LIBRARIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13107, 22 April 1903, Page 9

LIBRARIES.

■ TO' THE EDITOR. Sir,. —On April 4 an abridged letter appeared in the “ Times,'’ signed “ Ashburton,” cxpress>ing ; 'gratitude at the opening of the Christchurch Public Library to country subscribers, and also very shabbily criticising the Ashburton Public Library and its management. “Ashburton” also complained of discourtesy, and the class of books obtained for the library;, which he thought were for a certain class—not for the general subscribers. As one who gets through the reading of -as much general literature as any subscriber to ‘ our local institution, I am of opinion that subscribers have no causez-for complaint, seeing that the funds of the library have invariably been limited, and the annual subscription fee exceedingly low. For the size c« the library, and considering the very limited funds at the disposal of the Selection Committee for the purchase of bocks annually, wo have undoubtedly an excellent and well-managed library. Last year the committee, fitted our. a new magazine room, and have done all within their means to make the institution educational, attractive, and comfortable to subscribers' and the general public. Annually new magazines and papers are also put on the tables. If, your correspondent had inquired at the library for the particular work he mentioned,, the librarian would probably have obtained it privately from a. subscriber for him. No reasonable man would compare our local library with the Christchurch Public Library, with its 'wealthy endowments and its thousands of subscribers. As an old subscriber to the Ashburton Library, I have, net experienced nor any discourtesy having been shown to subscribers by the librarian or his assistant, excepting from tho writer of the anonymous letter referred to. - Possibly the gentleman who wrote the letter may be suffering from either biliousness or hallucination.—l am, etc.. SUBSCEIBER. Ashburton, April 20.