HAWERA INSTITUTE AND LIBRARY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1752, 12 October 1887, Page 2

HAWERA INSTITUTE AND LIBRARY.

It is admitted on all hands that the Library Committee have been active and energetic in carrying on the work entrusted to them. Though their efforts are acknowledged and appreciated, that appreciation docs not seem to take a very practical form. During September, the reading-room was, as might have been expected, in great request, owing to the general election exciteumit. But the voluntary contribution box made its mute appeal in vain. It was not left empty, it is true. Brass buttons, heads of match-boxes, and sundry gelatine lozenges were contributed during the month; the only tolerably substantial offering was one solitaty penny. It is not often that a single insignificant copper coin could claim such a proud preeminence as that humble penny enjoyed in the reading-room contribution box for some days or perhaps for a whole month. The widow's mite of scripture may rival it in historical importance, but the mite's superiority over greater coins as a donation was a moral one ; this election penny's superiority over other donations was actual and incontestable. The failure of the subscription box is, probably, due rather to the demoralisation of the community by the prevalence of free libraries and reading-rooms in all the larger towns than to any unusual degree of stinginess on the part of Hawera residents. Hard times bave necessitated retrenchment, and the simplest of all systems of retrenchment is never to spend a penny unnecessarily. This system seems to have been carried out almost to the bitter end in this case But better light and greater warmth and comfort could have been supplied, if general subscriptions had been more liberal. It is only a few months ago since several hundred new volumes were added to the library. The committee are now getting English papers direct, and several new papers and periodicals are already to hand — viz., Truth, Harper's Monthly, Illustrated English Magazine, Nineteenth Century, Chambers' Journal, Contemporary Review, and, as before, the Mail, Illustrated London News, and Punch. There are some funds in hand, which it in hoped will soon be so far supplemented as to warrant the committee in sending another order for new books to England. This would be the surest method of further increasing the popularity of the library and institute, and it is hoped that tbe public will, by paying up all subscriptions in arrear, enable such an order to be sent without further delay. The improvement in the quality of the current periodicals supplied since the instalment of the new committee of management has been most marked. Order and cleanliness are now as conspicuous, as the reverse was a short time back. The book-shelves are well filled, and record of books in the hands of readers is kept posted up. All that ia required to increase the usefulness and popularity of library and reading room is a little stronger monetary support from the public. Five shilling subscriptions are accepted for a half year's term. If fifty such doles were forthcoming during the next four weeks, the next order for new books would probably be despatched by the first homeward mail.