Why Not a "Book Day?"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23037, 14 May 1938, Page 6 (Supplement)

Why Not a "Book Day?"

Check on Borrowers

By A.L.R,

T/TTE have Mother's Day, Plunket Day, Animal Day, Labour Day, Orphan's Day, Arbor Day and goodness knows how many other "days." Therefore, why not have a book day ono day in the year set aside for the oftneglected rite of returning borrowed books? Not so long ago Punch had a cartoon of "The British Character," headed, "The tendency not to return borrowed books." It depicted rows and rows of books in front of which stood a man and a woman. "What an excellent library you have," said he. 'Yes, all borrowed," she answered. A charming story in connection with the non-returning of borrowed books is one recently told in "Westminster Abbey," by J. Perkins. He records how in 1791 the famous lslip Roll was lent by Dean Thomas to the Society of Antiquaries for copying purposes. Over a century passed, and still the Society of Antiquaries had not returned this valuable manuscript to the Abbey. So Dean Armitago Robinson tactfully wrote to the effect that "if the society had now finished with it the owners would bo glad to have the lslip Roll back!" Thus in 1816 this centuriesold pnrchment was at last returned to the safe keeping of Westminster! In these days we do not, perhaps, go quite as far as to keep a book unreturned for 125 years, but we aro quite bad enough, and a Book Day would bo so helpful. On such a day the wireless could shriek such glorious slogans as "Search your shelves! Return borrowed books!" Or, "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's!" Wo might oven have a street collection when charming girls could rattle boxes under our noses, and sell us white ribbons with similar tolling reminders printed upon them in gay lettering, which wo could then send to our erring friends as a tactful hint—something after the manner of Valentines! Tho proceeds, of course, would have to go to something, but that would prove no problem, as each year there is something new requiring funds, and there would always be "Books for the backblocks" to fall back upon.