LIBRARY PROGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22131, 10 June 1935, Page 11

LIBRARY PROGRESS

AUCKLAND CITY SYSTEM GREATER ISSUES OF BOOKS FREE LENDING TO CHILDREN MORE FACILITIES NEEDED In his annual report upon the operations of the Auckland Public Libraries, chief librarian. Mr. John Barr, records a further large expansion of their turnover of books in the year 1934-35. The number of books borrowed from the lending departments of the central library, its eight branches and the affiliated Leys Institute library increased by 14 per cent, and the number consulted in the reference departments of the central, library and Leys Institute by nearly 31.J per cent. The totals fcere as follows: 1934-35 1933-31 Increase T endinc . .. 800,003 701,485 98,518 Keferenre .. 268,317 201,110 G4.207 1.068,320 905,595 102,725 A factor contributing to the increase in books borrowed was the City Council's decision to make the children's lending departments free to children of citv ratepayers and residents. This was suggested by Mr. Ralph Munn. librarian of the Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh, who visited New Zealand last rear to make a -survey of libraries in the Dominion for the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Growth in 20 Years Although the change was not made nntil the end of June, issues from the children's departments increased by 66,347 in the year. To show how greatly the use of the libraries has grown in the past 20 years, Mr. Barr give the following figures:— 1914-15 1924-25 1934-35 c loc v . . . . 73.008 125,883 181,225 lendin rr issues 81,729 428,086 800.033 Reference •. 80662 124,961 268.317 Total use .. 162,391 553.047 1,068.350 In 20 years the stock has increased by 148 per cent, while the volumes issued from the lending departments show an advance of 879 per cent, and the use of the reference department 233 per cent. Cultural Work Greater "The work of the reference department has grown threefold in the period," the report states, "but the most significant feature of its activity in recent years is the way in which advanced students, research workers and the business community are making use of the facilities which the collections offer. It can be definitely claimed that not only_ has the quantity of reference work increased, bnt that the quality of the service has also improved/' . The relative percentages of general literature, ficton and juvenile books issued from the lending departments in 1914-15 were 27, 71 and 2. In l? 24 ' the figures were 21, 59 and 20, and in 1934-35 they were 29, 46 and 20. The issues of books to children in the three vears cited were 1498, 86,53/ and <>ol 042. Mr. Barr remarks that the opening of the children's departments to a wider circle of boys and girls demands a more generous supply of literature to make good the extra wear to which the books are now subject. The proportional decrease in issues of fiction and the increase in issues of general literature'' and children's books show that the libraries are fulfilling more and more their proper function as cultural centres. Need lor More Books The progress made would undoubtedly have been greater had more funds been available for the purchase of books. Of late years the provision of books in relation to use has shown a declining ratio. Mr. Barr earnestly hopes that this need will be better supplied by the City Council in the current, year. Among other requirements tne report mentions the modernising of the lighting in the central library and the repainting of the Point Chevalier branch library. "The hopelessly inadequate _ rooms which have to serve as the lending department at the central library is a very serious handicap to progress," Mr. Barr states. "If suitable accommodation could be found for this department I anticipate that within a year of its arrival the issues from it would be double what they now are. For this reason alone, apart altogether from the needs of all the other departments, I would urge immediate consideration of the scheme to provide a new building for the art gallery, so that the central library may be able to utilise the whole of the present building for its growing activities." The City Council on Thursday increased the library rate from £d in the pound to Id, equivalent to an additional vote of £SOO for the year.