LIBRARY SERVICE

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

LIBRARY SERVICE

PROPOSAL EXPLAINED. At the monthly meeting of the Feilding Borough Council Miss E. J. Carnell, of the New Zealand Country Library Service, briefly outlined the service to the council. Prior to asking Miss Carnell to speak, the Mayor (Mr Seddon) explained that last year the public library cost £373 to maintain. Of that amount- subscribers numbering 223 contributed £125, leaving a balance of £248 to he found out of rates. Miss Carnell pointed out that the 223 subscribers represented only 5 per cent, of the population of the town, which was stated to be 4550. With the free service installed it was reasonable to estimate that the percentage of subscribers would increase to between 25 and 33 per cent. Feilding was eligible to participate in the service, and woujd receive 500 hooks three times a year if desired. Half of the books would be fiction. The local librarian would make the selection. Any reader requiring a particular volume not on the library shelves could secure it by making application to headquarters. The speaker referred to the fact that the council proposed to spend £420 on its library during the current year, according to the estimates under consideration.

The New Zealand Library Service required three specific conditions to be observed, as follow: (1) Control of the library to bo in the hands of the Borough Council; (2) that, no subscription fee be charged to town residents; (3) that a reasonable standard of efficiency be maintained in the library (and, in the case of Feilding, the annual expenditure on the library would require to be £450). The council would in a.ll probability make up the loss of £125 in subscription revenue by the pay-collection service for provision of light fiction at twopence or threepence per copy. The Mayor said the service was now more attractive than it was ]2 months ago. In fairness to the Country Library Service the Mayor added that a hamper of books arrived at the Communitv Centre every month and there were 75 subscribers to that service. Mr Seddon also pointed out that the borough had been subsidising its library to the extent of £1 per subscriber, which was not good business. The council would have to take the risk of finding £125 per annum. On the motion of Cr V. I). Smith. Miss Carnell was accorded thanks for her information. After Miss Carnell’s departure the town clerk (Mr C. H. Tate) said that the estimates would not be disturbed should the public library bo free during the current, year. On the motion of the Mayor, the library and financial committees were instructed to consider the matter of “going free” at their next meeting, and to report at the next mweting of the council.