WHY THIS HASTE?

Southland Times, Issue 25310, 13 June 1935, Page 6

WHY THIS HASTE?

It is to be hoped that some action is taken to give the CityCouncil and the Library Committee an opportunity to consider further the decision brought about by its declaration that the power to reserve books must go. The Chairman of the Library and Baths Committees, who has been associated with the Public Library management for a number of years, asked for further time for consideration, and the council was rather churlish in denying him that opportunity. Further, it was rather foolish, because it wilfully adopted the attitude of the man who prefers to act in ignorance rather than to wait until he is armed with full information. The statistics of the Library will show that while there has beerf a falling off in membership, there has been nothing to suggest that this falling off is in any way due to the practice of reserving books.

For twelve months the power to reserve books was withdrawn, without’ any indication that it affected the number of subscribers in ahy material way, and the council then restored the privileges of reservation finding, as other libraries who had made the change had found, that instead of being a benefit it was really a disadvantage. In the circumstances it is extraordinary that the council should wish to rush into a further experiment, particularly when the Chairman of the Library Cormnittee had disclosed that in spite of his inclination to favour the proposal to withdraw the power of reservation, he suspected that there was available information which would show that such a course was unwise. If we remember aright the subscribers, or a goodly number of them, 1 showed in an unmistakable manner where their preference lay, and this information assisted the City Council some years ago to decide to restore the power of reservation. It must be remembered that this policy has been used, and is used, by a very large number of circulating libraries, and that it is retained because instead of encouraging favouritism it actually discourages it. One councillor declared that he left the Library because of these reservations, and yet it is probable that he was a member of the Library during a period in which no book could be reserved unless there was another “free” book on the shelves, so that his complaint was really without foundation. It was also mentioned that the revenue from reservations amounted to approximately £24, but where reservations are made, there is frequently an additional payment for an “extra” book, so that the revenue involved is actually in excess of the amount mentioned. These and othei’ facts should be made available to the whole council. If it had shown less haste and a greater desire to get to the bottom of this matter, it would have had the information and it would at least have acted with its eyes open, instead of acting with one closed.