RURAL LIBRARIES

Southland Times, Issue 19346, 11 September 1924, Page 8

RURAL LIBRARIES

A SCHEME SUGGESTED BOOKS FOR COUNTRY DWELLERS The recent announcement made by the Minister of Education that the Government proposed to reinstate the grant of £3OOO on this year’s Estimates to provide subsidies for public libraries in country districts has been acknowledged on all sides as a step in the right direction, and the suggestion has been made that one of the best methods of utilising the money available would be in encouraging the formation of what are known as travelling libraries throughout the country. With a view to ascertaining whether such a scheme if introduced into the rural districts of Southland could be satisfactorily administered, a representative cf the Southland Times interviewed the Librarian of the Invercargill Public Library (Mr H. B. Farnall) and he was good enough to outline a scheme which, if carried into effect, would prove highly efficient and at the same time afford the residents in the more remote country centres an opportunity of securing the best that is available in the different realms of literature, as the basis for a better education and the creation of a desire to read a greater variety of standard works than the average person usually does at the present time. PUBLIC LIBRARIAN'S VIEWS. “The travelling library is an established fact in other countries,” said Mr Farnall, “particularly in several States of America, where it has been conducted with very satisfactory results, and has enabled the dweller in the back blocks to become keenly interested in books of a scientific nature, as well as ih works of fiction and magazines. The most important point about such a scheme is that not only does it make country’ life more enjoyable, but it silently and delightfully influences the character of the people, and makes them think for themselves. “To my mind,” continued Mr Farnall, “the inauguration of a Rural Book Delivery system in Southland could be managed with success from the Invercargill Library, and the geographical situation of the various towns and the road communications would enable a very convenient route to be laid out. For instance, stations could be established at Bluff, Riverton, Otautau, Winton, Mataura, Gore Wyndham and Lumsden, where cases of books could be left periodically, and then exchanged between the various centres. By means of a system such as I have suggested, books which have lost their immediate usefulness in the main library could be distributed among the subscribers in the country, and by a judicious selection of the books circulated, there should be no need to incur much additional expense in purchasing extra copies for the purposes of the rural library. The main difficulty that I anticipate is the question of expense arising out of the cost of purchasing and maintaining a suitable car for distributing the books, and also in defraying the wages of a driver, but these matters should not be insuperable, as the district lends itself to the system. Then again, widespread support should be forthcoming, as many people would welcome it. ADVANTAGES TO FARMERS. “Surely it is not too much to ask,” continued Mr Farnall, “that an effort should be made to minister systematically to the intellectual wants of those fanners who are unable, owing to their. isolation, to assist themselves in this matter. In addition to the benefits that would accrue from the distribution of literature of an educative or recreative class, such a library would include books on farming subjects, and would thus assist in the operations of the Agricultural Department. .As far back as 1910 the Libraries Association, which was then a much more active organisation that it is to-day, endeavoured to impress upon the Government the necessity of inaugurating some system by which settlers could be supplied with the advantages afforded by public libraries in the larger centres of population, and though the benefits of the scheme were recognised the Association failed to secure any definite action by the authorities. Personally I think the sum suggested to be distributed is quite inadequate as far as New Zealand is concerned but it would certainly assist, to some extent, to revive interest in such a movement, which has a great deal to commend it.”

SUPPORT FROM SOUTHLAND LEAGUE. The President of the Southland League (Mr C. J. Brodrick) when approached, expressed the opinion that the suggestion for the establishment of a Rural Library scheme in Southland was a very praiseworthy one, and while the proposal was only a tentative one, he felt sure that the League would be willing to give what assistance it could in setting up an organisation. “Anything which will tend to make conditions in the country districts more congenial to the settlers and their families, will, I am sure, have the hearty support of the League members,” concluded Mr Brodrick, “and if any steps are taken to establish a Rural Library the League will do its best to make the movement a success.”