Library Extension

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 40, 17 February 1938, Page 2

Library Extension

WILL BENEFIT PAHIATUA In his address given recently to l’ahiatua Library Committee, Mr. G. T. Alley, of the Wellington Central Library Committee, intimated that there is a general agreement that the pressing problem of the movement is for better library, provision for country areas. “It is not proposed to interfere with existing local libraries, but to enable them, if they wish, to function in a way that has not been possible hitherto, 1 ’ he said.

“This year the country library system will he confined to boroughs, town districts and country centres with a population of 2500 or leas," he continued. “Later as the scheme grows, it may be possible to extend the scheme to boroughs with a larger population. Assistance to local country libraries will be given by loans of books delivered by special vans in charge of field librarians, who will assist in matters' ox library administration, and will visit each centre regularly with a wide range of books.

“The assistance to a library in a borough will depend en the service the loeal authority has maintained or is prepared to maintain. If the local authority will provide a free service to residents in its area, the Government will provide a free library loan service at a rate of 15 books per hundred of poulation of that area. In Pahiatua this would mean that the library would be entitled to 250 books per quarter or 1000 books per year. The borough of Bangiora was instanced, where it was stated, that borough instituted the free library service to residents on the basis of the first book free and a charge of 3d per additomal book." The Bangiora Borough found that the system was far superior and that the cost to the borough was less than previously. Mr. Alley further stated that where this very desirable free service is made possible, it would be practicable to secure co-operation between the local libraries and the schools in their district. After the conclusion of Mr. Alley’s address, the library committee took the opportunity of thanking Messrs. Norrie and Alley for the interest that they wore taking the country libraries and assured them that the matter would be considered by the committee at an early date.