NEW MEDICAL LIBRARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19350, 10 December 1924, Page 2

NEW MEDICAL LIBRARY.

EXTENSIVE PURCHASE IN PHILADELPHIA. 11,000 VOLUMES FOR MEDICAL. SCHOOL. An exceptionally attractive opportunity of building up a library for the Otago Medical School was disclosed in a letter from Sir H. Lindo Ferguson to the Rev. Dr Cameron (Chancellor of the Otago University), part of which was read at the meeting of the Otago University Council yesterday afternoon. Writing from Washington, Sir Lindo said: “At Philadelphia the College of Physicians has a magnificent library of medical works containing 125,000 to 150,000 volumes. As you will remember, Dr Harte, when in Dunedin, said that possibly they would help us from their duplicates. I saw the duplicates, many of which are valuable books, and which include many valuable series of journals which we are sadly lacking. The college has on four occasions sold out its duplicates to start fresh libraries for different centres, and had been in communication with a southern town which could not face the cost of the present accumulation; The committee have no power to donate any of the books for which they are trustees, but offered to let me havo the entire lot at 10 cents a volume, which, seeing that many are valued at up to 10 dollars a volume, was a nominal price. The number is between 11,000 and 12,000. “I promptly closed on the offer when it was made by Dr Packard at Dr Harto’s house after the meeting of the Library Committee, as it will mean a greater development of our library at one steo than we could have hoped for in the next 25 years, and next day I gave a cheque for £l5O to cover the cost of packing and insurance. The books will be shipped direct from Philadelphia next month, and the shippers will draw against the documents. The money will have to be found somehow —(laughter)—and I shall bo glad if you will get the Finance Committee to reimburse me for. the amount advanced so that it will come into this year’s accounts.”

It was estimated that the whole cost of the books landed here would be about £4OO.

The Finance Committee was instructed to pay the amount advanced by Sir Lindo Ferguson, and the question of the payment of the balance was referred to it. The question of housing the library was referred to the Library and Medical Committees.