PUBLIC LIBRARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 168, 15 June 1940, Page 5

PUBLIC LIBRARY.

VISITOR’S PRAISE. Miss E. J. Carnell, liaison officer for the New Zealand Library Service, who was a visitor to Feilding, was interviewed by a “Manawatu Standard” porter yesterday, when she commended the work carried out by the librarian (Mr 11. V 7. H. Wood) in the library, stating that with little or no cost to the council he had brightened the building with very attractive pictures of travel and book jackets placed around the interior walls. Concerning the book-binding executed by Mr Wood, the visitor said that she had not seen any better w-orkmanship any; where in New Zealand, and in that connection the council was fortunate in having a librarian capable of doing important repair work. In other directions there were striking examples of Mr Wood’s ingenuity in providing facilities for the convenience of subscribers and the attractiveness of the library generally. Miss Carnell was impressed with the manner in which the librarian had distinguished the New Zealand authors’ section b.v placing Maori carving work about the shelves. It was considered that the attractiveness of a library played a big part in iiopularising it. and the way in which Mr Wood had displayed the various books was most pleasing. With the extended service possible under the library service scheme, lie would be able to develop the library beyond all recognition. Miss! Carnell pointed out that a number of the ‘books on the shelves were obsolete and should be discarded. The nonfiction section needed overhauling and classifying, and the weak sections should be strengthened. The edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica in the library, for instance, was published in 1902, and a later copy was badly needed. Miss Carnell stated that an examination of the books at the Community Centre showed that there was a surprising demand in Feilding for books of an educative and informative type. The knowledge stuck of the library service would be available to readers when the council decided to participate in the scheme.