PUBLIC LIBRARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22259, 11 May 1934, Page 6

PUBLIC LIBRARY

MR RALPH MUNN IMPRESSED AN OASIS IN A DESERT Disappointed in the libraries which he had seen in the northern centres of New Zealand, Mr Ralph Munn, a director of the Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh, found in the Dunedin Public Library an institution for which, with the Timaru library, he had nothing but praise. "These two libraries," he said, in an interview with a Daily Times reporter yesterday, "stand as splendid oases in a desert of subscription libraries." "Dunedin is the first large city in New Zealand in which I have seen operating a free library of the type known in England, Scotland and the United States," Mr Munn said. " The value and importance of a free library are proved every day in Dunedin by the interest which local people take in their library and the use they make of it. The present librarian, I am told, is attempting to place the issue of fiction on a more reasonable basis and he should have the support of everyone in Dunedin in this respect. In many libraries too much emphasis is placed upon the issue at light, ephemeral fiction. Like many other democratic institutions, a free pubiic library is frequently subjected to attack, and T agree that the use of public funds to support an institution which is almost exclusively engaged in supplying light novels is questionable. This type of reading has its place, but it should not be allowed to absorb an unreasonable aroount of the finances and facilities ->f a public library." Mr Munn added that the present policy of bringing expenditure on fiction within reasonable limits had.had a splendid reaction in the use of more important books of non-fiction. During the last six months there had not only been a gain in the total number of books issued, but the percentage of non-fiction had increased by 5 per cent, over the corresponding period of last year. SPECIAL FEATURES The reference library of the Dunedin Pi.'C Library was, Mr Munn affirmed, one of the best ho had seen in New Zealand. It reflected a splendid knowledge of book values on the part of the librarian who collected it. Of course, there were some places in which it was incomplete and out of date; but, on the whole, it reflected great credit upon ttu library administration. It also appeared re be quite adequate for the ordinary demands of the community. Referring to the New Zealand section of the Free Library and the Hockfu Library in the Museum building, Mr Munn said that it was unfortunate that these two superb collections were competing, to some extent, with each other. If it were impossible to combine the two, there should at least be siome strong co-ordinating policy, which would prevent duplication of effort and expense, and also provide a union catalogue. In this way, a scholar would be able to learn what material was available, , Dunedin was to be congratulated upon its support of a free library, as it was pioneering in this regard. There was no. excuse, however, for the city to become complacent, as the funds which it gave to the library were only about' 35 wr cent, of the standard set by the American Libraries' Association for the support of free public libraries. A public library should: be regarded as , a great continuation school. "You spend thousands of pounds in running your public schools," Mr Munn said, "and it is very poor economy to fail to provide a good public library in which people can continue their education." REGIONAL LIBRARIES Mr Munn concluded the interview with a reference to the difficulties of a library service for scattered populations. The large area and the sparsely settled conditions in New Zealand, he said, made a library service to the small town an J rural areas particularly difficult Tu England it had been decided that a eHyof fewer than 20,000 inhabitants could not provide adequate library, service for itself. The libraries of England hid therefore been linked, together to. form a county library system by pooling their finances. Every small community received full advantage of the strength of the entire county., "The county in New Zealand is not a suitable area for library development," he said, "but we are hoping that some other division of districts can be found in which the same kind of library service can be develops! It will take a great many years for N«?w Zealand to reach the standards of development which prevail in an old settled country like England, but I hope that the plan of regional libraries will be adopted and developed as finances permit. The New Zealand Library Association expects to ask Parliament to enact the necessary legislation, and the association hopes that some progressive part of N-jw Zealand will do some pioneer work in starting this type of library service. Dunedin would be an excellent centre for such work as this is a large and well-populated province." Mr Munn will leave Dunedin to-day for' Auckland, where he will join the steamer for Australia on May 18, anl spend two montns there on work similar to that which he is doing in New Zealand. When he returns to the United States he will prepare a report on the libraries of New Zealand, with recommendations for their future c'onduct and suggestions for the way in which the existing libraries can be adapted to meet the demand for library services in New Zealand in the most efficient manner possible.