UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 7

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

WHAT THE OTAGO STUDENTS THINK. (By “Artifex” in "Otago University Keviow.”) We hope no apology is required if, in tho scarcity of matter of a purely Arts interest, we turn our attention to what is, we believe, and has long been, a just cause of complaint to students in general. Wo had intended writing on the matter over our own name, but on reflection we thought it better that it should bo discussed in these notes, which are, to a certain extent, the expression of tho opinion of a whole faculty. Wo refer to the conduct of the University library. Now, wo are not certain what body it is that has tho management of the library in its hands, but whoever he the gentlemen we should like to ask them just what a library is and what are its chief uses? If a library is to be defined as a vast collection of tomes of a more or less antiquarian interest, uniformly, bound and carefully stowed away behind wire cages, in order to inspire tho awe and veneration befitting their age, then we may confidently say that ours is a complete success. But we believe that a library should be something else than this: it should he a powerful factor in the culture of University students. A library should be up to date; it should be catholic; it should, as far as possible, cover all the branches of work included in the University curriculum; its great aim should be to give students access to works that are too copious for use as textbooks or too expensive for a private collection. But, above all, if a University library is to be of any benefit, it must be made as free of access as possible; the borrowing of a book must bo attended with as little red-tape as possible. This, we maintain, is what a library should be and do. This, however, is purely ideal. A largo and representative collection of modern literature, in addition to a good selection of older works, is costly, very costly. And so we can resign ourselves to doing without, what we cannot get. The literature student will cease to yearn for a few volumes of the most recent criticism; tho budding geologist will no longer be shocked to find that there is nothing in his lino more recent than 18S0 or thereabouts. But there remains one matter about which we can with justice complain: our library, such as it is at present, is not sufficiently free of access to students. This, of course, may bo denied; it may be answered that students can borrow books whenever they wish. But every student knows that there is far too much formality connected with the use of the library. The very sight of long rows of wire frames is enough to restrain one from feeling at ease among the hooks; the door is kept carefully closed, so that one has to apply to the registrar for the key, while, in addition, there is tho absurd restriction that one may not take the books off the shelves to examine them. This means that the only use a student can make of the library is to go to the registrar and ask him to take out a certain book.

This may ho illustrated by an incident that happened this year. Two hononrs students, wishing to examine the literature on philosophy, went to the registrar for the key of the library. The registrar, presumably acting under instructions, informed them that they were not allowed to take the books from the shelves, but that if they told him what hook they wanted he would get it for them. When one of them told him they were studying for honours, ho said that no doubt students at that stage would bo allowed to examine tho hooks. Now, what we should like to know is; If hononrs students, why not all other students? For instance, why not scholarship students, to whom especially wide reading is necessary? IVhat we wish to emphasise is that many students do not use the library simply because there is too much red tape about it, or because they are not j aw'are it is there for general use—for not all students peruse tho University calendar from cover to cover. We are informed that other colleges are not handicapped in this way with regard to their libraries, and that the Otago University library is a matter for ridicule to students of other centres. We should hero like to beg for the employment of a little sound logic and fair play, which would speedily bring this state of affairs to a close.