EFFECTS OF SUMMER TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19889, 7 March 1928, Page 11

EFFECTS OF SUMMER TIME.

LIBRARIES DO NOT SUFFER. INFLUENCE OF FINE WEATHER. The question of whether daylight saving affected the reading habits of Aucklanders, has been answered by the city librarian, Mr. John Barr, in the negative. While it might be generally assumed that longer daylight evenings created by advancing the clock would militate against extensive "after dinner" reading, such has not proved to be the case.

The returns of the central and six branch libraries cf the city, excluding the Leys Institute, for the months November to February inclusive, show, in the aggregate, that although the number oE books taken out in the first month or so disclosed a decrease on the same period of last year, it was made up toward the latter end of summer time. In fact, in spite of daylight saving, and a summer of record sunshine —in itself an important factor—there was approximately the normal increase in the use mada of tha library shelves.

In the reference department, which is most freely availed of between the hours of noon and 2 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. and 8.30 p.m., there was a failing off of 5000 volumes in the daylight saving period. Mr. Barr ascribes that, however, as much to the fine summer as to the operation of the Summer Tima Act. . _ ' One noticeable effect of the measur was that the rush hour in the evening was delayed in approximate the advance of the clock, but t of Auckianders appears to have little, if at all, affected. . ioB ot It was probably more Ihe wbich sunny days than f] . onaee of tfie. caused a lessening P»2J g the Art jj Old Colonists' Museum a**™ a 9 Gallery from November compared with bemg:—Mase» nl > of last year, the figures obk 1926-27, 9269 Art Gallery: 1526-27> i 31-763. .