MAUNGAKARAMEA PUBLIC LIBRARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10900, 3 November 1898, Page 3

MAUNGAKARAMEA PUBLIC LIBRARY.

A petition with over 100 signatures attached has recently been presented to the five trustees of the Mauugakaramea Publio Library— namely, Messrs. A. Watson, Gr, Kerr. I J, Scell, U. C. Wilson, and W. Crawford—praying that they remove the books, consisting of about 400 volumes, from Mr. G. Kerr's rciideuco to tho Public Hall. About twenty years ago the lxioks wero kept in the old schoolhouse, but when a new school was built on tho present, site tho books were placed in charge of Mr. G. Kerr, at his residence, as librarian. In the earlier days a £ for £ subsidy was given by a Liberal Government, Tho residents freely subscribed to the fund, thereby a good collection of referenco works and general literature was accumulated. One of the rules was that subscribers could only obtain books on a certain evening once a month, and tho librarian, living out of the line of general traffic, must havo been tho cause of tho subscribers failing to support the institution with the yearly fee- of sb. The number gradually dwindled away, until two only remained as not in arrears, one being tho librarian. The Public Library remained in this dormant stage for a long period until recently, when four new members joined, each paying the entrance-fee of £1. Therefore the hsi of subscribers now numbers six. This is an epitome of the history of our forsaken library up to the present date. For a number of years the inhabitants havo practically been deprived of tho educational benefits to ho derived from such an institution. To an isolated district such as Maungakaramea tho loss is beyond estimate, especially so to tho younger portion of the community, for although they may have passed tho rubicon in the form of the national school sixth standard, yet that stage is only the foundationstone in education, whioh may, if the student be so tent, bo built up year by year from the materials supplied by a judicious selection in reading to be obtained from the Public Library. II is a matter for sincere regret that the present Government do not give a wider support to libraries, as part and parcel of the educational system of the colony. However, wo have reached the wakeful moment, and just realised our loss in not having the library situated in a public and central position, and are trying to remedy the error. Every man, woman, and child look to tho five trustees to fulfil the natural conditions of their trust at the earliest possible day.— [Own Correspondent.]