUSSED. Classification of books issued during August at the Greymouth Municipal Library, according to the Librarian’s report to the monthly meeting of the Greymouth Boorugh Council, was as follows: Country Library Service, 1379; fiction.. 2204; non-fic-tion, 621; rental, 804; junior, 779; junior borrowers, 192;. total issues, 5979. Receipts totalled £l4 18s 6a. Cr. F. Blanchfield said that there had been adverse comment all round the town on the reading room at the library, which, he said, had gone back a lot. It 'was embarrassing, he said, to have to get papers from between Pe c?l'L SS 'MacKa y said that many of the comments had been made be fore the alterations had been tinisnedMv Kitchingham said he had often looked in, but had never seen the room crowded. He had seen 16 to ~U> persons there, and they were- reading sitting down, not standing as they used to. The room available was limited, but as some 6000 books had been exchanged in August he thought this amazing increase w as safl ‘ aiei t 1 comment on the public s attitude to the library. . . Cr. F. F. Boustridge suppoited the Mayor, and said that an attempt was being made to use the existing space to the best advantage. It was suggested by Cr. Blanchneld that the whole Council should visit the place. The reading room, he said, was too important a public place to let it stay in the condition it was in. “West Coast people are very conservative,” said the Mayor, “and a new idea i.s the last thing they! want. He thought . that an honest attempt was being made to do the best with the facilities at their disposal. The report was adopted.