A PUBLIC LENDING LIBRARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7341, 30 May 1885, Page 3

A PUBLIC LENDING LIBRARY.

TO THE EDITOB. Sib,—l was glad to read the remarks made by Mr, Upton in the Connoiil Chamber, Btrongly advocating that a lending branch should be established in connection with oar Public Library when removed to the new buildings that are to be erected. Co Mr. Crowther's question, " Free of charge ?" I would answer most emphatically, "Yes!" if by that he meane any oharge whatever beyond the rates paid by every citizen to support the Library. TVhat is the City Public Library? Who supports it! It is supported entirely by the people. It is a grest co-operative concern, in which every ratepayer is a ahareholder, and the councillors are the directors elected by the shareholders, the ratepayers, to man age it and other nutters. It is no more a free library so far aa the ratepayers are concerned, than is any library kept by a bookseller and open to those who pay him so much a year tor the use of the books he lend* from it free to them. The library ia the property of the ratepayers, is open to them as their property, and is open to Donratepayers free of charge. It is thene, and these only to whom the Library is a free library, that is, can he need without any money payment whatever. Now, the above being the case, it follows that the Library should be made as extensively useful to the subscribers to it, viz., the ratepayers at large, as possible, and the only way to do this is to establish a lending branch. How can those at work all day leave their work to go and read in the Library ? Impossible. How can the very large number of citizens who live a considerable distance from the Library be expected to trudge that distance distance home after a hard day's work, then after tea trudge to town to read in the Library and then back home again ? Impossible. The vast majority of those whose money pays for the Library never enter its doors, and reoeive no benefit from it. They have a right to demand a different system. Again, a book , lent out, in the way suggested, is read not only by one individual, but probably by several members of the family, and thus each book used will do three or four times the good ii; now does. Liverpool, which was one of the very first towns to have a Public Library, begun in a small way with two lending branches in two rented houses in different parts of the town. It now has two magnificent buildings as a central Library, one portion costing some £30,000, ereoted at the cost of a merchant. A ratepayer can borrow books on condition that he and two other householders sign a printed form that they will pay for any book lost. The names and addresses are entered in a book. The borrower then enters on a printed slip the number and name of the book he requires, this is filed, one of several intelligent boys finds the bock, and hands it to him. The machinery works as smoothly as possible, and as at Newcastle and all other places where there are public libraries, the loss of books is practically as nearly nothing as it can well be. One word more. The people here have combined to save a national system of edu..'»t(wn.; it it, a suitable corollory to this for u people is corporate towns to cooperate ('■■, have bWas to read bj means of public Taries vl, . taioed by jhem through a library rate.—l am, &c,, A, Board man.